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Dr. Brigitte Sion has been a teacher, writer, and Jewish activist for 20 years. Born and raised in Geneva, Switzerland, where Brigitte was very involved in the Reform congregation, she was a staff reporter for mainstream and Jewish media, then served as the director of an organization fighting anti-Semitism in Switzerland.
Brigitte earned a Master’s in French from Penn, a Master’s in journalism from Columbia a Master’s in Judaic Studies from Hebrew Union College, and a Ph.D. in Performance Studies from NYU, where she was assistant professor in religious studies and journalism for the last three years.
Brigitte is the author of four published books, numerous articles, and has developed an expertise in Holocaust and genocide memory, ritual and commemoration, as well as religion and new media.
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In January of 2011, Elana Paru became the Director of Educational Administration at Central Synagogue. In this new position Elana is responsible for establishing enhanced management and communications systems and stronger operations among all of the education departments including early childhood, religious school, youth group, young professionals and adult learning programs throughout the congregation.
Prior to joining the staff at Central Synagogue, Elana served as the Executive Director of Congregation Beth Elohim in Brooklyn, NY. Her responsibilities included administrative supervision of all synagogue programs and staff. Additionally, she delivered senior level management services to the board, clergy, committees, staff and congregants.
Before focusing her efforts on congregational life, Elana served the Interim Executive Director and Associate Executive Director of ARZA, the Zionist arm and voice of the Reform Movement; Director of Development at the Jewish Outreach Institute; and Director of Development and Director of Operations for Young Judaea, the Zionist Youth Movement of Hadassah. As a stepping stone toward working for national organizations, Elana started her career in local institutions by serving as the Assistant Principal of Beit Rabban Day School located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and as a Planning and Campaign Associate at the United Jewish Federation in Pittsburgh.
As a Wexner Foundation Graduate Fellow, Elana completed a dual master’s degree program in Jewish Communal Service and Non-Profit Management at Brandeis University. She then spent a year in Israel studying at the Pardes Institute before returning to the States to launch her career in Jewish communal service.
Elana currently lives in Brooklyn with her husband Michael Spevack and their daughter Noa.
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Rabbi Lisa Rubin joined Central Synagogue in June 2010. She was ordained from the New York campus of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 2006. As a rabbinical student, Rabbi Rubin served congregations in Brookhaven, Mississippi, and Worcester, Massachusetts, co-edited the HUC student publication, and trained as a chaplain at the Jewish Healthcare Chaplaincy in New York City. After ordination, she served Temple Beth-El of Great Neck for three years. In each of those years, she was selected as the Jewish leader for Project Understanding, a foundation on Long Island that sends Catholic and Jewish teens to Israel after a period of interfaith study.
Rabbi Rubin graduated from the University of Michigan with honors, after which she worked in youth marketing and advertising at Leo Burnett in Chicago before beginning her rabbinical career.
Rabbi Rubin currently serves on the boards of Elem, a nonprofit organization that aids youth in distress in Israel, and United Hatzalah, a nonprofit organization of first medical responders in Israel.
She resides in Manhattan with her husband, Howard Neuthaler, and their son, Harrison.
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A graduate of Columbia University’s School of General Studies and Columbia University Law School, Livia Thompson worked for many years in the non-profit sector both at the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Lawyers Alliance for New York before joining Central Synagogue as executive director in 1993.
In this role, now called senior director, Livia oversees all of Central Synagogue’s daily operations. She became a Fellow of Temple Administration (FTA) in 2006. Livia has written numerous articles for the National Association of Temple Administrators (NATA) Journal, ADL publications and Lawyers Alliance resource books. She has also spoken extensively at various workshops and conventions. Livia is currently an officer of NATA where she serves on numerous committees including having spent six years on the Reform Pension Board. She is also a member of the CCAR’s Finance Committee. Livia lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., with her husband and three daughters.
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Rabbi Lev-Cohen was recently ordained by HUC/JIR. She was Central Synagogue’s rabbinic intern from 2008 through 2010. Rabbi Lev-Cohen will oversee adult programming while continuing to teach adult education courses and facilitate pastoral groups. In her previous career as a psychotherapist, she ran a graduate training program for social work students at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. She is the mother of two adult children and resides with her husband Professor Steven M. Cohen of HUC-JIR in New York City and in Jerusalem.
