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BOARD OFFICERS

Jill Cohen, President of Board of Trustees

I am honored to serve as the Board of Trustees President at Temple Israel of Hollywood. I have served as a Trustee since 2015, and prior to that was a member of the Education Commission and served as an ambassador for the Day School. I previously served as Co-Chair of the Senior Rabbi Search Committee. TIOH has been my family’s second home since moving to Los Angeles from New York in 2008. Both of our sons attended the Day School and became Bar Mitzvah at TIOH. We traveled to Israel on the TIOH family trip with Rabbi Missaghieh in 2013. Professionally I am a family mediator and collaborative attorney in private practice.

Aliza Reder, Vice President Education

My family and I were graciously welcomed into the Temple Israel community almost a decade ago and have felt at home here ever since. We began with Parent and Me classes, then our children went through the Bay Nimoy Early Childhood Center, and we are presently enjoying life as family and students of Briskin Elementary School. Personally, I have been a member of the ECC Parent Association, the Education Commission, and am currently co-chair of Briskin Elementary School’s Parent Association. In my professional life, I am a practicing attorney. 

I am honored to serve as a member of the Board of Trustees for Temple Israel of Hollywood and look forward to continuing to be an active member of this community.  

Stephanie Bressler, Vice President Development

My husband Jason and I have been members of Temple Israel of Hollywood for fourteen years. Currently I serve as VP of Development on the Board of Trustees. Our sons, Holden and Lincoln, are proud alums of the Bay Nimoy ECC, and current students in the TIOH Religious School.  Our daughter Marni is in the ECC. TIOH is truly our home!

Professionally, I am the west coast advancement officer for PJ Library, a project of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.

Renee Wolf, Vice President Social Action

My family joined TIOH in 2012, when my sons, Eli and Sam, started Kindergarten at the Day School.  I love this community, and I am so grateful to serve on the Board of Trustees as the Vice President of Social Action.  Having served on the Social Justice Core Team and Chesed Committee, along with being a co-chair of the TIOH Christmas Dinner Committee, I am honored to be stepping into this role at TIOH. My involvement in TIOH has gone on for many years. I have been a parent ambassador for the Day School, a frequent attendee of the Women’s Retreats and Co-Chair of the Civic Engagement Committee. I believe volunteering in these leadership positions keeps me connected to TIOH and gives me a greater sense of giving back to the Los Angeles community. So much so, I also serve on the Board of Trustees of Milken Community School, where my sons attend high school. 

Professionally, I am an attorney and recently retired from my role as Senior Vice President & General Counsel of Warner Bros. International Television Distribution Inc. 

Lisa Druker, Vice President Membership Engagement

It is an honor to serve Temple Israel of Hollywood as the VP of Membership Engagement. It is a really exciting opportunity to share the joy I have found at the temple with other new members finding their way in our community. I found the Bay Nimoy ECC as a new mom, when I enrolled our youngest son in the Parent & Me program. My husband and I could not imagine all that this wonderful community offered – from lifelong friends to meaningful Shabbats to being part of a synagogue with a true commitment to helping others. We feel lucky to be part of Temple Israel.

Our oldest son graduated from the Bay-Nimoy ECC and is now in the Religious School, and our youngest son is currently in the ECC. The amazing teachers & curriculum have helped us instill lifelong Jewish values into our sons’ lives, and we are forever grateful for that. I am proud to serve as the Philanthropy Chair on the NS Executive Committee and as a member of the FYEC Committee. I previously served as Co-Chair of the Executive Director Search Committee.

Mendes Napoli, Vice President Personnel

My family and I have been members of Temple Israel of Hollywood for more than 15 years. We are proud parents of twins, both of whom graduated from the TIOH Day School in June of 2019. Over the years our attachment to this wonderful synagogue and community has only grown deeper and deeper.

I am very pleased to have served on the TIOH board of trustees for over seven years, a role that allows me to give back to our community on a regular basis. Currently I am Vice President of Personnel and on the Executive Committee. These assignments allow me to put my 40 plus years of business and media experience to work.

