LEADERSHIP

Rabbi Gershon Silins

Rabbi Gershon was ordained as a rabbi by Leo Baeck College in July 2019. He joined TLSE in December 2022.

He previously served as Assistant Rabbi at the West London Synagogue for British Jews. He was on the Rabbinic Team of Liberal Judaism and led Liberal Jewish communities in Lincolnshire, Norwich, Stevenage and Manchester. He was the first (and so far only) Rabbi Cantor in the United Kingdom.

Prior to arriving in the United Kingdom, he was cantor of Temple Sinai Congregation, Toronto; at Temple Avodah, Oceanside, New York; Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple, New Brunswick, New Jersey; Beth Emet The Free Synagogue, Evanston, Illinois and Temple Emanuel, Kensington, Maryland. He also taught cantorial studies at the Abraham Geiger College Cantorial School in Berlin and the Levisson Institute in Amsterdam.

Rabbi Gershon received the degree of Master of Sacred Music from the School of Sacred Music of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York, where he was ordained as a cantor. In 2015, he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Sacred Music (honoris causa) by Hebrew Union College, in honour of his service to the American cantorate.

You can contact Rabbi Gershon at rabbigershon@tlse.org.uk, or through the synagogue office.

Jacqueline Bernard

Jacqueline Bernard is the Headteacher of our Sunday morning Learning Hub for primary school age children. She is also the Office Manager and so probably the first person you will speak to when you contact TLSE.
Jacqueline has a Liberal Jewish background, growing up at Finchley Progressive Synagogue, and is passionate about Liberal Jewish Education. She has been headteacher at TLSE since 2018 and in the past was headteacher at Brighton and Hove Progressive Synagogue and Finchley Progressive Synagogue.
She is married with three grown up children, two cats and a mad Labrador. She is a big Arsenal fan and spends a lot of her time at the Arsenal Stadium stressfully watching them play. Jacqueline is always at the end of the phone or an email to discuss all things TLSE.

Student Rabbi Hannah Altorf

Hannah Altorf joined TLSE in October 2023, as her 4th year placement from Leo Baeck College. Hannah grew up in the Netherlands, before she moved to Glasgow where she gained her PhD. She has since lived in London. Before joining the college Hannah was a Reader in Philosophy and she is currently a research fellow of the Iris Murdoch Centre at the University of Chichester. In recent years, Hannah increased her participation in her Jewish congregation until she decided to embark upon her studies to become a Rabbi.