Rabbi Spilker has served as a rabbi at Mount Zion since 1997. When he and Cantor Spilker came to the congregation, he led adult and family education and youth activities for four years.  In 2001, he was selected as senior rabbi.  Rabbi Spilker graduated magna cum laude with an A.B. in Religious Studies from Duke University in 1991 and was ordained as a rabbi with a Masters of Hebrew Letters from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City in 1997.  He and Cantor Spilker have three children. 

For a humorous look at Sukkot, click here for Rabbi and Cantor Spilker's appearance on Prairie Home Companion in October, 2000 - http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/programs/20001014/

Read selected sermons online, click here.

Rabbi Adler has served as a rabbi at Mount Zion since 2000, first on an interim basis and then permanently on a part-time basis since 2003. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1980 with a B.A. in music. She was ordained as rabbi from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, New York in 1987. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate from Yale University in Rabbinic Literature, having passed comprehensive exams in Rabbinic Literature and Ancient Christianity, with knowledge of Hebrew, Aramaic, German, French, and Greek. In the Twin Cities, before coming to Mount Zion, she served as rabbi at the Sholom Home, as interim rabbi Beth El, and director of Judaica at Minneapolis Jewish Day School. She has two daughters, Sarah and Rose.

Cantor Spilker has served as cantor at Mount Zion since 1997.  She currently serves part-time.  She grew up in Pittsburgh where she was inspired by her Cantor, Mordechai Heiser.  Cantor Spilker received a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies from the University of Pittsburgh and a Masters degree in Sacred Music and investiture as cantor from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Jerusalem and New York.  Before coming to serve as Mount Zion Temple's first investied cantor, she served as a student cantor at Temple Sholom in Plainfield, NJ and the assistant cantor at Congregation Rodeph Sholom in New York City.   In addition, she has served as cantorial soloist and cantor-in-residence at several congregations across the country.  Cantor Spilker enjoys teaching about Judaism and Jewish music to people of all ages through services, special programs and classes.  She and Rabbi Spilker have three children.

Cantor Jennifer Strauss-Klein, working part-time, is our co-Cantor and ­Director of our Hebrew School program.  It only adds to the good fit that she comes from nearby La Crosse and was trained for her Bat Mitzvah at B’nai Israel Synagogue in Rochester.  She was invested in May as a Cantor from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion’s School of Sacred Music after five years of study.  In 2001 she earned a Master of Music in Voice Performance from Peabody Conservatory; her Bachelors [1999] is from University of Wisconsin in Madison.  She has been the student cantor for Port Jewish Center in Port Washington, NY and for the past four years the cantorial intern at Rodeph Sholom in Manhattan where ­Cantor Spilker also worked before coming to Mount Zion.  From 2000-2004, she was the cantorial soloist for Baltimore Hebrew Congregation in Maryland. 

Julie Beckman is the rabbis’ and cantors’ secretary, and also handles registration for MaZAL, Mount Zion’s adult education programs. Julie has been with Mount Zion Temple for over 20 years. Julie is married to Tony Vann.