Our Staff

Rabbi Ari Goldstein

Rabbi Ari Goldstein was born in Baltimore, MD, but grew up in New Orleans, LA, a place he still calls his hometown.  He graduated college at the University of Pittsburgh and was ordained in 1997 by the Hebrew Union College.  He served congregations in Glencoe, IL and Cherry Hill, NJ before coming to Temple Beth Shalom in 2004.

Rabbi Goldstein is a gifted teacher, an inspiring speaker, and a passionate Zionist.  His sermons have been included in various national compilations and he was an essayist for the recent publication of Sacred Journeys: Ecumenical Perspectives on Spiritual Care.

From 2016-2018 Rabbi Goldstein was the president of the Synagogue Division for Israel Bonds and he has served as a consultant to the Anne Arundel County School Board for Middle East curriculum.

Rabbi Goldstein is married to Rabbi Hanna Yerushalmi, a licensed therapist, and they have four children, Sela, Nava, Sammy and Juda.

Jill Sussman, Temple Administrator

Originally from Westchester County, New York, I have a degree in Human Resources Management from Florida State University.

Prior to becoming the Temple Administrator, I served as the temple’s event coordinator, also for many years as a temple volunteer, helping to coordinate several fundraising activities for the temple’s preschool and annual temple fundraisers such as the Mishloach Manot (Purim gift boxes), and the temple’s GALA.

I have served as a member of Temple Beth Shalom’s Board of Trustees, Religious School, and Early Childhood Program Committees and served as president and treasurer of the preschool Parent-Teacher Organization.

My husband Ben and I have two children, Sam and Isabelle, both of whom were students in the temple’s preschool and religious school.

Tracey Greenberg, Religious School Director

I grew up in Fairfax, Virginia where I attended religious school at Congregation Olam Tikvah through post-confirmation.  I graduated from Penn State University where I received a BS in Elementary and Kindergarten Education.  After graduation I moved to New York City where I received an MA in the Psychological Foundations of Reading from New York University. After a few years of teaching, I continued on to receive 30 additional credits in TESOL.  I also taught 5th grade at the Ballet Tech/ New York City Public School for Dance for 8 years until my eldest son Jack was born.  In 2009, my husband Brett and I moved to Anne Arundel County to live closer to family. I have taught in Anne Arundel County Public Schools for the past 9 years and love it! I am excited to be part of the Temple Beth Shalom staff.  It is very important to me to make our religious school a place that nurtures all of our children and provides them with a place to grow their Jewish identities.

Betsey Kushner, Preschool Director

Betsey graduated from the University of Maryland, and has been part of the Temple Beth Shalom community for a long time. She is the parent of three graduates from our preschool and has four children, ages 25, 17, 15 and 13. Betsey is certified by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) to teach Pre-K through 3rd grade, and has dedicated her career to preschool education, which is where her passion lies. She has experience teaching all ages of preschool, including facilitating Mommy and Me classes for infants and toddlers as well as teaching 2’s, 3’s and Pre-K classes in both public and private settings. Betsey lives here in Arnold and, when she’s not busy driving her three teenage girls to cheerleading practices, she enjoys traveling and going on hikes with her husband, Gabe, and their Jack Russell Terrier, Pongo. 

Gabriel Snyder, Student Cantor

Student Cantor Snyder grew up outside of Boston at Temple Israel in Boston and Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley, MA. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies in 2018 from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY. Within his major, his main focus was religious theory and comparative theology. Outside of classes, he participated in a wide variety of both Jewish and musical activities, serving in leadership positions at Skidmore Hillel, the admissions office, and the Skidmore Community Chorus. He took part in several operatic productions, including Handel’s Serse and Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro. Outside of school, he worked as the music educator at Temple Sinai of Saratoga Springs. In 2016, he was selected as a member of the inaugural cohort of the Founders’ Fellowship at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.