MEET US
Meet the Rabbis
Rabbi Rick Kellner, Senior Rabbi
Rabbi Rick Kellner has served as the senior rabbi and spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Tikvah since July of 2011.
Rabbi Kellner was ordained a Rabbi from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion Los Angeles campus in 2007 where he also earned a Masters in Jewish Education and Hebrew Letters. Rabbi Rick, as he is known by many of our youngest members, came to Beth Tikvah in 2011 and has brought a passion for Jewish learning, Jewish identity, and Jewish pride. On Shabbat morning, you can find Rabbi Kellner facilitating Torah study and engaging with B’nai Mitzvah students during the Shabbat morning service. On Shabbat evenings, Rabbi Kellner loves to partner with the music team to create a meaningful, joyful, and contemplative Shabbat prayer experience.
During the week, Rabbi Kellner partners with members of our congregation to strategize about ways to create community and connections within the congregation. You can find him teaching adult education classes, our 10th grade confirmation class, and being silly with the preschoolers.
Rabbi Kellner is passionate about Israel and has spent much time since the October 7th attacks teaching about Israel and finding opportunities for the community to connect with Israel. With the rise of antisemitism, Rabbi Kellner has been a leading voice to combat antisemitism and partner in the interfaith community to advocate for Holocaust Education. Additionally, Rabbi Kellner believes in the dignity of every human being and works to support those who are marginalized. Locally, he has been a leader in the B.R.E.A.D. organization and has also served on the core team as a founding member of RAC-OH, the Reform Movement’s social justice arm in Ohio. Rabbi Kellner has also served on the board of Jewish Family Services and has been president of the Columbus Board of Rabbis.
In the national Reform Movement, Rabbi Kellner currently serves as President Elect of the Central Conference of American Rabbis. Prior to this he served on the board as Vice President of Program and Member Support. He has also served as chair of Continuing Rabbinic Education as well as the Annual Convention Committee.
Rabbi Kellner is a Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude graduate of the University at Albany where he studied Spanish and Secondary Education. Prior to moving to Columbus, Rabbi Kellner served as Associate Rabbi at Temple Isaiah in Los Angeles. Rabbi Kellner lives in the Worthington area with his wife Debra, and daughters, Zoe and Shira. He is an avid sports fan, loves to run, enjoys spending time with his family.
Rabbi Karen Martin, Assistant Rabbi
Rabbi Karen Martin joined the Congregation Beth Tikvah community in July 2025 after being ordained by Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati on May 31, 2025. She received her Master of Hebrew Letters in 2023. Rabbi Martin also holds a Master’s Degree in Jewish Professional Studies from the Spertus Institute of Jewish Learning and Leadership (2014) and a Master’s in the Humanities from the University of Chicago (2010).
Rabbi Martin believes that hope, action, and connection are at the core of Jewish life. Whether in moments of joy or sorrow, in prayer or in acts of justice, when we show up for one another and strive to make the world better for all, we are living our Jewish values. These beliefs have shaped her work with the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism as the HUC campus representative in Ohio, the development of her sixth-grade Na’aseh v’Nishma curriculum, and her approach to adult education as a co-learner in a supportive and inclusive environment. She has taught classes on topics such as Judaism and contemporary issues, Modern Midrash, Haftarah, and Torah study.
An Ohio native, Rabbi Martin grew up in Cincinnati and attended Kenyon College, where she studied English, Creative Writing, and the Humanities. After several years working in the Jewish community in Chicago, she returned to her hometown to serve as Executive Director of Rockdale Temple for three years before beginning rabbinical school in 2020. During her studies, she was honored to be selected as a Wexner Graduate Fellow, a JDC Entwine Fellow, and an AIPAC Leffell Fellow. She also earned an iCenter Certificate in Israel Education. Rabbi Martin has served student pulpits in Bryan, TX and Marion, OH, and held internships at Temple Sholom and Rockdale Temple.
Rabbi Martin now lives in Columbus with her husband and their two energetic children, and she is excited to deepen her connection to the Beth Tikvah community and the greater Columbus area.
Rabbi Emeritus Gary Huber became the spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Tikvah in the fall of 1983 after serving as assistant rabbi in his hometown of St. Louis. Rabbi Huber led Beth Tikvah for over three decades with wisdom, warmth, and integrity.
His rabbinate was marked by a dedication to meaningful worship, lifelong learning, and genuine care for the congregation. Now serving as Rabbi Emeritus, he remains a beloved teacher and presence within the Beth Tikvah community.