Leadership Team
Senior Rabbi Dr. Jules King (Email)
Rabbi Dr. Jules King was ordained and received his סמיכה S’micha/ordination from the Academy for Jewish Religion California in Los Angeles, CA.
He also received his Master’s Degree in Rabbinical Studies from AJRCA. Rabbi earned his doctorate at the Claremont School of Theology in the D. Min., Spiritual Renewal, Contemplative Practice, and Strategic Leadership program. Rabbi Dr. King was awarded the Claremont School of Theology’s Doctor of Ministry Presidential Academic Award for Excellence during the commencement.
Rabbi Dr. King was awarded the Claremont School of Theology’s Doctor of Ministry Presidential Academic Award for Excellence during the commencement. Rabbi Dr. King is our Founder, Senior Rabbi, and also serves as our spiritual leader and teacher, and one who shares in our joys and in our sorrows, giving uplifting and enlightening sermons to encourage, inspire, to help us make informed choices regarding Jewish beliefs and practices along with creating and developing community.
Rabbi Dr. King holds various other degrees and has spent many years in small to large organizations, Fortune 500 companies along with serving in both healthcare and mortuary science. Rabbi is an accomplished musician, pianist, organist and sang in the nearly 300 voice Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles in recent past. However, most importantly he brings with him a sincere devotion, dedication, and passion to his rabbinate and a desire to enhance and improve the lives of those we all interact with to make the world a better place.
Rabbi Dr. King resides in the greater Palm Springs area. He is also the father of two children. He is active and busy with work, life, loves traveling and enjoying his journey with the fast-growing congregation of Desert Outreach Synagogue and the Coachella Valley community! “Come join us! You already belong!”
Rabbi Rachel Axelrad, Associate Rabbi (Email)
Rabbi Rachel Axelrad was ordained from the Academy for Jewish Religion, California in 2020. She has 20 years of experience as a Shaliach Tzibur in multiple service formats.
Her experience also includes providing pastoral care to individuals in need of spiritual support, whether in hospital, nursing homes, hospice, or in supporting mourners for funerals and memorial services. Her expertise is focused on working with adults of ages, especially seniors, whether active and independent, or frail. She has a special interest in working with dementia patients. Her chaplaincy experience includes a 1-year internship at Pomona Valley Hospital, where she worked with patients and families in various stages of crisis. She considers pastoral care to be a critical element of a rabbi’s role in the community, and is always available to congregants in need of spiritual support.
Prior to joining the rabbinate, she worked as a CPA and Systems Analyst in various corporate environments. She met her husband of 44 years at Pomona College in Claremont, where she concentrated in Russian Area Studies. She and her husband have two beautiful princesses, and are expecting a grandbaby soon. They have been residents of the Inland Empire—Claremont and Upland—for over 40 years, and have fallen in love with the desert atmosphere. She and her family are currently in the process of relocating to the Palm Desert area. She is very happy to be a member of the Desert Outreach team.
Rabbi Andrew Bentley, Associate Rabbi (Email)
Rabbi Andrew Bentley has been serving as a rabbi in the Coachella Valley since 1998.
Originally from London, he emigrated with his family to Israel in 1990, where he attended Bar Ilan University and Ohr Torah Stone Institutions under prominent American/Israeli Rabbi Shlomo Riskin and Rabbi Chaim Brovender. While in Rabbinical school, Rabbi Bentley worked as a Hebrew scribe, writing mezuzot, megillahs, and torah scrolls.
After receiving his Orthodox Rabbinical ordination, he became rabbi of Desert Synagogue in Palm Springs. After leaving that position, Rabbi Bentley decided to explore his lifelong passion for music and explore Judaism in a more progressive way. During this time, he worked as a professional musician and music producer, while also serving as consultant to Temple Isaiah, reading Torah and leading services. Rabbi Bentley became head rabbi of Temple Sinai of Palm Desert (2014-19), where he brought his unique background in Jewish education, music, and spirituality.
