Officers

For over sixteen years, Sandy was the Director of Jewish Life Services and Community Outreach for People with Disabilities at Jewish Family & Children’s Service (retired).  She was also a nationally certified American Sign Language Interpreter for over 30 years (retired). Sandy is a past president of Temple Beth David of the South Shore in Canton, past president of Temple Sinai of Sharon and served on the URJ Northeast Region Council of Leaders.  She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Synagogue Council of Massachusetts and has for many years, including serving several years as secretary.  Sandy taught seventh grade Religious School at Temple Beth David of the South Shore for twenty years and is currently in her fourteenth year as a mikveh guide at Mayyim Hayyim.  Sandy also serves on several community boards in her hometown of Randolph.  Most importantly, she and her husband have four wonderful daughters and six amazing grandchildren!

Elizabeth was educated at a Conservative synagogue in Hartford, CT and Camp Ramah. As an adult she continues to study and actively participate in the Jewish community, including as a past president of Temple Emunah in Lexington, past president of the former New England Region of USCJ, and a current member and past president of the Camp Ramah in New England Board.  Elizabeth and her husband, Bob, have been married for 53 years and have two sons, a daughter and 9 grandchildren. She has a Master’s Degree in Management of Human Services from the Heller School at Brandeis and worked for 26 years at MassHealth.

Craig Schneider is a Managing Director at IMPAQ International, where he conducts research and implementation projects for the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Craig was President of Temple Hillel B'nai Torah, West Roxbury, from 2013-15 and served on its Board in multiple positions. Craig was active in the Young Judaea youth movement in high school and college, and lived on Kibbutz Ketura in the late 1980s. He is married to Tammy, who works at Camp Yavneh; their daughter Sarah graduated from BU and is an alumna of Gann Academy and Solomon Schechter Day School; their son Ben is at McGill University and is an alumnus of Gann and Schechter. Craig has a doctorate in Health Policy from the Brandeis University Heller School and an MBA from Boston University.

Directors

Steven Greenberg

Steven M. Greenberg is the former Executive Director of Temple Beth Zion in Brookline, MA. Before that he served in Armenia as a Peace Corps Volunteer. His prior experience includes being the Executive Director of the Vilna Shul. Steven has extensive community and business experience in and around the Boston area as both a professional and a volunteer. He was born and raised in Natick, MA but now lives in the family cottage at Nantasket Beach. His education includes a Master's Degree in Regional Planning from Cornell University and a BS in Economics from the University of Massachusetts.

Dr. Shirah Weinberg Hecht

Shirah Hecht is an applied social science researcher, and occasional Hebrew school teacher. She wrote her Ph.D. thesis on egalitarian minyanim, conducting her research in the Boston area, and has often worked as a program evaluator with the Jewish community. She has taught Hebrew at Temple Beth Shalom in Needham and elsewhere, was active in synagogue life as Adult Education chair, presenter, and Board/Executive Board member at Temple Israel-Natick, has been a presenter at the Brookline Tikkun and LimmudBoston, and was a guide at Mayyim Hayyim. She led LimmudBoston’s Program Team for three years (2017-2019) and created a multi-faith conference on women in American religion with Hebrew College (2000). She and her husband are members of Temple Emeth in Brookline. Currently, Shirah is Research Manager with the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab at Brandeis University. Originally from the Midwest, Shirah attended Conservative synagogue, Cleveland Hebrew Schools, Camps Massad and Ramah, and Habonim youth movement.

Aaron Kischel spent his professional career serving the Conservative movement. He began as the New England Regional USY Director in the early ‘60’s and ‘70’s. He assumed the position of Executive Director for USCJ New England and the Northeast, including Eastern Canada, serving for 45 years. During that time, Aaron was among the early leaders for the Synagogue Council of Massachusetts, participating on a Council Israel trip and 5 Council Unity Missions. Following his retirement 9 years ago, he has led trips visiting the Jewish community in Cuba and is active with CJP’s Boston-Haifa initiative. He is a board member and docent in New England for March of the Living, taking high school students to Poland and Israel. Aaron and his wife Ellen are active members of Temple Israel in Sharon, and have three sons and two daughters-in-law. One daughter-in-law is a senior rabbi of a Conservative congregation in California, and the other daughter-in-law works in a Conservative religious school and the local JCC. He is honored to be this year’s Keeper of the Flame for the Temple Israel Brotherhood.