Trustees and Staff

 

Trustees

Name

Affiliation

Rabbi Felipe Goodman
Chair

Jewish Theological Seminary

Rabbi Michael B. Greenbaum, Ed.D.
1st Vice Chair

Jewish Theological Seminary

Rabbi Tracee Rosen
Secretary

Rabbinical Assembly

Stanley M. Hochhauser, CPA
Treasurer

United Synagogue

Rabbi Jacob M. Blumenthal

Rabbinical Assembly

Hazzan Rabbi Luis U. Cattan

Cantors Assembly

Mr. Robert Greenwald

United Synagogue

Seth Horowitz, Esq.

United Synagogue

Rabbi Jonathan Medows, CPA

Rabbinical Assembly

Rabbi Joel H. Meyers

Rabbinical Assembly

Ms. Clare Peters

Jewish Theological Seminary

Ms. Dana Sharon Winer

United Synagogue

Rabbi Melinda Zalma

Jewish Theological Seminary

   

 

Observers

Name

Affiliation

Dr. Edward Edelstein, CJE

Jewish Educators Assembly

Mr. David Rothenberg

North American Association of Synagogue Executives (NAASE)

Staff

Mitchell J Smilowitz, CPA — Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Douglas Spangler — Director of Operations and Technology

Mrs. Fasia Jabar — Client Records Manager

Mr. Andrew Jabar — Communications/Client Services Senior Manager

Ms. Carmen Aviles — Executive Assistant

 

 

 

 

  
Rabbi Felipe Goodman

Chair

Rabbi Goodman is currently the Rabbi at Temple Beth Sholom in Las Vegas. Before joining Temple Beth Sholom in 1998, Rabbi Goodman served as assistant Rabbi in Comunidad Bet-El de Mexico in Mexico City, one of the largest conservative synagogues in Latin America. Rabbi Goodman’s charisma has had a profound impact on the Jewish community of Las Vegas. Attendance at Shabbat services has climbed from handfuls to hundreds, with eager, joyful numbers rising by the week. With out-of-the-box programming and by creating a true sense of being a Kehila Kedoshah, vibrant Temple Beth Sholom is anything but a synagogue of once-a-year congregants. In April 2013, Rabbi Goodman was chosen by The Daily Forward as one of America's Most Inspiring Rabbis... "36 Rabbis Shaping The 21st Century!"

  

Rabbi Michael B. Greenbaum, Ed.D.

1st Vice Chair

Rabbi Michael B. Greenbaum, Ed.D. is Vice Chancellor Emeritus of The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS). Rabbi Greenbaum’s career at the Seminary spanned some 40 years, the last 25 as the Vice Chancellor/Chief Operating Officer and as an assistant Professor of Educational Administration. Upon retirement, the Seminary awarded Rabbi Greenbaum an honorary doctorate of Humane Letters. In 1998 he received an honorary doctorate of Hebrew Letters for his work in the Rabbinate and Conservative Movement. Rabbi Greenbaum was ordained by The Jewish Theological Seminary in 1973 and earned his doctorate from Teachers College, Columbia University.

He has served as chairman of the Joint Retirement Board on two separate occasions during his tenure on the Board which began in 1974. He is the author of Louis Finkelstein and the Conservative Movement: Conflict & Growth published by the Seminary and a recognized expert on the legendary JTS Chancellor Louis Finkelstein, the Seminary and the Conservative Movement. His work in these areas has appeared in the journal Conservative Judaism; Tradition Renewed, the two volume history of the JTS.

For 34 years, Rabbi Greenbuam was privileged to share the pulpit at Temple Israel in Sharon, MA on the High Holidays. In 2008 and 2009 Newsweek named him one of the “Top Most Influential Rabbis in America.” Rabbi Greenbaum and his wife Cindy live in Teaneck, New Jersey and are members of Congregation Beth Sholom.

 

Rabbi Tracee Rosen

Secretary

Rabbi Tracee Rosen served 21 years in pulpits in Encino, CA, Salt Lake City, UT and Phoenix, AZ before retiring. She is currently a part-time hospital chaplain. She serves on the Committee of Jewish Law and Standards, the Rabbinical Assembly Investment Committee, and other Rabbinical Assembly subcommittees and interest groups. She is involved in the allocations process of the local Jewish Foundation and Federation, and enjoys participating in interfaith dialogue opportunities.

Rabbi Rosen was raised in Denver, CO and attended college at Washington University in St. Louis, where she received both a bachelor’s in Jewish Study and her MBA degrees. After a 13-year career in banking, she returned to school, attending the newly established Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles. She was ordained in 2000.

