​Like so many of us, I rush around during the year going through the motions and accepting the distractions but not always focusing on those things closest to my heart. Often, we don’t take the time to think things through but race through life, not fully understanding or appreciating what it takes to be present. As I prepare for the holiday and during this period of Elul, my focus is on how I can enhance my life to be more present for my family and loved ones.
 
Before the Chagim start I try to find time to examine my actions and how they have affected those that I love and care for, and the impact on my surroundings. Have I been kind to my husband, family and loved ones? Have I served my community and performed the mitzvot I promised to do when I was a Bar Mitzvah. I try to live my life focused on Gemilut Chasadim (acts of loving kindness) while practicing Tikun Olam (repairing the world). When I help others , I know that my impact expands beyond that moment. Is there such a thing as a half a mitzvah? Listening deeply to others while performing a mitzvah makes our giving a true gift. 
 
So, as I reflect on the past year, I wonder if I have been present in everything I do with my heart and soul, or are there times when I just go through the motions? To be more present what do I have to do differently? Perhaps allow less distractions from events that don’t bring me satisfaction which would allow more focus on the task at hand.
 
One of the traditions during Elul is to visit a loved one’s grave and honor their memory. As I plan to visit my dad’s grave, I want to walk away remembering what he taught me and I how I can honor his life throughout the year ahead. My dad was dedicated to social action before we knew what it meant in the late 50’s, when he was one of the few white kids to share his high school locker with a black teen. My dad felt it was important to make a difference in everyone’s life with whom he had contact.  Each of us needs to ask ourselves what we are doing to touch a friend or a stranger’s life to make the world better for all. 
 
So, as we welcome 5783 let’s try to touch a few lives every week. May we all be inscribed in the Book of Life for a healthy and meaningful year full of purpose and joy. 

David Weiner
Temple Chai President

​Elul Reflection - 9.14.23 - Rabbi Koppell9/14/2023
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We have blown the shofar. We have dwelled with Psalm 27. We have immersed ourselves in these Elul meditations. And now the journey culminates in the Yamim Noraim, in these Days of Awe, these awesome days, that are upon us.
Elul, the final month of the year, is often understood as an acronym:
א.ל.ו.ל-
אני לדודי ודודי לי
Ani L'Dodi v'Dodi Li - I am my beloved and my beloved is mine.


Who is this mysterious beloved to whom we feel such a deep connection?
My beloved could be God. This is the time of year when we feel a special closeness to the Holy One as we imagine God looking over our shoulder as we consider who we are and who we want to be.


Our beloved could be our family and friends, as we renew and repair the most meaningful relationships in our lives.
Our beloved could be our community. Seeing those about whom we care so deeply, whether in person or virtually, is one of the special joys of this season.
God, Relationships, Community- these are the things that create meaning in our lives. We belong to each other.


May this be a year of blessing in all of the relationships we hold most dear.


L'Shanah Tovah u'Metukah!
Rabbi Koppell



0 CommentsElul Reflection - 9.13.23 - David Weiner9/13/2023
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Meetings, family, work, golf, volunteer work, rush here and rush there but what about me and where am I going in 5784? Now is the time for all of us to take a deep breath and look back on 5783 and define what we want out of the New Year. What do we all want to do differently?
 
I would probably be fooling myself if I asked for a slower pace because I don’t think that is realistic for me. However, I think about the 8 books stacked on my nightstand I have yet to read or how special an extra walk or bike ride would be with Robert. I know I would enjoy both of those including one extra round of golf every month. My dad would be thrilled if I would think about finding an extra 15 minutes for the elliptical! Is it possible? Of course, all of this is possible if I tell myself it is up to me and no one else. In order for me to have hope of spending extra time with my loved ones or some time exercising I must believe in change.


As I look back on the year, I count my blessings for being surrounded by a loved one and having the opportunity to help others while having the best friends one can wish for! As I reflect on what I want for the coming year there isn’t much I would change but rather ask myself, “Am I doing everything possible to live a healthy life so I can enjoy all the good fortunes I am blessed with?’. So, I guess that means a bit more exercise, a few less carbs and some time to reflect if I want to continue to enjoy life. Let’s all take charge of our own destiny and be our own change agent. We can do it in 5784!   


Shanah tovah,
​David Weiner


0 CommentsElul Reflection - 9.12.23 - Betsy Zangara9/12/2023
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I love the high holidays because they are a time to breathe, reflect, and set intentions. Yes, we can set resolutions on January 1st. But, for me, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are really the time to take stock. Sitting in the sanctuary and being moved by the beautiful melodies, the insightful sermons, and seeing so many of us together, leads me to think about the deep questions - do my priorities line up with how I have been spending my time? Have I been focusing on the right things? Is time passing by without me living the life I want? Of course, there are areas where I continue to fall short. I spend too much time on things with little impact, while sometimes giving less quality attention to those I love the most.

This year, I am working on giving myself a bit more grace. I’m not excusing bad behavior and I will keep trying to improve, but not every moment needs to be precious and being a human is hard – I will make mistakes. So, I am heading into 5784 with hopes that I will be more forgiving, patient, and kind with myself. And, if that strikes a chord with you, I hope the same for you too.


Shanah tovah,
Betsy Zangara

0 CommentsElul Reflection - 9.11.23 - Wendy Cohen9/11/2023
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September 11 is a day of deep reflection and strong emotions for me. My mother was born on September 11. I was born and raised in New York and grew up with the World Trade Center as part of the skyline I knew well. The morning of September 11, 2001 was a clear and blue skied in Washington, DC, where my family lived….an ordinary day. Until, it wasn’t. When the second plane hit the towers, I knew it was not an accident. The news in DC reported a third plane was on its way to the nation’s capital and all I could think about was my husband working four blocks west of the White House and my son in daycare. Would they be safe? So many mixed messages that day, so much fear and horror and no way to communicate as no phones worked. When the dust began to clear, it was replaced by silence. No more sounds of planes above our heads for weeks, rocket launchers on the streets of DC and numbness and shock. My family was safe, but our friend, the co-pilot of the plane that hit the Pentagon, was not. His silence would last forever. My mother refused to ever celebrate her birthday on September 11 again.

I am reminded of all the lost souls this time of year as I reflect on the past, but I also try and contemplate a future for my children that is safe and good.


Shanah tovah,
​Wendy Cohen


0 CommentsElul Reflection - 9.10.23 - Leah Lyndon9/10/2023
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The child
is made of one hundred.
The child has
a hundred languages
a hundred hands
a hundred thoughts
a hundred ways of thinking
of playing, of speaking.
A hundred always a hundred
ways of listening
of marveling of loving
a hundred joys
for singing and understanding
a hundred worlds
to discover
a hundred worlds
to invent
a hundred worlds
to dream.
The child has
a hundred languages
(and a hundred hundred hundred more)
but they steal ninety-nine.
The school and the culture
separate the head from the body.
They tell the child:
to think without hands
to do without head
to listen and not to speak
to understand without joy
to love and to marvel
only at Passover and Hanukkah.
 They tell the child:
to discover the world already there
and of the hundred
they steal ninety-nine.
They tell the child:
that work and play
reality and fantasy
science and imagination
sky and earth
reason and dream
are things
that do not belong together.
And thus they tell the child
that the hundred is not there.
The child says:
No way. The hundred is there.


(Poem adapted from Loris Malaguzzi, founder of the Reggio Emilia approach to learning which inspires the teaching and philosophy of the Temple Chai Early Childhood Center.)


Shanah tovah,
Leah Lyndon




0 CommentsElul Reflection - 9.9.23 - Cantor Wolman9/9/2023
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High Holy Days 2023/5784

Every year we approach the High Holy Days anticipating the sounds of this season. We anticipate the blast of the shofar, the melodies for Avinu Malkeinu sung by our wonderful Adult & Youth Choirs, the sounds of crisp apples being chopped, and gleeful chatter of close friends reuniting after a long summer.


In our ונתנה תוקף (Un’taneh Tokef) prayer, we are called to be present and hear the contrasting sounds of the shofar and a קול דממה דקה, a still, small voice. Finding moments of contrast between immersion in sound and withdrawal to quiet places are part of the balance that gives our days meaning.


This year, I ask you to take an extra moment to seek out this contrast. Upon leaving an active space, take a moment to seek out and dwell in silence. Notice the break you give your brain when it is no longer analyzing every day sounds. What do you hear instead? Perhaps it will be the still, small voice. 


Shanah tovah,
Cantor Wolman


0 CommentsElul Reflection - 9.8.23 - Rabbi Scott Segal9/8/2023
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Hope can be dangerous.
Not all the time of course.
I hope that the Cincinnati Bengals win the Super Bowl.
I hope that we get enough rain.
I hope that I will live long enough to see flying cars become a real thing.
I have no control over these.
I have no role to play.
So I hope.
I do not hope that our nation becomes more just, compassionate, and kind.
I do not hope that the struggles people of color, the lgbtq+ community, and other long-persecuted groups can be addressed and alleviated in substantive and significant ways.
I do not hope to see a decrease in anti-Semitism.
I do not hope for these because to “hope” implies I have no control.
To “hope” implies I have no role to play.
So as we prepare to enter the New Year of 5784 I do not hope.
I believe.
I work.
I fight.
So I no longer need to hope.
​

Shanah tovah,
Rabbi Scott Segal


0 CommentsElul Reflection - 9.7.23 - Cantor Feller9/7/2023
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You're invited to someone’s house for dinner, brunch, a gathering and your mind swiftly jumps to who will be there? what’s the dress? and what should I bring? - flowers, wine, home baked goodies - my famous chocolate chip cookie bark? (Happy to share the recipe). The greater the event the more planning goes into the details. We’ve all been in these situations; we know how it works. So, we think ahead, we prepare. And now we’re going into the Yamim Nora’im, the Days of Awe, a time both ancient and new when we will gather in our Beit T'filah, our house of prayer. You’ll see new and familiar faces, hear melodies and liturgy that can move the soul and enter a space where one can tap into the invisible line which connects Jews all over the world. It’s time to prepare.
​
What gifts will you bring into these holy days? As a community we recite our communal list of sins, “Al cheyt shechatanu l’fanecha - For the sins we have committed before You” How wonderful it would be to also recite a litany of our gifts. I offer the gift of Tolerance, Patience, Understanding, Acceptance, An open heart, Open ears, Laughter, Love. We each bring our own unique gifts. May the gifts we bring come from the heart and lift us all higher.