Rabbi Bentley has taught variety of classes including Torah study, Talmud, Kabbalah, and modern Jewish ethics. He also composes music for the Jewish liturgy that has been incorporated into various synagogue services throughout the Coachella Valley. Currently, Rabbi Bentley has a podcast, The Rabbinic Cynic, where he discusses Judaism, current affairs, pop culture, and music. He also continues to produce and record secular and Jewish music. Rabbi Bentley, and his wife, Dr. Beth Allan-Bentley, have four adult children. They currently live in Palm Desert.
Cantor Lori Reisman Patterson (Email)
The Cantor began her very eclectic Jewish education at the behest of her father, who was raised the youngest of nine children in Brooklyn New York, by his orthodox father who was a rabbi and his mother who remained in New York with the family long after his father had made Aliyah to Israel.
Believing every child should decide their own level of religious observance based upon knowledge not ignorance, their home was filled with traditions based upon orthodox, conservative and reform traditions.
Interestingly enough, in later years, all 3 siblings settled upon different Jewish denominations for their own families. One Orthodox, one conservative and Cantor Lori Reform Judaism. Enrolled in the Hebrew academy of Cleveland, an orthodox Jewish day school, she began singing Christmas music with The Singing Angels of Cleveland. At 15, she studied opera at the Cleveland Institute of music, while becoming known as the national anthem singer at major league events for the MLB, NFL and NBA.
Studying opera at Boston University for two years, she transferred to NYU to study musical theater at Tish school of the arts and graduating from NYU. After pursuing her passions in the theater, she became mom to Sean, Kayla, Brooke and Brandon. Lori continued singing for organizations such as Jewish Federation and the IDF.
In 2010, Lori moved to California and enrolled in AJRCA Masters of Sacred Jewish music program. Interning at Congregation Or Ami for the next five years, she studied under the mentorship of Cantors Doug Cotler, Nathan Lam, Don Gurney and Perryne Ankor. In 2015, Lori became ordained as a Cantor upon graduation from AJRCA and married her soulmate, Joe Patterson, becoming mom to Megan and Tyler. Cantor Lori Reisman, under the domain
Cantorforhire.com provides lifecycle event services for destination weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, shiva’s, funerals, unveiling’s and baby naming’s.
Cantor Lori is thrilled to be the Cantor for High Holidays for the third year in a row for Desert Outreach Synagogue, and will also serve as the Cantor at DOS for Shabbat services also. Believing strongly that a coordinated effort and strong relationship between Rabbi and Cantor is paramount to creating a magical, inspirational Jewish experience for the congregation, she is thrilled to once again be teaming up with Rabbi Dr. Jules King to bring high holy days to the congregants of Desert Outreach Synagogue.
Arava Talve (Email)
Arava Talve has helped lead hundreds of students to the Torah in preparation to become B’nai Mitzvah.
Arava has a passion for authentic Jewish education and is looking forward to sharing her love of Judaism with the DOS community serving the youth in the Coachella Valley. Born in Westchester, New York, Arava came to the desert in 2007 where she served as Principal and Melamedet of the Avi Levine Religious School at Temple Sinai in Palm Desert. Prior to that, she was B’nai Mitzvah coordinator, assistant to the Rabbi and Melamedet at Temple Beth Israel in Pomona, CA for 10 years. Arava holds a master’s degree in Social Psychology from the Claremont Graduate School (now the Claremont Graduate University) and worked in the field for many years before she began her Jewish journey as an adult bat mitzvah student in the early 1990s.
Since being called to the Torah, Arava has taught B’nai Mitzvah, confirmation, biblical Hebrew, introduction to Judaism storytelling and other adult education classes. She is married to Tom Hill and lives in La Quinta where she enjoys hiking, studying and entertaining friends and family. She and Tom have three sons and enjoy indulging their four grandsons.
Lois and David Israel (Email-Lois) (Email-David)
Lois and David are both Seattle natives and moved to Palm Desert permanently in November 2018. They have two sons, Joshua and Michael.
