CONGREGATION BETH ISRAEL - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Secretary
Allison is married to Alan Kierman and they have two children, Bond and Felicity. Allison has been involved at Congregation Beth Israel and the Chanen Preschool for the last 6 years. She has served on the Preschool Committee and is currently serving on the Religious School Committee.
In an effort to continue her personal development, Allison is studying for her Adult B'nai Mitzvah and is taking an Adult Hebrew language class.
Professionally, Allison is a lawyer and runs her own estate planning practice in North Scottsdale, where she focuses on guiding families through the trust and will process in a friendly and warm environment.
Job Titles:
- Administrative Staff Member
- Membership and Administrative Manager
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Resident of Scottsdale
Brian Weinberger is a resident of Scottsdale and trial attorney with over 37 years of experience practicing in the Phoenix Metropolitan area. A graduate of Arizona State for his Bachelor of Science degree and of American University for his law degree, Brian is the proud father of five amazing children who are scattered from one coast to the next. Brian was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and remains an avid fan of all Philadelphia teams - for better or for worse. (Hint: It's best not to talk to him about the last Super Bowl). Brian has served as a board member and executive board member of other Jewish organizations throughout the Valley, as well on other philanthropic boards. He enjoys civic involvement and was involved first-hand in the effort to get Chase Field built for the Diamondbacks. Brian's overall passion is a desire to serve and effect positive change. Brian is honored to be considered for a position on the temple board and looks forward to the opportunity to serve
Job Titles:
- Administrative Staff Member
- Controller
Born and raised in New Jersey, Dan is married to Dana Fischpan and has two young boys, Jack, and Charlie. After finishing his MBA in finance in 2016 he and his wife moved to Scottsdale. Daniel has been a member of CBI for over three years starting shortly after his eldest son Jack joined Chanen pre-school. Daniel has worked for Apple, Merrill Lynch, tech start-ups, and now found the perfect career that suits his skill sets, a mortgage broker. Daniel has been on the boards of JNFutures and NowGen which is part of Federation and a graduate of CBI's Leadership Development Program. He is currently participating in LAS (NowGen's Leadership Advancement Series) and the JCC Valley of the Sun Leadership Program. In his free time, Dan enjoys playing tennis, golf, and chess.
Job Titles:
- Founder
- Member of the Board
David Carey Shapiro is the founder of his own law firm located in Scottsdale, Arizona - David Shapiro Law, PLLC. Providing dedicated representation to clients throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area, David focuses his practice exclusively on plaintiff's personal injury and wrongful death litigation, assisting people who have suffered losses due to the negligence of other parties. The types of cases that Mr. Shapiro has handled have involved surgical errors and other forms of medical malpractice, defective products, burn injuries, premises liability and motor vehicle accidents. Throughout his career, David has been instrumental in obtaining numerous multimillion-dollar settlements and jury awards on behalf of his clients.
A Scottsdale native, David attended The University of Arizona as an undergraduate, receiving a Bachelor of Arts cum laude in 2007. He also obtained a certificate in entrepreneurship from the school's McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship. David then went on to attend the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, where he participated in its criminal practice clinic and served clerkships with judges on the Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County before being awarded his Juris Doctor in 2010. Admitted to practice before all Arizona state courts, David is also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona.
In order to stay abreast of current developments in wrongful death and personal injury litigation, David is an active participant in several professional organizations. His memberships include the Arizona Association for Justice, the Maricopa County Bar Association, the American Association for Justice and the Attorneys Information Exchange Group. David is also active in his community, donating his time to Little Pink Houses of Hope, a nonprofit organization that provides free week-long retreats to breast cancer patients and their families and other charitable Jewish causes such as the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix and the Jewish National Fund. David and his family have been members of Congregation Beth Israel for over fifty (50) years.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Physician
Dr. Laszlo Vaszar is a physician practicing Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. Since joining CBI in 2007 he and his family have taken part in a broad range of activities and life events beyond religious services, including Camp Stein, Bat Mitzvah and confirmation, The Big Trip to Israel for teenagers, Adult Education (Torah Study), and an adult trip to Israel.
Laszlo is very committed to Jewish education across all age groups.
He and his wife Shelley have two adult daughters.
Job Titles:
- Administrative Staff Member
- Assistant Director of Jewish Life and Programming
- Assistant Director, Chanen Preschool
Job Titles:
- Director, Clergy, Administrative & Member Services
Gail has extensive experience in non-profit administration and development as well as a deep connection to the Jewish community. Gail provides administrative support to the Clergy and Robin Roeder, ensuring strong communication and scheduling with our members.
