THE FIRST 75 YEARS:  A Congregational History

Peninsula Temple Beth El (PTBE) was founded in 1950 by a small but dedicated group of visionaries who saw the need for a congregation to serve the Peninsula’s growing community of Reform Jews. Temple construction commenced in July 1951, with the first worship service in our own facility led by PTBE’s founding Rabbi Sanford Rosen in February 1952. Just a few years later we outgrew the original building and broke ground on our current site in San Mateo in 1955.  By January 1956, membership grew to 410 families, and the current building was celebrated with a weekend of dedication events in April 1958.

 Our congregation has always embraced the sacred obligation to be a partner in repairing the world – tikkun olam. In 1960, Rabbi Rosen was appointed by Governor Edmund G. Brown to be a delegate to the White House Conference on Children and Youth. In 1963, he was one of the organizers of the Peninsula Conference on Race, Religion, and Social Concern. In 1965, he participated in the Selma to Montgomery Civil Rights March, and under his leadership in 1967, the congregation stood in support of the Delano Grape boycott and the movement by Cesar Chavez to unionize farm workers. The spirit of advancing justice that was the hallmark of those pioneers has flourished through the years.

Cantor Herbert Epstein joined Rabbi Rosen in 1955 upon graduation from cantorial school, and they served as clergy partners and collaborators for close to 30 years. He was known for leading prayer with feeling and deep kavanah (intention), performing at Jewish community events, organizing instrumental groups for children, and teaching on unique musical topics such as “from Sinai to Broadway”.  In 1972, the 20th anniversary of the founding of PTBE was held with a dinner dance, Havdalah, and the dedication of a Tree of Life plaque honoring past presidents.          

Rabbi Rosen was succeeded in 1982 by Rabbi Peter J. Rubinstein. Rabbi Rubinstein led a group of congregants on a mission to the former Soviet Union to educate about and take action in support of Soviet Jews. Under his leadership, the congregation began our close connection to Samaritan House and engaged in additional community-focused Tikkun Olam efforts.

Rabbi Elka Abrahamson became PTBE’s first Assistant Rabbi in 1985. Under her guidance, our education programs thrived, due to a charismatic approach and strong emphasis on family education. In 1985, our Temple secured Gan Hazikaron (Garden of Remembrance), within Skylawn Memorial Park, a beautiful way to meet our community’s Jewish burial needs, while also serving as a meaningful revenue source to build our endowment.

Cantor Ellen Schwab joined PTBE in 1986, and was a pioneer in bringing congregational singing to the Reform movement. During her tenure over 18 years, she introduced diverse styles of Jewish music on and off the bimah, inspiring a generation of B’nai Mitzvah students.

In 1992, Rabbi Alan Berg was installed as our third Senior Rabbi, moving from Portland, OR with his young family. Rabbi Berg was tasked with modernizing and beautifying the sanctuary, raising funds through the Promise of the Rainbow campaign. The new sanctuary was dedicated in January 2002 as part of PTBE’s 50th anniversary event, with notable elements including the Ark with embedded silver bells that jingle as the doors are opened, rainbow glass of the bimah windows that channel streams of colored light, the Ner Tamid, and prominent Ten Commandments hanging above. Rabbi Berg worked with two exceptional Associate Rabbis during this time, Rabbi Evan Goodman (1993-1999) and Rabbi Michael Lezak (1999-2003), who is credited with launching our signature Sunday Sandwich Hevre (SSH) program to feed the hungry in San Mateo County. 

Cantor Elana Jagoda Kaye joined PTBE in 2004, becoming our full-time Cantorial Soloist in 2007 and Senior Cantor in 2023. Now with PTBE for more than two decades, her voice and music have transformed our worship experience. From our deeply spiritual High Holy Day services to regular Shabbat services, we feel her love of Judaism and Jewish music. As a nationally renowned songwriter and musician, Cantor Elana is continually driven to innovate, helping us deepen our Jewish experiences and understand the meaning of the ancient words in a contemporary context.

Rabbi Dennis Eisner became our Senior Rabbi in 2007, bringing an innovative approach to community engagement and partnership with local organizations, including PJCC and Wornick Jewish Day School, which resulted in significant membership growth. He was a voice for pluralism, special needs inclusion, and an enthusiastic advocate for Israel. During this time of growth, the rabbinic team expanded to three, including Rabbi Karen Citrin (who began in 2003) and Rabbi Micah Citrin who became our first Rabbi/Educator. This powerful clergy team spearheaded new education programs which provided options for young children through teens and deeper family education. Annual family retreats were a highlight during this time, serving as formative experiences on countless families’ Jewish journeys.

