Our Clergy

Rabbi Mitchell M. Hurvitz

203-542-7150 • [email protected]

Rabbi Mitchell M. Hurvitz (Rabbi Mitch) became part of the Temple Sholom family as an Assistant Rabbi in 1995, and was promoted to Associate Rabbi three years later. In 2001, he succeeded Hillel Silverman, now our Rabbi Emeritus, as Senior Rabbi. Rabbi Mitch is a scholar, teacher, community activist and preacher, and is recognized as one of the prominent religious leaders in the Greenwich area and beyond. A frequent guest speaker at synagogues and churches, study groups, community institutions and universities, he is a charismatic personality who engages individuals and stimulates hearts and minds. His teachings can be found in Greenwich Time, Greenwich Sentinel, Greenwich Jewish News and in other local and national publications.

Rabbi Mitch is a noted authority within the Conservative movement on how to create a welcoming environment for Interfaith families in congregations. An author of numerous popular and scholarly articles, he has also written the “Introduction to the Jewish Faith” and the Encyclopedia of Judaism for publisher Facts on File. Rabbi Mitch is the Co-Founder of The Sholom Center for Interfaith Learning & Fellowship, and currently serves as the President of the Greenwich Fellowship of Clergy, a position he has held several times. He has also been a member of the Rabbinical Assembly Executive Committee and has served on the Rabbinical Assembly's Financial and Development Committees.

Rabbi Mitch was born in Boston and raised in Palo Alto, California. He earned a BA in History at UCLA, a Master of Hebrew Letters from the University of Judaism and a second MA degree in Jewish Studies and Rabbinic Ordination with a concentration in Rabbinic Literature and Jewish Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary. Rabbi Mitch is blessed with his wife of more than 30 years, Roseanne, and four children.

Please click here for the Rabbi's Weekly Teachings and here for the Rabbi's Writings in the News.

Rabbi Chaya Bender, Assistant Rabbi/Youth Director

203-869-7191 ext. 115 • [email protected]

Rabbi Chaya Bender first joined the Temple Sholom community as a Rabbinic Fellow in 2016. In 2017 and 2018, respectively, she was named the Temple's Youth Director and the Assistant Rabbi. Rabbi Chaya has more than ten years of teaching experience in various Jewish settings and is passionate about helping others explore Judaism through the lens of art. She currently teaches 7th grade at the Temple Sholom Learning Center, serves as a Chapter Advisor for Judah BBYO, and helps to develop youth and family programming.

Rabbi Chaya was born and raised in Southern New Jersey. She earned a BA in Anthropology with two minors in Near Eastern, Judaic Studies and Gender Studies from Brandeis University. After Brandeis, she spent two years studying Rabbinic Literature at Drisha as a Music Fellow in the Artist Beit Midrash program. In addition to Rabbinic Ordination from JTS, she is pursuing an MA Degree at the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education.

Rabbi Chaya is committed to fostering inclusivity and equity in the Jewish community and she is a member of the Gender and Sexuality Committee at the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS). She also serves as the Chair of Keshet-JTS, a student organization devoted to community building, advocacy, education and professional development for LGBTQA students and allies. Rabbi Chaya and her wife, Emily, love being a part of the Temple Sholom community.

Rabbi Hillel E. Silverman, Rabbi Emeritus

858-450-3027

Rabbi Hillel E. Silverman was born in Hartford, CT. He is the son of the late Rabbi and Mrs. Morris Silverman. Rabbi Silverman graduated from Yale University. He was ordained a rabbi at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York in 1949, and in 1952 achieved a Doctorate in Bible Studies. In 1974 he received an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from the University of Judaism. Rabbi Silverman served as Senior Rabbi of Temple Sholom from 1981-2001, when he announced his retirement. 

In addition to his pulpit duties, Rabbi Silverman is a recognized author and lecturer. During his tenure in Greenwich he served on the Board of Directors of the Greenwich UJA/Federation, Jewish Family Services, Greenwich Emergency Medical Service and other local civic agencies. He has also served as president of the Greenwich Fellowship of Clergy.

Cantor Sandy Bernstein

203-542-7160 • [email protected]

Cantor Sandy Bernstein brings a unique passion for music and a deep commitment to Judaism to Temple Sholom. Before joining Temple Sholom in the summer of 2018, she served Congregation Beth El-Ner Tamid in Broomall, PA.

Cantor Sandy holds a BA in Music from California State University and completed her Cantorial studies at the Academy for Jewish Religion California where she was ordained in 2013. She can perform in diverse musical styles such as Cantorial, Opera, Rock, Pop, Standards and Jazz, and is proficient in Spanish and Hebrew, and can sing in both languages, as well as in Yiddish, Ladino, Italian, German, French and Latin.

Cantor Sandy has more than 25 years of experience teaching in religious schools, pre-schools and Jewish day schools. Her hobbies include painting, crafting, dancing and kosher healthy cooking. Cantor Sandy and her husband, Gaston (a well-known Jewish percussionist, who often accompanies her), have two daughters, Gabi and Naomi, and two sons, Daniel and Matt.

Ezra Konigsberg, Hazzan Sheni/Ritual Director

203-542-7151 • [email protected]

Ezra Konigsberg, who serves as the Hazzan Sheni/Ritual Director and the primary Bar/Bat Mitzvah tutor, celebrated his 20th year at Temple Sholom in 2017. In addition to assisting with services, Ezra also teaches Hebrew in the Temple Sholom Learning Center. Ezra was born in New York City and raised in Connecticut by a family of cantors. He was educated at Solomon Schechter Day School in Woodbridge, CT, and earned his BA in English from Southern Connecticut State University. Ezra and his wife Robin play an active role in many synagogue programs. They currently live in Westchester with their daughter, Hannah, and son, Max.