Clergy Emeriti
Our clergy emeriti bring wisdom and a sense of continuity to our community.
Rabbi Emeritus Henry A. Zoob
Rabbi Zoob served as the rabbi of Temple Beth David of Westwood for thirty-six years. He became the temple's Rabbi Emeritus in July 2006. Rabbi Zoob was the founding President of the Rashi School, the Boston Area Reform Jewish Day School. In 1989 he was awarded a Keter Torah Award by the Boston Bureau of Jewish Education in recognition of his pioneering work in Jewish Day School Education. He was a founding board member of the Gann Academy (The New Jewish High School).
He helped initiate the Beit Din (Rabbinical Court) of the Boston Area Reform Rabbis and served as the first Rosh (Head) of the Beit Din from 1998 to 2001. He received the Nachshon Award from Mayyim Hayyim, Living Waters Community Mikveh and Education Center in 2006. He is a past President of the Massachusetts Board of Rabbis, past Chairman of the Boston Area Reform Rabbis, past President of the Westwood Interfaith Council and is on the National Rabbinic Cabinet of the United Jewish Appeal.
Rabbi Zoob recently published A Lifetime of Genesis, a book which combines an explanation of the Covenant of Abraham in Genesis and events from his own life that parallel stories from the lives of the Patriarchs. Rabbi Zoob grew up in Philadelphia, and received a BA from Harvard University in 1961. He was ordained at the Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC - JIR) in 1967, earned a Masters Degree in Bible at Brandeis University, and an honorary Doctorate from HUC - JIR.
Cantor Emerita Louise Treitman
Cantor Louise Treitman served for twenty years, first as cantorial soloist and then as Temple Beth David's first Cantor after she completed her cantorial certification in 1998. She became Cantor Emerita in 2008.
She is a past president of the New England Board of Cantors, and served on the national board of the American Conference of Cantors (the national association of Reform cantors) from 1999-2005. She helped to found the Jewish Music Institute, now the School of Jewish Music, at Hebrew College now located in Newton, Ma, and for several years, worked as its coordinator. After leaving the pulpit, she returned to Hebrew College where she instructs not only cantorial students, but also those enrolled in the college's rabbinic, education and music-certificate programs.
Cantor Treitman graduated from Wellesley College, Phi Beta Kappa with a BA in Music and Judaic Studies. Her continued studies led to a teaching certificate from the Kodaly Musical Training Institute and a MM Degree from the New England Conservatory of Music with honors in Performance of Early Music, specializing in the viola da gamba. She received her cantorial certification through Hebrew Union College in New York and the American Conference of Cantors. In addition, Cantor Treitman was the assistant conductor of the Zamir Chorale of Boston from 1998 until 2003 and also served on their board of directors for many years. She traveled with the chorale on several international tours and has done numerous recordings with them. She is co-director of Il Concerto di Salamone Rossi Hebreo and serves on the board of Mayyim Hayyim, a community mikveh and family-education center in Newton, Mass.