Rabbi Josh Breindel joined Beth El on July 1, 2018. Since then, he has helped the congregation enhance its commitment to study, social justice, and dynamic worship, while supporting its engagement with Jewish arts and culture.
Rabbi Breindel was ordained at Hebrew College in 2009 with master’s degrees in Jewish studies and Jewish education after earning a B.A. in philosophy from Brandeis University. Before joining Beth El, he served nine years at Temple Anshe Amunim in Pittsfield, Mass. He currently serves on the executive committee of the Massachusetts Board of Rabbis.
As “The Sci-Fi Rabbi,” Rabbi Breindel offers regular classes on Jewish speculative fiction, and he appeared in the 2025 documentary Fiddler on the Moon. He and his spouse, Stephanie, host Beth El’s Zoom-based Jewish Fantasy and Sci-Fi Book Club, which welcomes readers from the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. As “The Rabbi on the Radio,” he shares weekly reflections and music on Chagigah (WERS).
Off the bimah, Rabbi Josh can often be found singing Simon & Garfunkel, cuddling with his cats, or exploring MetroWest’s trails with Stephanie and their children.
Cantor Vera Broekhuysen joined Beth El on July 1, 2023. She served Temple Emanu-El of Haverhill as spiritual leader from 2018-2023 (and as cantor from 2016-2023). In 2016, she was ordained, and earned her master’s degree in Jewish education at Hebrew College in Newton. A native of Cambridge, she graduated from Commonwealth High School of Boston in 2002 and earned her bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Toronto in 2007.
Cantor Broekhuysen pursues social justice and interfaith work as cornerstones of her Jewish life. She uses guitar and drum in services, song sessions, educational settings, and out on the street in protests. She is also passionate about exploring and leveraging the beauty and vocal connectivity of early music and folksong. Cantor Broekhuysen lives in North Andover with her husband Mike and their two sons. In her free time, she loves to hike, knit, bake, and read.
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