 Joseph R. Black is Rabbi of Congregation Albert in Albuquerque, New Mexico - a position he assumed in August of 1996. He served as Assistant and then Associate Rabbi at Temple Israel in Minneapolis, Minnesota from 1987 - 1996. He received his Bachelors Degree in Education from Northwestern University in 1982 and his Masters Degree and Rabbinic Ordination from the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1987. Rabbi Black is a past president of the Minnesota Rabbinical Association. He serves in leadership positions and has been involved with many organizations in Albuquerque and throughout the state including the Solomon Schechter Day School Board of Trustees, the New Mexico Holocaust & Intolerance Museum and Study Center Board of Trustees, the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra Board of Trustees, the Albuquerque Academy Board of Trustees, the Martin Luther King Multi-Cultural Commission Board of Trustees, the New Mexico Organ Donor Service Board of Trustees, Leadership Albuquerque, Leadership New Mexico, the Albuquerque Police Chaplaincy program, the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce Task Force on Multi-Culturalism, and the Roadrunner Food Bank of New Mexico. He has served on the Union of American Hebrew Congregations/Central Conference of American Rabbis Joint Task Force on Religious Living.
Rabbi Black has presented and performed at many regional and national UAHC biennial conventions and has served as faculty on the National UAHC Spirituality Kallah in Santa Cruz, CA; the Pacific-SW regional Spirituality Kallah and at UAHC camps Swig, Newman and the Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute. He is an active member of CAJE (Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education) and is a regular contributor and performer at CAJE conferences.
Rabbi Black has visited Israel over 20 times and has led many community and youth-oriented trips to Israel over the years.
Rabbi Black has had several poems published in leading national literary and academic journals. He has recorded several critically acclaimed albums of Jewish music, a songbook, two videos, and most recently a children’s book Boker Tov, based on his popular children’s song. He has received numerous honors for his performance and composition. He was honored by Moment magazine as both one of the top ten male performers in American Jewish music as well as one of the top ten children’s performers in American Jewish music.
Rabbi Black lives in Albuquerque with his wife, Susan and their children.
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Cantor Barbara R. Finn began her position as cantor at Congregation Albert in Albuquerque, New Mexico in July of 2004. Previously she served as primary soloist and music director of Congregation Beth Torah in Overland Park, Kansas from 1990-2004. She also taught elementary school music in the Olathe School District from 1979-2004. Her degrees include a Bachelor of Music from the University of Texas at Austin in Music Education and Voice with Minors in History, Yiddish Language and Literature, a Masters Degree from the University of Missouri at Kansas City in Educational Administration and Cantorial Certification and Investiture from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion School of Sacred Music.
Cantor Finn founded and coordinated the Kansas City Cantor’s Council from its inception until moving to Albuquerque. She helped organize and support Shireinu, the Kansas City Jewish Community Choir, and Koleinu, the Albuquerque Jewish Community Children’s Choir. She served on the Greater Kansas City Harmony Concert Steering committee as well as both the Kansas City and Albuquerque Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration committees. She is a founding member of RCAA, the Rabbinical and Cantorial Association of Albuquerque.
Nationally, Cantor Finn is a member of the American Conference of Cantors where she is currently serving as chair of the Membership relations committee. She is also a member of Zamir Choral Foundation, Music Educators National Conference and American Choral Directors Association. She participated as a Leadership Team Member of the Synagogue 2000 National Reform Cohort. She is a trained facilitator of Dr. Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.
Cantor Finn has led worship services at the American Conference of Cantors national convention on several occasions as well as at the North American Jewish Choral Festival, and the 2007 URJ Pacific Coast Regional Biennal. She has served on faculty for URJ Camps Newman and Goldman Union Camp Institute. She has sung in the CAJE (Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education) Cantor’s Choir at National CAJE Conferences.
Cantor Finn and her husband David, who is Theater Director and AP Senior English Teacher at Volcano Vista High School, have two adult children. Elizabeth, a 2004 graduate of Indiana University, lives in Denver, and Daniel, a 2008 graduate of the University of Kansas, is a graduate student at the University of New Mexico.
