Temple Shalom Board of Trustees
Officers
Co-President – Carol Berlin*
Co-President – Judy Levin-Charns*
Vice-President – Alyssa Brown *
Vice-President – Shelah Feiss *
Vice-President – Seth Jaffee*
Vice-President – Andrew Molinsky*
Vice-President - Sarah Ruderman Wilensky*
Treasurer - Mark Blecher*
Membership Secretary – Michelle Alkon*
Corresponding Secretary – Lovelynn Jensen
Recording Secretary - Will Korn
* Members of the Executive Committee
Trustees
Ofer Ben-Gai
Edmund Case
Elizabeth Connolly
Sharon Herrick
Will Korn
Erica Neufeld
Elizabeth Newstadt
Ellen Nussbaum
Valerie Pirri
Alyssa Saginaw
Laura Scharf
Howard Sholkin
Marci Shyavitz
Stacey Traub
Mona Yaguda-Ross
Trustees ex-officio
Past President - Fred Kraus*
Past President – Scott Birnbaum
Updates from Your Board of Trustees
For more information about the Board of Trustees, please contact Fred Kraus
Executive Committee Members
Carol Berlin
Carol and her husband Chuck joined Temple Shalom over 20 years ago. They immediately became involved with the Social Action Committee. Following her retirement from teaching in Framingham, Carol taught Hebrew at Temple Shalom. Carol and Chuck traveled on synagogue trips to Israel and Europe, as well as the Civil Rights trip to the South. Carol recently served as Financial Secretary and co-chaired the Tzedek Team. Carol’s children live in Framingham and in Winooski, VT.
Picture coming soon
Judy Levin-Charns
Bio Coming Soon
Alyssa Brown
Over the years, Alyssa has been very involved in Temple leadership starting with the Nursery School Parents Committee, then with FwYC and most recently serving on the Board and the Executive Committee. Alyssa shares responsibility for both the Lifelong Learning and Staff/HR portfolios. Professionally, Alyssa works in the Consumer Products Industry in Planning and Analytics. She and her husband Garrett live in West Newton with their three kids, Jonah, Julia and Clara and their cat, Lucy.
Shelah Feiss
Shelah, her husband Mark Likoff, and son Daniel joined Temple Shalom in 2002. She has served as co-chair of the first iteration of the temple's community organizing committee and co-chair of the social action committee. Currently, Shelah is on the Executive Committee, where she serves as liaison to the music committee. Shelah and her husband met in law school and are both practicing attorneys.She has been in practice going on 40 years, for the last 30 years specializing in family law. Her son is in the Navy, working in the nuclear propulsion program, assigned to an aircraft carrier. They love to travel, ski, hike, and read.
Andy Molinsky
Andy is a member of the Executive Committee at Temple Shalom focusing on engagement. Professionally, he is a professor, speaker, and trainer in the field of organizational psychology and global business. He lives with his wife Jen and their kids Alice, Ben, and dog Josie.
Sarah Ruderman Wilensky
As a member of the Executive Committee and Board of Trustees, Sarah heads our advancement initiatives. In her professional life Sarah is the Director of Organizational Partnerships at PJ Library, part of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. She loves to cook (and eat), read, spend time at the beach and listen to live music. Sarah lives in Newton with her spouse, 2 children and cat named Brisket.
Mark Blecher
As treasurer of Temple Shalom, Mark is responsible for the Temple Shalom budget. Mark works in partnership with the Finance Committee presenting an annual budget to the Temple Board. The partnership among Mark, the Finance Committee, executive director, and Board of Trustees ensures our budget reflects Temple priorities and is maintained throughout the year.
Fred Kraus
As immediate past president of Temple Shalom, Fred serves a trusted thought partner for the senior professional staff and executive committee. Professionally, Fred leads product management at a software company. He and his wife Jaimie live in West Newton with their eighth grader Alissa, fifth grader Lucas, and dog Zoey.
Additional Committees
Budget and Finance
Oversees the management of the finance, prepares the annual budget and recommends dues.
Caring Community
Organizes volunteer opportunities for our members to reach out in times of joy and sadness.
Engagement
Deepens the engagement of congregants and prospective members throughout in synagogue life.
House
Maintains and operates the real estate and property of the congregation and supervises the purchase of all fine arts, furnishings and supplies.
Interfaith Connection
Engages and supports interfaith families and members exploring Judaism through special programming and individual support.
Music
Works with the cantor to enhance the appreciation of music in our worship and in our secular activities through music programs and concerts.
Religious Practices
Provides guidance and assistance to the Temple’s clergy for services and other religious practices.
SHACHARIT Parent Advisory Committee
Collaborates with the K-6 education staff to support the SHACHARIT program and advise the professional leadership about ways to make our K-6 program most successful
Social Action
Organizes projects and activities focusing on Tikkun Olam - repairing the world.
