Rabbi Joshua B. Lief is the Senior Rabbi of historic Congregation Ahavath Chesed. He grew up in Wheeling, West Virginia where he was active in all sports, music, and was an Eagle Scout.

He attended Princeton University, where he swam on the varsity squad, competed on the debate team, and graduated with a degree in History.

After Princeton, Rabbi Lief attended the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.  After living in Jerusalem for the first year of the seminary, he completed his studies at HUC-JIR's campus in Cincinnati, Ohio where he was ordained as a Rabbi in May of 2003.

Prior to moving to Jacksonville, Rabbi Lief served as the Rabbi of Mizpah Congregation in Chattanooga, Tennessee where he helped grow the congregation and reached out to the larger community.  Here in Jacksonville, he serves on the boards of ONEJAX, JCCI, and the Community Hospice.  He is an avid athlete, a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow and member of the Downtown Rotary Club, a graduate of the Leadership Jacksonville New Leadership Summit, enjoys and supports the arts, and is honored to engage in civic activities.  

Rabbi Lief is married to his beautiful wife Rebecca.  They are currently expecting their first child, due this spring, and are proud to make Jacksonville their home.

To contact Rabbi Lief, please email him at rabbi@thetemplejacksonville.org.

Jo-Ellen Unger was born in Denver, Colorado, and raised in Erie, Pennsylvania, Long Island, NY and North Miami Beach, Florida. The child of a Rabbi and actively involved Jewish mother, Jo-Ellen has been raised in the Reform Movement and its programs. After attending the Bachelor of Fine Arts program at FSU, and graduating from the National Shakespeare Conservatory in New York City, Jo-Ellen began work at the Union of American Hebrew Congregations as Camp Coleman Assistant Director and SEFTY Regional Advisor.

Despite several professional forays into the secular world, Jo-Ellen returned to Jewish communal service as the UAHC Southeast Regional Director for Junior and Senior High School Programs, and she served as Director of Education and Youth for Temple Beth El in Boca Raton. She is passionate about Jewish Education, and is committed to blending formal and experiential education to create lasting Jewish memories.

She and her husband, Adam, a chef, are the proud parents of two sons, Jacob Alexander Unger and Micah Gabriel Unger.

To contact Jo-Ellen please email her at junger@thetemplejacksonville.org.

Goldie is “a wandering Jew” who arrived in Jacksonville five years ago. For 18 years, she worked for the Jewish Community Centers of North America in Chicago, Portland, OR and Pittsburgh.

She completed her Masters degree at the University of Chicago after graduating from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY. She is a graduate of the Wexner Heritage Foundation, having participated in the original class in Chicago.

Her passion is working with congregants and yet-to-be congregants to create lasting and powerful Jewish memories.

To contact Goldie, please email her at glansky@thetemplejacksonville.org.