For the past 26 years I have owned and served as President of Napoli Management Group a Beverly Hills based talent agency that represents more than 600 television news journalists and cable TV show hosts from all over the country. In addition, my experience in the media industry includes corporate news and station management positions at various broadcast companies and television stations. I am proud to put my knowledge and expertise to work for the TIOH community.

As a convert to Judaism, and as a Jew by choice, it is my honor and privilege to serve Temple Israel. We are blessed with wonderful clergy, an expert staff and an amazing congregation; one that I am very proud to be a part of.

Roger Kumble, Vice President Arts & Programming

When my wife Mary and I attended a Tot Shabbat in 2004, we knew our Synagogue shopping days had come to an end. We were hooked from that moment. Our three kids (Grace, Beatrice  and Charlie) are graduates of the ECC and Briskin and now attend Oakwood. Since joining TIOH, Mary has chaired several galas and events for the school and is currently a parent ambassador. Back in the day, I chaired the Chaverim Tovim committee for two years.

I make my living working as a writer/director for movies and TV, though my claim to fame is directing the TIOH Virtual High Holidays during the 2020 pandemic.   As the VP of the Arts, I hope to class up the joint with some Catskills-type culture stuff.  You’re in good hands!

Jamie Rubin, Vice President Governance and Operations

It is a privilege to serve as a Trustee of Temple Israel of Hollywood. My family’s relationship to TIOH began in 2008 when my husband and I attended a Tot Shabbat and enrolled our eldest daughter in a Parent & Me music class. At the time, we thought we were just dipping our toes in the water of synagogue membership; we had no idea we would soon be picked up by and pulled into the jet stream of this wonderful community. TIOH has set me on a path of spirituality and activism, introduced me to some of my best friends, taught me to play mah jongg, and supported me through major and minor life transitions.

At TIOH, I have been a nursery school parent, a day school parent, and a religious school parent. I chaired the Family Youth and Education Commission for two years and have been a longtime supporter of the Lunch Project, our monthly service project delivering hot meals to those in need. I’m also co-chair of the Transition Committee and serve on the Membership Taskforce. 

My service on the board has been an incredible learning experience. I’m grateful for the mentorship other members have provided, and the opportunity to shape the future of a place my husband, daughters, and I hold so dear.

Rachel T. Shapiro, Secretary

I am thrilled to join the Board of Trustees of Temple Israel of Hollywood. Originally from Boston, I moved to Los Angeles in 1993. After my son Benjamin was born in 2010, we started attending family services and Parent and Me classes at TIOH. Immediately, I knew I had found the right synagogue for my family to join. My son is now entering 5th grade at Briskin Elementary School, and we have both fallen in love with TIOH’s warm and inviting community. I have been involved with the school and the synagogue in a variety of volunteer positions including Senior Rabbi Search Committee, Social Action Task Force, Co-Chair of the Social Justice Phone Bank, Gala Committee, Briskin Class Room Parent, Briskin Welcome Committee, Briskin Parent Ambassador, and Volunteer for just about every school function there is.

This past year Benjamin and I both volunteered at the Christmas Dinner and that was a wonderful community experience. Outside of TIOH, I serve as a Friend of Good + Foundation. Professionally, I have worked as a Talent Agent at William Morris, a Talent Manager at Anonymous Content, and SVP of PR, Marketing, and Special Events agency Harrison & Shriftman. Currently, I am a casting consultant with Network Entertainment, a Canadian documentary, and docu-series production company. I look forward to continuing to serve the TIOH community as a member of the Board of Trustees.

Avi Kamienny, Treasurer

I am honored to serve on the Temple Israel of Hollywood Board of Trustees. Currently, I am Treasurer. My wife Sherise and I began our TIOH journey when our daughter Sophie was born, as we sought a Jewish community our family could call home.  Sherise and I both grew up in the neighborhood, attended Hancock Park Elementary School together, and met again years later on a blind date.  Sophie and Sherise began with Parent and Me, and Sophie continued with TIOH pre-school and then graduated from the day school.  Sophie was actively involved in HoTY and served as the Co-President in her senior year.  Over the last several years, I have participated on TIOH’s finance committee and have previously served on the Nominating Committee.  Professionally, I am a Managing Director focusing on corporate taxation at Deloitte LLP, a global professional services firm.

