J Learn Faculty 2008-09
Rabbi Ronald Androphy earned his bachelor's degree magna cum laude from Brandeis University where he majored in economics. He received his M.A. and rabbinic ordination from Jewish Theological Seminary. He has been the rabbi of East Meadow Jewish Center for over 20 years. Rabbi Androphy is a past president of the Rabbinical Assembly of Nassau-Suffolk (and currently serves as its Av Bet Din (chief judge of conversion court), the Long Island Board of Rabbis, and the Rabbinic Advisory Committee of the UJA-Federation of Long Island. Rabbi Androphy is studying for a doctorate (D.H.L.) in Bible and Ancient Semitic Languages at JTS, and he will studied at Harvard University in Spring of 2008 as the recipient of the Daniel Jeremy Silver Fellowship.
Ann Elbirt is engaged in long term study at Drisha Institute for Jewish Education in the study of Parshanut (Biblical Exegesis). She also currently teaches an adult text study class on the Biblical books of Joshua and Judges. Ann has taught at Rambam Yeshiva, Temple Beth Shalom and Temple Israel in Massachusetts, and is an instructor of Computer Literacy and specific software programs at a technical school located in Hauppauge. Ann is a long-term teacher of Long Island’s Women’s Study class.
Debbie Friedman is a singer and songwriter who has recorded over 20 albums. Debbie is credited with creating a whole new genre of contemporary, accessible Jewish music. From the beginning of her career in the early 1970s, she has taken the prayers, teachings and melodies of the Ancient Jewish Texts and set them to contemporary music. Friedman teaches workshops, performs in concert, and writes and speaks on topics of Jewish spiritual holiness and participatory prayer. In 2007 Ms. Friedman accepted an appointment to the faculty of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion's School of Sacred Music in New York where she instructs both Rabbinic and Cantorial students. Her accomplishments have been recognized by the Conservative and Reform movements who have presented her with their most prominent awards.
Rabbi Jeni Friedman serves as the Assistant Rabbi at Temple Beth Sholom. She was ordained from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and holds an additional Master's Degree in Midrash from the JTS Graduate school. She received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Jewish Studies (Rabbinic Literature) and English Literature (Creative Writing) from the University of Judaism. After the completion of her undergraduate studies she spent two years studying at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem before entering JTS.
Rabbi Sheila B. Goloboy joined the Port Jewish Center community in August, 2007. She brings with her an enthusiasm for creating meaningful Jewish experiences and building a spiritually welcoming community. Rabbi Goloboy earned her Bachelor of Science degree, with honors, in Engineering Psychology from Tufts University, and received the school's prize in Human Engineering. She received her M.A. in Hebrew Letters in 1996 and was ordained as a rabbi from the Cincinnati campus of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1997. Following ordination, the Rabbi completed a year-long residency in chaplaincy at Children's Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, concentrating in family counseling, critical care areas, and adolescent psychiatry. As one might expect of a native Bostonian, she is a loyal Red Sox fan but respectful of other points of view.
Rabbi Jonathan L. Hecht, Ph.D ., has served Temple Chaverim since 1992. Rabbi Hecht was ordained at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion, New York, in 1987. He received his doctorate in Jewish History from New York University in 1993. Rabbi Hecht is very active in the Jewish and general community on Long Island. He is the current President of the Long Island Board of Rabbis, is on the Board of the Mid Island-Y-JCC, and has served as a Chaplain in the New York Air National Guard. He is also very involved in the Union for Reform Judaism Northeast Camps (Eisner Camp in Great Barrington, MA and Crane Lake Camp in West Stockbridge, MA). Rabbi Hecht has appeared on Television on Channel 21 and in History Channel’s Battles of the Bible. He has taught at major universities, including Hebrew Union College, the Jewish Theological Seminary, Hunter College, SUNY Stony Brook, and Hofstra University.