Rabbi Rosen lives in Phoenix with her wife, Keren, teenage son and pets. Her hobbies include family genealogy research, solving puzzles and collecting Jewish folktales.

 

Stanley M. Hochhauser, CPA

Treasurer

Stanley Hochhauser was the President of Bellmore Jewish Center (BJC) for 1977 and 1978. Currently, he is chairman of both the High Holiday Committee and the Budget Committee. Stanley has worked on many committees as chairpersons and members and is currently a member of the BJC board.

Stanley has served with many other religious groups. He was a board member of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ.) He was also the Financial Secretary and a Vice President of the New York Metropolitan Region of USCJ. Stanley was also the budget chairman for METNY. He served on the Metropolitan NY Region Advisory Council. Stanley was honored to begin the salute to the Israel Day Parade, sounding the shofar the entire route. This was the 29th year that he will sound the shofar at the parade.

Stanley is a Certified Public Accountant, licensed in New York State. He is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA), and is on the NYSSCPA Hospitality Industry Committee.

Stanley and his wife, Sheila, are very proud of their three children, their spouses, and their six grandchildren.

 

Rabbi Jacob M. Blumenthal

Trustee

Rabbi Jacob Blumenthal was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1999. He served as Founding Rabbi of Shaare Torah in Gaithersburg, Maryland, for over 20 years.  He has served as Chief Executive of the Rabbinical Assembly since July 2019.

 

Hazzan Rabbi Luis U. Cattan

Trustee

Uruguayan born Ḥazzan Rabbi Luis U. Cattan’s passion for Jewish music, Jewish culture, Jewish spirituality, and Israel transpires in every moment of his career. Ever since he arrived in the United States, he has been involved with the Cantors Assembly, which is the organization that, to him, represents the embodiment of his passion for Jewish music, Jewish spirituality, and Jewish education.

Ḥazzan Rabbi Cattan is currently serving at Sutton Place Synagogue in New York City. In 2020 he received his Rabbinical ordination and Master of Arts in Jewish Studies from the Academy for Jewish Religion. He is the Immediate Past President of the Cantors Assembly.

His music is the result of a blend between the Sephardic and Ashkenazic worlds. His paternal grandparents emigrated from Turkey to Uruguay in 1919. Ladino was their mother tongue. His maternal grandparents emigrated ten years later from Eastern Europe. They spoke Yiddish.

Growing up in Uruguay, he became involved in music at a very early age. He began participating in the synagogue choir at age of 11 and has been singing ever since. As a native Uruguayan he attended the Catholic University of Montevideo receiving his BA in Social Communication Sciences with a major in Advertising. He sought private instruction under the tutelage of renowned local teachers. Upon returning from Israel, where he spent a year studying, he started his Ḥazzanut training with different mentors in Uruguay and in Argentina as well. He became the Head Ḥazzan at the NCI (the largest Conservative Synagogue in Uruguay). He also served as International Vice President of Mercaz Olami (Zionist Conservative Movement) as one of the founders of the Uruguayan Branch.

In 2003 Ḥazzan Rabbi Cattan moved to the United States with his family. He served for five years in Miami Beach, Florida, at the Cuban Hebrew Congregation, where he also created a series of concerts named “Tapas, Wine and Jewish Jazz”. In 2008 he became the cantor at Beth Torah Benny Rok Campus in North Miami Beach, where he also served as education director. During that time, he released a CD named “On the Wings of Prayer” that features the eclectic style of his renditions that blend tradition with contemporary sounds of Sephardic and Ashkenazic origins. Some of the songs from that CD were also part of the last three CD’s of the Spirit Series, a joint project between the Cantors Assembly and USCJ.

 

Mr. Robert Greenwald

Trustee

Mr. Robert Greenwald is a lifelong member of Temple Israel in Wilkes Barre, PA. He served on their Board and rose to the role of president. He remains active on various committees and is passionate about inclusion and music. Mr. Greenwald serves on the Board of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism which appointed him to the JRB Board.

After graduation from the University of Pittsburgh, Robert returned home to join his father and grandfather in the family insurance business. He is now Managing Director and Partner at Hilb Group where he runs the Greenwald Berk Division. While helping to grow the business, Robert served on numerous boards in the community and was past president of the Seligman J. Strauss Lodge of B’nai B’rith and the Jewish Community Center of Wyoming Valley. He was also a member of the National UJA Young Leadership Cabinet.

Robert and his wife Nan just celebrated their 38th wedding anniversary. They are the proud parents of two daughters, Rebecca and Danielle. In the lay world, Robert enjoys opera and ice hockey -– watching only.

 

Seth Horowitz, Esq.