Shanah tovah,
Cantor Feller

0 CommentsElul Reflection - 9.6.23 - Amanda Campbell9/6/2023
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Aryeh Ben David, author of Becoming a Soulful Educator, reminds us that Jewish education “isn’t about learning; it’s about becoming.” I can learn about love and not become a loving person. I can learn about jealousy and remain jealous.” I can learn about Shabbat, yet never experience the joy of lighting Shabbat candles in my home. I can learn to decode Hebrew letters but never understand the beauty and depth of the Hebrew language. At Temple Chai Religious School, we believe if learning in and of itself is the extent of our educational goals, we are failing our students.

As I think about who I was this past year and who I would like to be in the new one ahead, I am reminded that just as we encourage our students to go beyond the text in order to become the Jewish person they want to be, as adults we must strive not only to reflect upon and learn about who we are and who we want to be, but also to take the necessary and sometimes difficult steps required to actually become that person.
May your new year be filled with both learning and becoming.

Shanah tovah,
Amanda Campbell


0 CommentsElul Reflection - 9.5.23 - Lindsay Ackerman9/5/2023
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Two quotes from my mother and Mother-in-Law, respectively:
"Begin anywhere" and "Perfection is the enemy of good."

As one contemplates the New Year, a new beginning of sorts, it is a time of reflection and anticipation, a time of thoughtfulness and new opportunity, a time to cleanse the slate and adorn it with the freshly sharpened instruments we are given to design, color, and create the future. I find these two quotes very meaningful in my life. They encourage me to not be afraid to try, to believe that just by the act of beginning I am principally putting my wheel in motion, and from that anything can, and something will, happen. It is then up to me to steer that something where I want it to go. As uncertain as that may seem, what is certain is that without the start, I know I will go nowhere and that is decisively not where I'm looking to journey. 

Shanah tovah,
Lindsay Ackerman

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BlogRabbi Emily Segal6/7/2022
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​Rabbi Emily Segal is passionate about engagement and building relationships. She is a dynamic and skilled teacher who makes each person feel seen and known. A vocal advocate, Rabbi Segal is a justice leader who puts our values into action. An author and national leader, she is an important and rising voice in the Jewish world.

Prior to joining Temple Chai as its Senior Rabbi, Rabbi Segal served as the Rabbi of Aspen Jewish Congregation in the Roaring Fork Valley of Colorado.

 Previously she served as the Associate Rabbi of Temple Jeremiah in Northfield, Illinois, in the suburbs of Chicago.  Rabbi Segal grew up in a small, tight-knit Jewish community in Virginia, nurtured by one of the first woman rabbis, and she is the proud product of an interfaith home.  Seeing her father grow in love for Judaism and passion for Jewish learning and eventually become a Jew-By-Choice was formative in her development and her path in the rabbinate.  After graduating from the University of Virginia, her studies continued at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion where she was ordained in Cincinnati in 2010.  Rabbi Segal’s rabbinic thesis was entitled “Telling and Retelling: The Women’s Seder and Ritual Innovation.”

During her time in the rabbinate, Rabbi Segal is proud to have been a Balfour Brickner Social Justice Fellow, as well as a Clergy Leadership Incubator Fellow, focusing on leading dynamic change in congregations and organizations.  She also earned an Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the Kellogg School at Northwestern as well as a certificate in supervision from the Central Conference of American Rabbis.  Rabbi Segal currently serves as Co-President of the Women’s Rabbinic Network (WRN), the international organization of Reform women rabbis which represents the more than 860 women, nonbinary, and genderfluid individuals who have been ordained in the Reform Movement and who serve Reform congregations.

Rabbi Segal’s rabbinic interests include Jewish environmental and food justice, liturgical development, ritual innovation, biblical Hebrew, Jewish feminism, Mussar (Jewish mindfulness practice) and scriptural and halakhic (Jewish law) study.  Her non-rabbinic interests include strong coffee, dark chocolate, good books, escapist baking, camping and paddle boarding, and live music.  She is married to Rabbi Scott Segal.  You can find them cooking together, dragging their young children (Samantha, 10, and Ezra, 7) on character-building hiking expeditions, and having family dance parties.





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Kelly Chaet6/2/2022
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​Kelly Chaet joined the Temple Chai ECC staff in 2017 as an infant room teacher and stepped into the role of ECC Administrative & Operations Manager in May 2022. 
 
Kelly is from Tucson, AZ.  She went to the U of A, then Graduate school in California where she got her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology.  She worked in the Adult mental health field for 11 years in Phoenix, prior to joining the team at Temple Chai. 
 
Both of Kelly’s sons attended the Temple Chai ECC from infant thru pre-k, and she felt very accepted and quickly became close with the staff and community.  Kelly loves working with preschool-age children, and working at Temple Chai has become her happy place.  She enjoys learning new ways to help children learn and witnessing their learning journey.
 
Kelly is currently enrolled in the B’nai Mitzvah class at Temple Chai.  She has been married to her husband Steven for 14 years.  They have two kids in elementary school as well as two cats.  Kelly loves kids, animals, music, reading, movies, and being outside.
 
Kelly can be reached at [email protected]. 





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Chi Isiogu9/10/2021
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Chi began her role as Program Director for Temple Chai in 2022 after joining the organization as the Shalom Center Coordinator in 2021. She brings her passion for service, experience with life cycle events, and enthusiasm for youth and adult programming to this role.
 
Chi has a breadth of work experience from accounting, to teaching art, to her time as a HR Generalist in corporate America. She also makes custom stained glass and mosaics for homes, gardens, and businesses.
 
Chi is originally from Michigan, where she earned her BA in Business and Entrepreneurship from Michigan State University. She lives in Phoenix with her husband Matthew, and daughter, Ekwi. Chi is honored to be supporting the wonderful Caring Community and other committee volunteers that help keep Temple Chai more than just a place of worship, but a community.
 
Chi can be reached at [email protected]m





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Rabbi Jim Simon7/1/2021
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After earning a law degree from Hasting School of Law, Rabbi Simon attended Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles and Cincinnati, where he was ordained in 1983. He spent over 20 years as a pulpit rabbi, primarily in Massachusetts and Florida. He also spent six years as the Regional Director of the UAHC (now URJ) Midwest Council. In 2009, Rabbi Simon became one of the first Rabbis to be trained as an Interim Rabbi by the Interim Ministry Network and the Central Conference of American Rabbis. He did additional work to earn the Advanced Certification of Professional Transition Specialist. Rabbi Simon is also a trained mediator, which has helped him greatly, first as a pulpit Rabbi and now as an Interim Rabbi, because it taught him to be a better listener. Like a good mediator, he doesn’t see himself as telling people what they have to do, but as a facilitator guiding individuals and congregations to find solutions to their problems. Prior to coming to Temple Chai, he had served as an Interim Rabbi in Florida, New Jersey, Utah, Oklahoma, New York and California. 

Rabbi Simon’s wife maintains their home base in Florida. They have 3 adult children and two grandchildren. The Rabbi’s favorite scripture verse is from the Book of Isaiah: “My house shall be a house of prayer for all people.” It reminds him that a synagogue needs to be a very inclusive and welcoming place.

Rabbi Simon can be reached at [email protected].





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Leah Lyndon6/23/2021
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Leah Lyndon comes to Temple Chai Early Childhood Center with over a decade of experience in the Early Childhood Education field. Leah has worked with children of all ages at, in a variety of capacities. After moving to Arizona in 2012 from South Florida. Leah began her journey at ASU studying speech pathology but ultimately knew this was not her path and landed a job at a preschool. This led to a life-time passion of working with children and families. 

In 2015 Leah went on her Birthright trip to Israel, which changed her path yet again, leading her to the realm of Jewish Early Childhood Education. From that time on Leah has held positions including Lead Teacher and Camp coordinator at the Martin Pear Jewish Community Center Early Child Center. Also, at the Jewish Community Center Leah worked at Shemesh Camp at The J as their Kindergarten through Fourth grade Supervisor planning trips, implementing quality systems, supporting staff, and building relationships with students and families. For a brief time, Leah also worked at Jewish Family and Children Services as a Youth and Family Specialist supporting families and children in behavioral goals, along with working with foster care families. Leah received her degree in Early Childhood Education in 2019. She is currently pursuing a certification to become an a national certified Early Childhood Director through the National Louis University’s AIM4Excellence program.

Leah is engaged to her fiancé Stephen and loves spending time with him and her their dog Luna. In her spare time Leah can be found relaxing at home watching a funny movie, or whipping up something in the kitchen! Leah truly loves the Temple Chai and the Temple Chai ECC community. She is excited to bring her knowledge and passion for Early Childhood to this thriving, open, and inclusive community!  

