REFORM JEWISH - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Assistant to the Director of Rabbinic Education and Support Services
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
I have a question about my dues: CCAR Controller, Jaqui Dellaria 212-542-8790 I need to discuss dues relief: CCAR Dues Chair, Beth Schwartz 865 898-9544 I have a question about convention: CCAR Director of Rabbinic Education and Support Services, Rabbi Betsy Torop 212-542-8803
Job Titles:
- Publishing Assistant, CCAR Press
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Ex - Officio
- Senior Advisor for Ethics for the Central Conference of American Rabbis
David Kasakove is Senior Advisor for Ethics for the Central Conference of American Rabbis. David is an attorney with over 25 years of litigation experience, most recently as senior counsel and partner at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP, where he focused his practice on dispute resolution concerning the fiduciary duties of trustees, executors, and partners. He also did extensive pro bono work representing refugees seeking asylum.
David has broad leadership experience in the Reform movement. A graduate of HUC-JIR School of Education (New York 1987), David served as associate director of the UAHC's Department of Education where he was in charge of the editorial development of text books and media, and regularly wrote for Reform Judaism magazine. As a lay leader, he recently served on the Board of Trustees of the Union for Reform Judaism, including appointments to the Rabbinical Placement Commission, Congregational Ethics Task Force, and co-chair of the URJ's Greater NYC Community.
A resident of Park Slope, Brooklyn, David is an active member of Congregation Beth Elohim, where he served as its president (2008-2011), chaired its ritual committee, and chaired or was a member of senior and assistant rabbi search committees. He now teaches students at CBE's religious school about prayer, Torah, and Jewish values.
Job Titles:
- President of HUC - JIR / Rabbi Richard Jacobs, URJ / President, URJ
Job Titles:
- Controller
- CCAR Controller
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Chief Operating Officer
- New York State Certified Public Accountant
Laurie Pinho is the Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Operating Officer of the CCAR. In her current position, Ms. Pinho is responsible for overseeing the finance department of the CCAR, as well as the daily operations including the human resources functions of the CCAR office. She joined the CCAR in 2007, bringing with her a strong background in finance and management. At the CCAR, she previously held positions as Assistant Comptroller, and then as Comptroller.
Ms. Pinho is a New York State Certified Public Accountant. She has earned her MBA in Accounting from Bernard M. Baruch College in New York City, and she did her undergraduate work at Stockton College in Pomona, New Jersey.
She lives in New Jersey with her husband and two daughters.
Job Titles:
- Director of Development
- Director of Development of the Central Conference of American Rabbis
Lisa Tobin is the Director of Development of the Central Conference of American Rabbis. Prior to working at CCAR, Lisa worked at the Jewish National Fund in the Israel Advocacy and Education Department. She has worked extensively in the Jewish community at the Foundation for Jewish Camp, as a camp director for NJY Camps and at Jewish Federations in Baltimore and Connecticut.
Lisa has earned an M.A. in Special Education (NYU), an MSW (University of Maryland) and an MA in Jewish Studies (Baltimore Hebrew University). Lisa is a licensed social worker and educator. She lives in West Orange, NJ with her family of six.
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Ex - Officio
Job Titles:
- Director of Advancement for the CCAR
Pamela Goldstein is the Director of Advancement for the CCAR. She joined CCAR in November 2021. As Director of Advancement, she is overseeing the development department and partnering with the CEO to achieve long and short term fundraising roles.
Ms. Goldstein earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to joining the staff at CCAR, Ms. Goldstein was Director of Development at Central Synagogue in Manhattan.
She lives in Morristown, New Jersey with her husband and is the mother of two young adults.
