Our Staff

Deborah was born in New York to a Jewish father and Puerto Rican mother. She moved to Puerto Rico at the age of 9, when she began her singing career on television and was nicknamed La Pequeña Gigante (The Little Giant) because of her tiny frame and big voice. After moving back to the United States at the age of 15, she moved to California with her parents. A few years later, she began singing in nightclubs, did studio work for producers, such as Humberto Gatica, Paul Anka, and Curb Records. She soloed on various commercials, such as 7 Up and C&H Sugar. She also met and married her husband, Vince (Guitar player / songwriter and arranger). In 1999, after a series of family tragedies left her feeling out of control, Deborah and Vince were invited to a church service where, during worship, she started crying like a baby! They both gave their hearts to Lord that day, and soon they became worship leaders themselves, leading in different churches and venues. Along the way of growing in the Lord, Deborah began wondering what the connection was between being Jewish and a believer in Jesus. She decided to get to know Him as Yeshua, while learning scripture through a Jewish “messianic” perspective. After all, her great grandfather and all before him on her father’s side were cantors. Their passion for the Lord and heart for the unsaved Jew and Gentile have brought this couple to ministering God’s grace, love, and mercy through their music and testimony. “My guard broke down during the music and worship, and I pray that others may experience the same surrender through the music that Adonai has given us.”  Deborah and Vince’s latest CD, “Glorious Days,” was released January 23, 2009. The songs were written by Deborah and her husband, Vince, and are a unique mixture of Latin rhythms, R&B textures, and ballads – all with a current of Messianic Jewish flare running through them. These songs, inspired by the Word of Adonai, are filled with lyrics overflowing with hope and extolling Adonai’s promises.

Martha Gross is the daughter of parents who dedicated their lives to serving God in ministry in Colombia, South America. At a young age, Martha developed a love for the Lord and His Word.  In studying both Old and New Testament Scriptures, she discovered God’s special love for the Jewish people. By age 14, Martha knew God had placed a special call on her heart for Jewish people. She would later take that desire and become active in the Messianic Movement. After returning to the United States for college, Martha became active at Light of Israel, a Messianic congregation in Yonkers, New York, where she directed the Children’s program. Upon graduation from Kings College in New York City, Martha relocated to Southern California with her husband and joined Beth Ariel. Martha has served and helped to implement Beth Ariel’s Children’s Program for nearly 20 years.  In 2006, she was hired as Children and Youth Ministries Director; she presently oversees the spiritual development of children and youth. Martha’s responsibilities include: developing curricula for children ages 2 -17, creating programs honoring the Jewish feasts and holidays,  directing theatrical presentations, and coordinating Beth Ariel’s annual Family Vacation Bible School.  Martha is married to Jerry Gross, an Elder at Beth Ariel, and has two daughters who are both active in the congregation’s elementary Sunday School and children’s club programs.

Adelaide joined Beth Ariel in 2007 and became a member of staff in 2008.  She grew up in Europe in an only nominal Protestant setting.  She immigrated to the United States in 1962, has practical experience in the hospitality and tourism industries, as well as secretarial work, but ultimately got her B.A. in Linguistics and M.A. in Applied Linguistics (emphasis on English language teaching) from UCLA.

In 1983, shortly before moving back to Europe to take a teaching job there, the Lord touched her life.  Europe was not a good place for spiritual growth, and due to unfavorable circumstances, she found herself left on her own – for over ten years.  During those years, she realized she might be of Jewish descent and started reading up on Judaism, which opened an entirely new world for her; she began to see Jesus as the Jew He was.

She returned to the United States after 23 years, after retiring from her job in Europe as an English and Communications teacher at a Hotel Management School.  The first thing she did is look for a Messianic congregation – and found Beth Ariel.  Within a few weeks she was integrated into this vibrant family of Jewish and Gentile believers.  Everything God had shown her over the years finally fell into place.

Adelaide now takes care of various administrative duties around Beth Ariel, such as the weekly Sunday bulletin & Scripture reading texts, the campus schedule & bookings of facilities, as well as proofreading and edition tasks where necessary.  She also heads the Prayer Team (the email prayer chain) and has recently gotten involved in a prison correspondence ministry.

Scott Seiden is Beth Ariel’s “Mr. Reliable.” He has been with us for many years, dutifully overseeing our web site/technology and Audio/Visual teams. As our “nuts-and-bolts” guy, Scott often goes beyond-the-call-of-duty to make sure that the infrastructure is in place and working for the technical needs that commonly arise. Scott is a humble servant of God and we (and the Lord) are grateful for his service.

Jean Yip is our bookkeeper and “go-to” person for all matters pertaining to Beth Ariel’s internal functions. She not only oversees Beth Ariel’s finances, but also serves as a liaison between the Finance Committee and the elder board. Jean is an indispensable component to our ministry, keeping our internal apparatus well-oiled week in and week out. She has been with us for many years and we look forward to many more years together.