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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. He currently serves as the rabbinic chair of the National Commission on Rabbinic-Congregational Relations of the Reform movement and 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. 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.
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. Prior to her appointment as cantor at Central Synagogue, Cantor Buchdahl served as associate rabbi/cantor at Westchester Reform Temple in Scarsdale, N.Y.
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. She earned her B.A. in Religious Studies from Yale University where she was active in religious life on campus and performed frequently with her a capella group.
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 serves on the Board of the Multiracial Jewish Network and regularly teaches and writes on the topic of diversity within the Jewish community. Cantor Buchdahl and her husband Jacob Buchdahl have three young 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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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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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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Yonni is thrilled for the start of her fourth school year with Central Synagogue as the Director of Lifelong Learning. She received her BA in Judaic Studies from The George Washington University and earned a Master of Arts in Religious Education from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. For years Yonni served as a clinical faculty member to students in the educational Masters program at HUC, and for the last six years was a professional mentor to other Religious School directors, and an advisory board member for three years, for both the Leadership Institute for Congregation School Principals and the Teacher Leadership Consortium, joint initiatives of HUC and the Jewish Theological Seminary. She was a freelance writer for the URJ Department of Lifelong Jewish Learning and has written a number of publications within the world of Jewish education. Prior to her arrival at Central Synagogue in June 2007, Yonni served as the Director of Education at Temple Shaaray Tefila in Bedford, New York for ten years and for two years, part time, was the Director of Development at Tikva Children’s Home, raising money for orphaned, homeless and abandoned Jewish children in the former Soviet Union. Yonni now serves on the boards of both the National Association of Temple Educators and the URJ Eisner/Crane Lake Camps. She currently resides in Bedford with her husband, Allan, and son, Max.
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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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Ann has been involved with Central Synagogue’s early childhood community since 1996 when she was a parent educator and facilitator in the Parenting Center. Prior to that, Ann taught third grade and reading enrichment at PS 129 in Manhattan for eight years.
She was also a teacher for pre-Kindergarten students at the 92nd Street Y for nearly a decade. Ann introduced the Caregiver Program into the Parenting Center and developed the Building Bridges program from its onset. After receiving her B.S. in Education from C.C.N.Y. Manhattan and her M.S. in Education from Queens College, she studied and trained with Nancy Samalin, director of Parent Guidance Workshop. Ann has presented numerous lectures and workshop series on early childhood education throughout the tri-state area.
Ann and her husband live in Manhattan. They became grandparents in the spring of 2009.
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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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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 Director of Finance, 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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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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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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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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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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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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Philip has enjoyed a long career in Jewish Education as he now joins Central Synagogue as Principal of our Religious School. For the past thirty years, he has served as Principal in two Jewish Day Schools in the New York area, and as Head of School at The Saul Mirowitz Day School–Reform Jewish Academy in St. Louis, MO. Philip also served as a Consultant and Mentor for The Lookstein Institute, based at Bar Ilan University in Israel, and Teacher/Educator for the Matok Bible program. He comes to Central Synagogue, delighted to be joining a team of dedicated and engaging Jewish educators and a warm and supportive community. Philip attended Columbia University from which he received a BA in American History. He earned his Masters in Jewish Education from Hebrew College in Brookline, MA and his Principal’s Diploma and BHL in Bible from Jewish Theological Seminary. Philip spent four years in the doctoral Program at Hofstra University, researching the field of Moral School Leadership. He lives on Long Island, where he is married to Shellie Dickstein, Director of the Department of Early Childhood/Family Engagement at BJENY/SAJES. They have four children, the oldest of whom is married and expecting their first child at the end of September.
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Natalie was born in the Ukraine and grew up in Israel. Natalie received her bachelor’s degree from Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and earned her Masters in Jewish Education from Hebrew Union College. This is Natalie’s third year at Central Synagogue. Prior to Central, Natalie was a Hebrew teacher at the Rodeph Sholom Jewish Day School on the Upper West Side. Her goal is to bring her knowledge and enthusiasm for the Hebrew language and Jewish tradition into the classroom in order to enrich the lives of students. In addition, in order to foster an appreciation for Israeli life and culture, Natalie will also work on strengthening the relationship between Central Synagogue students and the students at Beit Daniel in Tel Aviv, one of the Israel’s leading Reform congregations.