Job Titles:
- Administrative Staff Member
- Marketing and Communications Manager
Helene grew up in Rockland County, New York. She received her degrees in Education and Administration/Supervision from colleges in Florida and Alabama. has been a secular and religious school educator for over thirty years. Helene and her daughter Christie relocated to Arizona in October 2007, and became CBI members in 2010. At CBI, Helene has served on many events committees including religious education, confirmation, and the yearly Women Seder. Helene is currently volunteering on the "Women of CBI "Planning Committee. Helene was instrumental in starting the CBI's Grief Support Group, which is subsidized by The Matthew B. Harty Family Foundation. Helene is the Executor of the Matthew B. Harty Family Foundation, where she continues her late brother's philanthropic love and support for various organizations in the Phoenix community, including the Aunt Rita's Foundation. Lately, Helene has become involved with the "Better Together" program located at Gesher Disability Resources. In her spare time, Helene enjoys spending time with her daughter who is currently away at college, going to movies, traveling, decorating, and shoe shopping! Helen is truly honored to be serving on CBI's board!
Job Titles:
- Administrative Staff Member
- Music Director
Job Titles:
- Administrative Staff Member
- Associate Director, Camp Daisy and Harry Stein
After a successful career as an accountant, Joe Luber, a native of Washington, D.C., now happily calls Scottsdale his home. Joe graduated from American University with a BS Degree in Business Administration. His career included both Public and Private Accounting, having served as Controller of regional CPA firms, a Non-Profit Association, and a high-tech Security Firm. He retired as the CFO / Firm Administrator of a major Washington, D.C. based national law firm.
Since relocating to Arizona in 2012, he and his wife Sharon are active members at Congregation Beth Israel serving on various committees related to the Chanen Preschool, welcoming new members and Camp Stein. Joe and his wife are the Parents of CBI members Suzanne and Omar Treviño and their children, Kayla and Benjamin.
Lynn Frazin Lerner has been part of Congregation Beth Israel her whole life - over 50 years. Growing up at Beth Israel, she participated in the religious school, became a Bat Mitzvah, and was confirmed. She was a charter camper of Camp Charles Pearlstein, now Camp Daisy and Harry Stein. As a parent of three young adults, she has been directly involved in their religious education in religious school, the Ma'ayan high school program, and their camp involvement. All three children Jonah, Marcy, and Solomon learned so much throughout these valued programs at CBI. Lynn has spent time on the Camp Services Board and was part of the inaugural Leadership Development cohort. In her professional career she has been a High School Chemistry teacher in the Glendale Union High School District for over 25 years. As both Lynn's parents Fran & Larry Frazin and her husband Marc Lerner have served on the board and are Past Presidents, Lynn looks forward to contributing in whatever way is needed.
Job Titles:
- Administrative Staff Member
- Front Desk Receptionist
Mark, his wife Pam, and their sons David and Josh, moved from Chicago to Scottsdale in 1996. Mark owns a State Farm Insurance Agency and provides Insurance and Financial Services to clients throughout the State of Arizona. After serving in the military, Mark went on to earn a degree in Finance and Economics from US International University in San Diego, CA. Prior to starting a second career in the insurance industry, Mark was involved in their family's Kentucky bourbon distilling company. Mark values having a close connection with his Jewish community and has always been involved with his Temple. Proud grandparents, Mark and Pam now enjoy spending lots of time with their grandchildren. Both Elle and Isaac attended Chanen Preschool and are continuing on at Haberkorn Religious School, where Elle is studying for her Bat Mitzvah. Mark currently serves on the Budget and Finance Committee, and he is excited about helping to take CBI into the next 100 years and having an opportunity to build meaningful relationships with members of our temple family.
Job Titles:
- Administrative Staff Member
- Business and Retreat Manager
Job Titles:
- Rabbi
- Rabbi and Executive Educator / Rabbi Sara Mason - Barkin Was Ordained from Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion in May, 2010, After Receiving Her Masters
Rabbi Sara Mason-Barkin was ordained from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in May, 2010, after receiving her Masters Degree in Jewish Education in 2008. Prior to her studies at the Hebrew Union College, Sara earned her Bachelors Degree from Brandeis University in Sociology and Judaic Studies.
Rabbi Mason-Barkin began her career as an educator in a Jewish day school. While teaching, Sara discovered a passion for helping people of all ages find meaningful moments of Jewish connection in their own lives. This dedication to pursuing further work in the field of Jewish education led her to Jerusalem, where she began her rabbinical studies.
Originally from Buffalo, New York, Rabbi Mason-Barkin has spent significant time in Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Rabbi Mason-Barkin lives with her husband, Josh, and her three children, Charlie, Sela and Milo.
Job Titles:
- Administrative Staff Member
- Director of Youth Education and Engagement
Rachael Kaplan VanLandingham grew up at CBI and became a Bat Mitzvah on the bima of the Goldsmith Sanctuary. She spent three formative years at Camp Charles Pearlstein, and received her BA from NAU. She is truly ‘one of our own!' Since graduating and earning her certificate in elementary education, Rachael has taught at Basis Scottsdale, and most recently, she has been a first grade teacher at Pardes Jewish Day School. Rachael is so excited to return to her roots at CBI, and inspire the next generation of Jewish youth to find their own way towards a strong and confident Jewish identity. She brings excitement and energy for connecting with our elementary through high school aged students, and will also be spending time each week at Camp Stein this summer. I can't wait for you all to meet Rachael at our special consecration celebration & shabbat service tomorrow, May 6th. Rachael will begin officially on June 13th. I thank you all for warmly welcoming her (back) to CBI!
