About

History

Temple Ahavat Shalom came to be when two congregations merged in 1965.

The first permanent building was erected at the south end of our property in 1973, named the Martyrs Building, in memory of the 11 Israeli athletes murdered by Palestinian terrorists during the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany. In that same year, Rabbi Solomon F. Kleinman (z”l) became the rabbi at TAS. During the 1970s, he stewarded the campaign that built our permanent sanctuary-social hall complex.

Rabbi Jerry Brown and Cantor Patti Linsky came to our pulpit in 1986. They, along with our Director of Education, Barry Lutz, led us through a period of expansion and vitality during which our families grew to 700, our Confirmation program was nationally recognized, and our school complex and activity center were built.

Rabbi Barry Lutz, ordained in 1999, became our senior rabbi in 2008. He served as tour guide for community trips to Israel and Eastern Europe and L’Taken, the annual social justice Religious Action Center trip to Washington D.C. Through our volunteer efforts, the congregation developed extensive, long-term relationships with organizations addressing important issues and human needs, such as poverty and social services; housing and homelessness; hunger; the environment; international human rights; and Israel. TAS has partnered with the SOVA Food Bank, MEND (Meeting Each Need with Dignity), L.A. Family Housing, Jewish World Watch, and Knock Foundation.

Many associate rabbis, assistant rabbis, and rabbinic interns contributed their special talents, knowledge, and perspectives to our congregation. Most recently, Rabbi Shawna Brynjegard-Bialik became our associate rabbi in 2009 and led our Tuesday morning Torah study group, taught Adult Education classes, coordinated our efforts to install a solar Ner Tamid, conducted monthly Torah on the Trail nature walks, brought the Caring Community to a whole new level, along with many volunteers, and was on the summer faculty at Camp Newman near Santa Rosa.

Cantor Jennifer Roher served with the clergy team at TAS from 2010 to 2016. During her tenure at TAS and in addition to her role on the bimah, our choirs grew to include our tiniest children’s voices, our teens, and our adults.

Cantor Kenneth Cohen became our cantor on July 1, 2016 serving through 2021. He led with his heart and reached out to congregants to create personal relationships and encourage all of us to do the same.

Rabbi Liat Yardeni-Funk became our temporary rabbi for six months, January – July 2018. From her first day with us she visited our sick and began to contact as many congregants as possible. She exhibited the caring nature our TAS community works to foster. She and Cantor Cohen brought healing in a time of need.

Rabbi Arturo Kalfus, served as our interim rabbi for a two-year term that ended on June 30, 2020. The last few months were marked by the COVID-19 pandemic and its social isolation, with Shabbat services and other congregational activities conducted virtually, via Zoom. Rabbi Kalfus shared with us his personal warmth, love of Torah and Midrash, Latin flare and Judaism’s rich tapestry of rabbinic sages, philosophers and psychologists.

Rabbi Becky Hoffman became our senior rabbi on July 1, 2020. Rabbi Becky grew up in the San Fernando Valley and attended UCSD, majoring in Judaic Studies. She earned a master’s degree in Education at American Jewish University and was ordained as a Reform rabbi at Hebrew Union College. Prior to joining the TAS family, Rabbi Becky served for 10 years as associate rabbi at Temple Kol Tikvah in Woodland Hills. She has also been an instructor in the Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning. Rabbi Becky’s husband, Rabbi Joshua Hoffman, received his rabbinic training through the Conservative movement’s seminary. Rabbi Becky jokes that she and Josh have a “mixed marriage.” The couple has three children.

Cantorial Soloist Elizabeth Kerstein joined our clergy on July 1, 2021. An LA native, she studied voice at the Peabody Conservatory (MM) and St. Olaf College (BMus). Prior to beginning her cantorial career, CS Elizabeth sang with the Baltimore, San Diego, and Santa Barbara opera choruses, and she was the alto soloist at Sinai Temple (2018-20), Temple Judea (2015-17), and Chizuk Amuno (Baltimore, 2011-2014). From 2018-21, CS Elizabeth was on the voice faculty at California School for the Arts – San Gabriel Valley, where she conducted the middle school chorus and taught both high school and elementary school music classes. She spent a summer studying modern Hebrew in immersion at the Middlebury Language Schools in VT. She is currently completing her studies at the Academy for Jewish Religion CA. She has been featured on recitals through AJRCA, the ACC, and the CA, and she is a regular guest singer on her colleagues’ bimot all over LA. She lives in Sherman Oaks with her son, Judah.

During more than 55 years in Northridge, we at Temple Ahavat Shalom have retained our character as an authentic, connected, and inclusive community. We are a caring, intergenerational congregation, welcoming all members of the community, including families, singles, young adults, seniors, same-sex couples, interfaith couples, and the LGBTQ community. Lifelong friendships have been formed at TAS while celebrating Judaism in all its richness.