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Member of the ETHICS PROCESS REVIEW COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
- WRN Board Member
Job Titles:
- Chairman of ETHICS COMMITTEE
Job Titles:
- Chairman - Elect
- Chairman of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Ex - Officio
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the ETHICS COMMITTEE
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Ex - Officio
Job Titles:
- Rabbi
- Trustee
- Trustee / Rabbi Cookie Lea Olshein / Trustee
Job Titles:
- Member of the ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
Job Titles:
- Rabbi
- Vice President Organizational Relationships / Rabbi Carla Fenves / Vice President Membership
Job Titles:
- Member of the ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
Job Titles:
- Member of the ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
- CCAR Director of Rabbinic Education and Support Services
- Director of Rabbinic Education and Support Services
- Ex - Officio
Rabbi Betsy Torop was ordained at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, OH in 1990. Following her ordination, Rabbi Torop served as a rabbi in Melbourne, Australia for 8 years, first as an assistant rabbi at Temple Beth Israel and then with her husband, Rabbi Michael Torop, at the Leo Baeck Centre. Upon returning to the United States, Rabbi Torop served as the Director of Jewish Life and Learning at the Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center in Roslyn, NY and as Rabbi at Congregation Shir Shalom in Bradenton, FL before becoming the Rabbi at Congregation Beth Shalom in 2003. Rabbi Torop has contributed a study guide on Pirke Avot to the UAHC Significant Jewish Books Initiative and a commentary on Exodus, Chapter 1 to Beginning the Journey: Toward a Women's Commentary on Torah. She is a past chair of the CCAR Convention and has previously served as a CCAR board member and dues chair. She is the mother of three children.
I'd like information about getting involved with the CCAR:
CCAR Director of Rabbinic Education and Support Services, Rabbi Betsy Torop 212-542-8803
Job Titles:
- Member of the ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
Job Titles:
- Rabbi
- Vice President Organizational Relationships / Rabbi Carla Fenves / Vice President Membership
Job Titles:
- Member of the ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Member of the ETHICS PROCESS REVIEW COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
Job Titles:
- Rabbi
- Vice President Finance
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
Job Titles:
- Rabbi
- Interim Mentoring Program Specialist
Job Titles:
- Rabbi
- Interim Director of Congregational Search Services
Rabbi Hirsch brings a tremendous wealth of experience working with congregations to this role. She is beginning her fortieth year in the rabbinate and has held both congregational and organizational positions. During the past seven years, she has served as interim rabbi at Temple Shaaray Tefila in NYC, The Village Temple, and most recently at Temple Israel of New Rochelle. Prior to her work as an interim rabbi, Deborah was the rabbi of East End Temple, and she began her rabbinic career at Temple Beth-El of Great Neck. In 2000, Deborah served the URJ as director of the Greater New York Council of Reform Synagogues, and in 2003 she assumed the position of Director of Regions. During her tenure at the URJ, Deborah guided numerous congregations during their rabbinic search processes. Deborah has been active in the CCAR for many years, serving as Finance Officer, Interim Ethics Chair, and chair of the nominating and audit committees. Deborah was ordained from the Cincinnati campus of HUC-JIR in 1982, received her Doctor of Ministry degree in 1997, and was awarded her Doctor of Divinity degree in 2007.
Job Titles:
- Member of the ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Member of the ETHICS PROCESS REVIEW COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
Job Titles:
- Rabbi
- Acting Interim Program Specialist
Job Titles:
- Rabbi
- Special Advisor for Member Support and Counseling
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
Job Titles:
- Chairman of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Member of the Board of Trustees
- President Elect
- Rabbi
- Chairman / Rabbi Sue Levi Elwell
- Ex - Officio
Job Titles:
- Co - Executive Vice President of NAORRR
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
- Chief Executive of Central Conference of American Rabbis
- Ex - Officio
She served as Educator at the Brooklyn Heights Synagogue from 1990-1996, and was the Adjunct Rabbi there from 1998-2019. Since 1998, Rabbi Person has been the High Holy Day Rabbi of Congregation B'nai Olam, Fire Island Pines, NY.
Before coming to the CCAR, Rabbi Person was the Editor-in-Chief of URJ Books and Music, where she was responsible for the revision of The Torah: A Modern Commentary (2005) and the publication of many significant projects, including the Aleph Isn't Tough adult Hebrew series and Mitkadem: Hebrew for Youth as well as several award-winning children's books. While at URJ, she was also the Managing Editor of The Torah: A Women's Commentary, named the National Jewish Book Award Book of the Year in 2008.
