CONGREGATION
Meet our Leadership & Staff
CKA is not affiliated with any recognized Jewish organization such as United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism or the Union for Reform Judaism. We are for all intents purposes an independent Synagogue; however we do not belong to the Independent Minyan.
Rabbi Miriam Biatch
Congregation Rabbi
Rabbi Miriam Biatch was ordained at the Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion in New York in 1982, and subsequently also earned an M.A. in Child, Family, and Individual Counseling. After serving several congregations in California, she moved to Elmira in 1996 to become the Rabbi at Congregation B’nai Israel. When Congregation B’nai Israel and Congregation Shomray Hadath merged in 2011 to form Congregation Kol Ami, she became the Rabbi for our new congregation. Rabbi Biatch enjoys teaching our B’nai Mitzvah students and adult congregants and her poetry has been published in the CCAR Journal (Summer 2008) and Covenant of the Heart: Prayers, Poems and Meditations from the Women of Reform Judaism (1993).
Abe Golos
Spiritual Leader
Abe is a native Elmiran who served in numerous offices as a lay person for several decades and then began serving as Spiritual Leader of Congregation Shomray Hadath on July 1, 2006. He served in that capacity until the unification with Temple B’nai Israel in June 2011. Since the unification, he has co-served Congregation Kol Ami in that capacity together with Rabbi Biatch. He leads the traditional service at 9:00 A.M. on Shabbat where he is joined by his wife, Loda, who has been very active in synagogue/temple affairs for many years. He and Loda have one child together, Cindy, who lives in Virginia.
Barry Linchuck
President
Barry Linchuck was a member of the Board of Trustees of Congregation B’nai Israel for several years and was active in the unification effort to combine Congregation B’nai Israel and Congregation Shomray Hadath. As both congregations merged in 2011 to form Congregation Kol Ami, he was elected as 1st Vice President and since July 2013 he has served as President. Barry has been an active member of the Jewish community since 1986 when he moved to Elmira from Wilmington, NC.
Barbara Dickinson & Fran Jankowski
Office Staff
Barbara (L) worked for the Jewish Federation and Congregation Shomray Hadath prior to the unification. She is an Elmira native; has 4 children, 4 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandkids.
Fran (R) was working for Congregation B'nai Israel prior to the unification. She is originally from Pennsylvania, before moving to Elmira over 40 years ago.