Meet our Clergy
Rabbi Jonathan L. Hecht, PhD
Interim Senior Rabbi
Rabbi Jonathan L. Hecht, Ph.D., is delighted to serve as Interim Senior Rabbi at BJBE in Chicago! He is passionate about Judaism, Jewish learning, teaching, and leading. His love of the Jewish learning is the inspiration that led to rabbinic school and then to doctoral work in Jewish history. His passion for leadership is the driver behind a life of Jewish activism in multiple settings: camp, Israel, congregational and seminary leadership.
After 25 years of leading Temple Chaverim of Plainview, NY, as Senior Rabbi, he became Rabbi Emeritus. He then returned to his alma mater, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, in 2018 to serve as the Dean of its Cincinnati Campus. With deep experience in the rabbinate and an advanced degree in Jewish studies, Dr. Hecht was uniquely qualified to lead a campus with both a rabbinical and a doctoral program. In Cincinnati, Rabbi Hecht provided leadership for a campus that also housed the Klau Library, the Skirball Museum, and the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives.
Ordained at HUC-JIR in 1987, he entered a doctoral program in Hebrew and Judaic Studies at New York University. In 1993, he completed his Ph.D., with specializations in Medieval Jewish History and Jewish Mysticism. Rabbi Hecht has taught at Hebrew Union College, the University of Cincinnati, the Jewish Theological Seminary, State University of New York in Stony Brook, Hofstra University, and Hunter College.
He completed his undergraduate work at the State University of New York in Albany where he earned a B.A., cum laude, in Judaic Studies and Hebrew in 1982.
Between high school and college, he attended a special one-year training program in Israel, The Institute for Youth Leaders from Abroad, sponsored by the World Zionist Organization.
Rabbi Hecht has been active in URJ summer camping and youth work, serving on staff and faculty at the URJ Eisner Camp for 39 summers. He was also active in the Jewish Community Center movement, serving on the board of the Mid Island Y-JCC for 25 years.
He was Chaplain in the NY Air National Guard’s 106 Air Rescue Group from 1987 to 1998, rising to the rank of Major.
He has held various community positions, including Past President of the Long Island Board of Rabbis and board member of the New York Board of Rabbis. He is a member of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the Association for Jewish Studies, and the World Union for Jewish Studies.
In 2013 he received the title of Senior Rabbinic Fellow of the Shalom Hartman Institute and has spent much time in Israel, living, studying, and leading congregational and community trips.
A golfer and a road cyclist, he also enjoys crossword puzzles, reading, museums and movies.
He and his wife, Gladys Rosenblum, met at Israel Folk Dancing at the 92nd Street Y in NYC. They love spending time together, traveling, and spending time with Temple members and friends.
You can reach Rabbi Hecht at jhecht@bjbe.org.
Cantor Jennifer Frost
Senior Cantor
Cantor Frost (she/her) began her tenure at BJBE in July 2006 after several years of service as the Associate Cantor at Rodeph Sholom in New York City. She was born in Chicago and was raised in Los Angeles where she fostered her love of Jewish music under the direction of Cantor Nathan Lam at Steven S. Wise Temple which ultimately led to a Masters Degree in Sacred Music and Cantorial Ordination from HUC-JIR.
Cantor Frost has spent much of her career focused on helping individuals find their portals into Jewish life and creating their Jewish identity. She is an integral part of programming and prayer life here at BJBE.
In addition to her work as a cantor, she sits on the executive board of the American Conference of Cantors where she has been the co-chair of the Membership Committee, chair of the Youth Committee and most recently the Human Resource Committee. Cantor Frost has performed and recorded with some of the shining stars of Jewish music today, most notably Danny Maseng and has been a part of his theatrical performance, Soul on Fire. Having recorded both Soul on Fire and Labor of Love, the group has toured throughout the United States. Cantor Frost is married to Rabbi Richard Prass and lives in Deerfield with their three children, Lyla, Ruth, and David.
You can reach Cantor Frost at jfrost@bjbe.org.
Rabbi Lily Goldstein
Assistant Rabbi
Rabbi Goldstein (she/her) grew up in Mamaroneck, NY, and is the grateful product of an enthusiastic Reform upbringing—one which included a high school semester in Israel, 10 summers at Camp Modin, and lots of time hanging out at synagogue. She graduated from Northwestern University where she studied Journalism and American Studies and fell in love with Lake Michigan. After graduating college, Rabbi Goldstein was a Youth and Family Educator at Central Synagogue in NYC, a role that affirmed her love of Jewish communal life.
Rabbi Goldstein was ordained by Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion in May 2023. Her emerging rabbinate has been shaped by rabbinic internships across Westchester, NY and in Nashville, TN, hospital chaplaincy training, and a summer at URJ Crane Lake Camp. While at HUC, she was the recipient of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship/Davidson Scholarship and the Bonnie & Daniel Tisch Fellowship, and recognized with awards in Bible, Midrash, and Jewish History.
