Staff and Leadership - Professional Staff

Stephen A. Leon

Rabbi

Rabbi Stephen A. Leon was born in Brooklyln, New York. He graduated from Colombia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, receiving his ordination from the Academy for Jewish Religion. Rabbi Leon was the dean of the Academy for Jewish Religion from 1974 through 1986. He also was an instructor in Homiletics, Practical Rabbinics, and Cantillations. At the same time Rabbi Leon served as the rabbi of Elmwood Park Jewish Center in Elmwood Park, New Jersey from 1971 through 1986. Rabbi Leon also served as the president of the Bergen County Board of Rabbis for a two year tenure. Rabbi Leon was also on the Board of Directors of the Bergen County Jewish Federation. For over the past 20 years, from 1986 to the present, Rabbi Leon has been the spiritual leader of Congregation B'nai Zion in El Paso, Texas. In El Paso, Rabbi Leon served on the board of the bioethics committee of Providence Hospital, of El Paso Hospice, of the Jewish Federation, and the Holocaust Museum. Rabb Leon has numerous articles published in the Paterson News, El Paso Times, and the Jewish Voice of El Paso. Rabbi Leon has been an instructor in the Religious Studies department of the University of Texas at El Paso for the past several years. He has appeared on National Public Radio adn has made numerous appearances on local television programs. Rabbi Leon has received awards from Israel Bonds, the Israel government Tourist Office, Hadassah, the Bergen County Board of Rabbis, United Synagogue Youth, and others. In 1999, Rabbi Leon received a grant from the El Paso Community Foundation and visited many places in Europe where Crypto-Jews have lived., including Belmont, Portugal where 300 Crypto-Jews formally returned to Judaism. Rabbi Leon has three daughters, a grandson and a granddaughter, and currently lives with his wife Sharon in El Paso.

Annalie Rollins

Administrative Director

Annalie Rollins, a long-time member of B'nai Zion, is the Administrative Director of our synagogue after serving 18 years as Executive Secretary. She comes from a successful career in real estate where, for twelve years, she was the office manager, broker and rental agent for a Las Cruces company. Annalie was educated in El Paso and is a graduate of El Paso High School. She attended the Bryman School and graduated as a medical technologist and x-ray laboratory technician. She worked in the medical profession in El Paso until 1979. Annalie is the proud grandmother of five and has two sisters, Sandra Levenson of La Mesa, New Mexico and Marlene Benz of Los Angeles, California, and a brother, Dr. Michael Epstein of Gainsville, Florida. Annalie is also currently the president of B'nai Zion Sisterhood and was honored as the 2008 Volunteer of the Year.

Sam Kobren

Director of Development

Rabbi Rebecca Rosenthal

Director of Education

Rabbi Rebecca Rosenthal is excited to be joining the B'nai Zion community as Director of Education.
She is a graduate of the Rabbinical School Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, where she also completed a master's degree in Jewish Education at JTS's Davidson School. She previously worked for Congregation B'nai Jeshurun in New York City where she was the Shabbat and Holidays coordinator for the Youth and Family Department as well as the acting director of its Religious School. For two years, she has taught in the Derekh Torah program, a 30-week intensive introduction to Judaism class for Jewish and non-Jewish adults. While in school, Rebecca has served as the family-education intern at The Park Avenue Synagogue; the rabbinic intern at Congregation Habonim, where she wrote a new siddur for use in children's services; a Rosh Edah at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires; and a service leader at the Atria Senior Home.
Rebecca was born and raised in New York City and graduated from Yale University with a degree in religious studies. She is an alumna of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship program. Rebecca is married to Adam Arenson who is an assistant professor of 19th century U.S. history at the University of Texas at El Paso. They have a son, Simon.