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Nicole grew up in New York and Miami Beach and is an active member of the Reform Movement. She attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she received her Bachelors in Social Work, Masters in Social Work with a concentration in Community and Administrative Leadership within the Non Profit Management track and certificate in Non Profit Management and Philanthropic Studies. Previous to joining Central Synagogue, Nicole worked in grief counseling, the juvenile justice and adult probation system, synagogue life and for the United Way. Most recently Nicole worked for Young Judaea as the Senior Manager of Year Round Programs. Before working for Young Judaea, Nicole worked for the Union for Reform Judaism for 7 years in several different capacities including serving as the Assistant Director of Youth Programs and Director of College Programs for North America. In her spare time, Nicole enjoys cooking, traveling and cycling. With her love for cooking & entertaining, Nicole brings friends and loved ones together with intimate gatherings of food and wine in New York City as a personal chef through her company, Coterie Cuisine.
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Glen Barnstable was hired as the director of facilities in 2007. He has more than 25 years of experience managing commercial and Landmark properties. His experience includes an extensive knowledge of heating, air conditioning, plumbing, building management systems, fire, life safety and electrical systems. Glen has also managed many large and small construction projects throughout his career. He grew up in Michigan. Glen and his wife have three children.
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Genea Moore joined the Central Synagogue staff in 2007 as a clergy assistant and quickly moved up to the office manager / executive administrative assistant to the senior director.
She has worked administration in the not-for-profit world for more than 10 years, five of which she served as a clergy assistant at another Reform Congregation.
Genea holds a B.A. in Journalism and a M.A. in Media Arts, both from LIU Brooklyn campus.
She is a native of Queens and an active member of the Queens NAACP chapter and the Order of Eastern Stars.
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Susan Alpert has been working in the field of Jewish early childhood education for nearly 30 years. In 1995 she joined Central Synagogue’s staff to oversee both the May Family Nursery School and the Parenting Center.
Susan holds a B.S. degree in Special Education/Learning Disabilities & Emotional Disturbance from Eastern Michigan University as well as two advanced degrees in Early Childhood - Multiple Handicaps and Supervision and Administration from Hunter College. She is a founding member of the Early Childhood Education of Reform Judaism (ECE-RJ) division of the Union of Reform Judaism and is an involved board member for both the Jewish Early Childhood Association (JECA) and Independent Schools Admissions Association of Greater New York (ISAAGNY).
Susan and her husband live in Manhattan and are the proud parents of two grown sons.
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Greg Cicchino joined Central Synagogue’s staff as a clergy assistant in October 2011 and directly supports Rabbis Friedman and Salth.
He previously worked as an executive assistant and project manager in the marketing department of the Mount Sinai Hospital of Queens.
He grew up in Rochester, NY and graduated from Syracuse University with a B.F.A. in Theater.
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Beth Clausen joined Central Synagogue’s staff as the Human Resources Manager in December, 2010.
She previously worked as the Director of Program Operations for AFS-USA, Intercultural Programs in New York City where she led the planning and execution of all exchange program operations for young students who studied in the U.S. and abroad with AFS in more than 40 countries. Earlier in her career, she served as the Director of Staffing and Recruitment and the Assistant Director of Human Resources for a non-profit, international, educational organization based out of Broomfield, Colorado. She traveled globally to market and recruit interested candidates and aligned resources to support staffing needs as well as assisted in employee relations, issue resolution and career development.
Beth believes it is necessary that Human Resources provides services in support of the Central Synagogue vision by promoting the concept that our employees are a valuable resource and will be treated as such.
Beth lives in Pelham, N.Y. with her husband and is the proud parent of two young sons.
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Jo has been in the field of early childhood education for more than 30 years. She began her journey in Buffalo, New York, where she graduated in the field of early childhood / elementary education. Her professional journey, directing preschool programs in Synagogues and Jewish Community Centers, has taken her across the country to such places as Minnesota, Georgia, Maryland, California and New Jersey. In her most recent position, Jo directed a preschool with over 300 families and was instrumental in establishing a new parenting center which now serves more than 90 families.
