Rabbi Luxemburg came to Temple Beth Ami in July of 1981 as the congregation's first full-time Rabbi. He brought with him insights, talents, and skills developed as a result of his wide range of educational and professional experiences. Before coming to Temple Beth Ami, Rabbi Luxemburg worked extensively with Jewish youth movements and on college campuses. He taught courses on Judaism and Jewish life at the college and graduate school level, and served as an instructor of Practical Rabbinics and Pastoral Counseling at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, Philadelphia, PA. During five years as Assistant and Associate Rabbi at the Main Line Reform Temple Beth Elohim, Wynnewood, PA., Rabbi Luxemburg was involved with key agencies in the Jewish community of Philadelphia and was a media consultant to the Philadelphia Board of Rabbis.

Rabbi Luxemburg has been part of the Temple Beth Ami community for more than half of its history. His contributions to all facets of the congregation's life have enabled the Temple to preserve its special character, while enjoying a period of significant growth in membership and in both the quality and diversity of Temple programs. The Rabbi is active in the community, having served on the Executive Committees of the Jewish Community Council, the Jewish Social Service Agency, the Charles E. Smith Day School, the Mid-Atlantic region of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the National Rabbinic Cabinet of the United Jewish Appeal, and the Washington Board of Rabbis. He was a founder and Vice President of the Suburban Maryland Chapter of the American Jewish Congress and has served in that organization as President of the National Capital Region, and member of its National Governing Council. The American Jewish Congress and the State of Israel have honored Rabbi Luxemburg for his service to the organization. The Rabbi has also been honored by the local UJA/Federation and the Council of Jewish Federations in recognition of his leadership in the Jewish community. He is also a founding member of ARZA, the Association of Reform Zionists in America. The Rabbi is active in local civic affairs as an instructor on Family Life Education for Montgomery County teachers, a member of the county's Civil Rights Monitoring Group, and an advisor to local legislators. Rabbi Luxemburg is profiled in "Who's Who in the East" and "Who's Who in Religion."

Rabbi Luxemburg is the only area Rabbi to have completed a study grant from the March of Dimes to train at Georgetown University Hospital in the field of Human Genetics and counseling human genetics problems. In May of 1987, Rabbi Luxemburg received his Doctoral degree in Pastoral Theology from the Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, D.C., culminating four years of academic study and clinical training. Articles and reviews by Rabbi Luxemburg have appeared in the Jewish Exponent, Philadelphia Bulletin, Reconstructionist Magazine and the Journal of Reform Judaism.

Rabbi Luxemburg is married to Barbara Etkind, a graduate of Brandeis University and the University of Michigan Law School. She has served in the Department of Justice as an Assistant to the Solicitor General of the United States, and is now a partner in the law firm of Troutman Sanders. The Rabbi and Barbara are the proud parents of Daniel and Michael.

Rabbi Baht Yameem Weiss was born and raised in New York City.  She majored in Drama at the High School of Performing Arts (the "Fame" School) in Manhattan.  She received a Bachelor of the Arts in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and completed a Women's Studies Program at Brandeis University.  She received her Masters in Hebrew Literature from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in New York in 2005.  In 2006, Rabbi Weiss received her Rabbinical Ordination at HUC-JIR in New York.  Rabbi Weiss served four years as Assistant/Associate Rabbi at Temple Shalom in Naples, Florida.

Cantor Eschler and his partner, Rob Mendelson, are very happy to be part of the Temple Beth Ami family.

Joshana Erenberg, a native of Chicago, has sung professionally since she was 10 years old in diverse venues such as Ravinia Festival and at Northwestern University’s opera program. Joshana received her Bachelor's in Music from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana and her Master's in Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where she studied with Sylvia Anderson.

She has sung with the Grant Park Festival Chorus and soloed with the William Ferris Chorale and the Lira Ensemble, in Chicago, Illinois. She has done solo work at the North American Jewish Choral Festival under the direction of Matthew Lazar and she was also a soloist at the World Music Festival (Zimriyah) in Jerusalem, Israel under the direction of Andre Thomas. In 2008 she toured with Zamir giving concerts in Israel for its 60^th anniversary and was a soloist at the final concert held in the Jerusalem Theater. She was one of the founding members of the all female a cappella group "Ladies First" at Indiana University and produced two award-winning Cd's with them. When she came to Washington, DC, she became actively involved with a local opera company, Bel Cantanti Opera; she has performed with them and has been on their board of directors for two years.  Recently Joshana recorded a CD of Jewish Psalms by modern composer Steve Cohen called Shir Chadash. She has always been a champion of modern Jewish composers and is a huge supporter of new Jewish music.

Joshana is thrilled to join Temple Beth Ami. She has been embraced with warmth by everyone she has met, and is excited to grow and learn within the community.