Leah can be reached at [email protected].





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Jessica Knight5/13/2021
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​Jessica Sarah Knight is an experienced education professional who has served in a variety of education related capacities at the private, federal and classroom levels. Most recently she served at the Martin Pear Jewish Community Center as the Director of Early Childhood Education and served at Southwest Human Development as Program Manager for Quality Initiatives and Grants Management supporting child development managers and teachers in curriculum instruction and teacher training as well as supported planning and development of monitoring of program quality initiatives. 

Previously she worked at Chanen Preschool as a Pre-Kindergarten teacher with hands-on experience in planning and conducting classroom instructional curriculum and activities for children to encourage development of their academic, social, emotional, physical, intellectual, language and communication skills.  Before teaching at Chanen she recently worked as an Interim Support Person for Fairfax County Public Schools, and prior to that as an early childhood co-teacher at the Tampa Jewish Community Center.  

She has served as a program manager and consultant for ICF International and Education Services Inc., managing a variety of projects and budgets related to national and state level Office of Head Start initiatives while gaining analytical and logistical planning experience for federal programs, initiatives, and national level conferences.  

She has an extensive background in education stemming from her beginnings as a certified ESL teacher for children and adults, having served in classrooms in the United States, Guatemala, Mexico and Japan to include serving as a U.S. Department of Defense Dependent Schools (DODDS) teacher.  She has served in the U.S. Department of Education as a program manager for evaluation and grant review processes and as an associate manager for two Presidential Initiative Comprehensive grant competitions as well as at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the Office of Head Start.  

A former elementary school teacher, Ms. Knight holds a M.S. in Community Services from Michigan State University and a B.A. in Liberal Arts and Sciences from Colorado College, where she majored in multicultural classroom education.

Jessica has been married to Ray for almost 21 years and they have 4 children, Zen (16), Rain (15), Zia/Rey (9 year old twins). She is originally from Chimayo, New Mexico and has lived in many places, moving 9 times as her husband is in the Marine Corps. She is so excited about this opportunity and looks forward to getting to know our children, families and community. 

Jessica can be reached via email at [email protected].





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Ann Spector5/12/2021
 


Ann Spector has been an active congregant of Temple Chai since 1996. She came on board with 19 years of experience in the ad specialty business. As part of the accounting team, Ann processes all incoming payments and assists with keeping membership accounts up to date. Her children Heidi and Alex were students at the Temple Chai religious school and had their bar/bat mitzvahs here. Ann and her husband Norm enjoy theater, traveling and taking long walks. At home, they enjoy spoiling their cat Lily and dog Luke.
 
Ann can be reached via email and [email protected]





Deb Behrendt3/2/2021
 


Deb Behrendt joined the Temple Chai staff as Shalom Center coordinator in 2021. Prior to that, Deb was a long-time educator, teaching English in high school and middle school.  She has been an active participant in Temple Chai activities since 2015 including volunteering as part of the Caring Community. 

Deb is currently in seminary school to become a Chaplain with her second master’s degree in theology at Chicago Theological Seminary. She has been an active member of the Jewish community for many years, serving in B’nai Brith, Hadassah, and is currently an active volunteer with Hospice of the Valley supporting their Shabbat Blessings program. Deb is passionate about supporting community and helping others.

Deb is an Arizona native and considers herself blessed to have much of her family close. Her mother, sister, and son all live in the greater Phoenix area and family gatherings happen often!
Deb holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s in Educational Leadership.  She lives with her wife, Rachel and their dog Maddie in North Scottsdale.  In her spare time she loves to practice mindfulness, meditation and hosting game nights!

​Deb can be reached via email at [email protected].





Virginia Kelly1/20/2021
 


Virginia Kelly is the Business Office Manager for Temple Chai.

Virginia can be reached via email at [email protected].







Joan Neer1/1/2021
 


Joan Neer has been working at Temple Chai since 1993 when she began teaching Hebrew and Judaica in the religious school and was the Chai Kids (Jr. Youth Group) coordinator. She provides administrative support for the rabbis and cantor and coordinates the b’nai mitzvah program. Joan is also the Judaica Shop manager. Joan and her husband Michael have 3 children and 4 grandchildren who live in Colorado, Washington and California, and visit with them as often as possible. They also have 4 Havanese dogs (Punnie, Pippin, Pitzie and Yoshi) whom they adore. Joan and Michael enjoy traveling, hiking and gardening.

​Joan can be reached via email at [email protected].


​Amanda Campbell joined the Temple Chai senior staff as Principal of Administration and Curriculum just over 4 years ago and she has been a part of the teaching staff for almost 20 years. Prior to her current position, she spent years teaching 5th and 3rd grade Hebrew and Judaica here at Temple Chai. During that time, Amanda developed curriculum, served as grade-level cooridantor, ran programs for children and parents, and served on many committees involved in programming, child-development, and teacher-training. While working in Judaic education, Amanda also taught high school and middle school English in the Paradise Valley school district.
 
Amanda grew up at Temple Chai, starting here as a student in 1st grade and continuing through her bat mitzvah, confirmation, and madrichim years. She now is happy to have her own children growing up is part of the Temple Chai family. Amanda earned her bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education with a Concentration in English Education from the University of Arizona and then earned her masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Arizona State University. She is currently enrolled in the Hebrew Union College’s Executive Master’s program and is working toward a masters in Judaic Education and Administration.


Amanda can be reached via email at [email protected].





Mary Passell1/1/2021
 


Mary Passell has been the Director for the Temple Chai Early Childhood Center since 2012. Mary has a BS in Family Studies and Child Development from the University of Arizona as well as an elementary teaching certificate from Arizona State University.  Mary has also been AMS certified in 3-6 year old Montessori education.  She is an alumni of the JECELI (Jewish Early Childhood Education Leadership Institute) Cohort 3, holds a 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training, and is trained in Mindfulness Meditation. As well as being the Director of the Temple Chai ECC, she also teaches yoga and mindfulness to the children at her school.  She has presented on Mindfulness at various conferences, including Mindfulness for Educators at the ECE-RJ Peace in our Time conference.  Mary will receive an Executive Master’s degree in Jewish Educational Leadership in May 2021. ​​


Mary can be reached via email at [email protected].





Caryn Frank1/1/2021
 


Caryn Frank has been with the Early Childhood Center since 2012. She has a degree in Sociology and has had years of experience working in early childhood programs as both a classroom educator and administrator.  As the Assistant Director, she is responsible for licensing, supporting teachers and most importantly, making sure the children, as well as their parents are all happy. Caryn and her husband, Bruce, have two children. They both enjoy baseball, traveling and spending time with family and friends.


​Caryn can be reached via email at [email protected].





Sheana Abrams1/1/2021
 


Sheana Abrams has been with Temple Chai since 2007. As the Operations Coordinator, her responsibilities include the set up and coordination of temple events, catering and facility needs for meetings and celebrations and internal support for Chai Men's Club, and Dor L'Dor. She manages the Temple calendar, Website, Echai, Maintenance staff and Temple facility. Sheana has four children and enjoys spending time with her family and traveling anywhere there is mountains, water and a beach.


​Sheana can be reached via email at [email protected].





Kaylie Medansky1/1/2021
 


Kaylie Medansky joined the Temple Chai Senior Staff in 2020 and stepped in as the Associate Executive Director in 2021.  She also acts as the Director of the Center for Social Action and Social Justice.


She is the former Executive Director at Swift Youth Foundation, an Arizona-based nonprofit that fosters positive mentor relationships between at-risk youth and college-bound teens through fun and enriching overnight camps, after school, and weekend programs.  Kaylie earned both her Bachelor’s in Ethnic Studies and Women & Gender Studies and a Master’s in Public Administration concentrating in Nonprofit Management at the University of Colorado.  Kaylie is a Phoenix native who enjoys skiing, traveling, hiking, and spending time with her husband David, their daughter, Harper and their dog, Avery.
​
Kaylie can be reached via email at [email protected].





Debbie Blyn12/31/2020
 


​Debbie Blyn joined the Temple Chai staff as Executive Director in 2019. Prior to that, she had been an active lay leader, serving as President of the congregation, member of the Board, and Chair of the Religious School Committee. 


Debbie is passionate about building community. She loves welcoming new families to our synagogue. Her favorite times at Temple Chai are when big groups gather for the High Holy Days, Mitzvah Mall, Peanut Butter & Fluff, and busy Sunday mornings with Religious School.


When she relocated to Arizona, it was at Temple Chai where her family met their closest friends. She and her husband Gary raised their two sons, Jared and Ethan, at Temple Chai. It was here that they attended Religious School, became Bar Mitzvah, and participated in youth groups. 


Debbie was born and raised in New York. She holds a BA from Binghamton University and an MBA from New York University. She had a career in financial services marketing prior to relocating to Arizona in 2006. She lives in Phoenix with her family and Cody, their Golden Retriever. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, travel, and spending time with friends and loved ones.


Debbie can be reached via email at [email protected].





