Barbara Gordon was born and raised in Baltimore and graduated from Towson State College (now University) with a B.S. degree. She taught Social Studies, Language Arts and Civics in Baltimore County secondary schools. After living in the cold counties of Pennsylvania, she moved to Newport News/Virginia Beach, where she has resided for more than 40 years. Most of that time she has been a member of Rodef Sholom Temple.

While a teacher by profession, Barbara has worked in Jewish Communal Service serving as JCC program director in Hazelton PA and Newport News, Director of Community Service and Administrator of Beth Sholom Home and Beth Sholom Sands respectively, and Executive Director of the UJCVP. She also served as the Director of An Achievable Dream.

Barbara served on the Board of Directors of the Temple, joining the Executive Committee in the 1990s and serving 3 years as president. Her priority over the years has been the project of moving Rodef Sholom Temple to a location more central to the membership which spreads from the lower Peninsula to west of Williamsburg.

When the congregation voted to move to the UJC campus, Barbara stepped into the position of Relocation Facilitator and directed all of the activities beginning with the sale and move from the Hampton building, interim arrangements for our “nomad” years, fundraising and interior decoration. All of these activities involved many members of the congregation and it was Barbara’s job to “staff” those committees and help them to move forward. She worked closely with the architect and builder, helping to insure that the finished product was what the congregation wanted.

Barbara is the proud mother of two successful daughters, Karen Rostov Kendall who works for the Commonwealth of VA, and Tammy Rostov owner of Rostov’s Coffee and Tea in Richmond. Barbara’s granddaughter Coral Kendall is a Senior at Lake Taylor High School and will attend Radford University in the fall.