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Meet the Team

Rabbi Kevin Solomon

Senior Rabbi Kevin Solomon is a second generation Messianic Jewish Rabbi raised in a Jewish home. Rabbi Kevin completed his undergraduate work at Georgia Tech in Atlanta and his graduate work at Emory University.  Rabbi Kevin is a long standing member of Mensa. Rabbi Kevin completed his Yeshiva training with the IAMCS where he holds his Rabbinic ordination. Additionally, as part of his training, he lived in Israel with his wife and two children while studying under Messianic Jewish leaders in the Land. Since 1993, Rabbi Kevin has served on the Executive Board of the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America (MJAA) and other non-profit organizations. He is a former President of the Young Messianic Jewish Alliance (YMJA).  Along with his wife, Tiffany, who earned her bachelor’s degree in education, Rabbi Kevin leads Congregation Beth Hallel, one of the largest Messianic synagogues in the world.

Ministry Leaders

Dara Vidito

Temple Teen Director
Dara Vidito grew up in a Reform Jewish Synagogue in Indianapolis. After recognizing that Yeshua did indeed fulfill the prophecies in the Jewish Scriptures about the coming Messiah, her family was instrumental in founding the first Messianic Congregation in Indiana. After graduating from Butler University, Dara worked as a public school teacher and volunteered with the youth group in Indianapolis until she moved to Georgia to become Beth Hallel’s full time Youth Director of the high school youth group, the Temple Teens. Dara also served on the Executive Board of the YMJA (Young Messianic Jewish Alliance) for 12 years (including 4 years as President) and the Executive Committee of the MJAA for 10 years.

Su Trager

Children's Education Director
Su leads and directs the children's programming at Beth Hallel from infants to eighth grade. A member for a number of years, she had previously served as the Assistant Prayer Ministry leader. She has her undergraduate degree from the University of Cincinnati and her Masters from Ohio University.  Su has a passion to see the Yeladim of Beth Hallel grow in the L-rd and serve Him with all their hearts.

Dr. Stephanie Caracelo

B'nei Mitzvah Director
Stephanie is a 4th generation Messianic Jew and a Doctor of Education. She has served on the Executive Boards of the MJAA and YMJA. She is the former Ministries Director for the YMJA leading youth conferences around the country. Stephanie has a passion for teaching the foundations of the Jewish faith and inspiring the minds of our B'nei Mitzvah candidates.

Marc Vidito

Worship Ministry Leader

Joseph & Amber Bartlett

College Ministry Co-Directors

Yoel & Eva Ratz

Hebrew Teachers &
Married Couples' Ministry Co-Leaders

Godfrey & Edith Gad

Married Couples' Ministry Co-Leaders

Kesher

Young Adult Ministry

Steve & Shawn Morse

Ravakim Yachdav  - Singles Leaders

Kris Rasmussen

Audio Ministry Leader

Jeremy Combs

Livestream & Podcast Administrator

Tom Bloodworth

Visual Presentation Administrator

David Parra

Streaming Ministry Leader

Shawn Morse

Sisterhood President

George Robinson

Men's Group Leader

Terri Ledford

Prayer Team Coordinator

Stephen Wedemeyer

Head Usher

Sandra Coombs

Homeless Shelter Ministry Coordinator

Darnea Moon

Synagogue Assistant

Margaret Wedemeyer

Library Coordinator

Mitch Trager

Kitchen Co-Director

Dr. Robert Grechesky

Kitchen Co-Director

Jesus Cummings

Facilities Director

John Sigler

Security Coordinator

The Congregation
Beth Hallel Story

Jewish Believers and Friends, Inc. was founded in 1977 as a means of reaching out to the local Jewish community through Biblical (Messianic) Judaism. We first began meeting in borrowed facilities and private homes to study the Scriptures from the Masoretic text, and saw a number of Jewish people come to faith in Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah.

G-d continued blessing this tiny work and in 1981, under the auspices of Jewish Believers and Friends, Inc., Congregation Beth Hallel was established as the first independent Messianic Jewish synagogue in the Southeast. Within two years, seven acres of land was purchased in historic Roswell, Georgia and the beautiful synagogue in which we now worship was completed in 1985. In 1995, the finishing touches were completed on the Messianic Jewish Community Center (MJCC) which houses a gym complete with a stage for plays and concerts as well as classrooms and offices.

