TEMPLE SOLEL - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
- Member at Large
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
- VP Education
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
- Member at Large
Job Titles:
- Member at Large / Dottie Braun Cohen - Caring Community Chair
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- Religious School Coordinator
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- President of the Board of Trustees
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- Co - Chair of the Education Committee
- Member of the Board of Trustees
Howard Clark joined the Temple in April 2016. The majority of Howard's responsibilities take place behind the scenes - coding invoices, creating and running financial reports, monthly journal entries and management of the Temple's accounting and budgets just to name a few. He graduated from the University of Texas in Arlington in 2000 with a degree in Accounting and moved to Phoenix right after. Howard lives with his wife, Karen, 2 dogs (Draco and Daisy) and 2 cats (Whisky and Maduro.) When not doing accounting, Howard and his wife, Karen, volunteer with Amazing Aussies Lethal White Rescue and Phoenix Animal Care Coalition (PACC911).
Joan Giannini joined Temple Solel in April 2015 and concentrates on payroll and membership within the accounting department. She graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and also has a minor in Accounting from Centenary College in Hackettstown, NJ. Joan has over 20 years of experience in accounting, office management, and customer service. She has lived in Arizona most of her adult life. She loves exploring the wonderful sites that Arizona has to offer and spends time hiking, watching her daughter play volleyball, and taking new adventures with her family.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
- Secretary of the Board of Trustees
- Ritual Committee Chair
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
- VP Facilities and Security
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
- Director of Early Childhood Education
- Preschool Director
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
- Member at Large / Dottie Braun Cohen - Caring Community Chair
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
- Member at Large / Ex Officio Members
Job Titles:
- Director of Early Childhood Education
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
- Social Action Chair
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
- Member at Large
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
- Member at Large
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
- VP Development
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Member of the Board of Trustees
Our Executive Director Peter Pishko comes from the secular for profit world and brings years of organization and management consulting to Temple Solel. Peter, a member since 2012, also served on the Temple Solel Board of Trustees. In addition to lay leadership positions at Solel, Peter has been involved in the greater Jewish community with LimmudAZ and is a season pass holder for Valley Beit Midrash. Originally, from Albany, New York, attended the University at Albany. After 15 years of working in New York City, Peter relocated to the Valley of the Sun in 2007. Peter is a member of the National Association for Temple Administration (NATA).
Job Titles:
- Treasurer of the Board of Trustees
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
- VP Membership
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Rabbi
- Senior Rabbi / Rabbi Debbie Stiel - Associate
Rabbi Debbie Stiel is thrilled to have joined Temple Solel in 2020. She came here after serving as the rabbi of Temple Beth Sholom in Topeka, Kansas for 14 years. She also served congregations in Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska, as well as Lawrence, Kansas. Rabbi Stiel was president of the Midwest Association of Reform Rabbis for 2 years and has been active in many community organizations. She was a founding member of the Topeka chapter of Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom
and also of Be the Bridge, a Topeka group created out of concern for local immigrants. She is an alum of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality's clergy program and considers spirituality an important part of her rabbinate. In 2019 Rabbi Stiel received her honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Hebrew Union College for serving in the rabbinate for 25 years. Rabbi Stiel grew up in Dallas, Texas and received her bachelor's degree from Rice University. She was ordained at Hebrew Union College in 1994. Debbie is married to Steve Stiel who has a private therapy practice here in Phoenix. They have two sons, Micah and Jonah, who are both in their 20s.
Debbie Stiel is Associate Rabbi of Temple Solel. Before joining Solel, she served
as Rabbi of Temple Beth Sholom in Topeka, Kansas for 14 years. Previously she
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
- Rabbi
- Rabbi Linder Grew Up in Buffalo, New York and Considers Himself a Lifelong Buffalo - Booster. before Coming to Temple Solel, Rabbi Linder Served As a Rabbi at Congregation B'Nai Jehoshua Beth Elohim
- Senior Rabbi / Rabbi Debbie Stiel - Associate
John Linder grew up in Buffalo, New York and considers himself a lifelong Buffalo-booster. Though, having lived in the Valley of the Sun since 2008, he really doesn't miss shoveling snow! Before coming to Temple Solel, Rabbi Linder served as a rabbi at Congregation B'nai Jehoshua Beth Elohim in Glenview, Illinois. Rabbi Linder received a Masters in Hebrew Letters and was ordained at the Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati in 2003. A 1980 Cum Laude graduate of Amherst College, Rabbi Linder became a rabbi at age 46 after earlier careers as a community and labor organizer and as an executive in his family's scrap-metal recycling business in Buffalo. Rabbi Linder's bride of 30 years is Nancy Levy Linder, and their son, David Joel, is a recent graduate of ASU with a Master's in the Science of Healthcare Delivery and is working for a local healthcare consulting company.
Job Titles:
- Endowment Foundation Board President
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- Member of the Board of Trustees
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- Director of Raker Religious School
Tobee began her teaching career as a high school Debate Coach and Sociology teacher. Upon moving to Phoenix, she established the Jewish Resource Center and became a member of Temple Solel. Over the years at Solel, Tobee taught eighth grade, Confirmation, ran the summer camp, and was principal of Raker Religious School. She taught pre-K for one year in The Solel Preschool and then moved on to the Solel School and taught Kindergarten for seven years. Once the Solel School became the Pardes Jewish Day School, Tobee opened the middle school and had the pleasure of being at Pardes for twenty-five years. Since retiring from Pardes, Tobee is very fortunate and excited to become Director of Raker Religious School, where the students are happy and the teachers are the best! Tobee has been a member of Temple Solel since 1980. Her son Andy had his Bar Mitzvah and Confirmation here as well as her daughter Natalie. Andy is married to Hallie and has two daughters, Lily and Ella.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
Todd Herzog came to Temple Solel in January 2008, following an amazing education and earlier music career. He earned a double Bachelor's degree in Philosophy from Tufts University and in Jazz Voice from the New England Conservatory of Music. He was the concertmaster and first violin in a community orchestra and sang in a rock band while still in high school, and went on to sing with the renowned Tufts a cappella group, the Beelzebubs. Through his work with students at New Community Jewish Day School in Los Angeles, he began writing Jewish music and exploring life and spirituality through a Jewish lens. His music has received both critical and public acclaim, and has been placed in many film and television projects. His Bridging the Gap recording won Best Jewish Album in the Just Plain Folks Music Awards. Todd's children's album, Everyday Blessings, was chosen by the PJ Library to be distributed to 7500 families across the country. Todd is a multi-instrumentalist, playing guitar, piano, violin, bass, and saxophone as well as singing. He enjoys working with children. At Temple Solel, this includes song sessions and Shabbats with our Preschool students, and with the older Religious School students, he just launched The Tribe, our group of 5th-12 th grade musicians who participate in weekly t'fillah services and monthly family Shabbats. In addition to his work at Solel, Todd travels the country doing concerts, services, and Artist-in-Residence weekends. He has recently begun his studies to become ordained as a rabbi. He was fortunate enough to marry his best friend, Kerry. They live in Phoenix and share their lives with their blended family of two sons and two daughters.
Our ongoing courses include a weekly Torah study prior to Saturday morning services.