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Nominating Committee Report
Pursuant to the Sinai Temple Bylaws, President Steve Weiss appointed
the following individuals to serve on the 2007 Nominating Committee with
him: Linda Kay, Dave Roberts, Glenn Markenson, Diane Friedberg.
At the March 22, 2007 meeting of the Sinai Temple Board of Trustees,
the Nominating Committee submitted, and the Board approved the following
slate of candidates for election at the June 14, 2007 Congregational
Meeting.
Executive Committee 2007 - 2008
President: Dave Roberts
1st Vice President: Rina Miller
Vice President: Roberta Hillenberg-Gang
Vice President: Jeffrey Cossin
Treasurer: Joel Bertuzzi
Financial Secretary: Bobi Steingart
Recording Secretary: Ann Jacobs
Board position commencing June 1, 2007 through May 31, 2009:
David Frank
Rickie Leiter
Jackie Neiman
Board position commencing June 1, 2007 through May 31, 2010:
Mel Chafetz
Marlene Gordon
Steve Katz
Belle Rita Novak
Joel Solomon
Mark Stone
Laurie Weinberg
Pursuant to Article V, Section 3 of the Sinai Temple Bylaws, notice is
hereby given to the members of Sinai Temple that this slate will be presented
for election at the annual meeting of the Congregation on June 14, 2007
to be held at Sinai Temple. Additional nominations may be made in writing
at least 14 days prior to this meeting by petition of at least 20 persons
entitled to vote at meetings of the Congregation who are in good standing.
Assuming all nominees are elected, here are the board members
and their respective terms of office. The board members are grouped in
accordance with their term of office.
Board of Directors for 2007-2008
2005-2008 |
2006-2009 |
2007-2010 |
Nick Ciciretti |
Andy Chaet |
Mel Chafetz |
Diane Friedberg |
George Dickstein |
Marlene Gordon |
Susan Goldman |
David Frank |
Steve Katz |
Peter Greenberg |
Laura Klein |
Belle Rita Novak |
Howard Kalodner |
Rickie Leiter |
Joel Solomon |
Andy Moskovitz |
Elaine Nathan |
Mark Stone |
Sandy Suib-Dutcher |
Jackie Neiman |
Laurie Weinberg |
MEET THE NOMINEES:
David Roberts, President (2007 – 2009)
A member of Sinai for over 10 years, Dave has most recently served as
Treasurer, First Vice President, and as Chairman of the Cemetery Committee.
He has a B.A. degree in Sociology and Political Science and an MBA degree
with a concentration in Accounting. Retired, Dave is a former Senior
Vice President of Fannie Mae in Washington, D.C. where he managed a staff
of over 460 and an annual operating budget exceeding $50 million. Dave
grew up on a farm in Indiana and is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force,
serving in Texas, Turkey, Berlin, and at the National Security Agency.
Dave is a former pilot, an avid reader, and a golf enthusiast. He lives
in Somers with his wife, Carol.
Rina Miller, First Vice President (2007 – 2009)
Rina, her husband, Joe Hershon, and their two children (David,18, and
Ariel,16) have been members of the Sinai Temple community since 1981.
Rina currently serves as one of the Temple's three Vice Presidents. Among
other responsibilities, she has been a Member of the Board of Trustees
for six years, Project Coordin ator of the Scroll of Life Memorial Plaque,
and Chairperson of the Personnel Committee.
In addition to her volunteer work at Sinai Temple, Rina has been involved
with the National Council of Jewish Women, the Young Women's Division
of the Federation, the J.C.C. Maccabbi Games, and the Western Massachusetts
Collaborative Practice Group. A practicing attorney in Springfield, Rina
specializes in family law and collaborative law.
