Board
The ARJE is governed by a dedicated and passionate group of Reform educational leaders who work in a variety of Jewish education settings. The ARJE Board engages in the work of visioning, identifying trends and challenges in the world that affect Jewish education and Jewish educators and strategically addressing them.
Stacy Rosenthal, RJE (She/Her/Hers)
President
Stacy Rosenthal, RJE, served as the Religious School Director at Congregation Beth Israel in Scottsdale, Arizona for two decades. She grew up in Tucson, Arizona and is a graduate of the University of Arizona. In 2013, she earned her Master in Religious Education from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion, where she was part of the inaugural Cohort of the Executive Masters’ program. Stacy is the Director of Programs for Gesher Disability Resources and Accommodations Coordinator for Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion. She has also taught Intro to Judaism classes online for the Union for Reform Judaism for the past two years. Stacy and her husband, Greg, are proud parents of grown kids, Alex, Benjamin and Annie.
What do you love about Jewish Education/Educators?
Stacy loves making Judaism accessible to all learners and nurturing relationships between her colleagues and students.
Va'ad
Missy Bell, RJE (She/Her/Hers)
First Vice-President
Stefani Carlson (She/Her/Hers)
Vice-President for Finance
Stefani Carlson is a lifelong Jewish learner, as well as an experienced and innovative educator, leader and mentor. Since graduating from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in English Language and Literature (1990), Stefani has lived, learned, and taught in communities in Virginia, Colorado, California, New York, Texas, Illinois, and Ohio.
Stefani is a graduate of Cohort 7 of the Mandel Teacher Educator Institute (MTEI), and its partnership Graduate Certificate program in Jewish Education from the University of Cincinnati’s Center for the Study of Jewish Education. She holds a Master of Arts in Educational Studies, with a concentration in Foundations of Education and Social Change, from the University of Cincinnati. She is a member of the Network for Research in Jewish Education (NRJE) and the Association of Reform Jewish Educators (ARJE). She has published articles in Portraits of Jewish Learning: Viewing Contemporary Jewish Education Close-In, a project of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education of Brandeis University, and in the Journal of Jewish Education.
What do you love about Jewish education/educators?
I believe that Jewish Education is an incredibly powerful force for connection: between people and each other, between people and our texts and traditions, and between people and their own senses of self and spirituality.
Rabbi Joe Eiduson, RJE (He/Him/His)
Immediate Past President
Rabbi Joe Eiduson, RJE, has been the Rabbi-Educator at Congregation B’nai Shalom since 2007. Before 2007, he served as Head of School for two Jewish day schools. Joe grew up in Buffalo and is a graduate of The University of Michigan; he holds a Master of Hebrew Letters and Rabbinic ordination from Hebrew Union College and a Master in Educational Administration from Xavier University. He is pursuing a Master of Science in Mental Health Counselling at Bay Path University. Joe, an alumnus of the URJ Joseph Eisner and Goldman Union Camps, attributes much of his Jewish identity and rabbinic calling to his summers at Reform Jewish summer camps. Joe has worked in Jewish education for over thirty years, has served on the boards of PARDES, RAVSAK, Planned Parenthood, and Big Brothers, and has taught numerous workshops in Jewish education. Joe is currently a fire chaplain, call firefighter, and EMT with his local fire department and serves as treasurer of the Mass Corps of Fire Chaplains. He and his wife, Rabbi Lisa Eiduson, have found their greatest joy and fulfillment in raising their two children, Rosie and Carly, and their labrador retriever, Bailey.
What do you love about Jewish Education/Educators?
“It is all about honoring the process”
Board of Trustees
Robin Eisenberg, RJE (She/Her/Hers)
Director of Jewish Learning and Living Emerita, Temple Beth El (Boca Raton, FL)
What do you love about Jewish Education/Educators?
I love being a part of creating Jewish memories for students and their families. It is a source of pride to see those who were students now take leadership positions in the Jewish community.
Shari Isserles, RJE (She/Her/Hers)
Director of Congregational Education, The Community Synagogue (Port Washington, New York)
What do you love about Jewish Education/Educators?
I love that I get to dress up in fun costumes, and not just for Purim!
Saul Kaiserman, RJE (He/Him/His)
Doctoral Candidate, Davidson School of Education, Jewish Theological Seminary of America (New York, New York)
What do you love about Jewish Education/Educators?
Please don’t tell 12-year-old me that this is what I do for a living.
Rabbi Lisa Levenberg, RJE (She/Her/Hers)
Director of Education, Sha’ar Zahav, San Francisco’s historically LGBTQ+ synagogue (San Francisco, CA)
What do you love about Jewish Education/Educators?
I love Jewish education because it gives us the opportunity to create communities of shared purpose where people are valued and welcomed just as they are.
Rabbi Jessica Locketz, RJE (She/Her/Hers)
Community Rabbi and Educator, Rodef Shalom Congregation (Pittsburgh, PA)
What do you love about Jewish Education/Educators?