Lois worked in Corporate Banking for 15 years. She studied accounting at Seattle Central Community College. She had her own bookkeeping service for a number of years while the boys were young. She then worked for 16 years as an office manager/bookkeeper for a family with a Construction Company and Horse Riding facility.
David worked in Warehouse Management for 10 years. He then enjoyed a 25-year long sales career in the Woodworking Tool Industry. He especially enjoyed being a Regional Sales Manager for many of those years.
Lois and David have a passion for animals. They owned and operated a Pet Sitting Business in the Seattle area from 2008 – 2018. Their passion continues here in the desert and has opened a Pet Sitting Business in the Valley.
Ryan Lester-Wilson (Email)
Ryan Lester-Wilson began his professional career as a computer programmer, writing application software for both the Healthcare and Financial Services industry. In the 1990’s he moved into Network Administration and Information Systems management. Ryan worked in that area until his retirement.
He spent over 10 years on the Board of Directors of a synagogue in the Inland Empire, serving as the V.P. of Finance, Treasurer, and Member-at-Large.
Ryan, his life-partner of 30 years Randy, and their 24 year-old son moved to Palm Desert in 2019. They are blessed to be members of Desert Outreach Synagogue. Ryan is honored to serve our kehillah kedososha, sacred community, in this new position.
Chaplain Randy Lester-Wilson (Email)
Chaplain Randy Lester-Wilson graduated from the Academy for Jewish Religion-CA in Los Angeles. His studies included Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE). Randy is a retired teacher. He taught students with Special Needs for thirty-four years of his thirty-five years. He received his degree in Chaplaincy and his M.A. in Education: Special Education Option at CSU San Bernardino. Randy has joined our team and will help to lead our Bikkur Cholim program for Desert Outreach Synagogue.
Randy’s spiritual journey has taken him from his religious roots as a Lutheran, to that of a fundamentalist Christian, to serving as ordained clergy with the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches. He officially converted to Judaism in 2003 and is proud to be a Jew-by-Choice.
Randy has also served as Sh’liach K’hilah/Synagogue Associate for another congregation in the Inland Empire prior to moving to the desert. He also served as chair of the Bikkur Cholim/Caring Community Committee, and intermittently led Friday night Shabbat services. He was the “Spiritual Leader” of a small congregation in the Hemet area for over 4 years.
Randy and his life-partner of thirty years, Ryan, moved to Palm Desert in 2019. The two of them consider their twenty-five year-old son, Sean, to be their pride and joy. In spite of the COVID pandemic, Sean graduated in May 2020 from CSU Monterey Bay.
Randy and Ryan raise exotic pets. They are Independent Designers for “Origami Owl/Living Lockets” and Certified Consultants with “Scentsy.” In addition, the two are Health Coaches and have lost a combined weight of over 150 pounds. Randy and Ryan are involved with both the Alzheimer’s Association and the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk.
Randy is looking forward to playing a more active role providing chaplaincy – Bikkur Cholim support for Desert Outreach Synagogue. He is honored to join the dynamic team of our beloved congregation.
Stu Berger, Director (Email)
Stu Berger is originally from Connecticut, where he earned a Master’s Degree at Yale University as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist. He worked at Yale Psychiatric Institute and Yale-New Haven Hospital before moving to San Francisco with his husband Tim Leary. There, he worked with homeless veterans at the San Francisco VA Medical Center, and was able to secure some permanent housing for those in need. He went on to work at an Outpatient Psychiatric Clinic for San Mateo County, where he provided individual, couples and family therapy as well as initiated and led various groups at the Clinic.
In 2015, he and his husband Tim moved to Palm Springs. Shortly after arriving, he was appointed to and served on the Palm Springs Homeless Task Force and was a Board member of Well in the Desert. While at the Well, he wrote for and secured Grants from the Kaiser Foundation to provide mental health services for their clients.
He is very honored to be a part of Desert Outreach Synagogue.