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Paula Hollinger has been the Administrator since March 2006, prior to which she was our Clergy Assistant. She has served as an arts and crafts teacher for our Religious School as well as a staff member of our Camp Oranim. Before Paula joined our synagogue staff, she worked for the Jewish Federation of Greater Albuquerque.
Paula was born and grew up in Stony Brook, New York. She attended San Diego State University where she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration/Finance. Her work experience also includes several years in corporate management for leading retailer, Macy’s, in both San Francisco, CA and New York, NY. She is married and has three teenaged daughters.
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Carla has 15 years of accounting experience and has been at Congregation Albert since November of 2004. It is her hope that her work will help to promote generosity and openmindedness in the community.
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Sally first came to Albuquerque when she was only 15 years old. She then attended NMIMT for two years. Her first job in Albuquerque was for the Albuquerque Publishing Company. Sally then served on the board of the New Mexico Jewish Singles organization for several years and volunteered at Congregation Albert for several years. In 1993, Rabbi Steven Mills hired Sally on a part time basis working on a Jewish Singles program and on family and seniors’ programs. Two years later she went to work on a full time basis.
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Tony Pakinkis has been at Congregation Albert for over 20 years. He can usually be found working on the weekends and at special events.
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Ava Keenen became Congregation Albert's first Director of Lifelong Learning in July of 2008. Previously she was Director of Education at Temple Chai in Phoenix, Arizona for 23 years. During her time in Phoenix she also served on the city’s Educator’s Forum and taught many community adult classes and teacher workshops. Prior to becoming a Director of Education, Ava taught religious school and in the public schools in Palm Springs, California. Her degrees include a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Arizona State University and a Masters in Educational Administration and Supervision. She has also attended Jewish Studies classes at University of Judaism, Spertus University, the Hartman Institute and Pardes in Jerusalem.
Ava is currently on the board of NATE (National Association of Temple Educators) where she serves as chair of the Educator’s Recognition Committee and a member of the Accreditation and Membership committees.
Ava has won awards for creative programming from NATE, CAJE and won the Belle Latchman Award for the same. She has been a mentor in the URJ/Nate mentoring program, a contributing reader for the URJ “Chai Curriculum”, consulting board member of “The Council for Jews with Special Needs. and has had many articles published in Jewish periodicals as well as taught workshops for new Jewish principals and other colleagues at conferences and U.R.J. biennnials. Ava is also a founding member and past president of the Palm Springs chapter of Women’s American O.R.T.
Ava has two sons, Justin and Brandon, a daughter in law, Andi, and two amazing grandchildren.
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Dale Sides Cooperman is the Coordinator of the Early Childhood Center at Congregation Albert and has been in this position since January, 2008. For 20 years prior to becoming the Coordinator, Dale taught the kindergarten programs at Congregation B’nai Israel and for the last 10 years, at Congregation Albert.
Dale was born and grew up in New York City where she earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree at Herbert H. Lehman College before moving to Albuquerque with her husband and daughter in 1976. After her son’s birth, Dale began her teaching career and furthered her formal education, acquiring a second Master’s Degree and a Education Specialist’s degree from the University of New Mexico.
Dale also spent many years teaching in religious school settings, in kindergartens, sixth and eighth grade classrooms, and had the opportunity to collaborate in the creation of a Hebrew High curriculum.
Considered a Master Teacher, Dale has spent many years in the classroom, working closely with the University of New Mexico in mentoring aspiring early childhood educators.
Dale is continually renewed in her work with young children and their families as she strives to encourage a love of learning, of community and of Judaism.
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Kathy is a native of Albuquerque. She has been with Congregation Albert since 2007. Kathy works with every division of the Education department, from the Early Childhood Center (ECC) to Family Education Day programs.
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Youth Director: Rachel Brookins
CJAY Advisor: Sara Levin
CHAYPER Advisor: Maia Brown
TASTY Advisor: Jeff Smolensky
TASTY Travel Advisor: Robin Sena
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