Clergy
Rabbi Joel Mishkin, Senior Rabbi
Rabbi Joel Mishkin is the Senior Rabbi at Temple Beth Sholom, the only Conservative Synagogue in Sarasota, with over seven hundred families. He arrived in Sarasota in June of 1995. Rabbi Mishkin has played a substantial role in contributing to the vibrant growth of Temple Beth Sholom and has helped to revitalize Temple Beth Sholom through several new lecture series, adult education classes and innovations for Shabbat services.
Rabbi Mishkin also played a substantial role in the conception, construction and growth of the Goldie Feldman Academy (a Jewish day school open to children of all faiths); the development of the Justin Lee Wiesner Preschool; and the Martin & Mildred Paver Religious School. He has served on the Jewish Theological Seminary of America’s Chancellor’s Cabinet, the Board of Directors for Jewish Family and Children Service, the Board of Directors for Sarasota-Manatee Jewish Federation, and as President of Sarasota-Manatee Rabbinical Association.
Rabbi Mishkin is currently one of twelve Rabbis from around the country serving on Dr. Arnold Eisen’s, Chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary, Rabbinic Cabinet.
Previous to his tenure at Temple Beth Sholom, Rabbi Mishkin was the Assistant Rabbi of Beth El Congregation in Baltimore, Maryland, a progressive synagogue of over seventeen hundred families. Rabbi Mishkin is married to Beverly and has twin sons, Alec and Evan.
Diane Nathanson, Hazzan
Hazzan Nathanson is the first female cantor to serve on the West coast of Florida and became the first woman in Temple Beth Sholom’s 78 year history to serve as part of the professional clergy. After joining the Beth Sholom Choir 25 years ago as a soloist singing with Cantor Victor Jacoby, Cantor Nathanson realized that her love of Judaism and music could be successfully combined as a career in the Cantorate.
During her 25 years of service, Hazzan Nathanson was involved as a soloist with various choral groups in Sarasota such as the Key Chorale and Gloria Musicae, a select ensemble of auditioned singers whose combined talent and professional experience make them unique. She has also appeared with the Sarasota Youth Opera in their traveling productions. In 2008, Hazzan Nathanson hosted the Bay Area Cantors Association concert at Temple Beth Sholom which raised thousands of dollars for the Cantors Assembly of America as well as the American Conference of Cantors. Hazzan Nathanson is a member of both of these organizations.
Hazzan Nathanson has toured with CAMI (Columbia Artists Management, Inc.) and has appeared with “Songs by Six” and also with the Robert DeCormier Singers. She has had lead roles in several Gilbert and Sullivan operettas with the world renowned Simsbury Light Opera Company. Hazzan Nathanson has appeared in many musical comedy roles such as Desire Armfelt in “a Little Night Music” and Mamette in “Gigi.”
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