Our Worship Leaders

Our congregation enjoys a varied religious experience with our Lay leaders and Rabbi bringing their various religious backgrounds and traditions to Shabbat. Our Lay Leaders lead our Friday Shabbat Service three weeks a month. Rabbi Shull leads Shabbat Services once a month. Please refer to our homepage for this month's Shabbat Service Schedule.

Rabbi Ben Shull

Rabbi Ben Shull, a native of Philadelphia PA, was ordained in 1986 by the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and he received his Masters in Social Work from Columbia University in 1987. Rabbi Shull has served congregations up and down the east coast, from Venice Florida to Woodcliff Lake NJ. He also served as the executive director of the University at Albany Hillel working with college students and the Tampa Jewish Family Services.

Rabbi Shull is married to Dr. Stacy Lang and they have two sons who live in the Carolinas. Rabbi Shull and Dr. Lang moved to Wilmington NC from Florida to be closer to their son and daughter-in-law and their new grandson.

Rabbi Shull is a big fan of Atlantic Coast Conference basketball. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia and loves to see his Wahoos take on the teams of the Tobacco Road. Rabbi Shull and his wife also love to spend time at the beautiful Carolina beaches. They also love the mountains of North Carolina.
Rabbi Shull is presently serving as a chaplain for Liberty Homecare and Hospice and is proud to serve Temple B’nai Sholem in New Bern as the part-time rabbi. He considers it a privilege to be leading the congregation during this period of growth and uncertainty. The Jewish community faces many challenges locally and globally. Guided by the wisdom of our past, he is confident that we will build a brighter future in this lovely and historic area of North Carolina.

Lay Leader

Irving Joffee

Irv Joffee has been a lay leader since 2014 and currently heads our Religious Affairs Committee. Over the years he has been part of Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist congregations. Irv and his wife were both students at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and worked in Israel for three years before returning to the US in 1975. The Joffees came to New Bern from Huntington, NY, in 2013.

Lay Leader

Carla Byrnes

Carla was one of our first lay leaders. She also brings her experience from the Mifgash Musicale in Cincinnati for both the Shabbat and High Holy Days music programs and singing with the Pamlico Chorale and can often be found at services leading the singing in a cantorial role.

Lay Leader

Alexa D’Amico-Schein

Alexa D’Amico-Schein has been a Temple member for two years and a Lay Leader for eight months. She is a middle school history teacher and loves to bring that energy to her D’var Torah. She originated the Temple’s participation in Reverse Tashlich and led Jewish religious services and activist organizations during college.

Lay Leader

Melodie Salley

(bio coming soon)