Rabbi Joshua M. Brown
Rabbi Josh Brown joined our congregation on July 1, 2016.
Rabbi Brown was ordained in May 2008 at the Los Angeles campus of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Prior to ordination, he completed a Master's in Jewish Education from the Rhea Hirsch School of Education, also on the HUC-JIR campus in Los Angeles, and a B.A. degree in Family Studies and Social Work from Miami University (OH).
A native of Atlanta, Rabbi Brown has found a home in almost every region of the country. He comes to Akron having served Temple Emanuel in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and most recently Temple Israel in Omaha, Nebraska. Passionate about social justice, parenting education, and interfaith and interracial dialogue, Temple Israel is a beautiful destination for Rabbi Brown to pursue his interests through his rabbinate.
Beyond continuing a rabbinate focused on education and social justice, Rabbi Brown is excited to be on a team ready to lead moving worship and inspiring opportunities to engage in our Jewish tradition. He knows that his experience has prepared him for a congregation willing to be at the forefront of Jewish life and that Temple Israel in Akron has done the work in recent years to be that congregation. He looks forward to the days when our community will cry together, laugh together, and most importantly, make our dreams a reality together as we engage Judaism to better our world and ourselves.
Rabbi Brown comes to Akron with his wife Carrie, a native of Cleveland, and their three children—Hannah, Noah, and Ezra.
Cantor Kathy Fromson
Cantor Kathy joined Temple Israel Akron in July, 2015. She had served as a guest cantor for various congregations in the Cleveland area since 2000. She studied with Cantor Misha Pisman of Park Synagogue Anshe Emeth Beth Tefilio and with Kiva Shtull for training in Nusach, Torah Trope, and sacred music.
Cantor Kathy grew up in Beachwood, graduated from Hathaway Brown School in Shaker Heights, and earned a bachelor’s degree in romance languages from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She studied piano for 8 years at the Cleveland Institute of Music and is self-taught on guitar. She currently studies vocal instruction with Tim Culver, Associate Professor of Voice at Kent State University.
In addition to her ongoing pulpit responsibilities, Cantor Kathy oversees the B’nai Mitzvah program, the High Holy Day Choir, and the Wee Sing music program for tots. She also teaches music in Temple Israel’s Religious School.
Cantor Kathy and her husband Scott, an attorney, reside in Solon, Ohio with their dog Louie. Their three adult children, Brett, Noah & Halle, can often be heard singing and playing guitar with Cantor Kathy for Shabbat services.
See Rabbi Brown and Cantor Kathy on our livestream!
