Julie Jacobs has served as clergy for Beth David Congregation for 18 years. She currently is Senior Rabbi and Cantor.

Rabbi Jacobs finds different ways to meet her congregation where they are in their faith, be it during services, seminars, and lifecycle moments, or simply bonding over a cup of coffee. She often infuses observance with music. She created the unique and hugely popular Friday night service Shabbat Pasión, and often uses her own compositions in musical events.

Rabbi is committed to Tikkun Olam. She was pivotal in the creation of the Tikvah Center at Beth David Gordon School – Miami’s first Jewish Day School program for children on the Autism Spectrum. She has served on the Miami Board of Autism Speaks, and has raised over $100,000 for the non-profit over the past 10 years. Jacobs also served on the Executive Board of the Cantors Assembly.

Rabbi Jacobs’s deep love and understanding for our Jewish community sparked the concept of the Center for Jewish Life at Beth David – a new organization dedicated to serving Central Miami. While spearheading the capital campaign, she inspired a record-breaking $10 million commitment on Give Miami Day 2021.

Rabbi earned a Bachelors in Music in Vocal Performance from the Indiana University School of Music, her Diploma of Hazzan and Master of Sacred Music from the Jewish Theological Seminary, and her certificate of Hazzan-Minister from the Cantors Assembly. Recently, Rabbi completed a clergy fellowship with Join For Justice.

In her spare time, Rabbi is always with her family. Her husband, Orin and children, Zev, Reya, Eitan and Caleb are all involved with Beth David and the Jewish community at large.

Karem has been shaped by her deep commitment to the Jewish community and her love for Israel. Born and raised in Argentina, she has served as a leader in numerous Jewish groups, movements, and organizations, demonstrating her strong leadership skills and dedication to the community. Karem is also a certified CPA in Argentina and had a very successful career founding and running a successful company of over 40 people at a young age, which she ran as its president and CEO. Her expertise also extends to financial advising and start-up incubation in various industries.

In 2012, Karem moved to Miami, where she served as the CFO and Director of Operations for the University of Miami Hillel: The Braman Miller Center for Jewish Life. Over the past eight years, Karem partnered with the UM Hillel CEO to develop and implement a comprehensive vision and strategy to restructure the entire organization. Her entrepreneurial spirit played a crucial role in UM Hillel's growth and success, which was recognized in 2016 when she received Hillel International's Richard M. Joel Exemplars of Excellence award, the organization's highest professional award, and the first time it was awarded to a non-programmatic staff member in organizational history.

Now, Karem is excited to bring her skills, experience, and passion to the role of Executive Director of The Center for Jewish Life at Beth David. She is thrilled to be part of this exciting venture and looks forward to the opportunity to help build something innovative and revolutionary from the ground up. Karem, her husband Diego, and her daughter Abby are eager to become active members of this community and continue to make meaningful contributions to the Jewish community.

R’ Adam grew up in the Five Towns of Long Island and in a Modern Orthodox yeshiva day school and community. Adam continued his Jewish education receiving a BA in Bible from the Jewish Theological Seminary and a BA in Religion from Columbia University. Pursuant to his undergraduate studies, Adam received a certificate in Jewish education (Melamdim Program) at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem.

While living in Israel, Adam received rabbinic ordination from Yeshivat Pirchei Shoshanim and studied safrut (scribal arts) under the tutelage of Rabbi David Gottesman. Adam also holds ordination as a mashpia ruchani (spiritual director) from Aleph’s Hashpa’ah program. During his time as an experiential Jewish educator and classroom teacher in a day school, Adam owned and operated a kosher BBQ food truck bringing together his love of kosher food and building community through shared personal experiences.

From 2017-2023 Adam, along with his wife Jessie, designed, implemented, and grew Base Miami (now under the auspices of Moishe House), using their home as a pluralistic central meeting for Jewish life and learning.

Adam serves on the board of the Rabbinic Association of Greater Miami, is a JJ Greenberg Fellow, and a part of the Clergy Leadership Incubator (CLI).

Jessie is thrilled to join the Gordon School team as the Interim Head of School and Judaics Director. Throughout her career, Jessie has worked in a variety of educational and community-building settings - from Day Schools to Jewish summer camps to Hebrew schools to study abroad programming to philanthropic and leadership training as well as working as the Senior Educator at Base Miami for the past six years.

Jessie earned a Master's degree in Jewish education and a Certificate of Advanced Jewish Studies from the Pardes Educators Program in Jerusalem as well as a Certificate in Jewish Day School Education from Hebrew College of Boston. Before receiving her M.A., Jessie received a B.A. in Modern Jewish Studies from the Jewish Theological Seminary and a B.A. in Middle Eastern Studies from Columbia University.

Jessie was the recipient of the Covenant Foundation’s 2020 Pomegranate prize. Jessie loves to read, bake, RV with her family, and spend time outside.

Diana Garcia graduated from Havana University with her B.S. of Business Administration in Accounting and Finance. She joined Beth David Congregation and The Gordon School back in 2015 and she has been part of the administrative staff since then. Originally from Havana, Cuba, Diana has lived in Miami for more than 8 years with her husband and now with her son, Thomas. They enjoy traveling and knowing new places and cultures around the world and locally. With more than 17 years of experience in the accounting and finance field, Diana is excited to bring her knowledge to the Director of Finance position and looking forward to continuing her professional growth alongside the amazing team and the wonderful community of The Center for Jewish Life at Beth David.