Penny Carpenter, Director (Email)
Penny has been living full-time in the Coachella Valley for 21 years. Originally from Great Neck, Long Island, NY, she was confirmed and went to Hebrew School at Temple Beth-El in Great Neck which was headed by the very famous Rabbi Jacob Rudin. Additionally, she has lived in Camden, SC, and Rancho Murrieta near Sacramento. Her parents had a second home in our Valley and from the time she first set foot in the Palm Springs area in the Seventies, she said that she wanted to live here someday. “Someday” came and she has never regretted her decision.
She still actively participates in her avocation-turned-vocation horse show officiating career. She travels and officiates at competitions all over the U.S. (including Hawaii and Alaska) and in Canada. She served as Hospitality Coordinator for the National Horse Show at Madison Square Garden for 30 years. Currently, she participates in the sport’s governance as a committee member of the United States Equestrian Federation and the United States Hunter Jumper Assoc. She also sits on the Board of the Pegasus Therapeutic Horseback Riding charity here in the Desert.
Her pride and joy are her two accomplished children, their partners, and her three wonderful grandchildren.
Dorian McWain, Director of Music (Email)
Born and raised in New York’s Adirondack region, Dorian McWain studied music at the local junior college. He continued his undergraduate studies at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Fredonia where he became a member of the music fraternity Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. After university, he became Music Director of the Unitarian Church of Barneveld in Central New York.
Upon relocating to the West Coast in 2008, he sang as a baritone with the San Diego Master Chorale, the choral arm of the San Diego Symphony. In the following years, he relocated to Palm Springs, CA, where he has been an active instrumentalist (flute, oboe, clarinet, sax). His ensemble work includes the Desert Winds Freedom Band, the Redlands Community Orchestra, the Temecula Valley Symphony, and the Coachella Valley Symphony. Additionally, he plays in pit orchestras for theatre productions throughout the Inland Empire.
Since 2017, Dorian has served as the music director of the Desert Outreach Synagogue in Rancho Mirage, CA. He conducts the cantor, choir, and small orchestra on Shabbat, High Holy Days, and other special events. Performing music has been a lifelong passion for Dorian, and he looks forward to sharing it with as many audiences as possible.
Kurt Jordan, Principal Accompanist (Email)
Kurt Jordan developed an intense interest in learning the piano after having seen The Phantom of the Opera with his parents at age 10. He studied under the guidance of Joann Algier throughout middle and high school, during which time he discovered a love of music using multiple pianos. This passion was further explored at Azusa Pacific University while studying with Dr. Robert Sage. Kurt performed several recitals of material he arranged for two and three pianos, the recordings of which have received radio play in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Boston, Austin, and Beirut. In 2009, Kurt had the honor of performing the West Coast premiere of Alvin Curran’s 7.5 hour long piano song cycle, Inner Cities 1-13, as well as the U.S. premiere of movement 14 at Burning Man in 2013.
Kurt graduated from Azusa Pacific University in 2010 with a BA in Music Theory and Composition. Kurt is involved as accompanist for many musical groups and organizations throughout the Coachella Valley including: Harmonic Voices, Melodiam, Modern Men, Unitarian Universalist Church of the Desert, Black Tie Opera, Cathedral High School Chamber Singers, The Arrangement, BloomTones, and Songshine, a non-profit organization that teaches speech therapy through music for people with Parkinson’s Disease and stroke, as well as working at College of the Desert as an accompanist among many other things.
Linda Holtzman, Director (Email)
Linda was raised in Newark, NJ. She attended Temple B’nai Abraham religious school under the direction of civil rights leader, Rabbi Joachim Prinz. After meeting Mel as students at Rutgers University, they married and continued to live in New Jersey until 2003 when they moved to Rancho Mirage. While still on the East Coast, they founded and were active in Temple Beth Am in Parsippany, NJ. Linda first served as President of the Sisterhood and then served as President of the Congregation – the first woman in the county to do so.
Linda worked for a national company that processed payroll, tax, and human resource solutions. She began as a salesperson and moved through the corporate structure finally retiring as a Senior Vice President, managing the small business division.
They raised three sons who are married and have four grandchildren who are the loves of their lives.
“After “synagogue hopping” in the Valley we finally found a home at DOS”.