Temple Beth-El staff

About Us

Staff

Temple Beth-El is blessed with extraordinarily talented and inspirational leadership. Individually and collectively, our rabbis and our cantor possess warm sensitivity, spirituality and intellect that cannot be fully described in words, but are best experienced in person. Our clergy complement one another, and each of them brings a love of Judaism and a passion for teaching to our synagogue members. They are loved and well-respected members of our Temple Beth-El family.

Rabbi Leslie Yale Gutterman

Rabbi Leslie Yale Gutterman has served Temple Beth-El since 1970, upon his ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. In 1974 when Rabbi William G. Braude retired, Rabbi Gutterman became the synagogue’s senior rabbi. A 1964 graduate of the University of Michigan, Rabbi Gutterman has been involved with dozens of civic organizations and has served as a board member of many preeminent institutions including: Butler Hospital, The Rhode Island Telecommunications Commission, The Providence Athenaeum, Hospice Care, Rhode Island Kids Count, Trinity Repertory Theatre, Interfaith Health Care Ministries, Brown University’s Board of Religious Overseers, and Bryant University.

Rabbi Gutterman is a past president of the Rhode Island Board of Rabbis, the Jewish Family Service and the national Rabbinic Alumni Association of Reform Judaism as well as the Rhode Island Committee for the Humanities. He has served on the executive board of the Central Conference of American Rabbis and taught at Providence College. For 20 years, Rabbi Gutterman wrote a monthly column for the religion page of The Providence Journal.

He received a public service award from the City of Providence on its 350th anniversary. Rabbi Gutterman was awarded a Doctor of Divinity degree from Hebrew Union College and holds honorary degrees from the University of Rhode Island, Roger Williams University, Johnson & Wales University, and Providence College.

Associate Rabbi Sarah Mack

Associate Rabbi Sarah Mack has served Temple Beth-El since 2003, upon her ordination from the New York campus of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Rabbi Mack also spent a year studying at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. She graduated from Brandeis University in 1996 with degrees in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and English. A native of Seattle, Washington, Rabbi Mack served pulpits in Juneau, Alaska; Bainbridge Island; Washington; and New York City as a student before coming to Temple Beth-El. Rabbi Mack serves on the national Women’s Rabbinic Network Board as the New England representative.

Cantor Judith Seplowin

Cantor Judith Seplowin came to Beth-El as our cantor in 2000. She is a 1995 graduate of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) where she received a Master of Sacred Music, investiture and several awards of distinction. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Literature from Douglass College/Rutgers University and La Universidad Complutense in Madrid, Spain. Before serving at Temple Beth-El, Cantor Seplowin served The Temple-Congregation Shomer Emunim of Sylvania (Toledo), Ohio for five years and also served congregations in New York City and Doylestown, Pennsylvania. In 1996, HUC-JIR invited Cantor Seplowin to reprise her master’s recital, “Synagogue Art Music of the Eighteenth Century,” for the annual Cantor Walter A. Davidson Concert.

She has appeared in concerts in Israel and in many cities throughout the United States. She has performed musical theatre throughout the United States, Europe and in parts of Asia and Russia. As a student at the seminary, Cantor Seplowin performed with the Avodah Dance Ensemble as a singer/dancer. She has served as the cantorial representative of the Northeast Lakes Council Region of the Union of Reform Judaism, taught at the Beloit Kallah, and taught and performed at national and regional biennials of the Reform movement. Cantor Seplowin serves on the Committee on Ethics and Appeals of the American Conference of Cantors (ACC) and the Cantor’s Lifecycle Manual Committee.

Executive Director Judy L. Moseley

Judy L. Moseley, has more than 10 years of professional experience working in the Jewish Community. Judy spent 7 years as Executive Director of Congregation Beth Israel in Worcester, MA.  Prior to this she worked 2 years as an Operations Manager of MetroWest Jewish Day School in Framingham, MA.   She has also taught Hebrew School for 20 years.  Before becoming a Jewish communal worker, Judy was a small business owner. For 6 years Judy was the President of J & M Bagel Inc. dba J & M Bagel & Bean Café. She was responsible for all aspects of building and running 2 successful bagel restaurant/ bakery.  She is a member of the Massachusetts Synagogue Council and URJ’s National Association of Temple Administrators.

Judy Moseley holds a BS degree in Gerontology and Volunteer Administration from University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Northeastern University. Judy and her husband, John, are proud parents to son, Mark, a Robotics Research Software Engineer in Massachusetts, and daughter, Erin, presently studying for her Masters in Non-Profit Management and Fundraising at Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

School Administrator Anita Steiman

Anita Steiman, administrator of the Religious School, is a lifelong member of Temple Beth-El. She has served as a Religious School teacher from 1977 to 1992 and has held the administrator position since 1991. Anita holds a B.S. in elementary education from Lesley College and has taught public school in Plymouth and Attleboro, MA.
Anita is a member of the Principals’ Council of the Bureau of Jewish Education of Rhode Island, the National Association of Temple Educators and the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education. Anita and her husband Mark are the proud parents of three daughters: Rachel, Sara and Jolie.