Kelly Wood-Martinez12/25/2020
 
​Kelly holds the Accounts Receivable position for Temple Chai in the accounting office where her responsibilities include all incoming funds, member accounts, and the Early Childhood Center accounts.  Kelly also helps assist in a minor role with other various accounting duties.  Formerly working in the property management field along with medical and law enforcement support has given Kelly a wide range of knowledge and experience in working with many different personalities.    
​
Together with her husband Bryan, Kelly has a combined total of 5 children and 4 grandchildren living throughout California and Arizona.  Kelly enjoys spending time with her grandchildren and catching up on her favorite sports teams, particularly baseball where she enjoyed watching her son play professionally for 8 years. (Now retired).  Kelly and her husband also have a small catering business where her husband can expand on his creativity as an Executive Chef.  
Cantor Sharona Feller12/16/2020
 


Cantor Sharona Feller's innovations began with Temple Chai's development from a tiny congregation of some 180 families. Her involvement ranged from teaching b'nai mitzvah students to creating Bat Chai, the temple's women's study program, to leading its adult and children's choirs to organizing its Thanksgiving ecumenical service.


Two of her greatest accomplishments as Temple Chai's first Cantor were the development of the temple's family school and its retreat programs as well as collaborating with Rabbi Berk to create the temple's Kabbalat Shabbat service. (Temple Chai was one of the first Reform congregations in North America to eliminate the late Friday night service and to recover the tradition of Kabbalat Shabbat.)
​
Cantor Feller majored in ethnomusicology at the University of California in Los Angeles and went on to study at Hebrew Union College, making connections with area rabbis and freelancing as a cantor.


Sharona and Daniel Feller were married in August 1978. They share a deep commitment to Jewish life, devotion to family, including children Rachel, Avi and Jonathan, and a love of music.





Rabbi Bill Berk12/16/2020
 


Rabbi Bill Berk grew up in southern California. He is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley. He holds a Life-time California Teaching Credential which he earned at California State College at Hayward. He earned an MA in Hebrew and a Doctor of Divinity from the Hebrew Union College. Rabbi Berk was ordained at the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati where he won awards in homiletics and social action.


Rabbi Berk served for twenty-three years as the Senior Rabbi of Temple Chai in Phoenix, Arizona. This was a time of enormous growth and expansion for the congregation.  Rabbi Berk did pioneering work in the area of recovering prayer and Kabbalat Shabbat, adult learning, assisting Jews with special needs, developing the caring/healing congregation, and using retreats to strengthen community. In 2003 he won the Covenant Award which is given to three top Jewish educators in North America. From 2004 to 2010 Rabbi Berk was the Director of the Center for Rabbinic Enrichment for the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. Rabbi Berk joined Keshet, The Center for Educational Tourism, in September 2010. He serves as an educational consultant, outreach coordinator, and directs Keshet's Bar/Bat Mitzvah Trip programs.
​
Rabbi Berk made aliyah to Israel in 2006, and was subsequently named Rabbi Emeritus of Temple Chai. He has five children.​






​

Thoughts on the Humbling Gift of Being Honored4/18/2022
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On October 5th at 5:55 p.m., Lea Plosker called to ask if I would accept the honor of being celebrated at this year’s gala.  Will it surprise you to learn that, a) of course I said yes, and, b) I had written a draft of these remarks by 10:55 p.m.

Honor.  Kavod in Hebrew.  A word laden with meaning.  A weighty topic.  In fact, the word kavod comes from the root kaved- heavy.  It’s literally a heavy subject.

I came to Arizona in 1987 and loved Temple Chai from afar.  I was honored to speak at panel discussions and at the dedication of the sanctuary in 1992.  I walked both my daughters down the aisle to their chuppah right next door on this bimah, and celebrated my own wedding in this very room in 2016.   Kavod ha-Tzibbur, honoring the community, is a fundamental Talmudic principle.  I honor this community and its members.  I honor all of you who are here today, who have made Temple Chai the treasure that it is.

Our tradition begs us to honor every single human being as a tzelem Elohim, as the image of God. We are to treat each other with respect, give each other the benefit of the doubt, err on the side of compassion, forgive each other, believe in the possibility of teshuva, of personal growth, and shape ourselves into holy images of God.

We honor the Holy One- in the words of our prayer- “M’lo kol ha-aretz k’vodo- the whole earth is filled with God’s kavod- God’s honor, God’s glory.” (Isaiah 6:3)   We honor all of creation and are reminded never to waste the earth’s resources and to respect all creatures.  We honor each other by devoting ourselves to tikkun olam, advocating and working for freedom and justice for all.

Honoring teachers, AND, honoring students is basic to the Jewish way of life.  We read in Pirke Avot that if we learn anything from another person, we are to honor them for that teaching.  And we are urged to always treat our students with the greatest honor.  (Pirke Avot 4:15, 6:3)  “Who is wise?  The person who learns from everyone.” (Pirke Avot 4:1) I have learned from my colleagues, and I honor them for their patience with ME as I grow and learn. I am so touched that Rabbi Sarah Leah Grafstein, a friend for close to forty years, joins us here this evening.

Special thanks to Cantor Ross Wolman, without whom I never could have survived and flourished in this past year. I learn so much from ALL of you and thank you so much for studying with me in so many varied forums.  Teaching is one of my biggest joys!

Kibbud av v’em- honoring our parents, is so fundamental that it made it into the 10 commandments.  I am proud to honor my parents at this moment. They were not exactly excited when I announced my desire to be a rabbi, yet they came around to be accepting and maybe even pleased.  My dad Leo, alav ha-shalom, made a point of noting that it was at the age of 11 that I first announced my intention. He taught me by word and deed to honor friendships.  My mom Sandy does me the honor of being here this evening, and don’t think it was easy to squeeze into her schedule.  At 87, I still rely on her for wisdom and guidance, and she is still the most impatient person I ever met.  Mom- thank you for supporting me all along the way, and making your peace with my career as a rabbi, even though you thought I should be a librarian or a gym teacher.

It is a mitzvah to honor ALL of our elders. The Torah tells us,  “Rise before the aged and show honor to the elderly.”  (Leviticus 19:32) We are reminded that as we age and perhaps lose some of our capabilities, that we continue to have a vital place in the life of the community.  Being honored is a little scary- is this like a lifetime achievement award after which I am expected to retire?  Just for the record, I’m not going away just yet!  And, it’s comforting to know, as I age, that honoring elders is a priority value in Jewish tradition.

I want to honor my daughters.  They will tell you that it is not easy growing up as a rabbi’s kid.  Let alone a rabbi who was also a Soldier and could be deployed anywhere in the world at any time.  Before any family outing, the refrain was, almost always, “but first we have to stop at the hospital.”

I honor them for surviving the real challenges and I honor them for the amazing women they have become.  They are wives, they are the mothers of 4 of my incredible grandchildren, and they are accomplished professionals- Jessie Rubenstein, Director of Jewish Education at Temple Emanuel and Sarah Wypiszynski, a family physician.   I could not be more proud of you and I am just thrilled to have you here tonight to share this special moment.  I love you both SO much!

And Ron!  Talk about someone who is supportive and patient.  I first met Ron on the bimah of this sanctuary when he was the in-house drummer at our Kabbalat Shabbat service.  We had a pleasant, cordial relationship, and nothing more.  When his beloved wife Genevieve passed away, and then my beloved husband David died, it became something much more.  An incredible partnership and 5 ½ years of marriage.

In rabbinical school, when there were virtually no women rabbis, we used to be asked the question- “What do you call the husband of the rabbi?”  Our standard answer was, “Lucky.”  Today we say, “Hubbazin,” and I want to give honor to my husband who has become an amazing partner in this holy work.  Truly, I am the one who is lucky!  A very special and personal thank you to David’s sister, Laurie, and her husband Michael, who are here with us tonight from Vancouver, Canada.

I became a part of the Temple Chai family formally in 2006, when I was hired for a one-year position as your rabbi.  When the year came to a close, I cried.  No, I mean I bawled my eyes out.  Marilyn Starrett tried to console me, “But you knew it was only for one year.”  “Yes,” I replied, “but I fell in love.”  I fell in love with Temple Chai, with all of you, and it’s been a love affair ever since.

It is humbling to feel that you want to honor me.  As Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks expressed it, “The real honour is not the honour we receive but the honour we give.” The best way that you can honor me, then, is to reflect on whom do YOU honor, and why?  What are the qualities that you deem most worthy of honor? Kindness? Generosity? Devotion to Learning? Spiritual Growth? Tikkun Olam? Let’s all treat each other, our beautiful world, our community, with the deepest honor – that is the greatest gift we can offer.  My humble request- find someone here tonight whom you honor, and share with them what you admire most about them.
0 Comments
Season of Mussar1/26/2022
0 Comments
 


Questions? Contact Joan Neer
0 Comments
Rabbi Koppell's Erev Rosh Hashanah Sermon9/10/2021
0 Comments
 
0 Comments
TAPS for Private Jason Daniel Hasenauer/ TAPS for Afghanistan8/20/2021
0 Comments
 
​At Kabbalat Shabbat we reflect on the week that is drawing to a close.  My week has been consumed by images of Afghanistan, where I was privileged to spend Chanukkah on two separate tours, in Kandahar, Bagram, and an obscure Forward Operating Base on the border of Pakistan.

I think about singing, laughing, and telling stories with Soldiers for hour upon end, and disseminating Chanukkah cards made by our own Temple Chai Religious School students.  I recall SGT Secord saying, “I didn’t realize how much I was longing to connect with my people.”

When I first received the invitation to make this journey, Jessie was in her first year at Kenyon College.  Before I said yes, I called her to ask how she would feel if I was not there for her winter break.  Her reply?  “They need you more than I do.”  The answer of every military family, who sacrifice time with their loved ones in service of the United States of America.

