Our Extraordinary People
Our Clergy
Rabbi Ben Goldstein | Interim Rabbi
“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.” - Samuel Beckett
Cantor Ruth Berman Harris | Cantor
“Align yourself with people that you can learn from, people who want more out of life, people who are stretching and searching and seeking for higher ground.” - Les Brown (adapted)
Rabbi Gilbert Kollin | Rabbi Emeritus
שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת לְדָוִד הִנֵּה מַה־טּוֹב וּמַה־נָּעִים שֶׁבֶת אַחִים גַּם־יָחַד׃
A song of ascents. Of David. How good and how pleasant it is that brothers dwell together. - Psalms 133:1
Our Staff
Melissa Levy | Executive Director
"Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better." - Maya Angelou
Debby Singer | Interim Education Director
"What really matters is that we care about the people we seek to engage. When we genuinely care about people, we will not only welcome them; we will listen to their stories, we will share ours and we will join together to build a Jewish community that enriches our lives." - Ron Wolfson
debby@pjtc.net | Bio Coming Soon!
Theresa Brekan | Operations Manager
“The purpose of my life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Lisa Lam | Controller
"Dare to live the life you have dreamed for yourself. Go forward and make your dreams come true". - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Emily Catalano | Asst. Director, Youth Engagement & Education
“Our goal should be to live life in radical amazement...get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible; never treat life casually. To be spiritual is to be amazed.” - Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
Daniel Platt | Office Manager, LBSRS
"The laws of morality are also those of art" - Robert Schumann
daniel@pjtc.net | Click for bio...
Claire Gorfinkel | Chaplain
"May the Source of strength, who blessed the ones before us, help us find the courage to make our lives a blessing." – Mi Shebeirach prayer
claire@pjtc.net | Click for bio...
Jessica Donath | Administrative and Program Assistant
"Everything is hard before it is easy." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Alex Beck | Facility Manager
"Life's like a box of tools. Sometimes you just gotta remember where you put 'em." - Alex Beck, referencing Forrest Gump
Robert "RJ" Brown III | Facilities
“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” - Ursula K. Le Guin
Our Leadership
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Richard Rosenbaum | VP Management
Stephanie Ivler | VP Programs
Clark Linstone | Treasurer
Phil Callahan | Secretary
BOARD MEMBERS
Erich Schlecht | VP Planning
Stacey Sharp | Past President
BOARD MEMBERS (continued)
Adriana Quinn | Member-at-Large
Todd Levine | Member-at-Large
Sara Michelson | Member-at-Large
Sue Hogan | Past President
Daphna Enzer | Member-at-Large
Terry Tornek | Member-at-Large
Aty Rotter | Sisterhood President
Fred Rotenberg | Men's Club President
GROUPS & COMMITTEES
To get in contact with the contact for any of the groups or committees listed below, please call (626-798-1161) or email (info@pjtc.net) the PJTC office.
Adult Education | Judy Callahan
Aesthetics | Nancy Carlton
20s/30s | Emily Catalano
Cemetery | Victor Zlotnicki
Facilities | Todd Levine
Fundraising | Richard Rosenbaum
Israel | Jesse Duker
JEDI (Jewish Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion) | Diane Burr
Green | Ali Linder
Guardians | Bryan & Marina Jick
Hazak | Carol Sofer
Hiking Group | Phil Callahan
Interfaith Study Group | Carl Selkin
L'Dor V'Dor | Faith Segal
Membership Committee | Jan Pais
Ohr Tamid Society | Jeff Landau
Rabbi Search | Cathy Krasner
Religious Affairs | Peter Mendel
Religious School | Aviva Zierler
Social Justice | Carl Selkin
Special Dues | Cathy Krasner
Youth | Shoshana Rosenbaum