Rabbi Marci Bloch
Rabbi Marci R. Bloch proudly joined the Temple Dor Dorim Community in July of 2020. Her gifts are many, but she particularly enjoys pastoral care, Jewish healing, and creative ritual. She has great passion for family education, life-long learning, and working with youth and young adults. Above all, she loves creating sacred relationships with others, inspiring people to live meaningfully and grow toward their best selves. She encourages people to develop their souls by actively engaging in tikun olam (repairing the world), mitzvot, and relationship with God.
Prior to coming to Dor Dorim, Rabbi Bloch served as the Senior Rabbi of Temple Beth Orr in Coral Springs, Florida. She was involved in all aspects of congregational life. At Beth Orr, she developed innovative Shabbat worship and created “Kesher” (a high school program for 8th -12th graders). After the Parkland shooting, she was active in bringing healing to the community. She is especially proud of having integrated L’Taken, a Religious Action Center Social Justice program for teens, into their Confirmation experience, and of helping Temple Beth Orr become a Brit Olam congregation—a community committed to Social Justice. Rabbi Bloch also served as the Associate Rabbi of Congregation B’nai Israel in Boca Raton for twelve years. Prior to that she served as the Assistant Rabbi at Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation in Indiana for two years after her ordination from Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion, New York, in 2003.
Prior to rabbinical school, Rabbi Bloch received a Master’s degree in Social Work and a Certificate in Judaic Studies and Jewish Communal Service from the University of Michigan. She also holds a B.A. in Psychology from Michigan State University.
Rabbi Bloch has served as a board member for Hillel of Broward and Palm Beach counties. Her innovative programs have been published in Reform Judaism magazine as well as the URJ Outreach Manual. Rabbi Bloch’s Good Night Shabbat, Mommy Minyan, and Young Adult programs have earned her national recognition as a three-time URJ Belin Award recipient. In addition, she has won the URJ Incubator Grant. Rabbi Bloch has also been invited to present at a number of URJ Biennials on both a national and regional level.
Rabbi Bloch, originally from West Bloomfield, MI, is married to Jason Epstein, a native to Cleveland, Ohio. In her leisure time, she enjoys movies, traveling, exercising, and Broadway musicals. More than anything, she loves spending time with her daughters, Maya and Yael, who are her constant teachers. She looks forward to sharing her passion and love for Judaism with you.
Robin Koota, Cantorial Soloist
Robin Koota is proud to join the staff as the new Cantorial soloist at Temple Dor Dorim. Robin loves lifting peoples’ spirits with her love of music and Judaism. Since her father taught her to play guitar at the age of 7, she has been using her song leading skills to bring and share the joy of music to classmates, campmates, local communities and congregations. Robin’s lifelong passion for music, combined with her love of Judaism, helps her to create a worship experience where music enriches prayer and special celebrations.
Robin most recently served as the Cantorial Soloist at Temple Beth Orr in Coral Springs since 2017. She is proud of the creative Shabbat worship and tot Shabbats she led. One of her highlights was providing special Havdalah experiences before so many programs for all ages of the community. She also worked with the teens and directed the Purim shpiels as well.
At her home congregation, B’nai Israel of Boca Raton, Robin has co-officiated B’nai Mitzvah, tutored children with special needs, taught religious school, and worked with the preschool children.
When Robin is not serving the Jewish community, she is enriching and challenging the minds of youth as a science teacher. Throughout her life she has worked with youth as a camp counselor, group leader and teen tour director. She has produced and directed school plays as the drama club director and coached both girls’ and boys’ volleyball.
Robin’s undergraduate degree is from Quinnipiac University in Connecticut. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Education from Hofstra University on Long Island.
Robin plays guitar, piano, flute and recorder. She is originally from New York where she fell in love with Broadway musicals. Robin also enjoys paddle boarding and the beautiful Florida beaches.
Email: RKoota@templedordorim.org
Rabbi Norman S. Lipson, D.D. – Emeritus
Rabbi Norman S. Lipson was born in Oklahoma City and moved to Miami, Florida in 1955. Following graduation from the University of Miami, he entered Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Ohio and was ordained in 1972. Rabbi Lipson has served on the national staff of the Anti-Defamation League and served as the spiritual leader of congregations in Mississippi, Texas, and Hollywood, Florida, as well as the Director of the Institute for Jewish Studies of the Central Agency of Jewish Education in Miami, Florida. In 1996 he became Founding Rabbi of Temple Dor Dorim in Weston, Florida and July 2015, became Rabbi Emeritus.
Rabbi Lipson has written extensively for the Jewish Press in the South Florida area, is the creator of Jewish children’s games and is a sought after teacher and lecturer within the South Florida Jewish community.
A past President of The Broward Board of Rabbis, Rabbi Lipson also belongs to the Central Conference of American Rabbis and the Greater Miami Rabbinical Association. In 1998 Rabbi Lipson attained his Master of Science degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at St. Thomas University and is a member of The American Association for Pastoral Counseling. He is a founding participant in The Broward County Rabbis/Pastors Network for Israel and is an active member and supporter of AIPAC.
He is married to Shoshi and is the proud father of Ilana and Todd, Aliza and Seth, and grandfather of four brilliant grandchildren.
Email: NLipson@templedordorim.org
Allison Teisch, Cantorial Soloist – Emerita
Cantorial Soloist Allison Teisch created beautiful music and spiritual worship at Temple Dor Dorim for over 19 years. She was a Jewish Music Educator for over thirty years and drew upon her wealth of knowledge and experience to bring music to all generations.
Allison is skilled at hands on healing modalities and is both a Reiki Master and a Registered Karuna Reiki practitioner. This journey led her to explore and become certified in the first and second levels of Jewish Energy healing in the “Ohr-Lev” System of Natural Healing with Rabbi Bar-Ami Ben Zion of the National Institute for Holistic Healing Rehovot, Israel. Allison drew upon these modalities when working with others and while creating “musical prayer.”
Allison is also a 200RYT Yoga Alliance certified instructor. She currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada and teaches Gentle Flow Yoga, Vinyasa, Chair Yoga and Chair Yoga Shalom.
In Las Vegas, Allison and her family have joined Temple Midbar Kodesh and she helps lead Kabbalat services for her new synagogue. Allison is also a member of the Southern Nevada Chapter of Hadassah. She leads a monthly Havdalah Service and fundraises for medical research and social equity here in the United States and Israel.
An Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music graduate, Allison is skilled in voice, piano and guitar.
Allison is happily married to Evan and the proud mother of two daughters, Danielle and Laura. She adores her son-in-laws Andrew and Avi and is blessed with four beautiful grandchildren, Alexa, Nathan, Jacob and Rachel.
Email: ATeisch04@gmail.com