Jo feels that it is necessary to meet families where they are in order to engage them Jewishly. She feels that it is important to help nurture families, encouraging them to begin or continue on their Jewish journey and to provide the setting and resources to make their journey possible. She also believes that the early childhood experience provides the foundation for one’s lifetime.
Jo currently lives in New Jersey with her husband and is the proud parent of two adult sons, one living in Florida and one living in Washington D.C.
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Danielle Freni joined Central Synagogue’s staff as director of communication in early 2009.
She previously worked as a producer for NY1 and as the community relations manager for New York Blood Center’s Hudson Valley/Bronx division where she served as the regional spokesperson on live television and radio interviews. Danielle developed design, Web and social media skills through her work with Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life’s International Center in Washington, D.C.
She grew up on Long Island, N.Y., and studied in Salamanca, Spain, before graduating from the University of Hartford with a B.A. in mass communication. As an undergrad, she traveled throughout Israel with Project Interchange, an Institute of the American Jewish Committee and returned to Israel in 2010 as a Shapiro Family Fellow.
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Paul Dorfman joined Central Synagogue’s staff as a clergy assistant in April 2007 and directly supports Cantor Sacks.
He previously worked for the Instructional Media Development Center for the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and for Ted Gibson and Company.
He grew up in Madison, Wisconsin and graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison with a B.F.A. in English Literature.
In his free time Paul enjoys working with his sketch comedy troupe on both live and filmed sketches. He has performed at The People’s Improv Theater, The Barrow Street Theater, and The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, as well as the Toronto, San Francisco and New York Sketch Comedy Festivals. His troupe’s videos have been included in the New York Television Festival and have collectively garnered over two million hits on YouTube.
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Jeff Goldberg, CPA, is an accounting and finance professional with more than 25 years of experience specializing in educational and philanthropic organizations. Jeff joined Central Synagogue in 2010. He was most recently the controller and senior director of accounting and compliance at Kaplan, Inc., which, over the course of Jeff’s 14-year career there, grew to a $2.6 billion global educational service provider. Previously, he was the controller of the City Parks Foundation. He was also an audit manager at the multinational audit firms KPMG and Arthur Andersen. Jeff received his B.B.A. in Accounting, Summa Cum Laude, from Adelphi University.
As Chief Financial Officer, Jeff is responsible for directing the day to day financial operations of Central Synagogue; preparing the operating and capital budgets and financial statements; working with the Treasurer, Board Committees and Senior Director regarding accounting systems and procedures, and internal controls; and serving as staff liaison to the Budget, Audit and Investment Committees of the Board.
Jeff lives in Manhattan with his partner.
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Sabrina Ferrer joined Central Synagogue as Clergy Assistant to the Associate Rabbis in 2008. In 2010, Sabrina transitioned to Assistant to Cantor Buchdahl and B’nei Mitzvah Coordinator.
Sabrina previously worked as Executive Assistant and Departmental Coordinator at the American Jewish Committee. She also taught English in Barcelona, Spain.
Sabrina holds a B.A. in Literature from SUNY Purchase College. Sabrina was born and raised in New York City and currently lives in Brooklyn.
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Caren Keller joined Central Synagogue’s staff as assistant director in June of 2010. She previously worked as a consultant with a focus on organizational development, project management and educational outreach for numerous for profit and nonprofit organizations. She worked for the Anti-Defamation League first as the Assistant Director for the North Texas/Oklahoma regional office and then for 6 years as the national director of A World of Difference, a media and education program that combined media outlets with schools and community organizations in a collaborative effort to combat prejudice. Caren also has worked as an elementary and middle school teacher, as a parenting educator and life coach. She currently sits on the board and is the co-chair of the grants committee for The Lenny Zakim Fund in Boston, a fund that provides support to nonprofit organizations that typically fall beneath the radar of traditional funders.
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Chelsea Bassman has joined Central Synagogue as a clergy assistant directly supporting Rabbi Rubinstein. She has more than 15 years of experience in executive administration, human resources, bookkeeping, operations, and production in such industries as education, nutrition, feature film and dance. Her most recent position as HR manager was in online media working at one of the top parenting websites.
