Rabbi Joshua Gruenberg is the Senior Rabbi of Chizuk Amuno Congregation and Schools. Prior to his appointment in 2018, he served for seven years as Rabbi of Congregation Beth El in Yardley, Pennsylvania, where he was known for innovative programming, deep engagement with congregational schools, and building strong connections with young families. A lifelong product of the Conservative Jewish movement, Rabbi Gruenberg attended Solomon Schechter Day Schools, Camp Ramah, and USY, and later worked with all three organizations. He has held numerous leadership roles in the broader Jewish community, including serving as president of the Bucks County Board of Rabbis and as a member of the national UJC Rabbinic Cabinet. Rabbi Gruenberg earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from SUNY Binghamton and was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2002. Before moving to Baltimore, he served as the spiritual leader of Congregation Sons of Israel in Nyack, New York. Rabbi Gruenberg and his wife, Elissa, are the parents of two children, Samuel and Kayla.

Rabbi Benjamin Shalva serves as the Manager of Jewish Care, Support, and Rabbinic Services at Gilchrist. With more than a decade of experience accompanying patients and families at the end of life, he specializes in spiritual care, grief support, and interfaith engagement. Rabbi Shalva teaches and leads workshops on death and dying, grief and healing, mindfulness meditation, poetry, and creative writing. His approach draws from Jewish, Buddhist, and Yogic traditions, as well as from his background in the literary and performing arts. His poetry and prose have appeared in publications including Image, Spirituality & Health, and The Washington Post. His debut poetry collection, House of Mourning (Kelsay Books), is a meditation on loss, end-of-life care, and the mysterious terrain between despair, desire, and renewal. He is also the author of two works of nonfiction, Spiritual Cross-Training and Ambition Addiction (Grand Harbor Press), which blend memoir with teachings from the world’s contemplative traditions. Rabbi Shalva lives in Pikesville with his wife, Sara, their two children, and their two hound dogs.

Cantor Alexandra F. Marcus is the Inaugural Cantor of Har Sinai–Oheb Shalom Congregation in Baltimore. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Music History from Hofstra University and completed Clinical Pastoral Education at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, where she received the Compassionate Cantor Prize from the Reform Cantors of Chicago. Cantor Marcus received a Master of Sacred Music and Cantorial Ordination from the Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion’s Debbie Friedman School of Music, graduating at the top of her class. She previously served as cantor at Peninsula Temple Sholom in Burlingame, California, where she founded both an adult pop-up choir and a children’s choir. Originally from Michigan, Cantor Marcus is a keyboardist, guitarist, and composer who is passionate about working with volunteer musicians. Her journey to the cantorate began at age eight, when she was inspired by her beloved childhood cantor..

Michael Olesker has written seven books, more than 5,000 newspaper columns, more than 5,000 TV news commentaries, more than a thousand radio commentaries, and hundreds of pieces for Jmore magazine.

His books include the memoir, “Leap Into Darkness,” based on the wartime exploits of Holocaust survivor Leo Bretholz. Among his other books, he’s written a reminiscence about the legendary 1958 Baltimore Colts, an expose of local television news, and the life story of Baltimore legend Leonard “Boogie” Weinglass.

He has been nominated four different times for a Pulitzer Prize. He’s a graduate of Baltimore City College and the University of Maryland in College Park. He and his wife, Suzy, live in Baltimore and have three children.