I love having the opportunity to share what is so meaningful to me - Jewish learning and living! It is an honor to teach and create connections. It is a privilege to learn and gain wisdom from my colleagues and students.
Jamie Mafdali (She/Her/Hers)
Director of Youth Engagement, Communications and Program Facilitator, Temple Dor Dorim (Weston, Florida)
What do you love about Jewish Education/Educators?
I love having a part in helping young people connect to themselves, their Judaism, and our community.
Laura Naide, RJE (She/Her/Hers)
Director of Congregational Learning, Temple Emanuel (Kensington, Maryland)
What do you love about Jewish Education/Educators?
I love being a Jewish educator because my day job is sharing Jewish values and traditions with the next generation of learners!
Laura Siegel Perpinyal, RJE (She/Her/Hers)
Director of Congregational Learning, Temple Beth-El (Northbrook, Illinois)
What do you love about Jewish Education/Educators?
Being a Jewish Educator is not only what I do, but also who I am. I am grateful that I found a calling where I can nurture a love of Jewish learning among all those in my world!
Melissa Pescatore (She/Her/Hers)
Director of Religious Education, Temple Shaari Emeth (Manalapan, New Jersey)
What do you love about Jewish Education/Educators?
What's not to love about Jewish Educators?!? Jewish Educators are endlessly creative, incredible innovators, the best problem-solvers, constantly envisioning a better future, and the most supportive colleagues whenever you need them.
Caryn Roman, RJE (She/Her/Hers)
Director of Education, Temple Sinai of Bergen County (Tenafly, New Jersey)
What do you love about Jewish Education/Educators?
That it offers us a lens through which to make meaning of our world and tools to make an impact on everything we see.
Hannah Rubin-Schlansky, RJE (She/Her/Hers)
Assistant Director, Washington University Hillel (St. Louis, Missouri)
What do you love about Jewish Education/Educators?
My favorite thing about Jewish education is wandering the aisles of Costco!
Rabbi Eve Rudin (She/Her/Hers)
Director of Education, Youth and Families, Larchmont Temple (Larchmont, New York)
What do you love about Jewish Education/Educators?
Given the state of the world, Jewish educators awaken each and every day knowing that we are trying to guide our learners to making sense of the world and live out the Jewish values of chesed and treating everyone b’tzelem Elohim – in the image of God.
Rabbi Stacy L Schlein (She/Her/Hers)
Director of Educational Capacity Building, Jewish Education Center of Cleveland (Cleveland Heights, Ohio)
What do you love about Jewish Education/Educators?
Their passion, creativity, willingness to work hard and devotion to intellectual and spiritual growth of children.
Ellie Tepper Schulman (She/Her/Hers)
Associate Director, URJ Camp Harlam (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
What do you love about Jewish Education/Educators?
At camp, I get to dance around in a tutu, help a camper through a moment of sadness, play a game of Gaga, make my body into a map of Israel, and eat a s’more, while infusing Judaism into each moment, all in ONE DAY!
Barry Shainker, RJE (He/Him/His)
Religious School Associate Director, Temple Israel of the City of New York (New York, NY)
What do you love about Jewish Education/Educators?
“My greatest reward in this field is seeing students and families smile when they attend a worship service, special program, or other community event. As Jewish educators we help to facilitate positive Jewish memories for our constituents, which in turn helps to create a stronger Jewish community."
Barb Shimansky, RJE (She/Her/Hers)
Senior Director of Judaic Studies, Temple Beth Sholom (Miami Beach, Florida)
What do you love about Jewish Education/Educators?
I love being part of “the village” teaching traditions and values that help raise an ethical generation of Jewish people!
Alison Weikel, RJE (She/Her/Hers)
Director of Education, Temple Shir Tikva (Wayland, MA)
What do you love about Jewish Education/Educators?
We have the opportunity to be caring, loving adults in our learners’ lives and to help them figure out who they are and what it means to be Jewish.
Rabbi Julia Weisz (She/Her/Hers)
(Woodland Hills, CA)
What do you love about Jewish Education/Educators?
Creating safe and brave spaces for all ages to experiment and build Jewish identities.
Beth Ellen Young, RJE (She/Her/Hers)
Director of Jewish Life, Camp Coleman (St. Paul, MN)
What do you love about Jewish Education/Educators?
I love being able to use ancient teachings and traditions to help learners of all ages find meaning and purpose in their lives today.
Honorary Members of the Board
Lisa Langer, RJE (She/Her/Hers)
Director, Strategic Congregational Initiatives, Union for Reform Judaism (Menlo Park, California)
What do you love about Jewish Education/Educators?
I love working with smart, creative, dedicated, passionate Jewish educational leaders.
Miriam Heller Stern, Ph.D. (She/Her/Hers)
Director, School of Education; Associate Professor, HUC-JIR
What do you love about Jewish Education/Educators?
I love designing Jewish education as a tool for building a creative society and fostering creative thinking.