Mindy Tankel, Assistant Treasurer

The future of Judaism lies in our youth, which makes me feel incredibly honored to serve on the board of Temple Israel of Hollywood as Chair of the Family Youth Education Commission. Our family has been a member at TIOH since our recently Bar Mitzvah’d son, Samuel, started in the Early Childhood Center in 2009. He, along with our daughter, Sadie, have truly grown up at TIOH learning about Judaism, themselves and our community. I have previously served on the membership committee, nominating committee and FYEC.

Outside of TIOH, I was treasurer followed by two years as President of Friends of Wonderland, boosting participation in our annual giving campaign to 100% and raising close to a million dollars a year for our local and beloved elementary school. On the professional side, I am a Wealth Manager at Aspiriant, an independent investment advisor, helping clients envision and realize their legacy through customized financial planning and investments.

During my rare but cherished free time, I enjoy the company of my husband, Mike, our two middle schoolers, Samuel and Sadie, and our friendly rescue mutt, Gizmo.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

David Baron

My family has been members of Temple Israel for nearly 20 years. Along with my wife, Chris Bubser, we have had the great joy of putting both of our children, Sam and Ellie, through the Nursery School, Day School, and Teen Program and watching them become Bar and Bat Mitzvah on the TIOH bima. I have been active in many other Temple activities, including fundraising for the schools; advising the schools on their technology programs; TIOH Patrons; and members of a Havarah that include some of our closest friends in the world! The Temple community is a home for us and having the opportunity to serve on the Board of Trustees is a great honor and privilege. I look forward to continuing to support an organization that has given so much to me and my family.

Professionally, I have been at the intersection of entertainment and technology for nearly 30 years in various creative, technical, business, and operational roles. I have been working at Hulu since its founding, overseeing the delivery, processing, and publishing of all content for Hulu’s Live and On-Demand services. Before Hulu, I had stints at Fox, Paramount, and Microsoft where I was part of exploring new businesses and technologies in the distribution of media and entertainment. Since 1992, I have also been an adjunct faculty member in the Business and Film schools of USC, teaching a course on The Effect of New Technologies on the Media and Entertainment Industries.

Ricka Fisher

It is my honor to serve on the Board of Trustees at Temple Israel of Hollywood.  My husband Albert and I joined TIOH nearly 30 years ago and we treasure many sweet memories. Joyously we celebrated our daughter as a Bat Mitzvah, then following with her Confirmation class and, with our hearts full, her marriage on the same Bima in 2017.

Over these decades, it has been comforting and insightful to discover the myriad talents and skills of our extraordinary Rabbis. Joining the Board at this juncture is especially exciting as we all experience the transition to our new Senior Rabbi Mari Chernow.   My busy professional life curbed my active participation in the TIOH community. For over 25 years I was a Producer and/or Development Executive making TV movies & miniseries. I held senior positions at independent companies, NBC-TV and Disney Studios. In 2005 I made a huge career change to return to my theatre roots, my first love, and all my training and education.  I joined a small nonprofit project that was quietly working to restore and ‘reimagine’ the landmark historic Beverly Hills Post Office.  Soon I was Director of Development, supervising the $70million Capital Campaign that launched and opened the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.

I retired in 2014 so that I could finally engage with all the interests and projects that were long my personal goals.  This newfound freedom has allowed me to commit myself more than ever to TIOH and to be of service to a very special community.

Leemore Kushner

Dorrie LaMarr

Serving on the board of trustees at Temple Israel is an honor. My service is inspired by the Temple’s commitment to diversity and social justice as well as the collective and open relationship among clergy, staff, lay leaders and all the families of TIOH. As a trustee, I have served on the Nursery School Director search committee, multiple nominating committees, as past Co-Chair of the Family and Youth Education Commission, am involved in social justice work and the annual TIOH Christmas dinner project. I also serve as board secretary. My family has been part of the Temple Israel community for over a decade, where our gratitude for an enriching and meaningful experience of Jewish life continues to grow every day. Our connection to the Religious School has been a thriving arena of engagement for all of us, providing an intellectual, spiritual and social base for our children.

