What Truly Matters? Wisdom from Ecclesiastes with Rabbi Michal Ken Tor

Rabbi Emeritus Jeffrey Stiffman received his undergraduate degree from Loyola College and was ordained in 1965 at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Ohio. He earned his Ph.D. in Theology in 1972. He served as Assistant Rabbi of Shaare Emeth from 1965-1968 and was named Senior Rabbi in 1971, serving in that capacity until his retirement in 2004, when he was named Rabbi Emeritus. During his tenure, Rabbi Stiffman and his staff instituted many innovative programs of worship, education, and social justice. Rabbi Stiffman and his wife, Arlene, have three adult children and eight grandchildren.

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Rabbi Morgan Tobey joined the congregation as Assistant Rabbi on July 1, 2026, bringing with her a deep commitment to Jewish learning, leadership, and community building. Originally from Dallas, Texas, Rabbi Tobey’s Jewish journey began during her undergraduate years at the University of Southern California, where her involvement with Hillel introduced her to rabbinical students who challenged her assumptions about Judaism and inspired her own path to the rabbinate. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from USC before returning to Dallas, where she worked as an elementary and early childhood educator and served in numerous lay leadership roles at Temple Emanu-El.

Rabbi Tobey was ordained in May 2026 from Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion, where she also earned a Master of Arts in Hebrew Literature and a Certificate in Jewish Organizational Leadership from the Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management. During her time at HUC-JIR, she distinguished herself as a talented leader and community builder, receiving the Burton Lehman Prize in Jewish Leadership, the Sylvia Levenstein Prize in Human Relations, and the Gavi Klonsky Award for Amitz Lev—recognizing spirit, character, and strength of heart. Her rabbinical training included service to the Community Synagogue of Rye, Cornell University Hillel, and her classmates as Student Association President.

Outside of synagogue life, you can find Rabbi Tobey cheering on the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Wings, obsessing over Amy Poehler’s podcast, and planning Disney trips!

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Rabbi Andrew Terkel joined Congregation Shaare Emeth as Associate Rabbi in 2026. A warm and relationship-centered Reform rabbi, he is passionate about helping individuals and families find meaning, connection, and belonging through Jewish life. Prior to coming to Shaare Emeth, Rabbi Terkel served as Executive Director of Student to Student, a national program of the Jewish Federations of North America, and previously held leadership roles with Be The Narrative, the Union for Reform Judaism’s NFTY youth movement, Greene Family Camp, and Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim in Charleston, South Carolina, where he served as Assistant Rabbi.

Rabbi Terkel was ordained by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, where he also earned a Certificate in Jewish Nonprofit Management, and holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Studies from the University of Kansas. Originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, he credits synagogue life, Jewish camp, and youth groups with shaping his Jewish identity and inspiring his rabbinate. Rabbi Terkel enjoys music, storytelling, and creating meaningful Jewish experiences across generations. He and his wife, Hannah, and their sons, Avi and Micah, have been proud members of the Shaare Emeth community since moving to St. Louis in 2022.

Rabbi Lori Levine serves as Associate Rabbi and Director of Education at Congregation Shaare Emeth, overseeing the Religious School and creating connections for our families with children to the wider temple community. Originally from New Jersey, Rabbi Levine was shaped by her years at Jewish summer camp, non-profit work, working as a community organizer, living in Israel on the URJ Heller High program, and volunteer work with elders. She received her undergraduate degree from New York University in European and Mediterranean Studies in 2010. She received her rabbinic ordination and Master’s in Jewish Education from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles, CA, in 2018.

Rabbi Levine is an experienced and passionate educator with extensive experience in curriculum writing, teacher mentorship, programming, and more. She believes that rigorous, relevant, and joyful learning is the key to creating vibrant Jewish communities and Jewish identities. Rabbi Levine is an active member of the national Association of Reform Jewish Educators (ARJE) and Past President of JPro StL. She is married to Joe Ferris and the proud mom of two boys. 

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Cantor Seth Warner, originally from Southern California, has degrees from University of Redlands and Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion. He was ordained in 2001.

He has served two synagogues with distinction during his career. First, he served the historic Touro Synagogue in New Orleans, weathering Hurricane Katrina and producing Touro’s Jazz Fest Shabbat to high acclaim.

He began serving Congregation Shaare Emeth in 2007. He oversees the Congregation’s music and worship portfolios and leads the B’Mitzvah program, in addition to his other cantorial duties as a full clergy partner with his colleagues.

He currently serves as Immediate Past President of the American Conference of Cantors.

Seth and his wife, Shayna, are the proud parents of two boys.

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Rabbi Andrea Goldstein received her undergraduate degree in Communications Studies from Northwestern University and was ordained from the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1998. In May of 2023, Rabbi Goldstein earned her Doctor of Ministry and her honorary Doctor of Divinity from HUC-JIR. She has served as rabbi at Congregation Shaare Emeth for the past 28 years, and in 2028 she will become the congregation’s first female Senior Rabbi.

Rabbi Goldstein is a graduate of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality’s Rabbinic Leadership Program and the Jewish Mindfulness Meditation Teachers’ Training Program, and she holds a certificate in Spiritual Direction from the Aquinas Institute in St. Louis. In 2018, she founded and became the director of the Jewish Mindfulness Center of St. Louis.

Locally, Rabbi Goldstein is a member of the St. Louis Rabbinic and Cantorial Association, serves on the AccessMO Advisory Board, the NCJW Advisory Council, and the Advisory Committee of the Jewish Fund for Human Needs. Nationally, Rabbi Goldstein is an at-large board member of the Central Conference of American Rabbis.

Rabbi Goldstein’s rabbinate is centered around the creation of sacred community, the call for social justice, and the cultivation of spiritual practices. Rabbi Goldstein is married to Brett Goldstein and is the proud mother of Macey, Eli, and Lila.

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Rabbi James M. Bennett became Senior Rabbi of Congregation Shaare Emeth in 2004. He received his undergraduate degree from Indiana University and was ordained in 1984 at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Ohio. Upon ordination, Rabbi Bennett served Shaare Emeth as Assistant and Associate Rabbi from 1984 to 1993. He then served as Senior Rabbi at Temple Beth El in Charlotte, NC, from 1993-2003 before returning to St. Louis and Shaare Emeth. Rabbi Bennett has devoted his career to strengthening the involvement of youth and adults in programs of education, social justice, spiritual growth, community building, and interfaith relations. Rabbi Bennett and his wife, Amy, have three children, Abigail, Ethan, and Michelle, and their Labrador Retrievers, Gus and Ophelia.

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