Our Staff
Ellyn Polsky, Religious School Director
Ellyn Rubin Polsky has been the Education Director at Temple Emanuel since 1987. She is a professional educator with undergraduate and graduate degrees in Elementary Education and Developmental and Remedial Reading from the University of Missouri - St. Louis.
She has been teaching for more than 30 years in local public, Jewish day schools and congregational schools of all Jewish orientations. Ellyn has extensive experience and expertise in the field of Jewish education, having been the administrator of the Religious School at Congregation B'nai Amoona before assuming her position at Temple Emanuel. Ellyn has served as chairperson on the CAJE sponsored Jewish Family Educators Network and the Jewish Educators Council.
Malachi Owens, Cantorial Soloist
True to our roots as a classical Reform synagogue, we have never employed a Cantor, although we have had the pleasure of listening to our superb cantorial soloist Malachi Owens, Jr., since May 1977.
Malachi has been Temple Emanuel's Cantorial Soloist since 1977. He was born, reared, educated and lives in the City of St. Louis, and earned a degree in Electrical Engineering from Washington University in Saint Louis in 1973.
Over the past 45 years Malachi has performed with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra as a chorus member and soloist and he has performed with the orchestra four times at Carnegie Hall in New York.
He directed The Legend Singers Choral Ensemble, a 70-year old choral organization, for more than 10 years and he is a student of the double bass and violin. He directs The Men of Galilee, a choir of men, at Galilee Missionary Baptist Church, where he is an associate minister. Malachi is a student at Covenant Theological Seminary, pursuing a Masters degree in Theological Studies.
Outside of this music interests, Malachi was a Consulting Project Engineer for Ameren Corporation for more than 26 years. He is a member of the National Engineering Honor Society (Tau Beta Pi), International Society of Basses and the International Brotherhood of Live Steamers.
Malachi has two daughters, Chanita Lynette and Mia Kayla.