In 2003, the MJCC was expanded and our sensory rich children’s playground was completed in 2007. Our current Rabbi, Kevin Solomon, began his transition into the role of Senior Rabbi in 2005. In late 2008, Beth Hallel Messianic Fellowship of Birmingham was established and in early 2012, Beth Hallel Messianic Fellowship of New Orleans. At present, Congregation Beth Hallel is one of the largest Messianic Jewish Synagogues in the world. 

Affiliations

International Alliance of Messianic Congregations and Synagogues (IAMCS)

Messianic Jewish Alliance of America (MJAA)

Young Messianic Jewish Alliance (YMJA)

Messianic Jewish Israel Fund (MJIF)

What is
Messianic Judaism?

Messianic Judaism is a Biblically-based movement of Jewish people who have come to believe in Yeshua as the promised Jewish Messiah, as well as Gentiles who love the Jewish people and who desire to worship Him in a Jewish way. Yeshua is the Hebrew name for Jesus, which means salvation. Messianic Jews believe the Scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation, are the inerrant Word of G-d. In these writings is revealed both the history and future of mankind, from creation to the second coming of Messiah. Messianic Jews maintain their Jewish roots, heritage, lifestyle, and culture by worshiping Yeshua HaMashiach (the Messiah) in a Jewish context. The Jewish holidays are observed from a Messianic point of view, with added understanding of G-d’s revelation in the B’rit Chadashah (New Covenant).

Today, there are tens of thousands of Messianic Jews in the United States alone. Some have estimated the number to be as high as 100,000. Messianic synagogues have sprung up in almost every major city across the country.
Other nations such as Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, England, France, Holland, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia and South Africa are experiencing a growing movement of Messianic Judaism as well. 

Can a Jewish person believe in Jesus?

There are many reasons that Jewish person can believe in Yeshua (Jesus).  After all, G-d spoke to Moses in Deuteronomy 18: 18-19:  "I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kinsmen.  I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I order him.  Whoever doesn't listen to my words, which he will speak in my name, will have to account for himself to me." Many accuse Yeshua of aspiring to be the Messiah, but how could He arrange for his own birthplace to be the place where it was prophesied that the Messiah would be born?  "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." (Micah 5:2) G-d spoke to King David about the Messiah: "I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father.” (Psalm 2:7) Isaiah tells of how the Messiah was treated: “Who believes our report?  To whom is the arm of Adonai revealed?  For before him he grew up like a young plant, like a root out of dry ground.  He was not well formed or especially handsome; we saw him, but his appearance did not attract us.  People despised and avoided him, a man of pains, well acquainted with illness.  Like someone from whom people turn their faces, he was despised; we did not value him.  In fact, it was our diseases he bore, our pains from which he suffered; yet we regarded him as punished, stricken and afflicted by G-d.  
But he was wounded because of our crimes, crushed because of our sins; the disciplining that makes us whole fell on him, and by his bruises we are healed.  We all, like sheep, went astray; we turned, each one, to his own way; yet Adonai laid on him the guilt of all of us. (Isaiah 53:1-6) G-d spoke to King David about the Messiah's suffering: "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint.  My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me.  My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death…they have pierced my hands and my feet…people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.”  (Psalm 22: 14-15, 16b, 17b-18) Who else do you know who fulfills these examples about the Messiah found in the Tenach (Old Testament)?  Believing in Yeshua, you have eternal life and peace with G-d.  It is yours when you accept Yeshua. Other Messianic references from the Jewish Scriptures 
  • Isaiah 9:6-7 – The Messiah will be born and will reign on Kind David’s throne
  • Isaiah 7:14 – The birth of the Messiah will be extraordinary and will be a sign to the people.
  • Isaiah 49:6 - The Messiah will come for both Jews and non-Jews.
  • Daniel 9:24-25 - The Messiah will be killed before the destruction of the Second Temple and Jerusalem in 70 CE.

What are your thoughts about conversion?

That’s an excellent question since believing in Yeshua is such an inherently Jewish concept. In fact, the early Messianic Jewish believers discussed at length whether or not Gentiles needed to convert to Judaism before they followed Yeshua. However, they concluded that Gentiles need not convert to Judaism (Acts 15). We should each be the person G-d created us to be (not converting to anything else), recognizing that Yeshua is the Messiah of both Israel and all mankind. 

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