Leadership
JCLP team
David I. Sarnat
Profession: Non-profit consultant
Education: BA and MSSA
Volunteer Involvement: Board member, Jewish Kids Group; past member Weber School, Executive Committee; past Board member Greenfield Hebrew Academy and William Breman Jewish Home
Noah Levine
Profession: Non-profit consultant
Education: BA, MA, and MSW
Volunteer Involvement: Past President: Congregation Etz Chaim; Advisory Council member: Georgia State University School of Social Work; Past board positions: Agape Family and Youth Center; Georgia Interfaith Power & Light; Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta; The Weber School
Steven J. Edelstein
Profession: Non-profit consultant, former Executive Director, Jewish Federation of Greater Toledo, Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee
Education: BA and MSW
Volunteer Involvement: Community Relations Committee, JewishColumbus; Council member, Interfaith Association of Central Ohio; Past board positions: JewishColumbus; Beth Israel – The West Temple (Cleveland); Kent State Hillel (Executive Committee)
Max L. Kleinman
Profession: Non-profit consultant; former CEO of Jewish Federation of MetroWest, NJ
Education: BA, MA and MSW
Volunteer Involvement: NJ Israel Commission; Jewish Community Foundation of MetroWest; Chair ; Combating Antisemitism Initiative-
Rob Goldberg
Profession: Immediate Past CEO, Buffalo Jewish Federation
Education: BA in Religious Studies from Brown University and his MBA from Bryant University
Volunteer Involvement: Boards of Temple Beth Tzedek, Hospice and Palliative Care of Buffalo, and White Whiskers Senior Dog Sanctuary
Rabbi Andy Bachman
Profession: Ordained Rabbi
Education: BA and Rabbinic Ordination and Doctor of Divinity
Volunteer Involvement: UJA Federation of New York; Plaza Jewish Community Chapel; Friends of Hand in Hand Schools in Israel; New Yorkers Against Gun Violence; Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and Housing; the Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life at NYU; and Ark Media
Tali Benjamin
Profession: Marketing Strategy & Content Creation
Education: BA in Journalism, Grady College – University of Georgia
Volunteer Involvement: Past Board Member Atlanta Jewish Music Festival; Past President and Board Member Sweet Apple Elementary; Secretary Elkins Pointe PTSA
Cassie Weinstock
Profession: Jewish communal consultant
Education: BA, University of Colorado; MA Jewish nonprofit management, HUC; MSW, Washington University
Volunteer Involvement: JCC, Denver, Sinai Academy, Los Angeles, American Jewish Committee
Rachel Shiffman
Profession: Media and Marketing
Education: University of Arizona
Volunteer Involvement: Dancer and Dance instructor, JCC
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Officers
Samuel Morris Bernstine
Profession: Management Consultant, Retired
Education: BS Individual & Family Studies 1978 Penn State University
Volunteer Involvement: President of Temple Hadar Israel in New Castle, Pennsylvania, during its closure at the end of 2017; retired as Principal, Management Consultant and Board member with international business consultancy Kepner-Tregoe (KT); avid supporter of Penn State University and its athletics who received Volunteer of the Year awards in 2010 and 2013; 2020 Board Member of the Year award from the Penn State College of Health & Human Development Alumni Society; member, Penn State Renaissance Scholarship Board; Former President, Penn State Shenango Advisory Board; Board Member, Jewish Cemetery Burial Association of Pittsburgh (JCBA); Board Member, Ohev Beth Sholom Temple in Youngstown, OH
Marilyn Forman Chandler
Vice-Chair
Professional: Jewish community leader, Non-Profit Consultant, Immediate Past CEO: Greensboro Jewish Federation and Former Executive Director, Jewish Federation of Greater Orange County, NY
Education: BS, SUNY Albany and MSW, Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University
Volunteer Involvement: Vice-Chair, Women of the Shoah, UNCG-Greensboro Jewish Community Archival Project. Former Jewish Community Advisory Board Member, Elon University and Wake Forest University
Ann Tettlebaum
Profession: Certified Public Accountant, Retired
Education: B.A., M.A., M.S.
Volunteer Involvement: Treasurer and Board Member, Temple Berth El; Treasurer, Hadassah Mid-MO Deborah Chapter; Past President and member, Friends of the Moniteau County Library; Volunteer Income Tax Assistance.
