Administration : Gershon A. Levine, Executive Director 

Gershon was born and bred in Brooklyn, New York. A graduate of Yeshiva University High School, and New York University, Gershon spent most of his formative years as an activist in the Soviet Jewry movement.  A lifelong Zionist, Gershon made Aliyah to Israel in 1981 and served in the Israel Defense Forces as an infantryman.   While living in Jerusalem, Gershon met his future wife Rabbi Andrea Gouze.  They returned to the US in 1987 and Gershon went back to school eventually receiving his MA from Brandeis University's Hornstein Program in Jewish Communal Service. He has held various positions including: Cultural Arts Director of the JCC of Indianapolis, Assistant to the Director of the Bureau of Jewish Education in Cleveland, Community Relations Council Director for the Jewish Federation of Rhode Island; Program Director for the Striar JCC in Stoughton and the Assistant Director for the New England Regional Office of the Anti Defamation League. 

Gershon and Andrea have been active members of Emanu El since 1994 and have enjoyed watching their children Eitan, Daniella and Nili grow up in the Temple community.   Gershon has taught adult education for the Temple and the Gerim Institute, focusing on Jewish film, Israel and the Middle East, Hebrew and High Holidays. He also served as an educator for the Harry Elkin Midrasha.   For the past ten years, Gershon has written the book for the Temple Emanu El Purim Shpiel, which he will continue writing – as long as people continue laughing!

Administration : Miriam Abrams-Stark, Director of Congregational Learning 

Miriam is our newly appointed Director of Congregational Learning.  In this new position, Miriam will be overseeing and coordinating many of our        educational programs including the Religious School Director and USY coordinator.  Miriam has worked at Temple Emanu-El since 1995 as the synagogue’s Youth Coordinator. She graduated with honors from SUNY-Binghamton in 1980, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Judaic Studies. In 1982 she received a Master’s degree in Social Work, with a concentration in Group Work from Yeshiva University’s Wurzweiler School of Social Work. She has worked with youth and teens for over 25 years in Jewish Community Centers, various summer camp settings, and synagogues. She has been a USY advisor/director for the past 20 years.  Under her direction, our youth program has won numerous awards, including the New England Regional USY prestigious "Chapter of the Year", this past spring 2008,  and the most exciting award, the “International Chapter of the Year” in 2001. In addition to working with our youth, Miriam has also served as the Leisure Club Coordinator for our older adult population, and as the ‘Yad B’Yad-Partners in Learning’ Coordinator. She has also assisted in the Temple’s Havurah and Jr. Congregation programs. She can be reached by e-mail at Miriam Abrams Stark. She is always interested in hearing new ideas, suggestions or concerns.

Administration : Hinda Eisen, Ritual Director 

Hinda Eisen arrived at Temple Emanu-El in August of 2009, a recent graduate of Boston University with a B.A. in Religion and an additional concentration in special education. Her primary responsibilities in the synagogue include minyan and chapel administration including yahretzeit coordination, bar/bat mitzvah education, training new daveners and Torah readers, and ritual administration. Hinda is a committed Conservative Jew with extensive experience leading services and reading Torah both at her home synagogue, Congregation Agudath Israel in West Caldwell, NJ, and in various settings around the Boston area. Hinda is a dedicated musician as well, and has served as the Mary Wolfman Epstein conducting fellow and the Assistant to the Conductor for the Zamir Chorale of Boston under the direction of Dr. Joshua Jacobson, with whom she has sung since 2006. She has directed camp a cappella choirs at both Camp Ramah in the Berkshires and Camp Ramah in Wisconsin, where she also served as a counselor, a teacher, an advisor on prayer experiences, and an assistant in the special needs programs. Hinda’s first love of study is Bible and Judaism, and encourages everyone to feel free to approach her to engage in discussions about Jewish text, history, and law. Hinda can be reached at heisen@teprov.org.

 

 

 

Administration: Tovah Reis, Librarian 

 

 

 

Tovah began working part-time at Temple Emanu-El during the summer of 2011.  Her educational background includes a master's degree in library science from the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, a B.A. in anthropology from Brooklyn College and a Teacher's Diploma from Herzlia Teachers Institute in New York.  Previously, Tovah was the Brown University Medical School Librarian for 20 years until her retirement in 2010 and the library director of the Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel from 1978-1991.  In addition she has worked at the MIT Libraries, Tel Aviv University Library, and the Jewish Theological Seminary Library.  After many years of working at medical and academic libraries, Tovah is excited to be working with the Temple community to bring the Rosen Library into the 21st Century.  She is most interested in hearing from congregants about their vision for the library and helping Emanuelites with their searches for books and other resources.  Tovah can be reached at treis@teprov.org