March 29: Rabbi Carolyn Braun

Rabbi Carolyn Braun was the spiritual leader of Temple Beth El from 1995-2024. Raised in the San Francisco Bay area in a secular Jewish home, she knew at the age of ten that she wanted to be a rabbi(!), even though that opportunity was only available to men. Rabbi Braun spent two years at the Hillel Foundation at M.I.T. before beginning her journey to the rabbinate. In 1984, the decision was made to accept women in the rabbinical program. Rabbi Braun entered with the first class of women and was ordained in 1988.
 
Rabbi Braun spent six years at Mount Holyoke College, where she was the first rabbi and full-time Jewish chaplain of the College. With the support of the College, students, and parents, Rabbi Braun established the “Kosher-Hallal Kitchen” – a place where students could observe the dietary laws of Kashrut and Hallal (Muslim dietary laws) as well as participate in discussions on Muslim and Jewish topics.
 
In 1994, Rabbi Braun assumed her present position as Rabbi of Temple Beth El. Among her many roles as a spiritual leader, Rabbi Braun has been involved in interfaith advocacy and dialogue, was an early supporter of marriage equality, and has helped advocate for asylum seekers in the Portland area.
 
Throughout the pandemic, Rabbi Braun has worked to promote inclusion efforts at Temple Beth El with the Social Kashrut group, to address LGBTQ and disability inclusion, make Temple Beth El a more welcoming community for Jews from all different racial and ethnic backgrounds, and create a community where B’tzelem Elohim (being created in the Divine image) transcends and enriches any differences we may experience.
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She lives in Portland with Shmelvi, the cat who adopted her even though she is much more of a dog person. She also holds a national bench-lift record in powerlifting and sings with the Oratorio Chorale.

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May 10: Rabbi Yosef Fromer

Program DescriptionYosef Baruch Fromer was born and raised in the Khalisa neighborhood of Haifa. He attended Chabad kindergarten and was educated at the Hebrew Reali School in Haifa.

He served as a tank commander and platoon sergeant in the Armored Corps (March 1994-1997) and continued to serve in the reserves until 2019. During his service, he experienced the Helicopters Disaster (1997), Operation Defensive Shield (2003), and the Second Lebanon War (2006). He received battalion excellence recognition (2007) and the Chief Armor Officer Excellence Award (2013).

Yosef holds a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science through the honors program at the University of Haifa. He holds three Master's degrees: Philosophy (Haifa), Business Administration (Technion), and Jewish Studies (Schechter Institute). He is currently writing his philosophy PhD on the tension between mega corporations and democracy. As a Student, He participated in European and World Championships as part of the University of Haifa Debate Club.

Professionally, he worked as a programmer at Kibbutz Mishmar HaEmek and as a development team leader at a large American corporation. He founded and served as CEO of the Carmel Software Cooperative for two years.

Yosef has published two books: "Love is Possible" (Poetry, 2011) and "Back to the Land of Cedars" (Army Memoir, 2023).

He was among the leaders of the 2011-12 protests in Haifa and northern Israel, organizing mass demonstrations and speaking before 30,000 people. He volunteered with the Shochatim union through the "Power to Workers" organization (2012) and was among the initiators of the new environmental struggle to clean up the Haifa Bay (2013).

His beloved mother tongue is Greek. Favorite music: Greek. Favorite food: Greek. Preferred tourist destination: Greece. Citizenship: Israeli.

Yosef is happily married to Naama and is father to Matan Rafael.

He studied and was ordained for Conservative rabbinate at the Schechter Rabbinical Seminary in Jerusalem. He completed his internship with Conservative communities in Omer and Holon. Currently, he serves as rabbi of the Conservative community "Magen Avraham" in Omer.

He is a member of the Negev Interfaith Initiative for promoting tolerance, dialogue, and good neighborly relations. In 2022, the initiative won the prestigious Lasht Prize from Ben-Gurion University.