Our Clergy

Rabbi Brett Isserow
Rabbi Dr. Jacob Rader Marcus once told me, "If you don't like Jews, don't become a Rabbi!" As the years pass, those words take on an ever greater significance and I have found that it is indeed my deep love of the Jewish people and Judaism which sustains my life as a Rabbi.


My decision to become a Rabbi began as a desire to explore my own Jewish heritage and learn more about Judaism's many facets. It has been, and continues to be, a fascinating journey, one that enriches and fulfills each new day.

Click here to read a selection of Rabbi Isserow's sermons.

I was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and was raised in a family which, although very aware of its Jewishness, was not particularly observant. We "did" all the holidays and celebrated Pesach Seders with lots of family and friends but rarely attended Shabbat services. Under my mother's "Shul or School" rule, I spent most of the festivals sitting in the sun on the stairs in front of our local Orthodox Synagogue.

Post-Bar Mitzvah my formal Jewish education came grinding to a halt. Thereafter, college and building a career as a Chartered Accountant further intervened.

Over a decade and a half later, I became re-engaged in a Reform congregation and soon found myself on the Board, Executive and serving as Treasurer. It occurred to me that I really knew very little about Judaism and so I began a journey of exploration and learning that continues to this day.

In the mid-1980's I applied to Hebrew Union College and spent the first year of the course in Israel. Studying at HUC in Cincinnati was a true gift even for someone rapidly approaching middle age! After all, my teachers were the ones who wrote the books! And besides, I met my wife, Jinny, while we were both at HUC.

Eleven years as an Assistant/Associate Rabbi at The Temple in Atlanta honed my Rabbinic skills. Our children, Anna and Jesse, enlarged our family circle and, yes, radically changed our lives!

Late in 2001, it was time to look for a Congregation at which I could find a home as Senior Rabbi and, hopefully, serve in for many years. Beth El Hebrew Congregation has become that home. The challenges are many, but the rewards are great. I count myself most fortunate to be surrounded by good and decent people who truly want to make this a Kehila Kedosha, a holy community, for whom Jewish values take on real meaning. One only has to walk into the building to get a sense of its warmth and depth.

Beth El has afforded me the opportunity to get involved in the wider community—as a Board Member of the JCCNV, as a member of the Ethics Committee of Inova Alexandria Hospital, as a vice president of both the Washington Board of Rabbis and the mid-Atlantic CCAR Board and in a number of other interfaith and Jewish organizations.

At the moment of Ordination I was asked, "Are you ready to serve the Jewish people?" Nearly twenty years after ordination, my answer to the question is still a resounding "Yes!" You see, I love being a Rabbi and that, for me, makes a world of difference! --Rabbi Brett Isserow
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Cantor Sharon Steinberg's passion and talent for singing and music was evident at an early age. She majored in music in college earning both Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Ithaca College and Indiana University respectively. Her career has included teaching voice and music as a faculty member at the University of Wisconsin and the University of Maryland; singing professionally with opera companies throughout the world; and, at last, becoming a Cantor. She has been with Beth El since 2001.

For Beth El, Cantor Steinberg selects, prepares and leads music for worship services, directs the choirs and oversees all other musical activities for the congregation. Additionally, she is actively involved in adult education and the religious school for which she runs the B'nei Mitzvah program. Cantor Steinberg officiates at life cycle ceremonies and is available for pastoral counseling, hospital and home visits; she works with congregational committees, organizes and directs fund-raising concerts, and participates in social action activities.

Cantor Steinberg is an active member in the organizations of her profession. She spent nine years as Vice-President of Membership for the Guild of Temple Musicians. For the Women Cantors' Network, Cantor Steinberg served as newsletter editor and board member. Additionally, she served as one of the guild representatives on the URJ's Commission on Synagogue Music. Cantor Steinberg is active in the local cantorial association of the American Conference of Cantors.

Cantor Steinberg is mother to Robert, Daniel and James.

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