Raveetal Celine (she/her)
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Raveetal Celine is the Executive Director of Temple Emunah. Raveetal is a graduate of UMass Boston with a degree in non-profit management and has many years of business management experience in both non-profit and for-profit organizations. Raveetal’s mission at Temple Emunah is to service the community and provide a professional organized approach to the congregation. Raveetal was born in Israel on Kibbutz Ein Shemer and has lived in Lexington with her husband and 2 daughters since 1999.
Me’ir Sherer (he/him)
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As Temple Emunah’s Director of Congregational Learning, Me’ir Sherer directs our Religious School and Youth Programs, and works with our rabbis and staff on synagogue programs. Me’ir brings his impressive credentials and vast experience in Jewish education to Temple Emunah. Me’ir holds a Master’s degree in Jewish Education from Hebrew College and another in Social Work from Boston University. He received B.A.s from Columbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary, List College. Me’ir also completed the Melton Senior Educators Program at Hebrew University and holds a Certificate in Jewish Family Education from Hebrew College.
Prior to assuming the position of Director of Congregational Learning at Temple Emunah, Me’ir served as the Director of Congregational Learning at Or Atid in Wayland and Congregation Beth Israel in Worcester, respectively. Me’ir was the Family Education Consultant at the Bureau of Jewish Education of Greater Boston (BJE) for a number of years. Previously, he served as the Jewish Family Educator for Temple Israel in Boston and as the Children’s Program Coordinator at the Leventhal-Sidman JCC in Newton. Me’ir has also served on the faculty of Prozdor, the secondary school division of Hebrew College in Newton and directed their Havayah program.
Me’ir is married to Kfir Mizrahi.
Alisa Billings (she/her)
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Alisa is responsible for the Temple’s membership billing and payment processing, payroll, accounts payable and fund management. Prior to joining Temple Emunah, Alisa worked in several financial capacities, including CFO of Cyclis Pharmaceuticals, a private drug development company, controller for Ampersand Ventures, a private equity firm with over $300 million under management, and as a commercial lender for 15+ years. She is a graduate of Georgetown University and received her MBA from Babson College.
Mary Melnick (she/her)
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Temple Emunah is very excited to welcome back Mary Melnick after a short time away as our new full-time Temple Administrator! Prior to joining us part-time in May 2019, Mary was the Director of Strategic Operations within Corporate Finance at Mass General Brigham (formerly Partners Healthcare System) responsible for identifying and managing efforts to reduce the rate of cost growth across the $11B enterprise. She also held the role of an Administrator at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, where she met her husband of over 20 years. With a Bachelor’s degree from the University of New Hampshire and an MBA from the Simmons School of Management, Mary is a Jew by Choice and with her family is a member of Temple Emanuel in Newton.
Zohar Kafri Shushan (she/her)
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A native of Israel, Zohar relocated to Boston in March 2017 as part of her role in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel, after serving 3 years in Berlin, Germany prior to the move across the Atlantic Ocean. Having lived in Israel, Europe and the US, Zohar brings her experience and expertise to the role of Executive Administrator to the Rabbis.
As a new mother to Taylor, Zohar’s nurturing spirit and awareness complement her professional prowess. With a passion for arts and crafts and a deep love for the outdoors, Zohar’s diverse interests infuse creativity and vitality into her work as well. She is eager to contribute her skills, enthusiasm, and unique perspective to Temple Emunah.
Andie Watson (they/them)
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Andie is excited to be part of the Temple Emunah community as the Creative Media and Communications Manager. Andie grew up in southern California and moved to Massachusetts to attend Brandeis University. While there, they fell in love with Judaism and the Jewish community, finishing their conversion in fall 2020. Andie was the Tefillah Leader for the Brandeis Reform minyan for two and a half years, leading weekly Shabbat services and High Holy Days celebrations. After graduation, Andie worked at Temple Shir Tikva in Wayland as the Education and Communications Assistant. Andie lives with their wife, Samantha, and their little orange cat, Orion. They love to travel, practice yoga, and play Dungeons and Dragons with their friends.
One of Andie’s passion projects and the subject of their thesis at Brandeis is the American Jewish community’s response to the AIDS crisis, particularly focusing on the pastoral care provided by queer Jewish women. Their hope is to eventually continue that research and expand their scope to study Jewish communities in Israel during the worst years of the crisis.
