Rabbi Oren Hayon
Senior Rabbi
Rabbi Oren J. Hayon grew up in Columbus, Ohio. He received his undergraduate degree from Rice University and his rabbinical ordination from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati. Following his ordination, Rabbi Hayon served Temple Emanu-El in Dallas and worked as the rabbi and executive director at the Hillel at the University of Washington in Seattle
Rabbi Hayon has held a number of leadership roles in the Reform Movement, serving as a Vice President of the Board of Trustees of the Central Conference of American Rabbis and as an editor, translator and contributor of Hebrew texts and poetry for a number of publications, including Mishkan HaNefesh, the High Holy Day machzor; LaKol Eit, the CCAR Rabbi’s Manual; Mishkan HaSeder, a Passover haggadah; and Inscribed: Encounters with the Ten Commandments.
Rabbi Hayon is honored to serve Congregation Emanu El and is happy to make his home in Houston with his wife Julie, their two daughters, and innumerable household pets.
Rabbi Pamela Silk
Associate Rabbi
Rabbi Pamela B. Silk grew up in Farmington Hills, Michigan, attended the Interlochen Arts Academy for high school and received her B.S. in Biology from The University of Michigan. Following her graduation Rabbi Silk began her rabbinical studies in Jerusalem and received her M.A.H.L. and rabbinical ordination from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati. Rabbi Silk began serving Congregation Emanu El in 2003, immediately following her ordination.
Rabbi Silk has held leadership roles in the Houston Rabbinic Association, served on the Board of Trustees for the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston and was awarded the Mae & Edmund Hecht Rabbinic Award presented by the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston. Being passionate about providing pastoral care to those in need, Rabbi Silk is frequently in area hospitals visiting temple members and their loved ones and serves on the Professional Advisory Group for Memorial Hermann’s Clinical Pastoral Education program and DePelchin Children’s Center Institutional Review Board. Rabbi Silk enjoys reading, cooking and baking. She is married to Jeff Silk and they have two children.
Rabbi Joshua R.S. Fixler
Associate Rabbi
Rabbi Joshua Ron Solomon Fixler grew up in Englewood, Colorado. In 2007 he received a B.A. in Organizational Development and Community Leadership, a program of his own design, from the University of Maryland, College Park. After college, Rabbi Fixler spent two years exploring his interests in social justice and interfaith work as a Program Coordinator at the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. He then served for three years as the Assistant Educator and Youth Director for Temple B’nai Shalom in Fairfax Station, Virginia.
Rabbi Fixler was ordained at the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in May of 2017. While in rabbinical school, he served as the student rabbi at Temple B’nai Israel in High Point, North Carolina and at Beth Haverim Shir Shalom in Mahwah, New Jersey. He also completed a summer rabbinical residency at Temple Micah in Washington, DC and unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s Hospital in New York City.
Rabbi Fixler is honored to have been selected as a Wexner Graduate Fellow and a Bonnie and Daniel Tisch Rabbinical Fellow. During his time at HUC-JIR, Joshua also completed an Advanced Professional Certificate in Management for Public & Nonprofit Organizations at New York University. Since 2019, Rabbi Fixler has served as President of the Faith Leaders Coalition of Greater Houston, and organization for local progressive clergy to come together across lines of faith and difference in purist of justice.
Rabbi Fixler lives in Houston with his wife, Annie, and their daughters, Eleanor, Daniella and Fredi.
Cantor Rollin Simmons
Cantor
Cantor Rollin Simmons joined the Emanu El clergy team in 2017. Cantor Simmons grew up in Milton, Massachusetts, and attended Temple Israel of Boston. She graduated cum laude in 2001 from Vassar College in New York with a major in Art History and a minor in Italian. She then earned an M.Ed in Special Education from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. From 2001-2005, she sang with the Zamir Chorale of Boston, performing locally and internationally, as well as a cantorial soloist serving congregations in the Boston area when she decided to pursue cantorial school.
During her five years studying at The Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York, Cantor Simmons served as Student Cantor at Temple Emanu-El of Dallas alongside Rabbi Oren Hayon and Cantor Richard Cohn; Hebrew Tabernacle in Washington Heights in New York City; and The Community Synagogue in Port Washington. Cantor Simmons served as a Hospital and Hospice chaplain intern at Evergreen Healthcare near Seattle, and as the cantorial intern at Temple Israel Boston. During the first year of cantorial school in Jerusalem, Cantor Simmons met rabbinical student, David Segal; and they were married in 2009.
After being ordained in 2010, Cantor Simmons and Rabbi Segal moved to Aspen, Colorado, where they served as co-clergy for seven years at the Aspen Jewish Congregation. Cantor Simmons also served as director of the Aspen Jewish Congregation’s Religious School from 2013-2017, which occupied multiple locations across the Roaring Fork Valley. During her time in Aspen, Cantor Simmons produced, directed and performed in six summer concerts, which served as the main yearly fundraiser for the congregation. These concerts were a highlight of her time in the mountains, and included a concert team of some of the most talented Jewish musicians in the country.
In 2013, Cantor Simmons was featured as a soloist on Noah Aronson's album The Left Side of the Page. In 2014, she was the featured soloist in the Aspen Choral Society's performance of Leonard Bernstein's Chichester Psalms. In 2016, Cantor Simmons and her Aspen concert team were invited to open for Itzhak Perlman in Denver, CO. Here in Houston, Cantor Simmons has led programming for the Rothko Chapel, Jewish Family Services, and consulted on musical projects for ReelAbilities. In the spring of 2021, Cantor Simmons was a featured panelist for Religare: Music, a series hosted by Houston Grand Opera and the Institute for Spirituality and Health.
At Emanu El, her roles include music director, worship leader, teacher, pastor, life cycle officiant, youth choir director, concert producer, and conversion mentor. She is grateful to work with an inspiring clergy team and staff to enrich the lives of the Jewish community and beyond.
In her free time, she enjoys art projects with her kids Levi and Bea, eating delicious treats baked by her husband, Rabbi David Segal, and walks with their dog, Olive.
Rabbi Roy Walter
Rabbi Emeritus
Rabbi Roy A. Walter served as Senior Rabbi of Congregation Emanu El from 1978 – 2011. He came to Emanu El following his ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1970, and served eight years as Assistant and Associate Rabbi.
Rabbi Walter is a native of Memphis, Tennessee and holds a B.A. degree from Tulane University and Bachelor and Masters of Hebrew Letters from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati.
Rabbi Walter was ordained in 1970 and awarded a Doctor of Divinity Degree from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1995. Rabbi Walter has served locally on the Boards of the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, Houston Metropolitan Ministries, American Jewish Committee, Anti-Defamation League and as President of the Houston Rabbinic Association. He served as President of Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston from 1996-1998 and has been named a Life Board Member. He is co-author of Gates of Prayer for Young People published by the CCAR and of My Prayers: A Children’s Book of Prayers for Everyday Occasions.
Rabbi Walter and wife Linda z"l have three children, Benjamin, Michel and Aaron, and two grandchildren, Ethan and Hannah.