Bernard King-Smith
Profession: Senior Software Engineer, IBM Corporation, Retired
Education: BA Geography 1979 University of Minnesota
Volunteer involvement: International Board member, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ); President, Chevre Kadisha of Ulster County (NY); Vice President Leadership Development, Ulster County Jewish Federation; Treasurer, Jewish Family Services of Ulster County; Past President and Board member, Congregation Ahavath Israel Kingston NY
Leslie Dannin Rosenthal
Education: Smith College, B.A., Boston University School of Law, J.D. Chair, Network of Independent Communities Advisory Committee, Jewish Federations of North America
Member, JFNA Board of Trustees, Executive Committee, Budget & Finance Committee and Financial Relations Development Committee
Member, JFNA National Women’s Philanthropy Advisory Council, Co-chair, 2010 International Lion of Judah Conference
Immediate Past President, Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest, NJ, past Campaign Chair, Major Gifts Chair, Merger Committee Vice Chair, Women’s Philanthropy President
Member, Jewish Committee Foundation of Greater MetroWest NJ
Past President, Oheb Shalom Congregation, South Orange, NJ
Board Members
Robert Arogeti
Profession: Certified Public Accountant, Retired
Education: BSBA University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and MPA- Taxation from University of Texas
Volunteer Involvement: Past Board Chair – Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta; Past Campaign Chair – Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta; Past National Board Chair and Campaign Chair – ImpactIsrael (formerly Friends of Yemin Orde); Past board member and officer of JFCS Atlanta, Weber School, Hillel- Emory Campus
Jeffrey Finkelstein
Profession: CEO, Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh
Education: MA from the Hornstein Program of Jewish Communal Service (Brandeis University); BA in sociology from Columbia University; BA in Talmud from the Jewish Theological Seminary
Volunteer Involvement: Past JPRO Board Chair/Board member; Board member of 412×972; President of Jack Buncher Charitable Fund of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh; Board member of Eradicate Hate Global Summit
Dana Herman, PhD
Profession: Associate Director, American Jewish Archives
Education: PhD in modern Jewish history from McGill University, Montreal
Volunteer Involvement: The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives; guest lecturer in Amsterdam, Berlin, Jerusalem, New York, and Cincinnati
Etta Raye Hirsch
Education: Vanderbilt University
Volunteer Involvement: Philanthropist of the Year (2019); Board member: Jewish Women’s Foundation, Atlanta Women’s Foundation, Jewish Home Life Communities Foundation; Atlanta Scholars Kollel, Temima High School for Girls; past board member of The Epstein (Solomon Schechter) School, Congregation Beth Jacob
David Hoguet
Profession: Former Exec. Director, Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati, Retired
Education: BA University of Pennsylvania and MBA, New York University
Volunteer Involvement: Board Chair, Plum Street Temple Historic Preservation Fund; Wise Temple Investment Committee; Current Boards: Talbert House, GRAD Cincinnati; Past Boards: Seven Hills School; Public Media Connect – CET/Think TV
Jackie Jacobs
Profession: Executive Director Emeritus, Columbus Jewish Foundation, Retired
Education: SUNY Binghamton, Geography
Volunteer Involvement: Board member Restored Citizens Network, End the Violence, Cleveland Jewish Publication Society, several central Ohio local foundations and Jewish non-profits, Former chair of UJC’s affinity group for North American planned giving professionals and co-founder of Leave A Legacy, a planned giving awareness program embraced by over 100 communities nationwide
Robert Loeb
Profession: General Partner, SurePoint Self Storage
Education: BA from The University of Wisconsin: MBA from Emory University
Volunteer Involvement: Past President of Temple B’Nai Israel, Victoria, Texas; Past Chairman: Victoria Business and Education Coalition, Victoria YMCA, Victoria Regional Museum Association, Victoria Preservation, Victoria County Club, Victoria County Navigation District – Victoria, Texas; Past Chairman: Texas Self Storage Association; Twice recipient of YMCA CM Ferguson Award volunteer of the year; Victoria Rotary Citizen of the Year
Rabbi David Lyon
Profession: Senior Rabbi, Congregation Beth Israel, Houston, Texas
Education: University of Arizona (1984) with BS in Business Administration; Master of Arts in Hebrew Letters (1988) at HU-JIR, Los Angeles; ordained Rabbi (1990) at HUC-JIR, Cincinnati
Volunteer Involvement: member of the CCAR (Central Conference of America Rabbis) Board of Trustees, President Elect (President March 2025-2027); Institute for Spirituality and Health at the Texas Medical Center, Lifetime Honorary Board Member
Howard M. Rieger
Profession: Past President/CEO of Jewish Federations of North America; Past President/CEO of Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh
Education: PhD in Government from Southern Illinois University and BA/Master’s in Public Administration from Roosevelt University, Chicago
Volunteer Involvement: Past chair, board of a path-breaking social innovation incubator for Pittsburgh Public High School Students; convener of East End Neighbors and Southwestern PA Resident-Led Town Halls, both of which are focused on combating air pollution. Board member, Jack Buncher Foundation in Pittsburgh; served for 5 years as the founder and volunteer President of Jewish Neighborhood Development Council of Chicago and is President Emeritus
Becky Sobelman-Stern
Profession: Nonprofit Philanthropy Executive; Executive Vice President, Chief Program Officer Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta
Education: MSW in Community Organization from Hunter College; BA in Business Education from New York University
Volunteer Involvement: Fulfillment Fund: Mentee; Freedom School of the Children’s Defense Fund: Volunteer; Jewish Communal Services Association (JCSA): Member
Southern California Jewish Communal Professionals Association: Member AJCOP Awards Committee: Former Member; United Jewish Communities: Certificate of Merit
Marcia Storch
Profession: Elementary Educator, Retired
Education: BS Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY; MA, St. Bonaventure University, Olean, NY
Volunteer Involvement: President of Temple B’Nai Israel, Olean, NY, A Legacy Congregation, Social Action activities, Afterschool program, Voter Registration, Sisterhood and Congregation activities. Currently Board Secretary of Temple Shir Shalom, Gainesville, FL, Vice President of Democratic Women’s Club of Alachua County
Susan Weiss Firestone
Education: BS from Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania; MBA from Harvard Business School Volunteer Involvement: Secretary, Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning; Past Chair of Intermediate Trustees of JFNA; Past Chair of the Jewish Endowment Foundation of Western MA and past president and past Campaign Chair of the Jewish Federation of Western MA; Vice President of Temple Beth Elm Springfield, MA; Past member of the UJA Young Leadership Cabinet and is a recipient of the Philip E Saks Young Leadership Award. as well as the Israel Bonds 70th Anniversary Award