Beth Whitman (she/her)
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Beth has had a lifelong love of Jewish music and plays guitar. She has attended the Hava Nashira music conference for many years. Beth’s education includes an undergraduate degree in Marketing from UMASS, Amherst, and a master’s degree in Leadership with a concentration in Nonprofit Management from Northeastern University. Beth lives in Marlborough with her husband Michael and they enjoy traveling, biking and hiking. She is a member of Congregation B’nai Shalom, facilitator for Central MA Connections and Faith and board member of her local Hadassah chapter.
Tova Weinronk (she/her)
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Tova is our Young Family Engagement Coordinator and one of Temple Emunah’s Synagogue Educators. Among the various roles she fills at Emunah are advisor to Kadima, Rosh Hodesh group leader, teacher for grades 1, 4, 5, and YAD, and program coordinator for families with young children. Tova is no stranger to Emunah. She is a proud graduate of the Billy Dalwin Pre-School (BDPS), Temple Emunah’s Religious School, and Prozdor. After graduating from UMass Amherst, Tova began teaching at the BDPS. She loves connecting with families with young children and the Temple Emunah youth community. Tova enjoys spending time outdoors with family and friends, drinking lattes with a sprinkle of cinnamon, and bringing her creative energy everywhere she goes.
Sydney Bluman (she/her)
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Sydney Bluman is a Synagogue Educator and Special Education Coordinator at Temple Emunah. A native of Buffalo, New York, Sydney moved to Boston in June 2018 to attend Brandeis University. She recently graduated from the DeLeT (Day School Leadership through Teaching) program at Brandeis University, where she received a Masters in the Arts of Teaching, MA licensure in Elementary Education, and a Teaching Certification in Teaching Students with Moderate Disabilities. Sydney graduated from SUNY Buffalo State with a bachelor’s degree in Childhood Education.
For the past three years, Sydney has been teaching kindergarten at a local Jewish Day School. Sydney spent 5 summers at Camp Young Judaea Sprout Lake, working as a counselor, songleader and lifeguard/swim instructor. In her role at Temple Emunah, she will be leading the Chaverim Youth Group, teaching in the religious school and leading family engagement events. She is excited to share her passion and love of teaching and Jewish living and learning. In her free time, Sydney enjoys spending time outside, hanging out with family and friends, playing with dogs (specifically poodles and doodles), making art, reading and exploring Boston.
Micah Sandman (she/her)
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As part-time Synagogue Educator, Micah will be teaching sixth grade, leading Havayot in YAD, and working with our Education Team on our Retreat, Shul-Ins and Shabbat programming, as well as participating in our holiday events. Micah will be running our High Holy Day Family service for 5784. In addition, Micah will be a part-time outreach coordinator, helping us connect with more of our members and serving as part of our pastoral team.
Micah recently graduated from Washington University in St. Louis, where she received a B.A. in Religious Studies. In addition to her work at Emunah, she also works part-time for Judaism Unbound as a Program Associate. Micah previously worked for the Office for Religious, Spiritual, and Ethical Life at WashU, helping to coordinate interfaith programming. She is a former madricha for the Bronfman Fellowship.
Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Micah has loved living in the Midwest and Southwest, and is excited to have moved with her partner to Boston! She spends a lot of time thinking about how to cultivate invigorating Jewish life, and hopes to become a rabbi someday.
Marilyn Pappo (she/her)
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Marilyn Pappo is an experienced and dedicated office support professional and has been at Temple Emunah since 2013.
She has two children and a golden retriever named “Daisy”. Originally from New York, Marilyn loves to do yoga.
Salomón Garcia (he/him)
Originally from Guatemala, Salomón has been working at Temple Emunah for almost a year. In his spare time, he likes to read and spend time with his family and four children.
Gina Tzizik (she/her)
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Gina has over 25 years of educational leadership experience and shares Billy Dalwin Preschool’s focus on children, families, and community values. We are confident her vision for Jewish education, passion for art and beautifully prepared environments, and advocacy for spirituality and mindfulness in early childhood education will add much to our program.
Gina has a strong record of Montessori and progressive, multicultural leadership, creating and transforming learning environments and establishing civic, community, and school relationships. From 2009 to 2021, Gina served as director/head of school for the Soule Early Childhood Center in Brookline. She also brings 22 years of teaching experience, along with masters’ degrees in Jewish education from Hebrew College and in education from Endicott College. She has also exhibited her art work in various venues and explored the mysticism of Kabbalah through four years of study and through painting.
Monday – Thursday, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
Friday, 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