The Bonim B’yachad building campaign launched in 2012, and successfully raised $9 million to support a major redesign of our gathering spaces for our community to enjoy for generations to come. With construction completed in early 2020, we are now hosting festive Shabbat onegs, concerts, and celebrations including BE Mitzvah and weddings in Fellowship Hall, with learning, meeting, and prayer taking place in the new Chapel.  

In 2019, Kate Lauzar was recruited to join our community as Executive Director, bringing professionalism and expertise in congregational life, having previously served as Director of Synagogue Strategy at UJA-Federation in New York. With this strong addition, PTBE introduced a 3-legged stool model of leadership as a collaboration between the Senior Rabbi, Board President, and Executive Director.

Through the years, PTBE also benefited from the spiritual guidance, educational creativity, and leadership of several Assistant and Associate Rabbis, including Rabbi Callie Schulman (2013-2016), Rabbi Sara Mason-Barkin (2013-2017), Rabbi Lisa Kingston (2013 – present as our Senior Rabbi), followed by Rabbi Laura Rumpf (2018-2021).  Each one brought a unique passion and an eye towards innovation for a new generation of congregants, leaving particular marks on our education programs, teen engagement, social justice work, and more.

The onset of the COVID pandemic in 2020 changed the landscape of life at PTBE, as it did for our world. We quickly pivoted, navigating to Zoom for online services, BE Mitzvah celebrations, learning, and activities, with the priority of keeping our community connected and engaged. Our highly successful COVID appeal allowed us to fund the many extraordinary expenses we faced, and volunteers stepped up to call each and every temple member to check in. PTBE in a Box was created to allow continued youth learning at home. During this time, the Leadership Coordinating Council was also created with a vision for enhanced collaboration and communication across our affinity groups and programs, which includes a Brotherhood, Beth El Women (BEW), Interfaith Friendship Committee (IFC), SSH, and more.

We emerged from the pandemic with vigor, returning in-person to the greatest degree possible, while also maintaining Zoom services for inclusion and accessibility. Spring of 2022 brought a meaningful and memorable congregation-wide Torah Project, which included the donation of the Gradinger Torah Scroll for our new chapel and participation by more than 250 members of our community who filled in Hebrew letters to complete the Torah, with the help of a professional scribe.  During this time, plans to create new Torah mantles were developed, and the new Tree of Life-themed mantles later debuted during a memorable Simchat Torah service.

Later in 2022, we were thrilled to celebrate the installation of a new clergy team, headed up by our beloved Rabbi Lisa Kingston in her new role as Senior Rabbi, and ably joined by Assistant Rabbi/Educator Genevieve Greinetz and Assistant Rabbi Rebecca Hecht, each bringing their own blend of spirituality and engagement to our community.

Currently 700 families strong, our priorities include deepening engagement and fostering a Culture of Belonging to enhance member connections, and inspiring a Culture of Philanthropy to ensure PTBE’s long-term financial vitality. Our annual Chai Giving Campaign has taken on an elevated focus as a supplement to membership dues to meet our fiscal needs and keep our community vibrant and strong. The Rabbi’s Circle launched in 2023 as a point of recognition and engagement for major donors.

To create new opportunities for member engagement, we designed the PTBE Circles program. This initiative brings together lay-led small groups of individuals, couples or families to promote relationship building around shared experiences which help make our big community feel small. Ahavat Yisrael – love of Israel – has also elevated as a priority under Rabbi Lisa’s leadership, with a new Israel Engagement Committee created in early 2023, just before the 10/7 attack. Rodfei Tzedek - translated as pursuing justice - guides our congregation to take action in critical social justice campaigns, to further our values and make positive change on issues such as reproductive rights, climate change, and voter engagement.

We are also proud of our array of youth education programs, broadened and enhanced under our current leadership, beginning with the signature Shabbat Family Jam for families with young children, ages 0-7, and continuing through high school years with Madrichim in Training, Tikkun Teen Fellowship, and a Songleader Apprenticeship with Cantor Elana.

As our history evolves, PTBE remains committed to our core values of inclusivity, education, social action, creative worship and celebration, generosity, and K’lal Yisrael (Jewish Peoplehood). We look forward to our next 75 years – from strength to strength!

Assistant/Associate Rabbis

Mark Gross
Associate Rabbi/Educator
1977-1980

Elka Abrahamson
Assistant Rabbi
1985-1994

Evan Goodman
Associate Rabbi/Educator
1993-2000

Michael Lezak
Assistant/Associate Rabbi
1999-2003

Karen Citrin
Associate Rabbi
2003-2012

Micah Citrin
Associate Rabbi/Educator
2009-2012

Callie Shulman
Associate Rabbi
2013-2016

Sara Mason-Barkin
Associate Rabbi/Educator
2013-2017

Laura Rumpf
Associate Rabbi
2017 – 2021

Rebecca Hecht
Assistant Rabbi
2023-

Genevieve Greinetz
Assistant Rabbi/Educator
2023-