I’m thinking about the naïve vision of bringing the blessings of democracy and freedom to the people of Afghanistan.   Chanukkah- the celebration of freedom of religious expression.  What could have been a more meaningful time to make this journey?  We even called in “Operation Enduring Freedom.”

I‘m thinking about sitting in a C-130 at the Kabul airport, my only care- when the heck would Sen. John Kerry and HIS entourage show up so that we could finally take off.  No one so desperate that they were chasing after the plane, risking their lives to be on board.

Blood and treasure.  Blood and treasure.  Blood and treasure.  I think that every veteran of Afghanistan is nurturing a broken heart heart at this moment, wondering, “For what?”  I am grateful to my colleague, Rabbi Irv Elson, who shared these words, written by Jen Sarno of the Semper Fi Fund-  “To all my OEF friends- please know that your service in Afghanistan over the past 20 years is invaluable. Your service to the freedoms of the Afghanistan people and to our own Countrymen is valuable beyond estimation. Your service is not defined by policy but is a representation of your heart and soul – protecting those that cannot protect themselves.

Please know your service was valuable.

PLEASE DO A BUDDY CHECK TODAY.

Oy.  And I’m thinking about the women, the girls.  What is to become of their hopes and dreams?  The right to an education?  To be proud of their bodies and wear what they choose?  To make their own decisions about whether to marry and to fall in love with whomever they choose?  I fear for their future.

Finally, I am haunted by the death of Private Jason Hasenaur, whose memorial ceremony I attended in Kandahar.  One of his friends talked about how they used to play rock, paper scissors in the DFAC to see who had to get up and get the next round of soda.  Another brutal reminder of the youth of these Soldiers.

There are many military traditions which are so moving.   After the prayers, speakers and scriptural readings, the “Last Roll Call”.  From the rear of the sanctuary, the First Sergeant calls the name of a few soldiers, and they respond, “Here, First Sergeant”.  SGT Smith? “Here, First Sergeant.”  LT Jones?  “Here, First Sergeant.”  Like that.

Then they call the name of the soldier to whom we pay tribute.  “Private Hasenauer”.  Silence.  “Private Jason Hasenauer”.  Silence.  “Private Jason Daniel Hasenauer.”  Silence.  A 21 gun salute and taps.  It was not easy to keep a stiff upper lip.  It is barely manageable even as I am writing about it.  After this, file by the front and render a final salute to the display which includes his boots, his helmet, his dog tags and his weapon.  The weapon stands up in the boots, the dog tags hang off of that, and the helmet, (or in this case, his red beret, as he was in special forces), sits on top of the weapon.

It feels like TAPS for Afghanistan.  (Taps is played by Gabriel Kovach)
0 Comments
High Holy Days Reflections from Rabbi Koppell8/16/2021
0 Comments
 
How do you feel about speed bumps? I don’t like them. I struggle with patience in general, and pretty much rebel against ANYTHING that gets in my way. When I was in the Army and had to do a physical fitness test, I rounded the track with my head down and my arms pumping. If I pretended I was back on the sidewalks of NYC, moving forward with alacrity, I never had to worry about passing the test. The goal was to get where I was going as fast as possible!

This past year and a half has been one speed bump after another. We wanted to move forward in our lives, yet the pandemic kept putting obstacles in our way. We were forced to slow down, to adjust our pace, to focus on being in the present, not knowing what the future would look like.  

These days of Elul are kind of like spiritual speed bumps. Let’s embrace them.  As we move towards the High Holy Days, we take the time to reflect on our relationships, our personal growth, what direction we are heading and how we might adjust our course. We step back from our never-ending rushing. In 3 weeks we will gather to welcome a new year with new possibilities. Let’s take the time to welcome and explore this moment of slowing down the hectic pace of our lives and the opportunity to look within.

Rabbi Bonnie Koppell

​
0 Comments
 
On October 5th at 5:55 p.m., Lea Plosker called to ask if I would accept the honor of being celebrated at this year’s gala.  Will it surprise you to learn that, a) of course I said yes, and, b) I had written a draft of these remarks by 10:55 p.m.

Honor.  Kavod in Hebrew.  A word laden with meaning.  A weighty topic.  In fact, the word kavod comes from the root kaved- heavy.  It’s literally a heavy subject.

I came to Arizona in 1987 and loved Temple Chai from afar.  I was honored to speak at panel discussions and at the dedication of the sanctuary in 1992.  I walked both my daughters down the aisle to their chuppah right next door on this bimah, and celebrated my own wedding in this very room in 2016.   Kavod ha-Tzibbur, honoring the community, is a fundamental Talmudic principle.  I honor this community and its members.  I honor all of you who are here today, who have made Temple Chai the treasure that it is.

Our tradition begs us to honor every single human being as a tzelem Elohim, as the image of God. We are to treat each other with respect, give each other the benefit of the doubt, err on the side of compassion, forgive each other, believe in the possibility of teshuva, of personal growth, and shape ourselves into holy images of God.

We honor the Holy One- in the words of our prayer- “M’lo kol ha-aretz k’vodo- the whole earth is filled with God’s kavod- God’s honor, God’s glory.” (Isaiah 6:3)   We honor all of creation and are reminded never to waste the earth’s resources and to respect all creatures.  We honor each other by devoting ourselves to tikkun olam, advocating and working for freedom and justice for all.

Honoring teachers, AND, honoring students is basic to the Jewish way of life.  We read in Pirke Avot that if we learn anything from another person, we are to honor them for that teaching.  And we are urged to always treat our students with the greatest honor.  (Pirke Avot 4:15, 6:3)  “Who is wise?  The person who learns from everyone.” (Pirke Avot 4:1) I have learned from my colleagues, and I honor them for their patience with ME as I grow and learn. I am so touched that Rabbi Sarah Leah Grafstein, a friend for close to forty years, joins us here this evening.

Special thanks to Cantor Ross Wolman, without whom I never could have survived and flourished in this past year. I learn so much from ALL of you and thank you so much for studying with me in so many varied forums.  Teaching is one of my biggest joys!

Kibbud av v’em- honoring our parents, is so fundamental that it made it into the 10 commandments.  I am proud to honor my parents at this moment. They were not exactly excited when I announced my desire to be a rabbi, yet they came around to be accepting and maybe even pleased.  My dad Leo, alav ha-shalom, made a point of noting that it was at the age of 11 that I first announced my intention. He taught me by word and deed to honor friendships.  My mom Sandy does me the honor of being here this evening, and don’t think it was easy to squeeze into her schedule.  At 87, I still rely on her for wisdom and guidance, and she is still the most impatient person I ever met.  Mom- thank you for supporting me all along the way, and making your peace with my career as a rabbi, even though you thought I should be a librarian or a gym teacher.

It is a mitzvah to honor ALL of our elders. The Torah tells us,  “Rise before the aged and show honor to the elderly.”  (Leviticus 19:32) We are reminded that as we age and perhaps lose some of our capabilities, that we continue to have a vital place in the life of the community.  Being honored is a little scary- is this like a lifetime achievement award after which I am expected to retire?  Just for the record, I’m not going away just yet!  And, it’s comforting to know, as I age, that honoring elders is a priority value in Jewish tradition.

I want to honor my daughters.  They will tell you that it is not easy growing up as a rabbi’s kid.  Let alone a rabbi who was also a Soldier and could be deployed anywhere in the world at any time.  Before any family outing, the refrain was, almost always, “but first we have to stop at the hospital.”

I honor them for surviving the real challenges and I honor them for the amazing women they have become.  They are wives, they are the mothers of 4 of my incredible grandchildren, and they are accomplished professionals- Jessie Rubenstein, Director of Jewish Education at Temple Emanuel and Sarah Wypiszynski, a family physician.   I could not be more proud of you and I am just thrilled to have you here tonight to share this special moment.  I love you both SO much!

And Ron!  Talk about someone who is supportive and patient.  I first met Ron on the bimah of this sanctuary when he was the in-house drummer at our Kabbalat Shabbat service.  We had a pleasant, cordial relationship, and nothing more.  When his beloved wife Genevieve passed away, and then my beloved husband David died, it became something much more.  An incredible partnership and 5 ½ years of marriage.

In rabbinical school, when there were virtually no women rabbis, we used to be asked the question- “What do you call the husband of the rabbi?”  Our standard answer was, “Lucky.”  Today we say, “Hubbazin,” and I want to give honor to my husband who has become an amazing partner in this holy work.  Truly, I am the one who is lucky!  A very special and personal thank you to David’s sister, Laurie, and her husband Michael, who are here with us tonight from Vancouver, Canada.

I became a part of the Temple Chai family formally in 2006, when I was hired for a one-year position as your rabbi.  When the year came to a close, I cried.  No, I mean I bawled my eyes out.  Marilyn Starrett tried to console me, “But you knew it was only for one year.”  “Yes,” I replied, “but I fell in love.”  I fell in love with Temple Chai, with all of you, and it’s been a love affair ever since.