I am grateful to be a part of a synagogue that continues to grow and where the entire TIOH community is always at the forefront of progressive Jewish thought. Professionally, I am a marriage and family therapist, specializing in early intervention work with children and families

Sharra Lebov

I joined Temple Israel of Hollywood in 2012 when my first child began a Parent and Me class. I was part of the Early Childhood Center Parent Association throughout my children’s time there. Today both of my children attend the Briskin Elementary School. Currently, I serve as an auxiliary member of the Board of Trustees as Co-Chair of the Education Commission Committee. In this role, I support both heads of school and work on a myriad of initiatives throughout the year in conjunction with ten parent members of the committee, Director of the ECC and Head of School for Briskin. Additionally, I have co-chaired the Party Book for the last five years.

With close to two decades of experience in communications in New York and Los Angeles, I work as a publicist and strategic partner at IHPR – a fashion + lifestyle PR Agency in West Hollywood, strategically communicating messaging across all media platforms on behalf of the brands they retain.

Allan Marks

I am honored to serve as a Trustee of Temple Israel of Hollywood. My wife Mara Cohen and I have been members of the congregation for over 18 years. Our daughter, a graduate of the TIOH Nursery and Day schools, became Bat Mitzvah at TIOH, following in the footsteps of her grandfather, who celebrated his Bar Mitzvah at TIOH over 80 years ago. The Temple’s deep commitment to social justice and learning have stimulated us in many ways. We have developed close personal friendships with other families through the schools, study programs, and social justice groups here. I feel blessed to belong to such a diverse, warm and caring community – one built on compassion, intelligence, and integrity.

Professionally, I am a partner at Milbank LLP where my practice covers on a wide range of development, financing, and corporate transactions in the energy and infrastructure sectors. I am also a lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley Law School, and Haas School of Business. Thank you to Temple Israel of Hollywood for the opportunity to give back to this wonderful community.

Dani Modisett

Dani Klein Modisett is one of the newer members of the TIOH board and very happy to be of service to this community. She’s been a member of TIOH for nearly 20 years. Both of her sons were in the pre-school and the religious school. Having spent some of her formative years in Connecticut in the early 80’s where her parents – as post WWII Jewish people – had more of a “don’t tell if they don’t ask” approach to their religion, she never could have imagined that she would one day serve on a Temple board. She will be forever grateful to TIOH for helping her raise young men who are proud of being Jewish and for supporting her personal passion of creating community through shared laughter. She is the founder/CEO of Laughter On Call and the author of the books, “Take My Spouse, Please,” and “Afterbirth…stories you won’t read in a parenting magazine.”

Polina Reyblatt

Greg Roth

Jonathan Shikora

t is my honor to serve as a Trustee of Temple Israel of Hollywood. My wife Meredith and I have been members of the congregation for over 10 years. We started with parent and me classes just after our daughter Macie was born and then she and our son Max both graduated from the Bay Nimoy ECC. In our time at TIOH, my wife and I and our kids have made lifelong friendships with amazing families from all over Los Angeles. Our family is truly lucky to have discovered this wonderful community that shares our sense of social responsibility, Jewish spirituality, and culture of community. And we love the singing!

Professionally, I am a partner at Lichter, Grossman, Nichols, Adler, Feldman and Clark. I represent writers, actors, directors, producers, and production companies along a broad spectrum of matters in the motion picture, television, and new media industries. Before that, I was at CBS Productions, preceded by O’Melveny and Myers in Century City. 

I grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and am a proud graduate of the University of Wisconsin in Madison as both an undergraduate and for Law School.

Lauren Eber Spottl

My husband Marty and I have been members of TIOH since 2012, when our first child started attending Parent and Me programs, and we determined that this was the community where we wanted to raise our children.  Marty and I both lost parents unexpectedly in 2013 and immediately felt the magic of the TIOH community, when the Rabbis and congregants jumped in to help us through that challenging time.  Now, after many great years in the TIOH Early Childhood Center and Parent and Me programs, our kids attend the Briskin Elementary School of TIOH, where they are thriving.