Trustee

Seth Horowitz is a member of Temple Israel of Great Neck and the chair or a member of various committees of the kehilla. He was previously an Officer and a Trustee. Seth is also a proud graduate of Temple Israel’s Beth HaGan nursery school, Religious School and Hebrew High School.

Seth is on the Board of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism where, among other things, he chairs the Investment Committee. Seth is also on the Board of the United Synagogue Supporting Foundation.

Seth is the principal of Seth Horowitz, PLLC, a law practice dedicated to helping individuals and companies achieve their goals at a reasonable cost. Seth started the practice following fifteen years as in-house counsel in the software industry and ten years of other in-house and private firm practice.

Seth has a J.D. from Columbia Law School and an A.B. from Harvard College.

 

Rabbi Jonathan Medows, CPA

Trustee

Jonathan Medows is the Managing Member of MEDOWS CPA, a boutique certified public accounting firm focusing on tax planning and compliance for the self-employed, small businesses and high net-worth individuals. Jonathan has been featured as an expert CPA in The New York Post, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Accounting Today, Forbes taxation blog and other publications. Prior to starting his own firm, Jonathan worked as a staff accountant in the audit division of Arthur Andersen and in the corporate restructuring group of KPMG.

Jonathan Medows is a graduate of the Stern School of Business of New York University where he received his BS and MBA and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America where he received his MA and rabbinic diploma. Mr. Medows is a certified public accountant in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.

In addition to his work at the JRB, Jonathan is involved with several Jewish charities in the New York area.

 

Rabbi Joel H. Meyers

Trustee

Rabbi Joel H. Meyers is Executive Vice President Emeritus of the Rabbinical Assembly. He is involved in a wide range of Jewish communal and interfaith projects including current service as Chairman of the World Jewish Congress, United States, and is a long time board member of the Joint Retirement Board. Rabbi Meyers was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1966 and holds several advanced degrees. He and his wife, Sandy, reside in White Plains, NY.

 

Ms. Clare Peters

Trustee

As Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance, Clare Peeters leads the business functions of the Jewish Theological Seminary and oversees the areas of human resources, finance, facilities management, information technology and legal affairs. She advises the chancellor on strategic and business-related initiatives, aligning operational and financial structures and processes with the institution’s priorities and the realization of its mission.

Prior to joining JTS in 2020, Clare held a variety of roles at the intersection of business strategy and execution with a focus on growing and transforming organizations. Previous professional experience includes corporate development and strategy positions in the book publishing industry at Random House and The Perseus Books Group and, more recently, corporate development and chief operating officer roles at Axel Johnson, Inc., a family-run direct investment company that owns and operates a diverse portfolio of businesses.

Outside of work, Clare has long been interested in mission-driven organizations and contributes her time to a number of nonprofits. She is a current board member for the Natural Areas Conservancy and president of the Harvard Business School Club of New York. Formerly, she served as a board member for Art Connects New York and a board member, co-vice president, and pro bono consultant for the Social Enterprise division of the Harvard Business School Club of New York.

She earned both a BA and an MBA from Harvard University.

 

Ms. Dana Sharon Winer

Trustee

Dana Sharon Winer is a lifelong member, past president and past Sisterhood president of Congregation Agudas Achim in Austin, TX. She has served on the USCJ Board since 2017 and is currently Vice President. She was the program chair for the 2017 USCJ biennial convention.

Dana has spent her career at Accenture, a management and technology professional services company, focusing on quality, risk management and process improvement.

Dana serves on the boards of her local Sigma Delta Tau Educational Foundation and the future Austin Community Mikveh and volunteers as a tax preparer and girl scout cookie coordinator. She enjoys spending time with her daughter and their peppy Chihuahua and the favorite pastime of Austin, watching Longhorn football.

 

Rabbi Melinda Zalma

Trustee

Rabbi Melinda Zalma serves as Manager of Programs for the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding, providing support and direction for Tanenbaum’s programs including on content creation, evaluation, expansion and growth. Now at the rank of Commander, she has served as a chaplain in the U.S. Navy Reserve Component for over 20 years. In this capacity, she advises Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard leadership in moral and spiritual matters. She also provides for the spiritual, moral and religious needs of service personnel. Her assignments include serving in the office of the Navy Chief of Chaplains and in the Religious Affairs Office to the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff. Rabbi Zalma was appointed to the JRB Board by the Jewish Theological Seminary.

Before her appointment to the Tanenbaum Center, Rabbi Zalma served as Program Director at the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York. In her work there, she brought together diverse people and organizations to build bridges and strengthen the community.

Rabbi Zalma was ordained from the Jewish Theological Seminary where she also received her Master’s in Midrash; she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Northwestern University. She lives in New York City with her husband, Adam, and two children.

