6th & 7th Grade, Congregation Shaare Emeth

Shaare Emeth Religious School’s 6th & 7th Grade Program

B’Mitzvah Academy (BMA)

Our 6th and 7th graders are at a critical moment of transition, taking on the responsibility of becoming b’mitzvah.* Developmentally, they are questioning who they are and their place in the world. Our program strives to ask relevant Jewish question and engage them in dialogue as they work towards this meaningful milestone. Our BMA experience provides a cohort-based program for our middle school teen learners, culminating with the B’Mitzvah service. With Rabbi Levine and Cantor Warner at the helm, BMA is an integrated, two-year program for 6th and 7th Grades as they prepare to become b’mitzvah at Shaare Emeth. With our incredible faculty and fabulous clergy teaching these students, our young teen learners will work on their Hebrew learning, study Jewish values, share this special time with friends, and more!

*B’Mitzvah is the language Shaare Emeth uses to describe the process and programming for this important lifecycle event. This is intentionally a gender-inclusive term that allows us to include and affirm the full spectrum of our community in the way we talk about our students. Every learner has the chance as a part of their preparations to choose the language for their ceremony that works best for them (i.e. bar mitzvah, bat mitzvah, b’mitzvah, b’nei mitzvah, and more). Learn more here >

Year One: 6th Grade

In 6th Grade, all students attend 2x a week, every week.

Sunday Morning Religious School (9–11 a.m.)
BMA MIDWEEK (4:15–6 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday)

6th Graders immerse themselves in deep, consistent learning time focused on sharpening Hebrew skills and getting up to speed on the prayers our learners need to know for the B’Mitzvah service. On Sunday mornings, they participate in a curriculum that provides age-appropriate, multi-faceted learning about the Holocaust from a Jewish perspective.

This is usually the first significant introduction our learners have to the events of the Holocaust, and we want them to be grounded in the facts, stories, and meaning of this tragic part of our people’s history. On both days, they have opportunities to build relationships with peers and start engaging with our clergy as the begin their formal b’mitzvah learning at BMA.

Year Two: 7th Grade

Students attend BMA once a week during MIDWEEK (4:15–6 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday).

7th Graders dive into their preparations for b’mitzvah during their weekly sessions. Each meeting consists of small group, intensive Hebrew learning focused on preparing for their ceremony. These groups have the opportunity to learn from our amazing Hebrew faculty and experience Cantor Seth’s mentorship and personal support.

The Judaics learning happens alongside their 6th Grade peers, where they have a chance to focus on big questions about the meaning of b’mitzvah, expectations of teen life, and exploring what Jewish values, ideas, and stories might mean to them at this critical time of transition and growth.

6th and 7th Grade BMA Family Education Programs

Throughout the school year, our parents/guardians are invited into this process of b’mitzvah by participating in a series of curated, high-impact family learning experiences. Becoming a teen is hard for preteens and for their parents, especially today, with current realities heightening the transition to this new stage of life. To support families when they most need support and while they are engaged in Jewish life, leading up to the b’mitzvah, we bring our class cohort together and invite our adolescents and their parents into conversation with one another. We are excited to be partners of Moving Traditions, using their nationally recognized curriculum and approach to preteen Jewish family education. These experiences seek to inspire connection to Jewish community by centering on human development and the parent-child relationship. All family programs are a required part of our BMA experience.

What happens after my child’s b’mitzvah?

We help you take the next steps on your journey in Part II of BMA! Our BMA II experience includes weekly programming, with opportunities for our participants to learn about the wider Shaare Emeth community and explore ways they can stay connected. These sessions include speakers, service projects, social and emotional learning, and memorable discussions with friends. We hope that by the end of BMA II our participants feel prepared to continue into 8th grade in our religious school and find new ways of connecting with Jewish life.

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Questions?

Schedule

BMA Schedule

Mondays, Tuesdays, or Wednesdays • 4:15–6 p.m.

Rabbi Jeffrey Stiffman

Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Shaare Emeth

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.

Pronouns: he/him/his

Rabbi Morgan Tobey

Assistant Rabbi of Congregation Shaare Emeth

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!

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Rabbi Andrew Terkel

Associate Rabbi of Congregation Shaare Emeth

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

Associate Rabbi & Director of Education of Congregation Shaare Emeth

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.

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Cantor Seth Warner

Cantor of Congregation Shaare Emeth

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.

Pronouns: he/him/his

Rabbi Andrea Goldstein, D.Min

Successor Senior Rabbi of Congregation Shaare Emeth

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.

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Rabbi Jim Bennett

Senior Rabbi of Congregation Shaare Emeth

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.

Pronouns: he/him/his

ABOUT

Leanne & Harvey Schneider

2026 Harris Frank Community Service Award Honorees

Harvey and Leanne Schneider have devoted their lives to strengthening both the Jewish and broader St. Louis communities through leadership, service, education, and a deep commitment to bringing people together.

A St. Louis native, Harvey Schneider attended local public schools before earning both his undergraduate business degree and law degree from Washington University in St. Louis. Following graduation, he moved to Washington, D.C., where he served as a trial attorney in the Tax Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. After five years of federal service, he returned to St. Louis and became a partner in private law practice. Over a legal career spanning more than five decades, Harvey represented family-owned businesses and private individuals in a wide range of business matters.

Harvey’s commitment to civic and Jewish communal life has been equally extensive. He has served as President of Congregation Shaare Emeth, the Interfaith Partnership of Greater St. Louis, the Central Agency for Jewish Education, the Little Symphony Concerts Association, and the Forever Young Club at the Missouri Athletic Club. In addition, he dedicated 26 years to public service on the Planning and Zoning Commission of the City of Town and Country, including three years as chairman.

After graduating from Washington University, Leanne Schneider spent a year studying in France. Upon her return to St. Louis, she became deeply involved in international student exchange programs, first with the Experiment in International Living and later with AFS, fostering cross-cultural understanding and lifelong connections among people of different backgrounds. This commitment to building bridges naturally extended to her involvement with the Interfaith Partnership of Greater St. Louis.

Leanne also taught French and Spanish at Brittany Junior High School before she and Harvey started their family. Throughout the years, she has shared her passion for education and community service by tutoring New Americans through the English Language School, serving on Congregation Shaare Emeth’s first Caring Committee, and volunteering as a reader with Ready Readers. Today, she continues to nurture her love of learning and literature through a book club that includes many members of Congregation Shaare Emeth.

Together, Harvey and Leanne have exemplified a lifetime of generosity, service, and leadership. Their dedication to education, interfaith understanding, civic engagement, and Jewish communal life has enriched countless lives throughout St. Louis. They are the proud parents of three children and grandparents of four, and their enduring legacy continues to inspire future generations.