It is humbling to feel that you want to honor me.  As Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks expressed it, “The real honour is not the honour we receive but the honour we give.” The best way that you can honor me, then, is to reflect on whom do YOU honor, and why?  What are the qualities that you deem most worthy of honor? Kindness? Generosity? Devotion to Learning? Spiritual Growth? Tikkun Olam? Let’s all treat each other, our beautiful world, our community, with the deepest honor – that is the greatest gift we can offer.  My humble request- find someone here tonight whom you honor, and share with them what you admire most about them.
0 Comments
Season of Mussar1/26/2022
0 Comments
 


Questions? Contact Joan Neer
0 Comments
Rabbi Koppell's Erev Rosh Hashanah Sermon9/10/2021
0 Comments
 
0 Comments
TAPS for Private Jason Daniel Hasenauer/ TAPS for Afghanistan8/20/2021
0 Comments
 
​At Kabbalat Shabbat we reflect on the week that is drawing to a close.  My week has been consumed by images of Afghanistan, where I was privileged to spend Chanukkah on two separate tours, in Kandahar, Bagram, and an obscure Forward Operating Base on the border of Pakistan.

I think about singing, laughing, and telling stories with Soldiers for hour upon end, and disseminating Chanukkah cards made by our own Temple Chai Religious School students.  I recall SGT Secord saying, “I didn’t realize how much I was longing to connect with my people.”

When I first received the invitation to make this journey, Jessie was in her first year at Kenyon College.  Before I said yes, I called her to ask how she would feel if I was not there for her winter break.  Her reply?  “They need you more than I do.”  The answer of every military family, who sacrifice time with their loved ones in service of the United States of America.

I’m thinking about the naïve vision of bringing the blessings of democracy and freedom to the people of Afghanistan.   Chanukkah- the celebration of freedom of religious expression.  What could have been a more meaningful time to make this journey?  We even called in “Operation Enduring Freedom.”

I‘m thinking about sitting in a C-130 at the Kabul airport, my only care- when the heck would Sen. John Kerry and HIS entourage show up so that we could finally take off.  No one so desperate that they were chasing after the plane, risking their lives to be on board.

Blood and treasure.  Blood and treasure.  Blood and treasure.  I think that every veteran of Afghanistan is nurturing a broken heart heart at this moment, wondering, “For what?”  I am grateful to my colleague, Rabbi Irv Elson, who shared these words, written by Jen Sarno of the Semper Fi Fund-  “To all my OEF friends- please know that your service in Afghanistan over the past 20 years is invaluable. Your service to the freedoms of the Afghanistan people and to our own Countrymen is valuable beyond estimation. Your service is not defined by policy but is a representation of your heart and soul – protecting those that cannot protect themselves.

Please know your service was valuable.

PLEASE DO A BUDDY CHECK TODAY.

Oy.  And I’m thinking about the women, the girls.  What is to become of their hopes and dreams?  The right to an education?  To be proud of their bodies and wear what they choose?  To make their own decisions about whether to marry and to fall in love with whomever they choose?  I fear for their future.

Finally, I am haunted by the death of Private Jason Hasenaur, whose memorial ceremony I attended in Kandahar.  One of his friends talked about how they used to play rock, paper scissors in the DFAC to see who had to get up and get the next round of soda.  Another brutal reminder of the youth of these Soldiers.

There are many military traditions which are so moving.   After the prayers, speakers and scriptural readings, the “Last Roll Call”.  From the rear of the sanctuary, the First Sergeant calls the name of a few soldiers, and they respond, “Here, First Sergeant”.  SGT Smith? “Here, First Sergeant.”  LT Jones?  “Here, First Sergeant.”  Like that.

Then they call the name of the soldier to whom we pay tribute.  “Private Hasenauer”.  Silence.  “Private Jason Hasenauer”.  Silence.  “Private Jason Daniel Hasenauer.”  Silence.  A 21 gun salute and taps.  It was not easy to keep a stiff upper lip.  It is barely manageable even as I am writing about it.  After this, file by the front and render a final salute to the display which includes his boots, his helmet, his dog tags and his weapon.  The weapon stands up in the boots, the dog tags hang off of that, and the helmet, (or in this case, his red beret, as he was in special forces), sits on top of the weapon.

It feels like TAPS for Afghanistan.  (Taps is played by Gabriel Kovach)
0 Comments
High Holy Days Reflections from Rabbi Koppell8/16/2021
0 Comments
 
How do you feel about speed bumps? I don’t like them. I struggle with patience in general, and pretty much rebel against ANYTHING that gets in my way. When I was in the Army and had to do a physical fitness test, I rounded the track with my head down and my arms pumping. If I pretended I was back on the sidewalks of NYC, moving forward with alacrity, I never had to worry about passing the test. The goal was to get where I was going as fast as possible!

This past year and a half has been one speed bump after another. We wanted to move forward in our lives, yet the pandemic kept putting obstacles in our way. We were forced to slow down, to adjust our pace, to focus on being in the present, not knowing what the future would look like.  

These days of Elul are kind of like spiritual speed bumps. Let’s embrace them.  As we move towards the High Holy Days, we take the time to reflect on our relationships, our personal growth, what direction we are heading and how we might adjust our course. We step back from our never-ending rushing. In 3 weeks we will gather to welcome a new year with new possibilities. Let’s take the time to welcome and explore this moment of slowing down the hectic pace of our lives and the opportunity to look within.

Rabbi Bonnie Koppell

​

Welcome Rabbi Segal1/26/2022
0 Comments
 
Dear Friends,
There is so much for which we are grateful. This week I have the honor of sharing with the Temple Chai family that our Special Congregational Vote overwhelmingly approved the selection of Rabbi Emily Segal to be our next Senior Rabbi.

Getting to know Rabbi Segal through the search process has been a joy. Rabbi Segal’s warmth, intelligence, vision, energy, excitement, and passion for Temple Chai are unmistakable in every interaction with her. I know she will lead us to great places.

Rabbi Segal will be with us full-time starting on July 1st.

A special thanks goes to my co-chair Helen Holden, whose leadership throughout this process has been extraordinary as well as every member of the Search Committee, each of whom spent dozens of hours working through both developing and implementing the process which produced such a wonderful result. Finally, we want to express our gratitude to Rabbi Simon, Rabbi Koppell, Cantor Wolman, and the entire Temple Chai team for their outstanding leadership during a challenging time. Our debt to them is incalculable.

I hope you share my excitement about this new chapter for Temple Chai. We could not have found a better rabbi to lead us as we move forward. Please see below for a message from Rabbi Segal.

With Optimism,
David Weiner, President
0 Comments
Senior Rabbi Search Committee Testimonials: Flo Eckstein1/14/2022
0 Comments
 
0 Comments
Senior Rabbi Search Committee Testimonials: David Weiner1/14/2022
0 Comments
 
0 Comments
Senior Rabbi Search Committee Testimonials: Michael Moramarco1/11/2022
0 Comments
 
0 Comments
Senior Rabbi Search Committee Testimonials: Ginny Keller1/11/2022
0 Comments
 
0 Comments
Senior Rabbi Announcement1/4/2022
0 Comments
 
We are delighted to share with you that the Temple Chai Senior Rabbi Search Committee and Board of Directors are unanimously and enthusiastically recommending that the congregation approve Rabbi Emily Segal as our new Senior Rabbi.
 
The congregation will vote on Rabbi Segal’s appointment electronically, from January 23-25, 2022. Stand by for details about how to participate.

Many of you had an opportunity to meet Rabbi Segal during her visit to Temple Chai. The feedback we received was not just overwhelmingly positive but extraordinary. For example, 94% of Temple members found that she had “exceptional” leadership skills, and in no category did she receive less than 92% “exceptional” ratings. Here are a few things your fellow congregants had to say about Rabbi Segal:

• I would be more than thrilled for her to be my Rabbi! I adored her.... She embodies what is special about Temple Chai.
• Rabbi Segal appeared to have the gift of reaching a person's soul.
• Rabbi Segal seemed to listen to each congregant, across all age levels, was prepared and spoke from her heart.
• Her warm demeanor and enthusiasm and her musical talents make her someone I would be excited to see on the bimah each week.
• Her social justice background, inclusivity and innovation would be a good fit for Temple Chai.
• I found her exceptional in every way.
• I loved and found comfort in her voice and manner. She has a clearly spiritual quality that I can relate to.
• Her enthusiasm was contagious and spiritually authentic. I feel like she could relate to people of all ages and stages.


We can’t wait for you to get to know Rabbi Segal better, both in advance of the congregational vote and, we hope and expect, in the years to come.





​About Rabbi Emily SegalRabbi Segal is a visionary and transformational leader, currently serving as Rabbi of Aspen Jewish Congregation in Aspen, Colorado. In five growth-filled years in Aspen, Rabbi Segal spearheaded the creation of a new system for recruitment, welcoming and retention of members, leading to a 65% increase in annual new members. She partnered with the congregation’s lay leadership to reinvent the role of the Board and committees. A gifted teacher, Rabbi Segal’s adult education classes were a highlight of the congregational calendar. And her connection with children and teens is unmistakable; under her leadership, post-B’nai Mitzvah retention increased from 15% to 60%.

As Co-President of the Women’s Rabbinic Network, Rabbi Segal is a national leader of the Reform Movement, playing a central role in addressing some of the most complex issues facing our community. She co-created a landmark Family and Medical Leave Policy & Resource that is being used throughout, and beyond, the Reform Movement.

Rabbi Segal was selected for the Balfour Bricker Social Justice Fellowship from the Religious Action Center, and the Clergy Leadership Fellowship from CLAL and Hazon. She is currently completing an Executive Scholar program at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business.

Before Aspen, Rabbi Segal served as Associate Rabbi at Temple Jeremiah in suburban Chicago where she provided leadership to a 900-member congregation.





​About Our ProcessThe recommendation from the Senior Rabbi Search Committee and the Board of Directors is the culmination of an eight-month long process.