Roberta Hillenberg-Gang, Vice President (2007 – 2009)
Roberta, her husband David Gang and sons Jonathan and Nicholas have been
members of Sinai Temple for 15 years. Roberta has served on the Board
of Trustees for the past six years, the Executive Board for the past
two years and, previously, produced the Sinai bulletin. Roberta also
serves on the Hadassah Chapter of Greater Springfield Board and the Western
Massachusetts Community Advisory Committee of Planned Parenthood. She
serves as a Go-FIT mentor, has chaired the Rays of Hope Walkathon, developed
the design concepts for the < st1:PlaceName>Hatikvah Holocaust
Center's permanent exhibit, served as Co-President of the Springfield
League of Women Voters and was a board member of the George Walter Vincent
Smith Art Museum’s Art Rental Gallery.
Roberta is a graphic designer who holds a B.F.A. in Fine Art from Carnegie
Mellon University and the San Francisco Art Institute and a B.F.A. in
Design from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif. She worked
as a corporate designer for Corning Glass, an Art Director for the Polaroid
Corp., a Design Director for Springfield College, and ran her own design
consulting business with a focus on college and private school admission
and alumni marketing.
Jeffrey Cossin, Vice President (2007 – 2009)
A member of Sinai Temple since he was a student in the Religious School “many
years ago.” Jeffrey has served on the Board of Trustees for several
years. He currently is Chair of the Committee on Membership/Synagogue
Community and Co-chair of the Shalom Committee. He has served on the
Religious School Committee and is currently on the Ritual Committee and
Sustaining Membership Committee. Jeffrey can be fou nd every Saturday
morning at Torah Study! A physician, he is married to Robin, and they
have three children, Elizabeth, Talia, and Zev.
Joel Bertuzzi, Treasurer (2007 – 2009)
Joel has been a member of Sinai Temple with his wife Betsy and children,
Matthew, Jared and Jillian since 1996 when they relocated to Longmeadow
from Arizona. He works for a local real estate investment firm, Aspen
Square Management, and handles condominium development opportunities,
property sales, real estate taxes and insurance for the company. His
business experience meshes well with his Treasury duties at Sinai Temple.
Joel also participates in the temple adult education committee and is
a regular at Torah study on Saturday mornings.
When he’s not at Sinai, Joel enjoys sculling on the Connecticut
River, scuba diving and traveling. Joel was a Lieutenant in the US Navy
where he was a nuclear engineer on a submarine. He has many interesting
stories about secret submarine activities . . . which he can’t
share with us!
Bobi Steingart, Financial Secretary (2007 – 2009)
Bobi and her husband Richard have been members of Sinai for over 20 years.
Their children have been Bar and Bat Mitzvahed with Cantor Mekler and
Rabbi Shapiro. Bobi has been active with the Social Action Committee
and organized the cooks and servers for Loaves and Fishes soup kitchen
as well as organized the Summer Food Drive for the Open Pantry. Bobi
is a former teacher, having retired from teaching at the JCC Preschool.
She is active in the Red Cross and enjoys spending time with her family,
walking in half marathons, reading and learning through travel.
Ann Jacobs, Recording Secretary (2007 – 2009)
Ann has been a member of Sinai Temple for 18 years and has served as
recording secretary for the last two years, having served on the board
for several years before that. Previously, she has served as chair of
the Shalom Committee and the Second Night Seder Committee and worked
on numerous other committees.
Ann received her bachelor’s degree in journalism from Marquette
University and is a copy editor at The Republican in Springfield. She
enjoys antiquing, quilting and reading in her spare time. She lives in
the Forest Park section of Springfield with her husband Paul and is the
mother of Ben, 26, and Alison, 23, who both went through Sinai's religious
school and completed Confirmation.
David Frank, Board of Trustees (2007 – 2009)
David and his wife Diane have been members of Sinai for 15 years. His
parents, Edward and Iris, as well as his grandparents, Helen and Irving
Roth, were longtime Sinai members. David grew up in Longmeadow and had
his Bar Mitzvah at Sinai. He has a BA Degree in Sociology from Westfield
State. For the past 25 years, he has been employed selling Orthopedic
Devices and Med/Surg Products. David was recently promoted to Asepsis
Specialist Northeast Region at 3M Healthcare. David coached football
at LHS in 1992. He, Diane, a nurse practitioner with Vascular Services
of Western New England in Springfield, and their daughter, Jacqueline
live in Longmeadow. Jacqueline, who is five years old, is currently in
JCC Pre School and will attend Kindergarten at Heritage Academy this
fall.
