Rabbi Andrew Bloom
Rabbi Andrew Bloom was born in New Jersey, grew up in Maryland, and made aliyah at the age of 19 to Israel. There, Rabbi Bloom served for 2½ years in the Israeli Army as a combat medic in an artillery unit in Lebanon, the West Bank, and Gaza, as well as serving as his unit's medical chemicals expert during the Gulf War. Upon being honorably discharged in 1991 at the rank of Sergeant, Rabbi Bloom studied education and history at the State Teachers College — Seminar Hakibutzim. It was there that he met his wife, Michal, also a student in education and history.
Rabbi Bloom graduated with a B.Ed. and teachers certificate with honors in 1995. During his last year of undergraduate work, Rabbi Bloom served as teacher at the Herziliyah Gymnasium, Israel's oldest Hebrew High School. Upon completion of his undergraduate studies, Rabbi Bloom entered Rabbinical School at The Schechter Institute for Judaic Studies in Jerusalem, the Jewish Theological Seminary's Israel branch, where he received both his ordination and a master's degree.
During Rabbi Bloom's studies, he served as a student rabbi in Jerusalem at Congregation Kiryat Hayovel. Rabbi Bloom also served as a crisis counselor for English speakers at Shaarey Tzedek hospital in Jerusalem. Rabbi Bloom's rabbinic thesis was on "The Psychology of the Mourning Process." Upon completion of his studies, Rabbi Bloom served for a year as a rabbi in England. During this time Rabbi Bloom served on the Beit Din of the Conservative movement in England.
Rabbi Bloom served congregations in New Jersey where he created innovative family, B'nai Mitzvah and children programs, led Adult Bar and Bat Mitzvah classes, and taught adult education classes. While in New Jersey, Rabbi Bloom served as the Rumson Police Department's first ever Jewish police chaplain.
Rabbi Bloom emphasizes outreach to non-affiliated members of the community, as well as inreach and retention of members. He is happy to meet, greet, and welcome anyone who walks through the doors of our synagogue who wants to learn, explore, and enjoy our community.
Rabbi Bloom is very interested in pastoral counseling and graduated from the Post Center of Mental Health's post-graduate certification program as a pastoral counselor.
Rabbi Bloom in July 2017 was appointed by Mayor Betsy Price and the Fort Worth City Council as a Co-Chair of Fort Worth's Task Force on Race and Culture. This Task Force's mission and vision was to help make Fort Worth a more equitable city for all its residents. The final recommendations of the Task Force were presented and unanimously accepted by the Fort Worth City Council on December 11th, 2018. He also serves on the Fort Worth Mayor's Faith Based Cabinet; the steering committee for Compassionate Fort Worth; the Faith Based Committee of the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo; and the Board of Directors of DRC-Solutions, a highly respected non-profit organization that fights homelessness through "Housing First" here in Fort Worth. In 2018, Rabbi Bloom was chosen by Fort Worth Inc. as 1 of the 400 most influential people in Fort Worth and for 2019 as 1 of the 400 most influential people in all of Tarrant County.
Rabbi Bloom helped organize and lead Fort Worth's first ever City Seder in 2018. He is the author of Two Minutes of Traditions: Torah and Life Lessons for People on the Go, and lectures on Judaism, religion, and equity within the wider community. He often represents the synagogue and Jewish community at numerous local, national and international gatherings.
In his spare time, Rabbi Bloom is an avid sports enthusiast, field archer, and Harry Potter fan. Rabbi Bloom believes that his greatest accomplishment in life is marrying his wife and the birth of his three children.
Need to contact Rabbi Bloom? Please use the online contact form, or call the office at 817-731-4721.
Fani Notik Kiselstein, Principal, CAS Learning and Engagement Center
Fani Notik Kiselstein was born and raised in Israel. After serving in the Israeli Defense Forces, she graduated in 2000 with a Bachelor's Degree in Business and Marketing. She then joined her husband and moved to Budapest, Hungary, for 4 years. She worked for the Jewish Agency teaching Hebrew to Hungarian students, then moved back to Israel in 2004 and started a family. In 2013 she moved to the United States, settling in Texas in 2015. Fani says, "I look forward to working closely with your children. Teaching your children gives me happiness and joy."
Need to contact Fani? Please use the online contact form (choose LEC), or call the office at 817-731-4721.