A Search Committee that reflected the diversity of our membership -- with participation from Jews by Choice, ECC parents, seniors, LGBTQIs, Jews of Color, along with those that have participated in Mussar and our educational programs -- came together in April for intensive training in how to recognize and avoid implicit basis in the search process. In May and June, the Committee, with the help of a large Advisory Committee, defined the criteria it would use in evaluating rabbinic candidates.* In June and July we prepared the application material to submit to the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR), which manages the search process.
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*These were the following: Warm and welcoming presence; Inspirational for community; Can provide innovative spiritual programming; Grow and understand Judaism for 21st century; Imagine a sustainable future; Fundraising Experience; Attract and retain families with children and teenagers.

The process picked up steam in September, when resumes began coming in. We were quite pleased to receive applications from 15 rabbis. We made a first cut, and during September and October the Search Committee conducted first interviews with six candidates. In early November we had second interviews with four of the candidates and selected the two finalists.

The finalists each visited Temple Chai in December. The Search Committee worked hard to design visits that allowed as many congregants as possible to see the candidates in as many different settings as possible. After the visits, the Search Committee sought feedback from congregants, and worked to evaluate the two finalists. The Committee brought the Board of Directors, as noted above, a unanimous and enthusiastic recommendation that we offer Rabbi Segal the position as Senior Rabbi of Temple Chai.
The Board has now added its own recommendation, and the decision moves to a vote of the full membership. (Under our bylaws, hiring a new Senior Rabbi requires approval by a vote of the membership.)





We want to acknowledge and thank the hard-working members of the Senior Rabbi Search Committee:

• Debbie Berkowitz
• Flo Eckstein
• Jerome Gutkin
• Ginny Keller
• Michael Loya  

• Michael Moramarco
• Dan Oseran
• Sarah Paikowsy
• Janet Shalwitz
• Jeremy Zangara

Please feel free to reach to any of them with any questions about our process.





​Next StepsWe will hold the Congregational meeting on January 23, and the vote from January 23 to January 25. Given the reemergence of the COVID virus, we will conduct the meeting and election electronically. We will share information about the logistics of voting soon; probably next week.
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In the meantime, we hope you will begin to learn more about Rabbi Segal. Here is a link to her website (which includes a number of her recent sermons).
Click above for a full version of Rabbi Segal's visit
Click above for highlights from Rabbi Segal's visit to Temple Chai in December, 2021.
We could not be more excited about the possibilities that this new chapter holds for Temple Chai. Thank you for your continuing support.

Sincerely,
David Weiner, President, Co-Chair, Senior Rabbi Search Committee
Helen Holden, Co-Chair, Senior Rabbi Search Committee
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High Holy Days Reflections from Rabbi Simon9/15/2021
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​Yom Kippur - The Loneliest Day of the Jewish Year


We get a clear hint about the radical uniqueness of Yom Kippur when we look at the traditional translation of Yom Kippur as the Day of Atonement. To some, this breaks down as the Day-of-at-one-ment, the time we are commanded to be alone. Even though we can be surrounded by others, Yom Kippur requires us to spend a significant amount of time alone so we can do the necessary “soul accounting” that is required in order for us to atone for our wrongs. (We certainly have enough alone time on Yom Kippur - if you are not working, eating or shopping, there should be sufficient time for you to review the past year and identify all the areas where you fell short.)


The haftarah of Yom Kippur is from Isaiah where we are told “Don’t hide from your own flesh.” To me, the real meaning of this is don’t hide from who you really are, because sooner or later God or life will find you. It is a difficult and a lonely task to admit our failings and mistakes. 


Do you know anyone who actually wants to admit their mistakes? I don’t. Yet, as hard as this is, as embarrassing as this can be, this is what we are commanded to do because acknowledgement of our mistakes is the beginning of the process that can lead to atonement and eventually teshuvah. If we cannot get past this first step, we are doomed to repeat our past mistakes in the year to come.


Only when we are alone can we summon the courage to reflect on the previous year -this is not a fun or joyous process, but it is an important one.


May you be sealed for a year of health and safety.


Rabbi Jim Simon
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High Holy Days Reflections from Janice Dinner9/14/2021
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​The High Holy Days come to grant us a preview of the “brink of everything.” They bring us a taste of the striking view, the full panorama and the bracing breeze that awakens us to new understandings of the trajectories of our lives.  


It feels like we have been on the brink at Temple Chai. We have experienced so many challenges and said farewell to people we love. It has been difficult for all of us. What a joy to enter into a new year, to be able to move into a new year that offers so much possibility.  


The High Holy Days lead us to double down on our gratitude for those who have helped us and for the good things we have. We have a strong community filled with congregants who are committed to the Temple. We have strong leadership. We have weathered a difficult time and have emerged even stronger. Now with the High Holy Days, we will achieve compassion. We will increase forgiveness.  We will become one as a community and forge our future together.  


We also turn inward to express gratitude to those who have enriched our lives. And as we forgive those who have wronged us and ask those we have wronged to forgive us, we find peace and tranquility.  


Janice Dinner
President
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High Holy Days Reflections from Jessica Knight9/12/2021
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On Rosh Hashanah the Book of Life is opened and on Yom Kippur it is sealed. The blast of the shofar is meant to awaken our slumbering soul and we are given a chance to reshape our life in a better image. This period is devoted to careful examination of who we are and a time for reflection and forgiveness. But what does this really mean to our youngest children? How do we teach the idea of forgiveness to our children? What does it really mean to say “I’m sorry” when you are 2 years old? 
 
Teaching kids to apologize when they hurt others is important, but it should not be forced. What really matters is teaching your kids to be attentive to others’ feelings from a very young age. All kids make mistakes and act in ways their parents wish they wouldn’t. When they inevitably bite another kid or ruin their sibling’s painstakingly assembled puzzle, it’s natural for us as parents to demand they apologize. On a good day, the child will give an apology without a fight and because it’s been memorized as the proper reaction. But whether or not they mean it is questionable. Some kids are too young to realize why they’ve hurt someone’s feelings and can’t grasp what “I’m sorry” means. Sometimes children just say “I’m sorry” because they are following an instruction and trying to get out of whatever just happened. Having them check on the person they hurt is helpful to understanding forgiveness and empathy. Kids need to learn how their actions impact others and what to do about it. Children can learn to identify the harm they’ve caused and decide on their own that they need to make amends. Here are some strategies-
 

• Pull them aside- demanding they issue an apology in front of everyone can provoke shame and embarrassment. Explain on the side how they just hurt their friend and ask them what they want to do to help her/him feel better. 
  
• Realize that they might not understand the harm they’ve caused- learning how another person feels is a very long developmental process to be able to take another person’s perspective. Kids need help and encouragement working through the impact of their actions. 
  
• Teach them to understand someone else’s point of view- parents should call attention to the person who was harmed and bring up a time when their child may have felt similar as a frame of reference. It’s helpful for the person to state the feelings they may have caused someone to feel. 
  

 
Feeling sorry about stomping another person’s sandcastle requires empathy and building empathy is a process. Once they understand why they are saying “I’m sorry” helps set a boundary and show that something was not okay. It shows children we respect and care about feelings and that we take responsibility for our mistakes. If we help show them how to do it, let them feel how much it matters, they will learn to really mean it when they apologize. When we teach children this level of emotional intelligence they understand how to recognize their feelings, figure out where these feelings come from and how to deal with them. These are the most essential skills for success in life! 
 
Jessica Knight
Early Childhood Center Director
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High Holy Days Reflections from Cantor Emerita Sharona Feller9/12/2021
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This year I am once again all over the map and my “headspace” is everywhere. Things aren’t what I’m used to, and it isn't what I want but, it’s what we have - for now. Without the structure of time, community and the rhythm of Jewish life, it is easy to step away, not feel connected, and not engage in the needs of a community.


We say as a collective, “Al cheyt shechatanu l’fanecha - For the sins We have committed against You.” For the sins WE have committed. WE? Where have I been in the WE? I’ve been in my bubble and often just trying to keep my head above water. This Yom Kippur, as we say the Al Cheyt and follow the tradition of beating our fist to our chests, we are reminded that we are part of the greater and have a responsibility for one another.


My presence, your presence in the Jewish world is essential, wherever you are. Let us remember that it is the WE. It always has been and God willing, always will be.


This Shabbat Shuva, Shabbat of Return, as we take this precious time to pause and reflect, may each of us discover a way in which to redirect our energies for the good, resurface to see the incredible world around us, and may we renew our efforts to be part of the WE, for a year of blessings and peace.


When you pray, pray in the synagogue of your city; if you are unable to pray in the synagogue, pray in your field; if you are unable to pray in the field, pray in your home, if you are unable to pray in your home, pray on your couch; and if you are unable to pray on your couch meditate in your heart.


Midrash Tehillim 4:9


Cantor Emerita Sharona Feller
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High Holy Days Reflections from Amanda Campbell9/9/2021
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I believe it could be argued that fasting on Yom Kippur is one of the most intimate and spiritual traditions of the Jewish faith. The best explanation I have found for this comes from Gates of the Season: A Guide to the Jewish Year:


On Yom Kippur we seek reconciliation with God and humanity. Repentance (Teshuvah) involves a critical self-assessment of the past year and the resolve to avoid lapses in sensitivity in the future. Teshuvah requires discipline. Our fasting on Yom Kippur demonstrates our willingness to submit to discipline. How can we atone for our excesses toward others unless we can curb appetites which depend on no one but ourselves? To set boundaries for our own conduct in this very private matter is to begin the path toward controlling our public behavior.


