A native of Portland, Oregon, and a childhood resident of Los Angeles, Rabbi Biatch attended the California State University at Northridge for his undergraduate degree. He then participated in the World Union of Jewish Students' Institute based in Arad, Israel, where he acquired a fluency in Hebrew language. Following his return to the United States, he studied at Brandeis University where he earned a Master of Arts degree in Jewish Communal Service. After seven years serving as directors of community relations and planning and budgeting for the Jewish Federation movement, he pursued his rabbinical studies at the Jerusalem and Cincinnati campuses of the Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion, where he received rabbinic ordination in 1992.
During his rabbinic school career, Rabbi Biatch served student pulpits in Texarkana, Texas; Pueblo, Colorado; and Petoskey, Michigan; and he composed his rabbinic thesis on the history and the application of the Haftarah in modern synagogue life. Following ordination, he served a small circuit of two synagogues in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia (Beth El Congregation in Harrisonburg, VA, and Temple House of Israel in Staunton, VA), as well as two major pulpits, in Alexandria, Virginia (Beth El Hebrew Congregation) and Glendale, CA (Temple Sinai of Glendale).
Rabbi Biatch has served on the boards of the southern California region of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, and "Allies," a human rights advocacy organization supporting the gay and lesbian communities of the Shenandoah Valley. He was active in the interfaith ministerial organizations in Glendale and Alexandria, and served as the president of the interfaith council of Harrisonburg.
Rabbi Biatch is married to Rabbi Bonnie Margulis. They have two children, Samantha and Joshua, and reside in Madison. You can email him at rabbi@templebethelmadison.org.
Cantor Deborah Martin
Cantor Martin grew up in New Jersey and began her musical training taking piano lessons. She trained classically and received a Bachelors of Music with honors from the New England Conservatory of Music, and a Masters of Music from the Boston Conservatory of Music. She has performed in Opera throughout the United States and did her debut as Rosina in the Barber of Seville with the Boston Symphony.
While working at HUC-JIR in Cincinnati, Bonia Shur, the professor of Jewish music and a famous composer of many Jewish compositions at the Hebrew Union College, became her mentor. She sang with him at HUC and on tour. He helped her obtain her first synagogue work at Plum Street and Wise Temple in Cincinnati and at Temple Adath Israel in Lexington, Kentucky.
Deborah has been the Cantor at Temple Beth El in Madison since 1991. Among her many duties, Deborah direct the adult and youth choirs, teaches B'nai Mitzvah students and Adult classes, chants and officiates at services and life-cycle events and organizes the music for the Holy days.
Larry Kohn has been the Education Director of Temple Beth El since July 1979.
He received a B.A. in Philosophy from the State University of New York at Binghamton in January 1972 and an M.S. in Communicative Disorders from the U.W. Madison in May 1976. He worked as a Speech/Language Therapist in the Monona Public Schools from 1976-79. Larry was a Madison Midrasha teacher from 1978 to 2003 and served for six years as director of Gan HaYeled nursery school. Larry was a founding member of the Beth El Shabbat morning Torah study group and continues to facilitate it every Sat. morning. Larry’s publications include two teacher guides, a book review in Jewish Political Studies Review (Jerusalem), a study in child language development, a dozen poems in Jewish and literary journals and two dozen articles on Middle East affairs. His favorite part of the job is staffing the religious and Hebrew schools with his former students some of whom are now or will soon be sending their children to the Beit Sefer Beit El. If you have any questions about Temple Beth El's education please email Larry at educator@templebethelmadison.org.
Heidi Lauhon, Executive Director
Heidi Lauhon was promoted to Executive Director of Temple Beth El in January of 2006 after 1 1/2 years as Temple's Program Director. She is from the Boston area and graduated with a degree in Art History from Wellesley College. Before joining the Temple Beth El staff, Heidi spent six years at Gan HaYeled Preschool, as a teacher for two years and as the director for four. She and her husband, Chuck, along with their two children, Samantha and Harry, have been Temple Beth El members since 1999. When she is not at Temple Beth El, Heidi enjoys playing Scrabble, going to the movies and bird/critter watching. Heidi encourages all members to come by the office to say hello. If you have questions about membership please email her at executivedirector@templebethelmadison.org.
Program Director
In June, we welcomed our new Program Director, Jennifer Rosen Heinz. Jennifer, working with the Program Committee as well as Temple staff, organizes and implements Programs for the entire Temple community. Previously, Jennifer worked in Consulting, as well as in Marketing, Public Relations, and as a College-level Instructor for English Composition and Rhetoric. She is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio and has lived in Tucson, Boulder, Munich (Germany), Seville (Spain), and Boston. She is always open and excited to hear new ideas or feedback on Programs. Her email address is program@templebethelmadison.org