Rabbi Person is also the co-author of Stories of Heaven and Earth: Bible Heroes in Contemporary Children's Literature and as well as co-editor of That You May Live Long: Caring for Your Aging Parents, Caring for Yourself, and Editor of The Mitzvah of Healing. Her essays and poems have been published in various anthologies and journals, including Bridges: A Jewish Feminist Journal, upstreet, Encyclopedia of Jewish American Popular Culture, Women and Judaism, The Continuum Encyclopedia of Children's Literature, and The Women's Haftarah Commentary. Links to her many OpEds are listed below.
Rabbi Person lives in Brooklyn, NY, and is the mother of two young adults.
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Member of the ETHICS PROCESS REVIEW COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Member of the ETHICS BOARD of APPEALS COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
Job Titles:
- Rabbi
- Trustee
- Trustee / Rabbi Nikki DeBlosi / Trustee
Job Titles:
- Rabbi
- Vice President Program
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Member of the ETHICS PROCESS REVIEW COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- President of the Board of Trustees
- Rabbi
- Ex - Officio
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
Job Titles:
- Member of the ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Member of the ETHICS PROCESS REVIEW COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
Job Titles:
- Member of the ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
Job Titles:
- Member of the ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
- Interim Director of Rabbinic Career Services
Rabbi Weinberg brings deep compassion and spiritual leadership to this role, in addition to many years of experience in the rabbinate. He is newly retired rabbi emeritus of Temple Beth Israel in Skokie, IL, where he served since 1987. He has served in a leadership role in numerous local and national Jewish and interfaith organizations, and he has long been active on the faculty of the Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute camp with special attention to Chalutzim - OSRUI's flagship intensive Hebrew immersion program. Currently Michael is a Senior Fellow of the Shalom Hartman Institute's Rabbinic Leadership Initiative and serves as co-chair of the Rabbinic Action Committee of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago.
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Member of the ETHICS BOARD of APPEALS COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
Job Titles:
- Chairman of ETHICS COMMITTEE
Job Titles:
- Rabbi
- Trustee
- Trustee / Rabbi Nikki DeBlosi / Trustee
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Member of the ETHICS PROCESS REVIEW COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Member of the ETHICS PROCESS REVIEW COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
- Rabbi Cookie Olshein
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Member of the ETHICS BOARD of APPEALS COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
- Trustee
Job Titles:
- Rabbi
- Special Advisor for Member Support and Counseling
Job Titles:
- President of HUC - JIR / Rabbi Richard Jacobs, URJ / President, URJ
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
- Trustee
Job Titles:
- Immediate past President
- Member of the Board of Trustees
- Rabbi
Job Titles:
- Chairman of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Chairman of the ETHICS PROCESS REVIEW COMMITTEE
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
Job Titles:
- Chairman of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Chairman of the ETHICS BOARD of APPEALS COMMITTEE
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
Job Titles:
- Rabbi
- Vice President Leadership
Job Titles:
- Member of the ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Member of the ETHICS PROCESS REVIEW COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive
- Rabbi
- Chief Executive Emeritus
Under Rabbi Fox's leadership, the CCAR renewed its focus on strengthening the Jewish community by investing in the rabbis who lead it. While Rabbi Fox was at the CCAR helm, the organization dramatically increased its support services for rabbis, including educational and spiritual offerings to meet the personal and professional needs of the rabbinate and their communities. In addition, under Rabbi Fox, the historic CCAR Press became the leading publisher of an expanded library of liturgy and resources for the Reform Movement, including cutting-edge e-publications.
Rabbi Fox brought a varied and rich background to his CCAR leadership. He was ordained at HUC-JIR in 1980 and his early rabbinic career included service at Temple Emanuel in Worcester, Massachusetts and Temple Isaiah in Lexington, Massachusetts. He later served as an adjunct rabbi of Temple Isaiah in Los Angeles where he focused his work on spiritual growth through Jewish meditation, contemplative practices, and study of sacred text.