Chelsea has a self-diagnosed OCD for neatness, organization, and cleanliness. As a native New Yorker she likes to walk and explore her ever-changing city. She can name a dozen birds by their calls and loves identifying the plants and flowers in Central Park.
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Arielle started her position as the Principal of our Religious School June 2011 . Arielle worked as a full-time Religious School teacher at Central Synagogue prior to moving to Washington D.C. where she held a position at the Anti-Defamation League developing and implementing the organization’s educational vision and curriculum and acquired significant management experience.
In her new role at Central Synagogue, Arielle will work closely with the Religious school teachers, administrative staff and parents to foster excellence and innovation in the Jewish education we provide for our students and families.
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Daniel Nadelmann joined Central Synagogue in 2005. Previously he had served as director of development for the Association of Reform Zionists of America (ARZA) and the World Union for Progressive Judaism.
Daniel has also been the executive director of the Jewish Federation and the Jewish Community Center of Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren Counties in New Jersey. He received his B.A. from Harvard University and his M.B.A. from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Daniel also holds an advanced degree in Social Studies Teaching and Curriculum Development.
Earlier in his career, Daniel taught American History and Government at Scarsdale High School and worked as an executive director for Young Judaea, the Zionist youth movement. Daniel lives in Scarsdale, N.Y., with his wife and two young daughters.
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Tashauna Hylton joined Central Synagogue as the Accounts Receivable Coordinator in May of 2009. She has previously worked as a Junior Accountant for the Jewish Museum and for Columbia University where she worked in the Controller’s office.
She received a bachelor’s degree in Finance and Business Management from Brooklyn College in 2006.
She grew up in Brooklyn, NY where she currently resides with her 5 year old Yorkie.
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Zach is incredibly excited to be starting his third year at Central Synagogue in the role of the Director of Youth Engagement & Outreach, working with all of the students from 8th-12th grade. Zach grew up in Great Barrington, Massachusetts as the oldest of 4 kids. He has been involved in educating youth (of varying ages) since the age of 14, both in secular and Jewish settings. Zach spent 12 summers as a staff member at the Union for Reform Judaism’s Eisner Camp, helping to run the day camp there for 9 summers.
He graduated from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY where he majored in Education. Zach has taught in the New York City public schools, as well as other religious schools.
Aside from Judaism and education, Zach is a sports fan, loves Central Park, enjoys great movies, live music, and is told he is a good cook.
He is looking forward to a year packed-full of incredible experiences with the teenagers of Central Synagogue.
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Hadley Beier-Green joined Central Synagogue’s staff as the Development Associate in the summer of 2011 immediately following graduating from Wake Forest University. Her past work experience includes working as an intern at a contemporary art gallery in London and as a research assistant for an art advisory firm in Chelsea.
Hadley majored in Art History with minors in Studio Art and Entrepreneurship and Social Enterprise.
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Frank Corso is a native of New York City. He has worked as an operations manager in various industries such as cosmetics, voice technologies and most recently in publishing before joining Central Synagogue.
A U.S. Marine Corps Vietnam Veteran, Frank now resides in Montclair, New Jersey with his wife Belinda.
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As director of operations and events, Beth Woloff oversees the maintenance, security and events departments at Central Synagogue. Through her professional background in event management, catering and communications Beth has developed a strict attention to detail and a passion for seamless operations. She previously worked for Aetna, Oracle, Razorfish and Sarah Merians Photography before joining Central Synagogue’s staff in 2007. Beth was raised in Northern California and graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She moved to New York City in 2000 where she now lives on the Upper West Side with her husband and two young children.
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Jesse Lauter joined Central Synagogue’s staff as Audio Visual Manager in the spring of 2011.
Jesse has worked as a freelance music producer and recording engineer, having worked with many popular artists and bands. He has worked live sound in venues across the country. He is also a contributing writer for Tape Op, a trade magazine for record producers.
Jesse was born in San Francisco, CA, grew up in Atlanta, GA, and studied at NYU’s Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music, graduating with a BFA in Recorded Music.
