Meet Our Clergy and Staff

Rabbi Harold J. Kravitz, Senior Rabbi

Harold J. Kravitz joined the rabbinic staff of the Adath Jeshurun Congregation (Conservative) in 1987. In 1996 he was appointed Senior Rabbi- Max Newman Family Chair in Rabbinics.

A native of Philadelphia, Rabbi Kravitz completed his BA in History at Temple University (Philadelphia, 1981). He did graduate studies at the University of Judaism (Los Angeles, now the American Jewish University), Hebrew University (Jerusalem 84-85), and was ordained and received an MA in Jewish Studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America (New York City, 1987). He has trained in general and family mediation at the Mediation Center for Dispute Resolution of the Hamline Law School (St. Paul).

Rabbi Kravitz has served as rabbinic representative on the newly revamped Board of the Minneapolis Federation of Jewish Services (2006-08). He was Chair of the organization of Twin Cities’ Conservative Rabbis (1998-2001) He has served two terms as Co-Chair of the Minnesota Rabbinical Association (1990-94). He served on the Executive Council of the Rabbinical Assembly (the international organization of Conservative rabbis 1998-2000). He is in his second term as Chairperson of the Rabbinical Assembly’s Vaad HaKavod, the Committee for Professional Ethics (2006- ).

He has served on the Board of Directors (1999-08) and on the Executive Committee (2002-08) of MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger and is presently on the Personnel Committee. He served as President of MICAH - the Metropolitan Interfaith Council on Affordable Housing (93-96). He has also served on the boards of the Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis and the Joint Religious Legislative Coalition (91-94).  In 1991 he was honored for outstanding child advocacy by Congregations Concerned for Children.

Rabbi Kravitz is married to Cindy Reich, a national consultant in the field of Jewish Education and Educational Program Evaluation, who served as the Principal of the St. Paul Talmud Torah Day School. They have three children, Gabriel, Talia, and Elana.

Rabbi Yonatan Sadoff, Associate Rabbi

Rabbi Yonatan Sadoff joined Adath Jeshurun in September of 2009. He graduated with a BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a major in Film in 1993. After five years in New York City working in the fields of Video and Film, Rabbi Sadoff moved to Israel in 2001.

Shortly there afterward he made Aliyah and began his rabbinic studies in Jerusalem. He was ordained at the Schechter Rabbinical Seminary of the Masorti/Conservative movement in Jerusalem, Israel in 2008. Rabbi Sadoff has a great passion for Kabbalah and teaches an ongoing course. In that same spiritual mindset, he works to infuse Jewish worship and study with mindfulness, meditation and yoga. As he has said, “Part of our religious journey is discovering our emotional and spiritual connection to Judaism.”

Rabbi Sadoff returned home to Minneapolis in 2009 and has been delighted to serve his home community and live close to his immediate family. His parents, Harold and Jackie Sadoff, and Brother, sister-in-law and family, Naften and Tami Sadoff still reside in the Twin Cities. Rabbi Sadoff’s prayer is that God will help him to teach Torah Lishmah- Torah for its own sake, to the Adath community to share the experience of the transformative power of God and Torah."

Scott Buckner, Hazzan (Cantor)

Scott Buckner joined the staff of Adath Jeshurun Congregation in 1994.  He is a graduate of the Cantor’s Institute (now the H.L. Miller Cantorial School) of the Jewish Theological Seminary (New York City 1987), where he received awards in the areas of music excellence and voice. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and Music from Tufts University with a performance degree in voice and classical guitar. Possessing a lyrical Tenor voice with a wide vocal range, Cantor Buckner has thrilled congregations and concert audiences with his Cantorial renditions and musical programs. He has worked together with several modern Jewish singer/songwriters to create a special Friday evening musical service which is held monthly in our congregation (Friday Night Live).

Cantor Buckner studied in the Cantorial program of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality (IJS) and has brought the learning and practices of IJS to our congregation. Most notable is the practice of sacred chanting using the style and music of Rabbi Shefa Gold along with Cantor Buckner’s own compositions. These sacred chants are sung during services often with the help of the Cantor’s high school singing group, the M’shor’rim. Cantor Buckner currently serves on the Ethics Committee of the Cantors Assembly (the largest organization of professional Hazzanim in the world).

Cantor Buckner and his wife Marcy are blessed with four children: Heather, Ethan, Matthew and Rachel.

Bernie Goldblatt, Executive Director

Bernie Goldblatt has been Executive Director of Adath Jeshurun Congregation for nine years. He has a B.A. in Near Eastern studies from the University of Michigan, a J.D. from the George Washington University School of Law and studied for one year at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. A brief career in law was followed by 25 years in business; 10 years for a large public corporation and the remaining in his own company.

Bernie is a member of the Board of Governors of NAASE (North American Association of Synagogue Executives), co-chaired a recent national conference and received the professional certification of FSA, Fellow in Synagogue Administration in 2005.

Bernie is married to Dr. Leslie Goldblatt, a veterinarian, and they have three daughters: Talia, Aviva and Leora.

Rabbi Adam Titcher, Director of Jewish Learning

We are happy to welcome Rabbi Adam Titcher, who has recently joined the staff of Adath Jeshurun as Director of Jewish Learning, Berman Family Chair of Jewish Learning.

A second generation Angeleno (Los Angeles resident), Rabbi Titcher graduated with a BA in English Literature from UCLA and received his ordination from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles. Rabbi Titcher has spent a decade working with youth and adults at Camp Ramah in California, as well as in Israel and Europe with USY Pilgrimage. He has taught for several religious schools and synagogues in the greater Los Angeles area. He is excited to take the next step with his rabbinate by overseeing SMP and B’Yachad Sunday morning program, and by helping us realize our overall vision for lifelong learning at Adath.

When thinking about education, Rabbi Titcher quotes Proverbs 22:6, which says, “Educate a child on his or her way and even in old age he or she will never veer from that path.” He is passionate about building relationships with children and adults of all ages and caring for their needs as an educator, rabbi and spiritual mentor.

Rabbi Titcher with his wife Galia, and daughter Ofek, are excited to be at Adath and the cooler climates of Minnesota, and are already finding the warmth and compassion of the community to strengthen their connections with the synagogue, the congregation and the surrounding area.

Nina Samuels, Adult Learning Director and Clarion Editor

Nina Samuels joined the staff of Adath Jeshurun Congregation in 1986. A native of Duluth, Minnesota, she holds a Bachelor of General Studies degree and an MA in Adult and Continuing Education from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She worked at the University of Minnesota's Department of Continuing Education and Extension and at Minneapolis Jewish Family and Children's Service, where she served as a family life educator and caseworker with new immigrants and as Director of Jewish Family Life Enrichment. She also taught English and trained volunteer tutors of English in Jerusalem.

Nina oversees adult learning opportunities in the congregation, working with the Adult Learning Committee and other congregational and community planning groups. She is a former chair of the Minneapolis Conservative Consortium (now the Twin Cities Conservative Consortium), which fosters adult Jewish learning among local Conservative congregations. She also serves on the planning committee of the Interfaith Conversations Project.

Nina is married to Earl Schwartz, a Jewish scholar and assistant professor at Hamline University. They have two children, Rafi and Miriam