Lisa Kogen has been the National Education Director for Women's League for Conservative Judaism since 2003, during which time she hasexpanded the scope and quality of its educational programming. Sheholds aBA in history from Wayne State University, a BHL and MA in Jewish Studies from the University of Judaism, and an MA and M.Phil in Jewish history from the Jewish Theological Seminary where she is currently a Ph.D. candidate, alsoin Jewish history. Lisa has taught in a variety of formal and informal settings, includingthe Skirball Center for Adult Jewish Learning, JTS, the University of Winnipeg, andthe University of Hartford. She just completed a book on Jewish women, With Strength and Splendor: Jewish Women as Agents of Change that will be released in November, 2008.
Peter Pitzele, Ph.D . has his doctorate in literature from Harvard. He has taught literature at Harvard and Brooklyn College. He was trained in the methods of therapeutic theater and directed the Psychodrama Service at Four Winds Hospital for seventeen years. At that time and since he developed Bibliodrama, now recognized as a principal methodology in the field of contemporary midrash. Peter has written many articles and two books: Our Fathers’ Wells: A Personal Encounter with the Myths of Genesis, and Scripture Windows: Towards a Practice of Bibliodrama. Peter was recently and for many years an adjunct faculty member of the Jewish Theological Seminary and Union Theological Seminary. He currently is Dean of Faculty of Storahtelling, and Workshop Director for the intergenerational theater company Roots and Branches.
Rabbi Cara Weinstein Rosenthal was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary, and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a major in psychology. While at JTS, she concentrated her studies in Jewish philosophy. Rabbi Rosenthal served for two years as the spiritual leader of Congregation B’nai Israel in Freeport. She is currently working as an adult Jewish educator at various venues in the New York metropolitan area including the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School, the Nassau Community College Adult Lifelong Learning Program, and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism – METNY Regions’ Institute of Continuing Jewish Studies.
Rabbi Marvin Richardson has been the Rabbi of Jericho Jewish Center since August of 2002. He received his undergraduate degree in Physiological Psychology from Johns Hopkins University, and his M.A. in History and Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. After serving as educational director for congregations in St. Louis and Chicago, he returned to the Seminary to obtain his ordination. Following a six-year tenure as Assistant Rabbi at Ahavath Achim Synagogue in Atlanta, Georgia, Rabbi Richardson moved to Israel where he worked with various educational organizations sponsoring programs for American students in Israel. In 1996 he returned to the United States to accept a position as Associate Rabbi at the East Brunswick Jewish Center, where he served for six years before accepting his current position.
Rabbi Arnold Samlan has been a Jewish educator for over 25 years in a variety of settings. He is presently the Director of the Nassau / Queens Services of the Board of Jewish Education of Greater New York, working with schools, synagogues, youth groups, and other organizations to provide a full range of educational services and programs to the Jewish Community of the New York area. Rabbi Samlan’s academic background includes a Bachelors degree from Loyola University, Master of Social Work degree from University of Illinois and rabbinic ordination from Hebrew TheologicalCollege.
E. Joseph Septimus is abusiness consultant andteachesfor J Learn,the Melton Mini School in Westchester, Limmud NY and the Manhattan JCC Tikkun. Joe has a Masters from NYU Business School and a Bachelors in Philosophy, studied at Yeshivat Kerem B’Yavneh in Israel and Yeshiva Chaim Berlin. He is an ExecutiveBoard Member of Darkhei Noam, a progressive, halachick community in Manhattan, Treasurer of the Beth Din of America, a Wexner Heritage Fellow and an Alma NY Study group member.
Rabbi Michael Stanger is the Rabbi of the Old Westbury Hebrew Congregation where he has served since August, 2006. He was ordained from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, from where he also received an M.A. in Jewish Education. Rabbi Stanger served briefly as a Chaplain in the United States Navy and Coast Guard was a CLAL intern and engages in both Intra-religious and Inter-religious activities. Rabbi Stanger is very much involved with Jewish education both for adults and children, is currently working on a curriculum for the religious theology behind Fox’s hit television series The Simpsons, and with his spare time has pursued an interest in interfaith work and activities.
