Our Clergy
Rabbi Dennis Ross, Senior Rabbi
Rabbi Dennis Ross is excited to be our Interim Senior Rabbi.
After many years serving as a pulpit rabbi in synagogues in the Northeast, Rabbi Ross found his calling as an interim rabbi. Like any rabbi, he enjoys providing pastoral care, leading services on Shabbat, holidays and for religious school students, participating in the early childhood program, and much more. As an interim rabbi, he also draws from his specialized training, skill, and experience to partner with us to build and plan for our future that includes a foundation for a successful transition to our next settled rabbi.
Rabbi Ross is a national leader in the interim rabbinic field of practice. He serves as an interim program specialist for the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR), where he developed a new and innovative curriculum to train Reform rabbis and cantors for interim service. He the only rabbi invited to the faculty of the interfaith Interim Ministry Network
In addition to rabbinic ordination through the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, he holds a Master of Social Work degree. Rabbi Ross is author of five books including his most recent, A Year with Martin Buber: Wisdom from the Weekly Torah Portion for the Daily Inspiration Series of the Jewish Publication Society, which was named a “Top Ten Book of the Year” by the Academy of Parish Clergy. He has written for the New York Times, the Boston Globe, Forward, and other popular and scholarly publications.
Rabbi Ross may be reached at the temple office or through his email at rabbiross@templest.org.
Inés Szterenberg, Cantor
Cantor Szterenberg was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Her deep passion for Judaism and music led her to the bimah at the young age of 16, where she officiated Kabbalat Shabbat services at the synagogue where she grew up.
Determined to deepen her knowledge and formalize her calling, she pursued her studies and was ordained from the Latin American Rabbinical Seminary in 2008. This achievement made her one of the first formally ordained female cantors across the 22 countries that make up Latin America.
Throughout her career, Cantor Szterenberg has guided over 1,000 students in preparing for their B'nai Mitzvah ceremonies and has supported hundreds of families during life cycle events. She has been a trailblazer in her homeland, advocating for women to be counted as part of a minyan, wear a tallit, and be called to recite the Torah blessings.
Before joining Temple Shaaray Tefila, she served at the Associação Religiosa Israelita in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where she made history as the first ordained female cantor behind the pulpit in the country.
In 2020, she took another significant step by convalidating her degree within the American Conference of Cantors, becoming the first Latin American cantor being part of the organization that represents all the Reform cantors in America.
Soon, Cantor Szterenberg will celebrate her fourth year of service at Shaaray Tefila, a place she lovingly refers to as her "second home." The Shaaray community has been a witness to her personal and professional growth, as well as the growth of her family. She and her husband, Brian Szterenberg, are proud parents to their daughter Ludmila, who enjoys participating in activities at the ECC and running through the office hallways before Mom gets into her office. They are now eagerly awaiting the arrival of their second daughter, who is due in just one month and whom they look forward to introducing to the community.
Cantor Szterenberg may be reached at the temple office or through her email at cantorines@templest.org.
Rabbi David E. Greenberg, Rabbi Emeritus
After 44 years as Senior Rabbi, Rabbi David E. Greenberg became Temple Shaaray Tefila's Rabbi Emeritus in July 2020.
Rabbi Greenberg grew up in San Francisco, California. He received a BA from the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1972, and a Master of Hebrew Letters degree from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles in 1976. After completing rabbinic school in New York, he became the “weekend student Rabbi” at Temple Shaaray Tefila in Bedford, New York. Rabbi Greenberg received his rabbinical ordination from HUC-JIR in 1978 and has been with our congregation ever since.
Temple Shaaray Tefila grew and flourished under his outstanding leadership. For so many, he is a source of inspiration and an example of dedication to our most worthy Jewish values and teachings.
Rabbi Greenberg lives in Florida with his wife, Cindy, and they are blessed with three children, Alisa, Amanda, and Jared and grandchildren Mason, Harper, and Jagger.
Jewish Music to Soothe the Soul
CD available now at Amazon. Please click here to read an article about the CD.