In other words, in order to have the strength and courage to perform teshuvah, it is helpful, or even necessary, to prove to ourselves that we have control over our impulses and our cravings. Not eating or drinking for 24 hours is challenging, but it teaches us that we do have the strength to take on challenges and rise above basic urges. It reminds us that it is our mind, not our impulses, that have control.


As a parent and as a teacher, I often struggled with how to teach this to our children. The message of self-control and self-discipline is so important in this time of peer pressure and social media, but, since children are not able to fast, to make this lesson tangible for them during the High Holy Days, we can talk with them about how difficult it really is to say “no thank you” to temptations. For adults, choosing to fast is not easy, but we can do it, and we have Yom Kippur to prove it to ourselves every year. For students, choosing to not give in to peer pressure or choosing to say no to unhealthy experiences is also not easy, and they have Yom Kippur to remind them that they are strong enough to make difficult choices and to give them the chance to practice saying no thank you, even if it makes them temporarily uncomfortable. 


I would challenge children to do something on Yom Kippur that will help them prove to themselves that they are indeed strong enough to overcome their cravings and fears when admitting to mistakes or when standing up for what is right. Here are some ideas that my students have suggested throughout the years...


“I will only eat fruit for breakfast, even though I really love cereal.”
“I will drink only water with my meals all day, even though I usually drink juice and milk.”
“I will not eat any sweets all day, even though I love having a dessert with my lunch.”
“I will eat a small breakfast and a small lunch, even though I usually eat until I’m stuffed.”
“I will not eat snacks between meals on Yom Kippur, even though I usually eat a lot of snacks.”


This Yom Kippur, consider challenging yourself and your children with a form of fasting that works to help remind you that you are, indeed, strong enough.


Shanah Tovah.
Amanda Campbell
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High Holy Days Reflections from Rabbi Jim Simon8/30/2021
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Shouldn’t we call it the TEN DAYS OF TURNING?
It is true that we generally refer to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur as the HIGH HOLY DAYS or, the HIGH HOLIDAYS. These terms are not wrong - but I think we might want to utilize a lesser known (but still important) term to more accurately illuminate this specific period of time - ASSERET YAMEI TESHUVAH - the TEN DAYS OF TURNING.
 
Arguably, The essence of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Is found in the core idea of teshuvah, which is incorrectly translated as “repentance.” Since teshuvah comes from the Hebrew verb meaning to turn or to change, I think this is a more accurate translation than repentance.
 
Here is the problem with repentance. In its essence repentance is really a Christian concept - this doesn’t make it bad or wrong but it is not really a Jewish concept. At times in Christian tradition repentance was built on the idea that we are born inherently bad and only by repenting can we be saved/purified/made good. Often it is taught that a belief in Jesus Christ is required to help us repent. In Judaism, we are born inherently good, and while we have the capacity to do evil, our free will can help us to choose to do good.
 
I believe the term teshuva is not only a more accurate translation but helps to understand what it is we are commanded to do during this ten day period. This is our time to turn away from the past and especially our mistakes of the past. This is our time to turn so that we can affirm what is good and right in our life. At the core of teshuva is the idea that we can turn and we can become better people. It will not be easy but it is doable. My wish for you is for a year of turning and changing so that you can affirm your essential goodness as a human being and as a Jew.
 
Rabbi Jim Simon
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High Holy Days Reflections from Cantor Wolman8/24/2021
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This Year, I Am Different
As we began to reopen this spring, I noticed a visceral, unusual response to everyday activities. Getting together with friends felt different. Going out to eat at restaurants felt different. Dropping off the kids at school felt different. It was a sense of catharsis and elation to be able to return to a sense of normalcy. 
 
Since the summer surge, we find ourselves once again restricted and cautious. Anxiously awaiting the news when our children can get a COVID vaccine and get the same protection we enjoy. 
 
When entering this sacred month of Elul, I am now considering the little freedoms we took for granted even more. Using the mussar traits of gratitude and hakarat hatov, recognizing the good, I wonder how I can look at the sweetness of Rosh Hashanah differently. How can I acknowledge that I GET to do something instead of belaboring the effort it takes. 
 
I also think about how I am modeling for my kids. What do they notice (and surely later mimic) about my reactions to different types of news? How can I subtly teach and ask them to respond after some thought and consideration of all sides? 
 
Finally, I am eager to see the faces of our community back at Temple Chai for the High Holy Days. Even if I only get to see your eyes, it will mean the world to be together in prayer and song. 
 
Wishing you a shanah tovah um’tukah. May sweetness and goodness follow where ever you go in 5782. 
 Cantor Ross Wolman
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High Holy Days Reflections from Rabbi Koppell8/16/2021
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How do you feel about speed bumps? I don’t like them. I struggle with patience in general, and pretty much rebel against ANYTHING that gets in my way. When I was in the Army and had to do a physical fitness test, I rounded the track with my head down and my arms pumping. If I pretended I was back on the sidewalks of NYC, moving forward with alacrity, I never had to worry about passing the test. The goal was to get where I was going as fast as possible!


This past year and a half has been one speed bump after another. We wanted to move forward in our lives, yet the pandemic kept putting obstacles in our way. We were forced to slow down, to adjust our pace, to focus on being in the present, not knowing what the future would look like.  


These days of Elul are kind of like spiritual speed bumps. Let’s embrace them.  As we move towards the High Holy Days, we take the time to reflect on our relationships, our personal growth, what direction we are heading and how we might adjust our course. We step back from our never-ending rushing. In 3 weeks we will gather to welcome a new year with new possibilities. Let’s take the time to welcome and explore this moment of slowing down the hectic pace of our lives and the opportunity to look within.


Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
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High Holy Days Reflections from Rabbi Simon8/9/2021
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The Biggest Obstacle to Becoming a Better _________
As we enter the Hebrew month of Elul, we are reminded that Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are upon us. Most of us know that in our tradition this is the time of year to take stock of our behavior and be willing to acknowledge where we have failed.


The High Holy Days have always been a time that we are commanded to confront important questions - not just our areas of failure, but other related questions such as, what do I really stand for and what kind of a person am I? No doubt, these are very difficult questions and most of us do not want to confront these questions. Some prefer observing the New Year at Beth Guy Lombardo, hurling confetti, drinking champagne and dancing to the familiar refrain of Auld Lang Syne (a song where 50% of the people do not know the lyrics and the other 50% know the lyrics but have no idea what the song means) 


True, Guy Lombardo always looked like he was having fun. But our New Year’s observances are not meant to be fun or frivolous. We have important things to do. The questions we ask show us to be serious people who care about the way we live in this world.


In the title, the ____________ works on the theory that you would like to be a better (spouse, parent, friend, etc.) but there is an obstacle standing in your way. Every year it is your hope to be that better _________________but it just does not work out. Is it because we are not smart enough? No. Maybe it is because we don’t care enough to be a better __________? No. Is it because we are not willing to try? No again.


I think the obstacle that stands in our way of becoming a better __________ is the fact that we don’t always feel that we are worthy of/capable of being a better ____________, with the irony being that Judaism teaches that we are always worthy and always capable. 
   
I do not believe we are inherently bad people. I do not believe we were born with a moral blemish that prevents us from becoming a better __________.


I do believe that as a New Year approaches, we can overcome the obstacles that prevent us from becoming a better. Maybe in certain areas we are better than we think we are. I hope you can liberate that part inside of you, because that is the part that will help you to be a better____________.


L’shana Tovah Tikatayvu!


Rabbi Jim Simon

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​Jessica Knight5/13/2021
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​Jessica Sarah Knight is an experienced education professional who has served in a variety of education related capacities at the private, federal and classroom levels. Most recently she served at the Martin Pear Jewish Community Center as the Director of Early Childhood Education and served at Southwest Human Development as Program Manager for Quality Initiatives and Grants Management supporting child development managers and teachers in curriculum instruction and teacher training as well as supported planning and development of monitoring of program quality initiatives. 

Previously she worked at Chanen Preschool as a Pre-Kindergarten teacher with hands-on experience in planning and conducting classroom instructional curriculum and activities for children to encourage development of their academic, social, emotional, physical, intellectual, language and communication skills.  Before teaching at Chanen she recently worked as an Interim Support Person for Fairfax County Public Schools, and prior to that as an early childhood co-teacher at the Tampa Jewish Community Center.  

She has served as a program manager and consultant for ICF International and Education Services Inc., managing a variety of projects and budgets related to national and state level Office of Head Start initiatives while gaining analytical and logistical planning experience for federal programs, initiatives, and national level conferences.  

She has an extensive background in education stemming from her beginnings as a certified ESL teacher for children and adults, having served in classrooms in the United States, Guatemala, Mexico and Japan to include serving as a U.S. Department of Defense Dependent Schools (DODDS) teacher.  She has served in the U.S. Department of Education as a program manager for evaluation and grant review processes and as an associate manager for two Presidential Initiative Comprehensive grant competitions as well as at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the Office of Head Start.  

A former elementary school teacher, Ms. Knight holds a M.S. in Community Services from Michigan State University and a B.A. in Liberal Arts and Sciences from Colorado College, where she majored in multicultural classroom education.

Jessica has been married to Ray for almost 21 years and they have 4 children, Zen (16), Rain (15), Zia/Rey (9 year old twins). She is originally from Chimayo, New Mexico and has lived in many places, moving 9 times as her husband is in the Marine Corps. She is so excited about this opportunity and looks forward to getting to know our children, families and community. 

Jessica can be reached via email at [email protected].