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Danielle Rodriguez joined Central Synagogue as Administrative Assistant for Early Childhood Education in May 2011. She previously worked as a Team Lead for Managed Health Network, a behavioral healthcare company. There she responded to informational calls that helped guide customers as well as providers with benefit and eligibility information, as well as train associates in new guidelines and practices.
She Graduated Magna Cum Laude with Honors from Mercy College in May 2004 with a Bachelors in Psychology.
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Melissa Sue Pisarra joined Central Synagogue as Event Scheduling Manager in 2010.
She previously worked in event design/ coordinating for Boum Savvy, a NYC based Events Company. While working there, Melissa was responsible for all events from conception to completion.
Melissa grew up in Gaithersburg, MD and moved to NYC in 2006.
Melissa recieved a degree in Fashion Merchandising with a Minor in Event planning from LIM College in Midtown.
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Aviva is very excited to be teaching at Central Synagogue for a second year. After graduating New York University with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Sociology, she worked at Starcom MediaVest as an advertising associate.
Aviva is also working towards her Master’s Degree in Childhood Education at Hunter College.
Aviva has always had a passion for children and Judaism, and feels extremely blessed to be able to merge these two interests as a teacher at Central Synagogue.
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Sam is looking forward to beginning her third year as a full time teacher. A native New Yorker, she graduated from Union College majoring in Anthropology and minoring in Religious Studies. Her senior thesis focused on one of her passions, Jewish summer camps and posting Jewish identity in young people. She is a lifelong veteran of the Union for Reform Judaism camps and believes that bringing a fun and exciting camp approach into the classroom is the key to creating a great learning environment.
In her spare time Sam enjoys live music, travel, exploring Brooklyn and taking advantage of the culinary capital of the world, New York City.
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Shayna is very excited to be joining the Central Synagogue community. Shayna grew up in Deerfield, Illinois and spent her college years in the Big Apple. She graduated in May from the joint program between Columbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary with a degree in Anthropology and Talmud. She spent 12 years at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin as a camper, counselor and unit head. This experience reaffirmed her passion for working with Jewish youth.
Throughout college, Shayna worked as a religious school teacher at Shaaray Tefilah and at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue.
She enjoys singing, traveling, spending time with friends and family, and baking.
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Andrue Kahn is joining Central Synagogue as the Fifth grade lead for 2011-2012. Andrue grew up in Tacoma, Washington, and went on to study religion for both his BA at Kenyon College and his MA at Queen’s University. He recently completed a Masters in Hebrew Bible and Near Eastern Languages at Jewish Theological Seminary, and is excited to adapt his studies in a way that will engage and affect the new generation of Jewish thinkers at Central Synagogue.
He has participated in Jewish communities in many different settings, from the tiny congregation in Tacoma to his year spent abroad in Israel, and is excited to become an involved member of the Central Synagogue community.
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Dora is from Salt Lake City, Utah where she worked in her first religious school, starting as a tutor and aide, and later working as a teacher.
She went to college in Baltimore where she studied American Studies and Writing. She studied abroad in Italy, and she loves all things Italian, especially the language, food and coffee. Dora spent eleven summers as a camper and counselor at a Jewish camp in Southern California.
She loves arts and crafts, playing piano, reading, watching movies and cooking. She is extremely happy to be living in New York City, and after working in part-time Jewish education for eight years, she is immensely excited to begin her first position as a full-time Jewish educator here at Central Synagogue.
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Jesse is excited about the new opportunity to work at Central Synagogue’s Religious School. He graduated from the University of Delaware with a degree in History and received his Master’s in Secondary Social Studies Education from Wilmington University.
Jesse spent five months volunteering in Israel at Beit Hatfutsot (The Museum of the Jewish People at Tel Aviv University) and with a soccer program called Mifalot. Jesse loves sports, stand-up comedy and traveling the world. He is looking forward to the coming school year!
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Jackie is excited to be starting her second year at Central Synagogue.
After graduating from Emory University with a degree in Middle Eastern Studies and Journalism, she moved to Israel and volunteered throughout the country with Otzma.
Before joining the staff at Central, Jackie worked for a non-profit that helped Israelis receive higher education scholarships. Jackie spent 11 summers as a camper and counselor at the Union for Reform Judaism’s Eisner Camp, where she developed her passion for Judaism and her love of teaching Jewish values.