Rabbi Goldstein is an amateur needlepointer, a bagel aficionado, and is always looking for a fun new TV show or board game. She and her husband, Rabbi Jacob Leizman (Rabbi at North Shore Congregation Israel), live in Evanston with their pup, Saul.
You can reach Rabbi Goldstein (or Rabbi Lily, if you prefer!) at lgoldstein@bjbe.org.
Cantor Kevin McKenzie
Assistant Cantor
Cantor Kevin McKenzie became the Assistant Cantor of BJBE in July of 2024. He grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado and attended Summer Camp at Shwayder Camp of Temple Emanuel in Denver. There, he developed his Jewish identity before continuing to work as a songleader and in the music departments at Camp Airy and Louise in Maryland, Greene Family Camp in Texas, and Ramah in the Poconos.
Cantor McKenzie prides himself on being able to connect people of all ages and from all backgrounds to Judaism. While his passion is making music, Jewish texts and traditions hold a special place in his heart. The tension between modernity and tradition is where our best innovation comes from.
Cantor McKenzie was ordained by Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion in May of 2024. He is also a graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder where he earned his Bachelor's Degree in Music with a vocal performance emphasis and was on the Hillel board for all five years. Before attending HUC-JIR, Cantor McKenzie lived in Israel where he studied at Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies and performed in three musicals while in Jerusalem: She Loves Me, Pirates of Penzance, and The King and I. While at HUC-JIR, Cantor McKenzie was part of Zamir Noded, a Jewish young adult choir, as well as the Mantua Singers which performed at the Kaufman Center on the 400th anniversary of the publication of Salamone Rossi's music. He was privileged to also work as the Cantorial intern for The Community Synagogue of Port Washington and at Temple Adas Israel in Sag Harbor.
Cantor McKenzie currently lives in Evanston with his partner Nicki. When he is not at work, Cantor McKenzie enjoys playing and watching all sports, musical theater, and enjoying time in nature.
You can reach Cantor McKenzie at kmckenzie@bjbe.org.
Rabbi Emerita Karyn D. Kedar
Rabbi Kedar led our congregation in 2009 from Glenview to its current home in Deerfield. She envisioned our new award-winning building as a sacred home which would speak the language of BJBE, incorporating our core values and mission in every detail of the design. “We gather in the Village Center to find our essential selves and engage in our sacred community. Wherever we congregate we find a pocket of holiness.”
Rabbi Kedar is a widely published author and poet. Her published books include Amen: Seeking Presence with Prayer, Poetry, and Mindfulness Practice, CCAR Press; Omer: A Counting, CCAR Press; God Whispers: Stories of the Soul, Lessons of The Heart, Jewish Lights. She has created liturgical work which appears in Mishkan T’filah: A Reform Siddur, CCAR Press. She is published in numerous anthologies.
Rabbi Kedar is a lifelong student of matters of the spirit, teaching and writing about what she learns in various communities around the country and in Israel.
Follow Rabbi Kedar on Instagram: @kkedar
Follow Rabbi Kedar on Twitter: @kkedar
Visit Rabbi Kedar online: karynkedar.com
Rabbi Mark Shapiro, z"l
Rabbi Emeritus
Rabbi Mark S. Shapiro was born in Chicago. He did his undergraduate work and received his B.A. from the University of Chicago. In 1960, Rabbi Shapiro received his Master of Hebrew Letters, with honors, and a rabbinic ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Cincinnati, OH. He began his rabbinic career with Temple Beth Zion of Buffalo, NY and served that congregation for two years. He received his honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree from Hebrew Union College in 1985.
Rabbi Shapiro became rabbi of Congregation B'nai Jehoshua in 1962 and when B'nai Jehoshua merged with Beth Elohim, he came to the suburbs. Over the years, Rabbi Shapiro has been influential in both the community at large and in our own BJBE Family.
He is a past president of the Glenbrook Clergy Fellowship and the Rabbinical Fellowship of the Northwest suburbs. He has served as Chairman of the Rabbinic Advisory Committee to Olin-Sang-Ruby-Union Institute. In 1982, he visited refuseniks in the Soviet Union and is a part of the Chicago Action for Soviet Jewry.
Over the Years, Rabbi Shapiro has inspired and influenced many of BJBE's young adults to pursue Rabbinic and other Jewish related careers.
The Searcher's Program, which Rabbi Shapiro initiated, is now being pursued in other congregations by the Chicago area as well as across the country.
Cantor Cory Winter
Cantor Emeritus
Cantor Cory Winter, a native of Chicago, received his Bachelor’s Degree in Music from the University of Wisconsin--Madison and his Master’s Degree in Music from Northwestern University, where he was assistant to Margaret Hillis, the renowned conductor of the Chicago Symphony Chorus. He was Chorus Master and Assistant Conductor of the Sacramento Opera for ten years. He founded and conducted the Bay Area Jewish Chorale for the Northern California Board of Cantors, of which he is a Past President. Cantor Winter studied Chazanut with Max Janowski and Todros Greenberg and is a member of both the American Conference of Cantors and the Cantors Assembly. During his career, he has served both Reform and Conservative synagogues and seeks to combine the best of both traditions in his chanting.