Beth Am Clergy & Music Team
Rabbi Lisa Sari Bellows
Senior Rabbi
Rabbi Lisa Sari Bellows was ordained from Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion in 1998 and has served Congregation Beth Am since 2001, becoming Senior Rabbi in 2009. She earned her B.A. and M.A. in Political Science from the University of Illinois and her Master of Arts in Divinity from the University of Chicago.
In addition to her work at Beth Am, Rabbi Bellows teaches Leadership, Community, and Change in the MDiv program at the University of Chicago Divinity School and has served on the faculty of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality’s (IJS) Clergy Leadership Program. She is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT 200), a Relax and Renew® Trainer in restorative yoga, and a graduate of IJS’s Jewish Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training and Yoga and Jewish Spirituality Teacher Training. Her commitment to spiritual practice and to walking alongside others through life’s joys and challenges led her to become a certified Spiritual Director through Kol Dodi: Jewish Spiritual Direction.
Rabbi Bellows has served on the Executive Committee of the Chicago Board of Rabbis and the Lakeview Shelter, is a core team member of the Religious Action Center-IL, and is an active member of the Northwest Suburban Interfaith Clergy Council. She also served on the editorial committee of the CCAR Journal: A Reform Jewish Quarterly and co-edited two volumes exploring spirituality in family life and spiritual practices during challenging times. A CLAL Rabbis Without Borders Fellow, and speaks on Jewish mindfulness, interfaith relationships, leadership, social justice, and cultivating compassionate action in everyday life.
Rabbi Bellows is passionate about helping people build meaningful, joyful Jewish lives through authentic community, learning, prayer, and acts of justice. She strives to build a community rooted in kindness, tikkun olam (repairing the world), and joy — where people feel truly connected to one another.
Outside the synagogue, Rabbi Bellows enjoys traveling, practicing yoga, listening to The Moth and other podcasts, and spending time with her husband, Kyle, and their three young-adult children.
Rabbi Bellows is currently offering Spiritual Direction and can be reached at lbellows@bethambg.org
Rabbi Richard M Prass
Rabbi Educator
Rabbi Richard Prass, before joining Beth Am in the summer of 2007, served as both Associate Rabbi and Director of Education at Temple Israel in New Rochelle, New York, and has experience in administration, teacher recruitment, teacher development, curriculum development, and instruction. A native Midwesterner, Rabbi Prass hails from Minneapolis, received his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and was ordained by Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in May 2000.
In addition to his experience in leading Temple Israel’s education program, Rabbi Prass was instrumental in energizing and enlarging the Temple’s youth groups. As an Associate Rabbi at Temple Israel, before his acceptance as the Temple’s education lead, he maintained a full pulpit, with preaching and lifecycle responsibilities. Rabbi Prass also spent several summers working at Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute in Wisconsin. He is a member of the Chicago Association of Reform Jewish Educators (CHARJE), serving as the treasurer (2010-2015) and president (2015-present). He serves as the Rabbinic Advisor to NFTY-CAR (2009-present), being granted the honor of lifetime membership in December of 2015. He volunteers at OSRUI, serving on the Rabbinic, Educator, and Cantorial Advisory Committee (RECC).
Rabbi Prass currently lives in Deerfield with his wife, Cantor Jennifer Frost, and their children, Lyla Ann, Ruth Adina, and David Lev. To reach Rabbi Prass by email: rabbiprass@bethambg.org
The Music Team
Todd Kessler
Todd Kessler grew up in Northbrook and now lives in Deerfield with his wife, Lauren, and their two sons, Benjamin and Ezra. Upon graduating from the University of Illinois in 2005, with a degree in Music Theory and Composition, Todd quickly began a career in music that has spanned 18 years and the release of multiple albums and tours around the country, including a spot on season three of NBC’s hit show The Voice. Todd’s work in the Jewish Community began in 2008 when he began working as a Jewish Music Specialist and Tefilah leader at a number of different institutions in and around Chicago. Todd is now the song leader and music educator at Anshe Emet Synagogue, and in addition to his work at Anshe Emet, Todd teaches Jewish Music at Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School in Chicago, performs as a cantorial soloist for Beth Am and at B’nei Mitzvah services around Chicagoland. Todd is extremely excited for the opportunity of being with Beth Am for the High Holidays!
Bibi Marcell
Bibi Marcell has been performing throughout the world for many years, spending most of her time in the Chicago area. She began her singing career in her teens and later joined the Chicago Klezmer Ensemble. In addition to performing extensively on her own, Bibi is currently a featured vocalist with the Maxwell Street Klezmer Band. Between singing engagements, Bibi works as a cantorial soloist at Congregation Beth Am (and other local synagogues) and is Religious Education Director for Congregation Hakafa in Glencoe, Il. She is also the mother of three beautiful children.
Cantor Arnold Schultz z’l
Cantor Emeritus
Cantor Arnie Schultz, our founding Cantor served Beth Am from 1981 and become our Cantor Emeritus in 2004.
Cantor Schultz was a founding member of Beth Am, brought our congregation muchruach–spirit and soul. His beautiful voice, matched with his love for Torah, humor, folk music and chazzanut, teaching, and the cantorate itself, provided a foundation upon which our congregation still stands today. He worked indefatigably to bring our two holocaust scrolls to the congregation from London and until five or so years ago, annually taught our 7th graders and all of us, the story and history of the scrolls we continue to honor each week at our Shabbat evening worship. Cantor Schultz was committed to sharing the memory and stories of Kojitin, Czechoslovakia.
Cantor Schultz’s amazing soulful voice still reverberates and remains part of the very fabric of our sacred community.