Rabbi Lawrence Troster is Director of the Fellowship program and Rabbinic Scholar-in-Residence for GreenFaith, the interfaith environmental coalition in New Jersey. Rabbi Troster co-chairs the Interfaith Partnership for the Environment of UNEP (United Nations Environment Program). He received his B.A. from the University of Toronto and his M.A. and rabbinic ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary. He is also pursuing a D. Min. in Ecological Ministries at Drew Theological School. In addition to teaching, he has lectured widely on theology, environmentalism, liturgy, bio-ethics and Judaism and modern cosmology. He has published numerous articles, including his most recent publication, “Hearing the Outcry of Mute Things: Towards a Jewish Creation Theology.”
Dr. Mervin Verbit is a sociologist who specializes in religion and in contemporary Jewish life. He has authored more than fifty journal articles, conference
papers, and research reports on various aspects of Jewish identity and the Jewish community, both in the United States and in Israel. Dr. Verbit is a professor at Touro College. He has also taught at Brooklyn College, Yeshiva University, Bar Ilan University, Hebrew University, Tel Aviv University, and the Jewish Theological Seminary. He directs the Israel Studies Project at the CUNY Graduate Center and has held numerous leadership positions, both professionally and in the Jewish community. Dr. Verbit received his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania and has his Ph.D. from Columbia University.
Rabbi Art Vernon is the Spiritual Leader of the Jewish Community Center in West Hempstead. He previously served congregations in Newark and Florham Park, New Jersey following a 27 year career in Jewish Education. In his last Jewish education position, Rabbi Vernon staffed and wrote a national study on Adult Jewish Learning forthe Jewish Education Service of North America (JESNA). Rabbi Vernon teaches adults at the Kislak Senior Adult Vacation Center of the NJ Y Camps and has taught at Kean University, Fairleigh Dickinson University and at Jewish community colleges in Cleveland and Washington, DC.
Dr. Burton L. Visotzky serves as the Nathan and Janet Appleman Professor of Midrash and Interreligious Studies at The Jewish Theological Seminary. He has served as the associate and acting dean of The JTS Graduate School and as the director of their Louis Finkelstein Institute for Religious and Social Studies. Rabbi Visotzky was the founding rabbi of the Women's League Seminary Synagogue's egalitarian worship service. Dr. Visotzky has been a visiting scholar at Oxford University as well as at myriad renowned institutions. With Bill Moyers, he developed the 1996 PBS's television series, Genesis: A Living Conversation, serving as consultant and featured on-screen participant. He was also a DreamWorks consultant on the 1998 film, Prince of Egypt. Dr. Visotzky has also authored nine books, most recently, a novel: A Delightful Compendium of Consolation.
Rabbi Andrew Warmflash assumed the pulpit of the Hewlett East Rockaway Jewish Centre in 2007 after serving as the Rabbi of the Jewish Community Center of Fort Lee, NJ and as the Senior Rabbi of Temple Emanuel in Newton, Massachusetts, the largest Conservative Synagogue in New England. He holds a Bachelor of Arts with majors in Psychology and Philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania and received his Rabbinic Ordination at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in 1980, which awarded him its Doctor of Divinity degree in 2007. Rabbi Warmflash serves on the Board of Trustees of the Schechter Institute Rabbinical School in Jerusalem and MERCAZ. He is a past co-chair of The Rabbinical Assembly Social Action Committee, was a member of the New Jersey State Commission on Racism, Racial Violence and Religious Violence, the New Jersey Interfaith Commission of NCCJ and co-chaired the Inter-Religious Leadership Group on Central American Immigration.
Rabbi Irwin Zeplowitz studied at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in Jerusalem, Los Angeles, and Cincinnati, where he was ordained as a rabbi in 1984. In July 2003, he assumed the position of Senior Rabbi at The Community Synagogue. Rabbi Zeplowitz is chair of the Central Conference of American Rabbis Joint Commission on Sustaining Rabbinic Education, is President of the Alumni Association of HUC-JIR and serves on the United Jewish Communities Rabbinic Cabinet. Rabbi Zeplowitz has lectured and taught as scholar at a number of synagogues, appeared on radio and television, as well as in a wide variety of community settings. He has had numerous articles published in journals and newspapers.