As a nursery school parent, I served on the school’s Social Action Committee, as well as the Playground Committee that kicked off the redesign of the TIOH play spaces.  In addition, I served on the Nursery School Director search committee. I joined the TIOH Board of Trustees in 2018, and I serve on the Education Commission, the Social Justice Coalition, the Social Justice Core Team, and the Senior Rabbi Search Auxiliary Group.  In my professional life, I have served as Vice President and Senior Litigation Counsel at Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., since 2015.  Previously, I worked at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, doing complex commercial litigation and antitrust work.  I also serve on the Board of Directors of Hillel at UCLA.  As for Marty, you can find him most Sundays on the softball field, playing shortstop and hitting line drives for the TIOH Softball Team.

Francine Tansey

As an only child of Holocaust survivors, I grew up here in Los Angeles, my family and
extended family living in close proximity. So community, and especially my Jewish
community, is very important to me.

My TIOH life began the day my mother passed away. Having attended services here
a few years prior, my husband Michael and I knew that this is the community we
wanted to join. At that time our twin boys, Sam and Ross, were just turning two, and
we had hopes of them attending Briskin Elementary. This came to pass, along with
their B’nei Mitzvah and participation in the Teen Program. My immersion in TIOH life
was off and running. In 2013 our family traveled to Israel with Rabbi Missaghieh and
other TIOH families. Michael joined Rabbi Rosove on two other trips – to Cuba and
Eastern Europe. 2016 was a wake-up call and the strong Social Justice arm of TIOH
called to me. From phone banking to joining the Social Justice Coalition and cochairing
the Immigration and Refugee Core Team, I became and remain committed.
This year I lead the TIOH Sponsor Circle, assisting a family from Afghanistan to begin
their new life in the United States. It has been an incredibly rewarding experience.
Prior to being an active volunteer parent and congregant, I worked in both the film and
real estate industries.

As a new member of the Board of Trustees, I look forward to continuing my
involvement with this sacred institution.

Melissa Turetzky

My family and I joined Temple Israel in 2007 soon after attending the Parent & Me class with my first son, Max. We continued on to the Nursery School and then the Day school, where our family found a home and thrived within the TIOH community. My 2 sons, Max and Jack, have now graduated and attend Harvard-Westlake school and my daughter Alexa is still attending Briskin. I have volunteered for many different positions within the Day school, including co-chair of the DSPA (Day School Parent Association), Parent Ambassador, where I led tours for incoming potential families, The Welcome Committee for new families coming into Briskin, and I co-chair the annual Book Fair.  I have served in the past as an auxiliary member of the Board through my position as co-chair of the Education Commission and now  I am pleased to serve as a Trustee. In my professional life, I worked in product marketing for 20 years for a Fortune 500 company.

David Weiner

Auxiliary Officers

Jonny Mars, Past President & Hillside Council Chair
Annie Lascoe, Yachad
Aliza Lesser, President, Women of TIOH (WoTIOH)
Natalie Bernstein, Talia Hertzog-Henry, & Stella Sosnow, Co-Presidents, Hollywood Temple Youth (HoTY)
Lindsay Goldfine, Dan Nieman RSPA Co-Chairs
Laurie Sandel, Lisa Susser, BESTPA Co-Chairs
Jessica Shultz, Amanda Witman, NSPA Co-Chairs

Past Presidents

Ellen Aprill, Gail Asch, Samuel Bischoff*, Bernard Briskin*, Irving Briskin*, Samuel Briskin*, Samuel Broidy*, Irwin Buchalter*, Herman Burke*, I.E. Chadwick*, Lewis Ciener, Hon. David Coleman*, Bruce Corwin*, Sherrill Corwin*, Maurice Douek, Ben Englander*, Harold L. Fleischer*, Julius Fligelman*, J.P. Fox*, Gene Friedman*, Ronald Goodman*, Keri Hausner, Joe Herman*, Michael Holland*, Phyllis Klein, Robin Kramer, Steven Krell, Samuel Lembark*, Walter Maier*, Jonny Mars, Susan Meyer, Herman Moskowitz*, Charles J. Mund*, Geraldine Mund, Bruce Rauch*, Thelma Cohen Samulon, Leon Schlesinger*, Heidi Segal, M. J. Siegel*, William Simon, Steven Sloan, John Stone*, Phillip Wain*, Jack Weiner*, Harry L. Weiss*, Sol M. Wurtzel*, Lester Ziffren*

*z’l may the memory of those no longer with us be a blessing

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