Kerem Shalom is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The Board of Directors is responsible for temple governance including budget, staffing and long-range planning. Board members are all congregants and are all volunteers.  Most Board members serve for two years. Board members for the coming year are voted in by the congregation at the June Annual Meeting. The Board meets monthly, usually (but not always) on the first Monday of each month at 7:30 PM. All congregants are welcome to attend board meetings. Please check the calendar to confirm the meeting date if you would like to join us.

The Board cannot function without the participation of the membership at large. Please be in touch with one or more Board members who are involved in areas of interest to you, and volunteer to serve on her or his committee. Committees include Membership, House, Religious Life, Finance, Communications, Education and Social Action. Your involvement will be a rewarding experience for you and and a meaningful contribution to our Kerem Shalom community.

If you have any questions or are interested in joining the board or participating on one of our committees, please call our temple administrator, Carol Nathan, at 978-369-1223 or email her at: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . 

Here are the Kerem Shalom Congregants who have come forward to serve on the 2009-2010 Board. Members who are new to the Board this year are acknowledged with an asterisk (*).

President: George Peabody
George begins his role as our Board President following two years of service as President Elect. George has many additional years organizing Kerem Shalom programs and events including folk concerts, High Holiday services, the Shalom Squad, and much more. George is part of a Kerem Shalom family; his spouse Nancy Kaplan is our Family Educator.

President Emeritus: David Hoffman
As President Emeritus, David brings the wisdom and dedication of our immediate past President to the incoming Board.  David’s zeal for an inclusive, caring synagogue community will continue to be an important part of the fabric of our congregation.  David and his spouse, Beth Andrews, live in Acton. 

Treasurer: David Polakoff
David was elected to the Board one year ago as Co-VP of Membership, and in March of this year became Treasurer.  David, his spouse Bonnie and their family have been members of Kerem Shalom since 1991.  He has previously served on the ad hoc Governance Committee, and the Capital Campaign Committee for our building expansion.  David has already begun engaging a robust Finance Committee to address our financial needs.  

Member At Large: Mark Stein
Our Member at Large, Mark Stein, is a dedicated Kerem Shalom member who has served our community in many ways.  Mark Stein works in international corporate law.  He lives in Concord with his wife, Rosa Hallowell (who is also a Kerem Shalom Board member), and their two daughters. 

Vice Presidents:

Adult Education: Miriam Zarchan
Kerem Shalom members have a host of adult education programs to choose from.  Whether under the umbrella of KSJU (Kerem Shalom Jewish University), Me’ah, or a variety of “stand alone” programs, we have something for everyone in search of satisfying learning experiences with their neighbors and fellow congregants.  Overseeing these activities from the Board is Miriam Zarchan, a member of Kerem Shalom since 1979. 

Communication and Outreach: Jill Mirman*
The mission of our Co-Vice Presidents of Communication and Outreach is to guide the important work of communicating with Kerem Shalom members, prospective members, and the greater community at large.  Our new Co-Vice President serving in this capacity is Jill Mirman.  Jill has been a member of Kerem Shalom since 1997.  Her son, Sam, was Bar Mitzvah in 2002 and she was in the adult Bat Mitzvah group in 2005.  Jill works as a teacher coach in Boston and other cities in the Northeast.  She is originally from Norfolk, Virginia, and has lived in the Boston area since 1983.  This will be her first time on the Board. 

Communication and Outreach: Laurie Silva*
Laurie Silva, our new co-Vice President of Communication and Outreach, is a professional science writer with previous Kerem Shalom Board experience.  Laure lives in Acton with her husband,  Mark Linker, and their three sons.   Laurie and her family joined the Kerem Shalom community in 1991. She worked with the Education Committee for several ears and served as Education VP during 2001 - 2003. Laurie also enjoys playing music at Kerem Shalom and you will hear her with Rosalie, Nancy, Marty and our other musicians at Mostly Music Shabbat Services, at Kol Nidre, and as a member of the The Auvergne String Quartet. 

Education: Jan Huber O’Callaghan
Our entire community takes tremendous pride in the quality and achievements of our Hebrew school.  Led by an exceptional administrator and staff, the school has been recognized with many prestigious awards in recent years.  Like any school, ours relies on the support of a thoughtful and dedicated school committee.  Jan Huber O’Callaghan, Co-Vice President of Education, has served on the Education Committee for 11 of her 15+ years of Kerem Shalom membership.  Jan’s credentials include more than 30 years of professional employment in the field of mental health,  and two high school aged children who entered Hebrew School at Kerem Shalom as pre-schoolers.  Jan has a deep commitment to Kerem Shalom, and is pleased that through her volunteerism she has the opportunity to contribute her special skills to a community she appreciates for sustaining, challenging and embracing her.  