Job Titles:
- Administrative Staff Member
- Chief Communal and Executive Officer
Originally from New York, Robin relocated to Scottsdale in 1991 with her husband Cliff. Robin grew up on Long Island, and lived in Manhattan for eight years after college. Robin & Cliff have been married for over 22 years and have two daughters, Elana and Alexa, both born in Scottsdale. Robin's and her family have grown "Jewishly" with their children through Jewish pre-school, religious school, bat mitzvah, Confirmation, Hebrew High, summer camp and the NFTY EIE High School in Israel program, which they have both attended. They have been members of CBI since 1999 and have participated in the various volunteer opportunities offered at CBI including, Mitzvah Day and the Thanksgiving meal program. Robin has also served as a member of the Religious School Committee and the Camp Daisy and Harry Stein Camp Committee.
Robin holds a BS in Finance from the University of Buffalo and a Masters in Organizational Leadership from the University of Phoenix. She has worked in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods industry for the past 30 years, 22 years at Henkel Consumer Goods Inc. (acquired The Dial Corporation). She is currently the Vice President of Supply Chain Planning for North America.
She is a past Board member for the Leader to Leader Institute, Peter Drucker Institute for Non-Profit Leadership in New York (2009- 2011) and participated in various community activities including the United Way and the Crohns and Colitis Foundation. In her spare time, she enjoys tennis, yoga, travel, interior design, and keeping up with her daughters.
Job Titles:
- Administrative Staff Member
- Director
- Director of Young Family Learning and Engagement
- Principal of Chanen Preschool
Shaleen Hill, M.A., as the new Director of Young Family Learning & Engagement at CBI's Chanen Preschool. Shaleen received both her BS in Early Childhood Education and an MA in Special Education from the University of Nevada Las Vegas ("UNLV").
Shaleen brings nearly two decades of experience working with babies, toddlers and young children in both administrative and in-class roles within prestigious programs such as Las Vegas Country Day School which far exceeded our stated skills and competencies. We are confident that our children will continue to love their preschool, and our teachers will thrive under Shaleen's direction. We know when you meet Shaleen, you will immediately feel the warmth of her smile along with the embrace of her energy and spirit.
Shaleen, her husband, Ryan, and children Dion (9) and Ellie (7), recently moved from Las Vegas and are excited to call Arizona their home.
Job Titles:
- Administrative Staff Member
- Director, Camp Daisy and Harry Stein
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- President of the Board
Syd (ney B.) Saperstein is a Scottsdale resident and Congregation Beth Israel member since 2013. Currently, a retired Commercial banker, Syd turned a long-time hobby of collecting writing instruments into a pen manufacturing company with representatives in 12 countries and 10 states under the 105 year-old WAHL-EVERSHARP trademark. Syd attended Franklin and Marshall College (Lancaster, PA) and Emory University School of Law (Atlanta/Decatur, GA). Syd is married to Judi (52 years) with 2 grown children and 5 grandchildren. His hobbies include: vintage cars, vintage fountain pens, playing piano and guitar, golf.
Job Titles:
- Administrative Staff Member
- Executive Director Emeritus
Terry Taubman was the Executive Director of Congregation Beth Israel from 1989-2015. She now serves CBI as the Executive Director Emeritus. Terry has 4 children and is married to Lon Taubman, an attorney.
Job Titles:
- Administrative Staff Member
- Program and Event Manager
Job Titles:
- Accountant
- Co - Chair
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Treasurer
The Carriere Family moved to the valley from Denver in 2001. They were unaffiliated for years until the girls attended Camp Stein and fell in love with Judaism. The family, propelled by the kid's love of camp, joined CBI shortly after they returned from their first summer.
Wendy is an accountant by trade with a focus in forensic auditing. She specialized in cash protection and cash movement throughout various organizations in North America.
Wendy earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance and Tax, from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
In addition to become a CBI board member, Wendy has been the camp committee co-chair for several years as well as the teen liaison for the Youth Engagement Committee. Wendy has found a true passion and endless energy working with the youth of CBI.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Vice President
William Koslow is a transactional attorney who specializes in corporate, commercial real estate and finance matters. Additionally, he holds a real estate broker's license in Arizona.
He grew up in the Phoenix Jewish community, graduating from the Phoenix Hebrew Academy and Central High School. After graduating from Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations, William later obtained a law degree from The Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University.
He began his career practicing law in New York City before moving back to Arizona in 2008 with his wife Emily. William is an active participant in the Congregation Beth Israel community, including sitting on the Preschool Director Search Committee. William, Emily, and their two children, Ethan and Sydney, regularly attend CBI, Chanen Preschool and Haberkorn Religious School activities and have been regular attendees of Family Camp at Camp Stein.
William is enthusiastic about the opportunity to become more involved in the congregation, expanding on the already incredible growth and success of CBI and the larger Jewish community in Arizona.