Meet Our High Holiday Service Leaders

Name: Rabbi Rami Schwartzer
Service: Kol Haneshama

Rami Schwartzer is a spiritual education innovator, artist and rabbi. By applying practical spirituality to modern life, Rami bridges the divide between religious and secular thinking, integrating theology, the arts, and the science of consciousness.

Rami writes articles on contemporary theology and Jewish law. His most recent essay, entitled “Life Cycles and Brain Cycles,” was published in April 2022 in the book A God We Can Believe In. He is the architect of the Den Collective, Ramah Day Camp Greater D.C., and Tehom, a Jewish learning fellowship at the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington.

Rami holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Columbia University, and degrees in Talmud, rabbinic literature, and scriptural interpretation, as well as rabbinic ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Rami lives between New England and Israel.

Name: Josh Dickstein
Service: Outdoor High Holidays

Josh Dickstein has been an active participant in Congregation Beth El since 2008. His journey in leading High Holiday services began in 2002, at the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University.

In 2009, Josh brought his leadership to our community, leading the Shacharit prayers on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. In 2017, he expanded his role, leading most aspects of the High Holiday services.

Josh lives in Chevy Chase with his wife, Lauren, and their two sons, Henry and Andrew.

Josh is a regular participant in the early morning service at Congregation Beth El, often leading Shacharit and Musaf. Professionally, he owns and operates a private physical therapy practice in downtown Bethesda, Dickstein Physical Therapy.

In addition to his professional and religious commitments, Josh serves on the board of the North Chevy Chase Swimming Pool Association and is an enthusiastic pickleball player.

Name: Matthew Jacobson
Service: Outdoor High Holidays

Matthew Jacobson grew up in Montgomery County, coming to Beth El for as long as he can remember. Worship at Beth El, as well as the formation of meaningful relationships among peers and the clergy, contributed to his strong sense of Jewish identity, and led him to pursue a career in education. Entering his fifth year teaching at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, Matthew is excited to continue pursuing passions of education and Judaism, and is looking forward to another incredibly meaningful high holiday season.

Name: Jonathan Shamay-Draluck
Service: Outdoor High Holidays

Jonathan Shamay-Draluck enjoys singing and leyning and began leading high holiday services at his home shul in Atlanta. He loves to learn and teach new melodies. When not singing, he is a corporate attorney. He and his husband, Oren, met in Tel Aviv, moved to Boston where their children, Shiri and Yannai, were born, and have been in Maryland for 8 years.

Name: Karen Berman
Service: Family Service for Families with Young Children (ages birth to Pre-K)

This year will be Karen’s 22nd at Beth El Preschool, and her 9th year as the music teacher. Before she had her 26-year-old twins, she taught kindergarten and first grade in MCPS. Karen’s favorite things are her dog, her family, musicals, and spending time with preschoolers- definitely not in that order!

Name: Dan Goldman 
Service: Family Service for Families with Young Children (ages birth to Pre-K)

Dan Goldman is excited to welcome the High Holidays and lead kids’ services for his 18th year. He is a proud graduate of Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School (sometime in the 80s) and Beth El Pre School (sometime in the 70s). He and his two children are longtime congregants at Beth El. In his free time, he enjoys travelling with his family, friends, and girlfriend, trying new Bethesda restaurants, and cheering for the Washington Capitals (was at T-Mobile for The Save in 2018 Stanley Cup Finals).

Name: Anne Prusky 
Service: Family Service for Families with Children Ages K-5th Grade

Anne Prusky is an educator, storyteller, and community builder who is honored to be leading Beth El’s intergenerational family services this holiday season. Anne is currently a student at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, and she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociocultural Linguistics from Brown University. Anne is particularly passionate about social justice causes including women’s rights and immigrant rights, and has served as a Board Member of JCADA and the Washington English Center. For the past five years, Anne has also worked as a full- and part-time Jewish educator, working with people of all ages to inspire a love of tradition and ritual made modern. It is in this capacity that she met Rabbi Jessica Minnen, her friend, colleague, and mentor, who has led Beth El’s family services since 2012. Anne lives in Philadelphia with her husband, Dayton, and their cats, Schlimazel and Thibodeaux.