Education: Cathy Castaneda*
Cathy Castaneda is new to the Kerem Shalom Board this year, but by no means new to Kerem Shalom.  Cathy, her husband Mario, their three boys and two dogs make their home in Acton.  Professionally, Cathy is a Market Research Consultant.  In her "free time" Cathy enjoys skiing and hiking with her family, and cooking, reading, and watching her children’s sporting events.  Cathy’s expertise and insights are a wonderful resource to our congregation. She has teamed up with Jan Huber O’Callaghan to serve with as Co-Vice President for Education.  

Family Education: Rosa Hallowell
Kerem Shalom is fortunate to have a rich array of family education programs, led by our dedicated professional staff.  The staff works in close partnership with our Family Education volunteers, without whose support many of our programs would not be possible. Rosa Hallowell, an independent college counselor who has worked as an investment banker and trial lawyer heads up our Family Education Committee. 

House: Alan Spillert*
Alan and his family are long time Kerem Shalom members.  Alan has had previous stints on the Board.  In the early days of Kerem Shalom, before we had our own building, he took care of our “portable” Ark and made sure the Ark and Torah were safely in place for all of our services!  As Vice President of House, Alan is now responsible for two arks, and all of the wonderful building spaces which surround them.  

Member Relations: Greig Greenwald*
As a newer member of Kerem Shalom, we welcome Greig Greenwald to the Board as Co-Vice President of Member Relations.  Greig moved to Lexington from the U.K. in 2001 with spouse Juli Jorgensen to give their two young children an understanding of what it means to be American.  Greig is active in the local Cub Scouts pack as Cub Master, as well as delivering Meals on Wheels, supporting the community soccer organization and other community-oriented volunteer activities. Grieg works as an engineer. 

Member Relations: Wendy Taubes*
Wendy is well known to many Kerem Shalom members for her tireless organizing of our Bat and Bar Mitzvah schedule.  Wendy’s terrific organizational skills, professional social work experience, and commitment to Kerem Shalom will make her a valuable new addition to our Board.  In her role as Co-VP of Member Relations she will be involved in organizing programs and activities that reach out to new members, as well as keeping our current members engaged. 

Personnel: John Tovrov
The Board position of Vice President, Personnel was created to help the congregation approach personnel matters in a professional way as the size of Kerem Shalom’s professional staff grew.  Our returning Vice President of Personnel, John Tovrov, brings extensive personnel knowledge to the Board.  John has worked in management and human resources for thirty years.  His interests include the transition of professionals into managers, and managers into leaders.  He has written extensively on the relationship and interaction between individuals and organizations.  His consulting work has included crisis intervention, conflict resolution, organizational transformation, and process improvement. 

Religious Life: Liz Tragash
Liz Tragash is beginning her second term as Co-Vice President of Spiritual Life.  Liz’s main areas of interest have included planning our Kerem Shalom member retreats, organizing the Second Night Passover Seders, supporting Kerem Shalom Jewish University (KSJU), and the Rosh Chodesh group.  Liz recalls her early experiences as a member of the Spiritual Life Committee as a fulfilling opportunity. 
 
Religious Life: Marty Plotkin
Marty is known to many of us for his wonderful music during Mostly Music Shabbat Services, Kol Nidre, and as a member of the The Auvergne String Quartet.  As Co-President of Religious Life, Marty is facilitating many opportunities to make spirituality accessible to the congregation.  His Tuesday evening Hebrew Prayerbook study group, “What do these prayers mean?”  have enhanced our connections with the Siddur, our ancestors, and each other. 

Social Action: Devra Feshbach-Meriney*
As Finance Manager for a non-profit in Lincoln that works with horses and special needs children, Devra Feshbach-Meriney is a great fit to lead us in our pursuit of Tikkun Olam.  Although new to her Board position, Devra is no stranger to volunteerism at Kerem Shalom.  She has just completed seven years as a member of the Education Committee.  Devra lives in Concord with her spouse and three sons. 

 

Many thanks to our 2008-2009 Kerem Shalom Board of Directors!

David Hoffman	President
George Peabody	President-Elect
Alex Grinis	Treasurer
Peter Hilton	VP Social Action
Rosa Hallowell	VP Family Education/Clerk
Miriam Zarchan	VP Adult Programs
Ann Lane	VP Youth Programs
Elizabeth Tragash	VP Spiritual Life
Marty Plotkin	VP Spiritual Life
Wade Rubinstein	VP Member Relations
David Polakoff	VP Member Relations
Joe Levine	VP House
John Tovrov	VP Personnel
Jan Huber O'Callaghan	VP Education
Stacy Osur	VP Development
Carolyn Gold	VP Development, Past President
Susan Brager Murphy	VP Communications
Mark Stein	Member at Large/Clerk