Rabbi Jeremy Barras

Rabbi Jeremy Barras is a native of Wilkes-Barre, PA. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations with a Religious Studies Minor at Connecticut College, where he also competed on the men’s tennis team. Rabbi Barras spent one semester of his junior year studying abroad at Tel Aviv University. Rabbi Barras began his studies at the Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in 1998. He subsequently spent one year in Jerusalem, and four years in Cincinnati, OH, where he was ordained as a Rabbi. Rabbi Barras also earned a Masters Degree in Administrative Education and Jewish Education at Xavier University in conjunction with HUC-JIR. In 2002, he was awarded the Ferdinand Isserman Prize awarded to the senior rabbinical student who, in the judgment of the faculty of the Hebrew Union College, contributed the most toward the development of community relations. Before being ordained, Rabbi Barras served as a student rabbi for congregations in Grand Forks, ND, Valparaiso, IN, and Cincinnati, OH. Since 2002, Rabbi Barras has served as Associate Rabbi at Temple Beth El in Charlotte, NC. While in Charlotte, Rabbi Barras served as a board member of the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ), the Superintendent’s Interfaith Advisory Board of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, and remains a member of the Youth Committee of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR). Rabbi Barras is married to the light of his life, Jodi Gant Barras. They live in Fort Myers with their daughter Ella Sophia and son Ethan Abraham. In Fort Myers, Rabbi Barras serves as a member of the Lee County Human Services Council and on the Board of the Harry Chapin Food Bank. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, playing golf and tennis, fantasy football, reading, studying Talmud and spending time with his puppy, Tango.

Cantorial Soloist

I was born in Miami and have spent most of my life living, working, and raising a family in our Floridian tropical paradise.  Music has always been a very big part of who I am.  Professionally, I have worked as both a composer and a producer, and have been blessed with a fascinating and very successful career.  Over a 25 year period, I have had the pleasure of working with artists such as Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine, Madonna, Cher, Diana Ross, Jennifer Lopez, and many others.       I have been married for 23 years.  My wife Robin and I have three wonderful children, Jaxson, 20, Harrison, 18, and Alliya, 10 years old. They are definitely our “greatest hits.”  Although we moved to southwest Florida for a quieter lifestyle and a retreat from a hectic entertainment industry schedule, it wasn't long until I realized, while I could consider a sabbatical from the music industry, I could never retire from music itself.  As our lifestyle has changed, so has our message.  In fact, it was our involvement in the Jewish community that inspired our family to create contemporary music with a message that reflects our roots.  After a trip to Israel in 2006, Robin and I began working more and more on this idea, and the result was several CD’s, recorded both here and in Israel.  In addition to recording together, our family has had the honor of performing from Corpus Christi to Crown Heights, and from Haifa to S’derot.  It has been an incredible journey.     I met Rabbi Barras on several occasions since living in Southwest Florida and when he contacted me back in January, I was certain it would be for the purpose of scheduling a concert.  To my surprise, he asked me if I would consider taking over as the Cantorial Soloist for Temple Beth El.  It did not take me very long to realize that there are no coincidences and this is where I was supposed to be, and this was exactly what I was supposed to be doing.  I, of course, accepted.  I consider it a blessing and an honor to be able to share music from a Jewish perspective with the entire Temple Beth El family.  I look forward to getting to know everyone, celebrating every milestone and every mitzvah.  I am thankful for being able to play a role in the continued building of our strong Jewish community for many years to come.  L’Chayim, Lawrence Dermer

Religious Education Director

Dale Cohen has been working in the field of Jewish Education for 17 years. A graduate of both the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and Columbia University, she earned a B.A. in Biblical Studies and minored in education from the Seminary. She also earned a B.A. in Political Science from Columbia University. She earned her masters degree in upper elementary education from Southern Connecticut State University. She has taught children of all age groups secular as well as Judaic Studies and the Hebrew language. She truly loves to be working in the field of Jewish Education because Dale feels that it is her mission as a Jew to imbue children with the best Jewish Education possible. It is imperative for children to understand and develop their Jewish identities. Dale is a member of the National Association of Temple Educators.

President

Linda Sweet was raised in Miami Beach Florida and has been a resident of Ft. Myers for over thirty two years. She is the proud mother of Steven, Laurie and Kara and is blessed with three grandchildren...Maddy, Sara and Jake. Linda has actively served on boards and committees to improve public school education, to increase awareness of the arts and to support and raise funds for local charitable organizations. She is a long time member of Temple Beth El and is the chairperson for the First Annual Distinguished Nurse Recognition Award Program, The Rose of Care - a community project sponsored by Hadassah.