Jackie loves to travel and explore new cultures, whether she is volunteering, studying, or just having fun.
She is looking forward to another great year ahead!
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Les Skolnik is excited to be joining the Religious School staff for the 2011-2012 school year.
Les developed his passion for Jewish education after participating in the Reform movement’s camp and NFTY programs, and during his experiences as a kid at North Shore Synagogue in Syosset, NY. Les began working in religious schools at the age of 13 and taught Hebrew all throughout high school and as an undergraduate at the State University of New York at Buffalo. For the past 9 years Les has been a Jewish youth worker and educator, serving as the Director of Youth Programs at Temple Beth Zion in Buffalo, NY and Temple Sinai of Roslyn Heights, NY. Les also served as the Director of Jewish Student Life at the University of Pittsburgh.
Les recently graduated from Hofstra University with his M.S.Ed. in Inclusive Secondary Social Studies Education, where he studied special education inclusion programs, anti-bullying programs, and the teaching of social studies to students with disabilities.
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Laura Stein is very excited to begin her second year as a Full-Time Teacher at Central Synagogue.
She graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a degree in Spanish Literature, and spent her first year after college studying Hebrew in Israel.
She will be the T’filah lead at Central, and hopes to one day apply to HUC as a Cantorial student at the School of Sacred Music.
In her spare time, Laura loves theatre, the environment, and of course, Jewish music!
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Rabbi Rubinstein graduated from Amherst College and was ordained by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in New York where he received a Master of Hebrew Letters degree with honors. Prior to joining Central Synagogue, he served as the Rabbi of Woodlands Community Temple in White Plains, N.Y., and at Peninsula Temple Beth El in San Mateo, California. Throughout his career, Rabbi Rubinstein has taught at Manhattanville College, Colgate University, San Jose State and the HUC-JIR in both New York and Cincinnati. In addition to his professional affiliations and responsibilities, Rabbi Rubinstein is a founder and Chair of the Rabbinic Council of the World Union of Progressive Judaism and Co-chair of the Partnership of Faith in New York City. He is the Founder and Chair of the Rabbinic Vision Initiative aimed at the evolution of Reform Judaism in North America and he is a frequent lecturer in the role of a Rabbi now and in the future. Rabbi Rubinstein serves on the Board of several prominent organizations including Auburn Theological Seminary of which he is the immediate past Chairman of the Board, the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services, UJA-Federation of New York, United Way of New York, and the Rabbinic Council of HUC-JIR. He is recognized as a leader in the changing face of the Jewish community and was ranked number 3 in Newsweek’s 2012 list of “America’s 50 Most Influential Rabbis”. He has been on the list since its inception.
His writing has been included in several books including Our Rabbis Taught (1990), How Can I Find God (1997), Restoring Faith (2001), and Shine by Star Jones (2006).
Rabbi Rubinstein is married to Kerry Rubinstein.
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Angela Warnick Buchdahl was invested as a cantor in 1999 and also ordained as a rabbi in 2001 from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in New York where she was a Wexner Graduate fellow. She earned a BA in Religious Studies from Yale University in 1994. Born in Korea to a Jewish American father and a Korean Buddhist mother, Cantor Buchdahl is the first Asian American to be ordained as cantor or rabbi in North America. Prior to her appointment as cantor at Central Synagogue, Cantor Buchdahl served as associate rabbi/cantor at Westchester Reform Temple in Scarsdale, N.Y.
Cantor Buchdahl has been nationally recognized for her innovations in leading services and has served as faculty for the Wexner Heritage Foundation and for the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) Kallot programs. She has been actively involved in Just Congregations, the Reform Movement’s Congregation Based Community Organizing effort at Central and on a national level. Cantor Buchdahl has been featured in articles in Reform Judaism, Shema Journal of Jewish Ideas, the Newsweek Top 50 Rabbis List and the PBS documentary 18 Voices Sing Kol Nidrei. She serves on the Board of Auburn Theological Seminary and the Multiracial Jewish Network. Cantor Buchdahl and her husband Jacob Buchdahl have three children.