Supplementing his rabbinic training, Rabbi Fox received his Juris Doctor degree to gain additional tangible business and legal skills. As a practicing attorney and managing partner in a Los Angeles based law firm, Rabbi Fox advised religious and secular non-profits, rabbis and cantors, congregations and other Jewish organizations on a variety of issues, such as contract matters, employment disputes, board relations, charitable gifts and grants, rabbinic wellness and other organizational concerns. He is also a trained mediator, helping to resolve many diverse and challenging disputes between rabbis, cantors, educators, and congregations.
Rabbi Fox was also actively involved in raising the profile of the CCAR to its membership and the Jewish community. He represented the CCAR at the White House on several occasions, and attended both the 2013 Inauguration of President Barack Obama and the National Prayer Service. Rabbi Fox is a sought out thought-leader in the Jewish community and in the Jewish press. He is a regular contributor to RavBlog, the blog of the Central Conference of American Rabbis.
A native of Los Angeles, Rabbi Fox has been married to Vicki Reikes Fox for more than 40 year, and they have two grown children. Vicki is a museum consultant and artist and was founding project director of the Museum of Southern Jewish History in Mississippi and the museum curator who created the current Zimmer Children's Museum in Los Angeles. She is also the author of Shalom Y'all, Images of Jewish Life in the American South, and the illustrator of Seasons for Celebration.
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Member of the ETHICS PROCESS REVIEW COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
Job Titles:
- Member of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Chairman / Rabbi Sue Levi Elwell
Job Titles:
- Chairman - Elect
- Chairman of ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Member of the ETHICS PROCESS REVIEW COMMITTEE
- Ex - Officio
Job Titles:
- Member of the ETHICS COMMITTEE
- Rabbi
Rafael Chaiken is the Director of CCAR Press. In this role, he oversees the CCAR's book publications, journal, certificates, apps, and Visual T'filah. He was previously the editor for Jewish studies, film studies, and philosophy at the State University of New York Press. His books have been winners/finalists for the National Jewish Book Awards, Jordan Schnitzer Book Awards, Foreword Indies Book of the Year, Independent Publisher Book Awards, and Canadian Jewish Literary Awards.
Originally from Albany, Rafael is a graduate of the Hebrew Academy of the Capital District. He holds a bachelor's degree from Brown University and a master's from the University at Albany, both in history. His book reviews have appeared in the Journal of Electronic Publishing and Publishing Research Quarterly. He has delivered presentations on publishing at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, Association for Jewish Studies, University at Albany, and SUNY New Paltz. He also served as chair of the Association of University Presses Professional Development Committee.
Job Titles:
- Marketing and Sales Manager, CCAR Press
Job Titles:
- Assistant to Rabbi Hara Person, Chief Executive
- Assistant to the Chief Executive
Job Titles:
- Director of Strategic Communications at the Central Conference of American Rabbis
Tamar Anitai is Director of Strategic Communications at the Central Conference of American Rabbis. Her 20-year career as a writer, editor, and communications, content, and social media strategist include roles at MTV/ Viacom - where she created one of the media company's most popular daily entertainment and social media destinations, managed a newsroom of writers and content creators, and produced video content seen by millions - and Johnson & Johnson, where she managed the company's master brand social media. As a digital leader in Edelman and Porter Novelli's New York offices, she created digital programs for a diverse portfolio of Fortune 500 companies in healthcare, retail, consumer package goods, non-profit, and tech, including eBay, HP, Unilever, T.J.Maxx, the United Nations, and the Center on Addiction.
She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from James Madison University, and her humorous, first-person views on feminism, family, and the challenges facing modern women have appeared everywhere from TODAY.com to Tuenight.com.
Tamar was raised in the Reform movement, serving on the NFTY North American Board and spending several summers at Kutz Leadership Academy as both a camper and counselor.
She was raised in Cleveland and Virginia Beach, Virginia, has lived in New York long to enough remember the 9 train, and calls Brooklyn home, where she lives with her husband, Matt, and two very large cats. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, theater, reading, writing, fitness, traveling, making jewelry, home organization, and crime podcasts.