Meet Our Clergy & Staff
Rabbi David Ackerman
The first time I stepped foot in Beth Am Israel’s sanctuary, I knew this was home. The warmth and light, the feeling of spiritual uplift, drew me in a deep and powerful way. And the community’s vibe mirrors this precisely. Join us here and you’ll see what I mean.
My goal is for Beth Am Israel to be the place where you can explore how Judaism can add meaning to your life and to your family’s life. We do a lot of exploring here together. Through learning. Through prayer. And through doing good in the world. These are the three central pillars of Jewish life, and they are Beth Am Israel’s, too.
At Beth Am Israel, you will see the many paths we take to explore learning, prayer and repairing the world together. More ways than you could possibly experience. Our goal is to make space for as many ‘adventures of the soul’ as possible. So you can find the ones that inspire you to connect and to find meaning on your own journey –and your family’s journey.
Through this exploration we achieve our other goal here at Beth Am Israel: for you to feel part of an inclusive, participatory community that gives you and your family a sense of belonging. In this connected community, we share together the rhythm of our lives – from the anticipated joyful life cycle events to the unanticipated times of struggle and need. We truly take care of one another as only a weave of committed souls can.
I’ve been blessed to serve as Beth Am Israel’s rabbi since 2009. My involvements outside our shul reflect its commitments, and mine. I’m honored to sit on the board of the Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at Penn. I had the privilege of serving on the editorial committee of the Conservative Movement’s new prayer book, Siddur Lev Shalem. I chair the Ethics Committee of Jewish Family and Children’s Services of Greater Philadelphia, on whose board I also sit. And I spend a lot of time participating in communal activities through the Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia, the Jewish Community Relations Council and POWER Metro, a regional movement for social justice. I’m motivated by the principles of community organizing and by our tradition’s call to us to repair the world each and every day.
My wife, Naomi Shapiro, and I live in Penn Valley; we’re the proud parents of Josh, Elijah, and Rosie and our dog Seamus. Enough about me! What I’d really like is the opportunity to get to know you. Please contact me at rabbidavid@bethamisrael.org. Let’s set up a time to talk.
Hazzan Harold Messinger
As Hazzan* at Beth Am Israel, my driving passion is to help each person find their own spiritual path through music and prayer. I see my role as empowering our congregation to sing out, clap, pray with joy and intention, and be fully present to the moment.
What I really cherish since arriving in 2006 is the encouragement I get to try new things with our community — to explore with passion the whole realm of prayer, song and spirit. We’ve created, for instance, adult drum circles, a teen song and prayer-writing workshop, our instrument-infused Kabbalat Shabbat service on Friday nights, and a music/prayer lab.”
My life’s experiences — as a counselor for teens in Israel and the U.S., playing in rock bands, working as a music therapist and later as an elementary school music teacher — all inform my work here at Beth Am Israel. You will also see the influence of my obsession with puppets, and my penchant for creating YouTube videos (most notably my record-holding “Model Ani Texas Style,” the “Most Viewed Puppet Video of a Morning Prayer”). I have recorded three CDs, including co-producing a collection of Jewish and Gospel music. I live in Merion Station with my wife Kes and our three children, Cole, Jonah and Juliana.
I would love to meet you and talk with you about your interest in all things musical, prayerful, or spiritual.
*I always liked this Hebrew word, which I discovered means “visionary.” I don’t think I’m a visionary, but I do come with a vision for how a prayer space should look, feel and sound. I work to make that happen every time I lead our prayers.
Lori Dafilou - Executive Director
As Executive Director at Beth Am Israel, I have the pleasure of interacting with many of our members on a regular basis. Whether greeting them at services, answering questions about their accounts, or sharing a meal at kiddush, it gives me so much happiness to be part of this amazing congregation. While I have held similar positions at Society Hill Synagogue, Congregation Adath Israel of the Main Line, and most recently, at Congregation Or Ami, I can honestly say BAI is a very special and unique shul. We truly “walk the walk” and congregants are encouraged to follow their passions and share their interests with each other. If there is something you are interested in, you will find like-minded individuals here. And if not, you will be encouraged to introduce us to your cause!
As an Executive Director, I have held leadership positions in both NAASA (the North American Association of Synagogue Administrators) and DVASA (Delaware Valley Association of Synagogue Administrators). I am a past president of DVASA and am very happy to announce that I will be taking over as President of NAASE in March 2023 for a two-year term.
When not working, I can usually be found in the kitchen or out working in the yard.
I hope you will join us here in this beautiful spiritual home, the soulful shul on the Mainline.
Please contact me at executivedirector@bethamisrael.org. I would love to talk and get to know you.
Cantor Jenn Boyle - Incoming Education Director
I am excited to join the team at Beth Am Israel as the Incoming Education Director. Prior to coming to BAI, I served Temple Beth Tikvah in Madison, CT as their Cantor and Religious School Director. I studied to be a cantor and received my Master’s in Jewish Education at Hebrew College in Boston.
As the Incoming Education Director, my focus in on building relationships with families both in and outside the synagogue. You can find me teaching in our Shorashim program on Thursdays and facilitating other programs for families on Shabbat and during the week. My hope is to connect families to each other and to find ways to bring Judaism into our everyday lives with joy, purpose, and meaning.
I live in Narberth with my husband Cory and our two cats, Cinder and Stormy.
If I haven’t met you yet, please stop by and say hello! You can reach me at education@bethamisrael.org.
Aya Barron - Curriculum Developer
My name is Aya (she/her) and I am a wilderness guide, ritualist and educator pursuing rabbinic ordination at Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. My rabbinic studies build on six years of leadership at Wilderness Torah, an organization committed to reconnecting Judaism to its natural cycles, and work with several other Jewish environmental organizations including Hazon and Eden Village Camp. I grew up in Lower Merion and returned to the Philadelphia area to begin school in 2019 after more than a decade away. I am relishing the chance to spend time with family and old friends, help my husband learn to pronounce “Schuylkill” like a local, and find the best spots for a hike near my home in West Philly.
I have a passion for inspiring deeply rooted, creative connections to Jewish tradition, and is thrilled to join Beth Am Israel’s team to bring my love of Torah and the outdoors to the launch of Shorashim.
Ellen Feist
I am thrilled to join the Beth Am Israel team as Marketing Coordinator. This position perfectly blends my professional marketing experience with my passion for Jewish community.
I spent 12 years as the Director of Marketing and PR at Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, PA, managing all aspects of advertising, promotions, media relations, sponsor relations, and digital media. I also have experience in theater, entertainment, and most recently at Feldscher Horwitz Public Relations managing client accounts and media relations.
Passionate about Jewish community, I am an active volunteer at my own synagogue, Congregation Kol Ami in Cherry Hill, NJ, serving as Vice President on the Executive Committee, focusing on Education and Youth Group.
I live in Cherry Hill, NJ with my husband, Michael, two children, Samara and Ethan, and rescue dog, Sandy.
I work remote but hope to see you at BAI soon. You can reach me at marketing@bethamisrael.org.
Merle Zucker
Mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Former longtime Legislative Assistant to a Pennsylvania State Representative and now delighted to be a part of the BAI family. Always hoping to make a positive difference!
Molly Gray
My name is Molly (she/they) and I am very excited to be joining the team at Beth Am Israel. I grew up in Wallingford, PA and attended Strath Haven High School. I am very excited for the opportunity to grow in my administrative skills and to help develop a fulfilling spiritual community. In my free time I love getting out into nature, road trips and reading.
I look forward to getting to know this community more, please always feel free to reach out to me via email at officeadmin@bethamisrael.org.