Rickie Leiter, Board of Trustees (2007 – 2009)
Rickie, currently the chair of the Ritual Committee, has been involved
in other synagogue activities since joining Sinai. In addition, Rickie
is an elected member to the National Board of Hadassah and chairs its
Young Judea Alumni Relations Department. She has been a moving force
in National Hadassah’s Pikuach Nefesh initiative, encouraging organ
donor awareness among the Jewish community especially.
Rickie grew up in Western Massachusetts, involved in her community. She
attended undergraduate school in Israel and received her Masters of Social
Work from the University of Connecticut. Rickie worked for the Dana Farber
Cancer Institute in its Jimmy Fund development office in Western Massachusetts
and works part time in her husband’s dental office. She enjoys
designing and creating jewelry, which is sold in local stores and galleries
in Florida. Rickie is married to Jeffrey Leiter. Their son, Adam, was
active in Sinai’s youth programs & served as a Religious School
teacher.
Jackie Neiman, Board of Trustees (2007 – 2009)
Jackie, her husband Michael and their children Aaron (12) and Madeleine
(10) have been members of Sinai Temple for six years. During that time
Jackie has been active in a wide variety of temple activities and projects
including co-chairing the 75th Anniversary Social Action Committee, co-chairing
the Washington School Playground Building Project, serving on the Estate
Sale Committee and most recently chairing the 75th Anniversary Student
Art Project (the large tile mosaic hanging in the Oneg Shabbat room).
Jackie can sometimes be seen fulfilling her lifelong love of p erforming
(or perhaps it is her love of public humiliation) in recent Purim plays.
However the moment that made Jackie feel most connected to Sinai Temple
was when she became a Bat Mitzvah this past December as part of the adult
B’not Mitzvah class.
Jackie and her family have been residents of Longmeadow since 1999 where
her children attend public school. Jackie has been very involved in both
community and school organizations serving first as vice-president of
Longmeadow Newcomers Club and then as President of both Center School
and Blueberry Hill Schools’ PTOs.
Jackie is a speech pathologist by profession, having earned her B.S.
from the University of Wisconsin (go Badgers!) and her M.A. from Northwestern
University in Chicago. She currently works as a therapist in an early
intervention program and occasionally moonlights as an adjunct professor
at Elms College. In her free time she enjoys making jewelry, reading,
traveling and enjoying life with her husband and children.
Mel Chafetz, Board of Trustees (2007 – 2010)
Mel has been a member of Sinai Temple since 1985. During that time he
has served on the Religious School Committee, Board of Directors, Executive
Committee and has been vice president and president of the Temple. He
co-chaired Project Soul with Steve Weiss. He and his wife, Beth, co-chaired
the first Israeli Art Show and are co-chairing it again this fall. Mel
has also served on the Springfield Federation B oard and was chair of
its education committee. Mel and Beth live in Suffield, Conn. He is currently
the principal of the McAlister Intermediate School in Suffield. His daughter,
Jessie is graduating this spring from the Massachusetts College of Art
and his daughter, Elana, is finishing her second year of teaching eighth
grade with the Canton, Conn. schools. Beth is also an eighth-grade teacher
with the Suffield Schools.
Marlene Gordon, Board of Trustees (2007 – 2010)
A member of Sinai for 22 years, Marlene has most recently served as co-chair
of the Mission Statement Committee, a member of the Membership committee,
and as a member of the Board of Trustees. She has also previously served
on the Executive Committee as Financial Secretary and Vice President.
Marlene has a B.A. degree in Elementary Education and a M.Ed. in Learning
and Behavior Disorders, and currently teaches preschool at the Jewish
Community Center. Marlene and her husband, Jim, are both originally from
Louisville, Ky., and have lived in Longmeadow for 25 years. They have
three daughters, each of whom attended Religious School, became a Bat
Mitzah, and was confirmed at Sinai.