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Rabbi Friedman grew up in Great Neck, N.Y., where his family was proud to be dedicated members of Temple Beth-El. He holds a B.A. in History from Yale University and was ordained by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in 2004. He has served as associate rabbi at Central Synagogue since 2008. Prior to that, Rabbi Friedman was director of high school programs at the Union for Reform Judaism from 2004 until 2006 and served as assistant rabbi at Congregation B’nai Jeshurun in Short Hills, N.J., from 2006 until 2008.
During his time in rabbinical school, Rabbi Friedman spent two years as a rabbinic intern at Westchester Reform Temple in Scarsdale, N.Y., and one year as a rabbinic intern at the New York Kollel. Rabbi Friedman served as program director for Project Understanding, an interfaith experience for Jewish and Catholic youth on Long Island, and as a coordinator of the HUC-JIR Soup Kitchen. He is a member of the Running Rabbis, who use distance running to improve the world in which we live. In his free time Rabbi Friedman likes to play golf, hike, run marathons, and cook.
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Rabbi Salth was ordained by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in 2005. Before enrolling, he spent more than 10 years working in the fields of youth development, community service and leadership training. He served on the start-up team for AmeriCorps, where he co-designed and implemented the National Civilian Community Corps. Later, Rabbi Salth became the director of education and community service for Up with People in Denver, Colorado, where he worked on projects that ranged from environmental restoration after natural disasters to violence prevention and leadership training in high schools.
Prior to his appointment at Central Synagogue, Rabbi Salth served as the Rabbi/Director of Jewish Learning for Temple Beth-El in Hillsborough, N.J. He holds a B.A. in Economics from the State University of New York at Binghamton and M.A. in Religious Education from HUC-JIR’s School of Education.
A hiker and a two-time New York City Marathon finisher, Rabbi Salth is also a devoted fan of both the New York Mets and Denver Broncos.
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Raised in Scarsdale, N.Y., Cantor Sacks was invested as a cantor in 2007 from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in New York. She was the recipient of a Wexner Graduate Fellowship and earned several awards as a cantorial student for Traditional Hazzanut, Talmud and Midrash. She holds a B.A. in Jewish Studies and Music from Harvard University where she was active in Harvard Hillel and music community service programs.
Before joining Central Synagogue, Cantor Sacks served as a student cantor and educator at a variety of institutions including the Jewish Community Center of Harrison in Westchester County, N.Y., and Reform Congregation Oheb Sholom in Wyomissing, P.A. She is also currently a faculty member of the Machon Hadar Minyan Project.
Cantor Sacks is married to Eli Sacks, a PhD candidate in the Department of Religion at Princeton University.
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Steve Weingord joined Central Synagogue’s Operations and Events Department in 2007 following a long career in corporate event planning.
Raised in the Catskills, Steve got his start in the hotel industry. He also spent many years planning conventions and meetings for a number of large companies, most recently as Sales & Convention coordinator for Convenience Store News magazine. Steve worked for seven years as the trade show coordinator for TGA the International Travel Goods, Leather and Accessories Show.
Before coming to Central Synagogue, Steve was an integral part of the planning process for the United Jewish Communities’ General Assembly in Los Angeles and the International Lion of Judah Conference in Washington, D.C.
He lives in New Jersey.
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Crystal Stoute began work at Central Synagogue in the fall of 2009.
As the Membership, Data and Yahrzeit Coordinator Crystal is involved with all aspects of member services with primary responsibility for the creation and maintenance of all member records. During the High Holy Days she oversees the Community Service tickets and manages all of the unassigned seating service tickets. As the Yahrzeit Coordinator Crystal ensures that member’s are reminded of and that Yahrzeit anniversaries are observed at the right dates and times.
Prior to working at Central Crystal worked in the Public Relation industry where she developed her organizational and customer service skills.
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Members enjoy benefits such as our award-winning religous schools, music and lecture events, high holy day priority seating and much more.
Free tours of the Sanctuary are given each Wednesday at 12:45 pm. Reservations are not necessary. There is a fee for group tours; call the Archives Office at 212-838-5122, ext. 2041, to arrange time, date and applicable fees. As tours do not take place on major holidays, please be sure to call the Archives Office or check the website for latest information.