 

Dr. Edward Edelstein, CJE

Observer

Dr. Edward Edelstein, CJE is the Executive Director of the Jewish Educators Assembly. “Eddie” has especially enjoyed the opportunity to work in different aspects of Jewish education and the Jewish community during the course of his career. Teaching and drawing the Jewish community closer are truly his passions. His previous work includes serving as the Headmaster of the Solomon Schechter Day School of Suffolk County, a Teacher Educator and Consultant for the Etgar Curriculum and a longtime Rosh Edah and Senior Advisor at Camp Ramah, Nyack, NY. He also served as the Director of Jewish Life and Learning for the Sid Jacobson JCC in Roslyn, NY.

Eddie has enjoyed a longtime relationship with Temple Beth El of Cedarhurst, NY where he has served as a Youth Director, Education Director and Executive Director.

Eddie holds a BA in Education and Judaic Studies from Hofstra University and an MA in Hebrew Culture and Education from New York University. He has done extensive course work at both the Jewish Theological Seminary and Hebrew University, Jerusalem. In 2007, Eddie was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Pedagogy by the Jewish Theological Seminary. Eddie and his wife Anna have two children and five wonderful grandchildren.

 

Mr. David Rothenberg

Observer

David Rothenberg has been a Synagogue Executive Director for twenty five years, recently retiring as Executive Director of Beth Am Synagogue, the largest synagogue operating in Baltimore City. Previously he had worked at other synagogues in Maryland as Executive Director — over 18 years at Beth Israel Congregation in suburban Baltimore, and 3 years at B’nai Israel Congregation in Rockville, Maryland.

David is active on the Board of Governors of the North American Association of Synagogue Executives (NAASE) where he has held various positions of leadership. NAASE has named him a Fellow in Synagogue Administration and he is one of only four active Executive Directors to have been commissioned as an Amin Tzibur by United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism and the Jewish Theological Seminary. He also participates in the Mid-Atlantic Association of Temple and Synagogue Administrators (MAATSA), being a past president. Since moving to Baltimore a little over forty years ago, David has been active in synagogue and Jewish communal life, including many years on the board of the Hebrew Free Loan of Baltimore.

Prior to entering the field of synagogue management, David held positions as Director of Finance / Administration for businesses in a variety of industries. He has a BS in Accounting and an MBA in Operations Analysis from the SUNY at Buffalo, where he grew up, and he is a CPA. He enjoys the professional challenge of synthesizing business management theory and practice with Jewish religious belief and values.

David and his wife Aliza have three sons – Jonathan (married to Alexandra), Samuel (married to Jamie), and Chanan, and two granddaughters.

 

 
Mitchell J. Smilowitz, CPA

Chief Executive Officer

Mitchell J. Smilowitz, CPA, is the Chief Executive Officer of The Joint Retirement Board for Conservative Judaism (JRB), the Plan Sponsor and Plan Administrator of the denominational retirement plan for the Conservative Movement. He joined the JRB in 2006 with over 20 years of experience in pension consulting and retirement planning. Mitch brings extensive knowledge in pension plan design, compliance, investment analysis and financial planning to the JRB. He has an MBA in Accounting and Finance and completed the Certified Financial Planning program at New York University. A former contributing editor to The CPA Journal, he has authored several articles on retirement planning and pension administration. He also lectures frequently on developing investment strategies for retirement plan assets.

Mitch is an active member of the NY State Society of CPAs and serves on the Society’s Employee Benefits and Personal Financial Planning Committees. He also is a member of the AICPA, the professional association of Certified Public Accountants, and the Association’s Personal Financial Planning Section. In addition, Mitch sits on the Board of Directors of the Church Benefits Association, an organization composed of over 50 denominational benefits programs serving clergy and “church” professionals.

In his younger days, Mitch was President of his synagogue’s USY Chapter (Temple Shalom in Westbury, NY) and lived and worked on a kibbutz in Israel for a year (Kibbutz Heftzi-Bah).

An avid runner and tennis player who enjoys jazz, classical, and Cantorial music, Mitch and his wife, Audrey Sussman, divide their time between the Upper West Side of Manhattan and the Berkshires of western Massachusetts. They are members of Ansche Chesed in New York City and the Berkshire Minyan in Great Barrington, MA. Mitch and Audrey dote on their 9 nieces and nephews and delight in their two cats and 85-lb Golden Retriever.

Mitch’s skill is in simplifying complex tax, financial and investment concepts and working with plan participants to help them achieve their financial and retirement goals. Please schedule an appointment to discuss your situation with him at 888-JRB-FREE (888-572-3733).