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Sam is excited to begin her second year as a full time teacher. A native New Yorker, she recently graduated from Union College in Schenectady, New York. As an undergraduate, Sam majored in Anthropology and minored in Religious Studies. Her senior thesis focused on one of her passions, Jewish summer camps. She is a lifelong veteran of the URJ 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 she enjoys live music, travel and taking advantage of the culinary capital of the world. Over the summer, Sam was lucky enough to travel to Central’s sister community of Minsk, Belarus. While there she had the opportunity to work at one of the World Union for Progressive Judaism’s summer camps.
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Leah is very excited to be entering her second year as a full time teacher at Central Synagogue! Leah received her Masters in Jewish Education from Hebrew Union College in 2009, with a focus in Jewish Early Childhood Education. Before graduating from HUC, Leah received her bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University with a major in History and a minor in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies. Leah has had the privilege to teach religious school and early childhood education in Boston, Westchester, and New York City. She enjoyed ten summers as a camper and counselor at URJ Eisner Camp, and led two NFTY Summer Programs in Israel. Leah enjoys traveling to Israel at least once a year and is very passionate about Israel education.
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Jonah has been with the Religious School team at Central Synagogue since late January, 2009. He graduated from Trinity College with a bachelor’s degree in Religious studies. He has traveled extensively, and has an affinity for learning new cultures and customs, especially in reference to their Jewish communities. Raised in the NY metropolitan area by parents actively involved in the Reform movement, Jonah enjoys bringing his passion for Reform Judaism into the classroom. He attended the URJ Eisner Camp for 9 years as a camper and 3 as staff, and attributes much of his love for working with young Jews to those immensely positive experiences. Jonah is very excited to commence his second full year as a full time teacher at Central Synagogue, and he awaits new opportunities with open arms.
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Aviva joins us as a new teacher this year. She attended New York University, where she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Sociology. She then worked at Starcom MediaVest as an Advertising Associate. This past school year, Aviva also taught at another Reform Religious School in Manhattan. This fueled her desire to have a permanent place in the classroom and work with children to help them achieve their personal goals. As the eldest of five children and a camp counselor, she has been surrounded by children for her entire life and has a natural ability to connect with them. This Fall, she will be working towards her Masters Degree in Childhood Education at Hunter College part-time. Aviva has always had a passion for children and Judaism, and is extremely excited to merge these two interests in her newfound career.
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David is thrilled to teach at Central Synagogue for his third year. He was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Dallas where he became an Eagle Scout and a regional leader in B’nai B’rith Youth Organization. In 2003, David came to New York for college, studying at Columbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary to earn two Bachelor’s Degrees simultaneously in American Studies and Bible. He has spent time in Israel, both through Birthright and studying abroad at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Prior to working at Central Synagogue, David taught 7th grade math in a New York City public school and taught SAT classes for Kaplan Test Prep. He has had a life-long passion for music, plays five different instruments, and enjoys traveling and immersing himself in nature.
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Lee is a graduate of NYU where he studied both theater and Jewish history and civilization. While growing up in Lansdale, PA, a suburb of Philadelphia, he was a student teacher at Temple Beth Or in Springhouse and received a teaching certificate from the Isaac Mayer Wise Teaching Program at Gratz College. He spent 4 years running the Junior Congregation at Kane Street Synagogue in Brooklyn as well as 6 years teaching and directing theater at the summer camp, Frenchwoods Festival of the Performing Arts. Lee looks forward to continuing to learn with and from this community as well as celebrating many holidays and simchas together. He is so glad to be a member of the Central Synagogue family!
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Zach is incredibly excited to be starting his second year at Central Synagogue in the role of the Youth Advisor, 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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Laura Stein is very excited to begin her first 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 6th grade 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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Jackie is very excited to be joining the Central Synagogue community. After graduating from Emory University with a degree in Middle Eastern Studies and Journalism, she moved to Israel to volunteer throughout peripheral Israel on a program called Otzma. Jackie spent 11 summers at URJ Eisner Camp as both a camper and counselor, where she really developed her passion for Judaism and Israel. This past year, in addition to working for an education non-profit, she worked at the 92nd Street Y, where she enjoyed teaching Jewish values to young children. Jackie loves to travel and explore new cultures, whether she is volunteering, studying, or just having fun. She is looking forward to a great year ahead!
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