Steve Katz, Board of Trustees (2007 – 2010)
Steve has been a member of Sinai for more than 15 years. He lives in
East Longmeadow with his wife, Phyllis, a teacher at the Religious School,
and their children Samantha (22), Nicholas (19), Theodore (15) and Andrew
(10). He holds a B.A. in English/History, a M.A. in Journalism, and a
law degree. He has been a lawyer at MassMutual for the past 25 years,
specializing in bankruptcy/"workout" matters. He grew up in
Queens, New York, and remains a passionate supporter of the Mets and
Jets. Steve has been a volunteer for Rachel's Table for more than 13
years, and has participated in several volunteer projects for Habitat
for Humanity and the Mass. Association for the Blind. He enjoys running,
travel, reading, community theater, fishing and coaching kids sports.
Belle Rita Novak, Board of Trustees (2007 – 2010)
Born in New York, Belle Rita moved to Longmeadow at age 7. She attended
Longmeadow schools through high school and Boston University for 1 ½ years. &n
bsp;She married Leonard Novak at Sinai Temple in March 1961 and moved
to Manchester, NH. Belle Rita has three children, David, Jeffrey, and
Jennifer. Lenny died in 1973. Belle Rita moved to California in 1976,
returning to Longmeadow in 1981. She moved to Springfield in 1984 and
graduated from UMASS in 1986.
Belle Rita has been involved in many volunteer activities. She has worked
as an insurance agent, and several other jobs over the years. For the
past 10 years she has had her own business, Your Fairy Godmother, where
she says, “I’ll do anything for anyone as long as it’s
legal and I want to do it.” She is the proud grandmother of Alex
and Evan Novak.
Joel Solomon, Board of Trustees (2007 – 2010)
As a third generation member of Sinai, the temple has been a big part
of Joel Solomon’s life. His grandparents, the late Rebecca and
Herman Steinberg, were founding members of Sinai Temple. Joel has been
a life-long member of Sinai. In addition to attending Sinai Temple’s
Religious School, he was Bar Mitzvah’d and Confirmed at Sinai.
Joel and his wife, Lynn, were married at Sinai Temple in 1994. Joel has
served on the membership committee in 2001, has been on Sinai’s
Religious School Committee since 2003 and has chaired the Single Session
Sunday School Sub-Committee and served on the House Committee from 2002
- 2006. He is also a member of the Occasional Sinai Band. Joel is President
of Superior Industrial Products Corp., a distributor of industrial maintenance
supplies in West Springfield. Joel, his wife Lynn, and his children Abigail
(9) and Dena (5) live in Longmeadow.
Mark Stone, Board of Trustees (2007 – 2010)
Mark has been a life-long member of Sinai Temple and represents the third
generation of his family to belong to the congregation. His involvement
at Sinai includes being a member of the Religious School Committee, Co-Chair
of the Sinai Temple Furniture Sale and serving on several sub committees.
Mark attended UMASS at Lowell where he received his BS in Management
Information Systems. He is the President of Northeast System Design,
Inc. a computer and network integration company located in East Longmeadow
that he started 19 years ago. Mark currently lives in Longmeadow with
his wife Melanie and his children Andrew, 11, and Lauren, 9.
Laurie Weinberg, Board of Trustees (2007 – 2010)
Laurie Weinberg has been a member of Sinai since 1985. She and her four
children have all had Bar or Bat Mitzvahs at Sinai, beginning with Waverly
in 1991 and ending with Laurie in 2006. She is currently chairperson
of the Adult Education Committee. She has taught an adult Hebrew class,
and co-chaired the 2006 Women's Torah program. Laurie is a clinical psychologist
in private practice in Longmeadow and lives in Wilbraham. She has four
children Waverly, Jesse (now Oren), Lane, and Courtney and two grandchildren.
Laurie loves to read and dabble in piano, knitting and quilting.
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