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SENIOR
STAFF
Quick
Links:
Executive Director Lesley Mills
Executive Director's Messages
Program Director Bonnie Graff
Director of Congregational Learning David Katz
Director of Early Childhood Education Tammy Vener
Biogaphies of Our Rabbis and Cantor
Complete List of CBI Contacts
Emeritus Senior Staff:
Executive Director Emeritus Stuart Simmons
Director of Education Emeritus Helene Schlafman
Executive Director Lesley Mills
Lesley Mills became Executive Director for CBI on October 18, 2007 after serving as Acting Executive Director from July
2007. She oversees synagogue business operations, development and fundraising.
Lesley joined CBI as development director in July of 2006. During the past year she conducted a development assessment and instituted a development infrastructure and plan to support the future growth of CBI. Lesley also took an active role in the recent rabbinic search and in writing CBI’s Long Range Strategic Plan, which she will help to implement.
Lesley came to CBI from Seattle where she served as executive director for an animal welfare organization, building their fundraising program and expanding their community profile and operations. Prior to this, Lesley spent 13 years with Jewish Family Service of Seattle as director of operations and human resources, where she oversaw a number of areas, including human resources, technology and real estate. Her for-profit experience includes serving as risk manager for a large national real estate investment firm in San Francisco.
may be reached at 858-535-1111.
Her assistant is
.
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Program Director Bonnie Graff
Bonnie Graff has served as the Program Director of Congregation Beth Israel in
San Diego since 1982.
Earlier, Bonnie taught History and English and served as Public Relations Director for the Woman's Institute for Continuing Jewish Education and the United Jewish Federation. A native of Chicago, she earned her B.A. at the University of Illinois and her M.A. at Michigan State University.
Bonnie is married to Organizational Consultant Barry Graff. They have two grown daughters, Erin, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh and Allison, Executive Director of CityYear, Los Angeles.
may be reached at 858-535-1111 ext. 3128. Her assistant is .
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Director of Congregational Learning David Katz
We are pleased to announce the selection of Rabbi David A. Katz as Director of Congregational Learning at CBI. Since 2005, Rabbi Katz has been the spiritual leader of Temple Concord in Binghamton, New York.
Rabbi Katz is noted for innovative and creative programming, engaging learners of all ages, writing curriculum, training and supervising teachers. At Temple Israel in New York City, where he was rabbi for 16 years, he also acted
as principal of the Hebrew School in which nearly 100 percent of the students continued their Jewish education beyond Bar/Bat Mitzvah.
“Rabbi Katz is a principled man of extraordinary integrity” said Rabbi Michael Berk, who became friends with Rabbi Katz when they were in rabbinic school together. “His mind absolutely sparkles with creativity. To release his creative energy to focus on our religious school will put us on the cutting edge of what’s going on in Jewish education today.”
Rabbi Katz was ordained in 1981 by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIE) in New York City. He began his rabbinic career as a temple educator, serving a large congregation, supervising its school, adult education program, extensive library and scholar in residence programs. In 1986, Rabbi Katz earned the title of Reform Jewish educator by the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC). He also served as assistant director at Leo Baeck Day School in Toronto, and as rabbi at Temple Beth Shalom in Fredricksburg, Virginia. In May 2006, he was awarded his Doctor of Divinity degree from HUC-JIR in New York. He has taught at St. John’s University, was chaplain for Wagner College and is past president of the New York Area Reform Rabbis.
Rabbi Katz and his wife, Nancy, an artist, are delighted to join our San Diego and CBI community. They have two grown children, Emily and Benjamin.
may be reached at 858-535-1144 ext. 3125.
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Director of Early Childhood Education Tammy Vener
Tammy Vener views the Early Childhood Education department as a place where young families can begin or continue their Jewish journey. It is with great joy that she welcomes and helps families share and engage in a Jewish life.
Tammy has been the congregation's Early Childhood Director for nine years, and she's been involved with the congregation for 15 years. In 1981 she became a
fourth-grade teacher at the Jewish Day School that was then opening its doors at Congregation Beth Israel. She taught in the Beth Israel Day School for three
years. After her son was born, she continued as the science teacher and as the unit head in charge of the older campers at the former Camp Beth Israel. (Tammy's
husband, Louie, was the director of Camp Beth Israel.)
Tammy knew she wanted to become a teacher by the age of 12. She graduated from San Diego State with a BA in Liberal Arts in 1979. The following year she received her California teaching credential and taught in San Diego City Schools for one year.
Tammy is married to Louie Vener and the couple has three children, Jacob, Molly and Sophie, all of whom attended the Beth Israel Day School. The Vener family
has been active Temple members for 18 years.
may be reached at 858-535-1144 ext. 3120.
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Executive Director Emeritus
Stuart Simmons
Retired Executive Director Stuart Simmons has been honored with the title Executive Director Emeritus. Stuart was born in Los Angeles and has lived most of his life in California. Before joining Beth Israel, Stuart worked for 18 years in the areas of youth, education, camping and temple administration at the Wilshire Boulevard Temple, Los Angeles. From 1965-1968, Stuart served on active duty in the U. S. Navy during which time he spent 14 months in Vietnam with a Naval Mobile Construction Battalion. In 1963, he worked at the UAHC (now known as the URJ) office in Los Angeles as Regional Youth Advisor.
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Director of Education Emeritus Helene Schlafman
Helene has been in Jewish education for over 50 years, with 42 of these years at Congregation Beth Israel, where she is the Director of Education Emeritus and a teacher in the Religious School and High School. Helene teaches fifth and seventh grades at our Religious School.
Helene is a Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude graduate in Intellectual History with minors in Hebrew, Bible and education.
She is nationally known for her innovative programming.
The Religious School, under her direction, was featured in the Council for Initiatives in Jewish Education's Lead Communities: Best Practices Project. Her ground-breaking Madrichim program for teens is in its 35th year, and serves as a role model for programs throughout the country. Helene has received many awards for her weekend camp programming and the prestigious Telly Award for the rock music video that she produced with Cara Freedman.
The highly successful Bill and Sid Rubin Preschool and the former Beth Israel Day School were both developed under the tutelage of Mrs. Schlafman. She also began Camp Beth Israel, BIBS (Beth Israel Babies), and developed and produced the award winning children's theater company, SHOW BIS, with Music Director, Cara Freedman.
One of the most rewarding aspects of her years at Beth Israel is that she remains connected to so many of her students and now has the privilege of teaching Torah to their children and to her own grandchildren. She is affectionately known as "Eemah." Helene is currently serving as Vice President of the National Reform Day Schools - PARDES.
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