Leadership
Leadership Contact Info, Meeting Zoom Links & Committee Meeting Schedule can be found under the Members tab when signed in.
Kol Rinah Board Officers
President Barbara Shamir
Chair of the Board Gary Kodner
VP Communications Joel Schwartz
VP Leadership Development Dan Rosenthal
VP Funding Development Elisa Israel
VP Facilities Blair Kweskin
VP Membership/Engagement Randi Mozenter
VP Programming Harriet Shanas
Secretary Cindy Payant
Treasurer Marc Spector
Board Directors serving through 2024
Bette Abeles, Alissa Duel, Rebecca Mollett, Aaron Schwartz, Lvav Spector
Board Directors serving through 2025
Stacy Abeles, Laura Chaise, Richard Gavatin, Zachary Leeds, Ron Portman, Gavriel Savit-Woods
Board Directors serving through 2026
Mark Alper, Stephen Davis, Golda Cohen, Joe Kavanaugh, Rena Munster, Jalna Papour
Auxiliary Board Representatives serving through 2025
Sisterhood Beth Rubin
Brotherhood Max Brown
Past Presidents Harriet Shanas
Ritual Leaders
Rabbi Noah Arnow
Ba’alei Kriah Jonathan Belsky
Rabbis Emeriti Mark Fasman, Mordecai Miller, Benson Skoff zt”l
Staff
Executive Director Stacey Hudson
Executive Assistant Nancy Greene
Director of Operations & Finance Meir Zimand
Experiential Learning Specialist Karen Kern
Facilities / Maintenance Octavio Vargas- Norwood Janitorial
Education
KoREH Religious School Director Cindy Kalachek
Experiential Learning Specialist Karen Kern
Early Childhood Center Director Liz Collins
Auxiliary Groups
Brotherhood President Bob Olshan
Sisterhood President Micki Kingsley
Women's Social Group Cindy Payant
Committee Chairs
Building Opening Task Force Stacey Hudson
Capital Campaign/Development Elisa Israel, Dan Rosenthal
Chesed Barbara Bianco, Debbie Igielnik
Communications Tovah Enger
Community Learning / Interfaith Inclusion Skylar Swim
Coordinating Barbara Shamir
Engagement Randi Mozenter
Facilities Dave Cooperstein
Finance Lvav Spector
Halls & Catering Marsha Birenbaum, Florence Cohn
Israel Shula Neuman, Rena Munster
Early Childhood Education Karen Wetmore
Personnel Denise FieldRitual Howard Granok
Social Action / Tzedek Team Becky Mollet
Verein Group Ralph Graff, Richard Gavatin
Barbara Shamir
President
Now retired, Barbara was Director of Global Consumer Research, Energizer; formerly Co-Executive Director, Kol Rinah and has held board positions as Chairperson, President and Vice-President of Ritual and Membership. She is currently Co-Chair of Halls and Catering and serves on the ReOpen Task Force. Barbara is the proud spouse/parent/grandparent of Amos Shamir, Marc and Lvav Spector, Claire and Ben Spector, Mrav and Avi Kagan, and Dor and Sivan Kagan.
Gary Kodner
![Gary Kodner](https://www.kolrinahstl.org/_preview/large/413973_orig.jpg)
I started my life in 1955. My family was a member of Shaare Zedek. I am the 3rd of 4 brothers. My parents, Marvin and Sue relocated us to BSKI in 1960, after a merger and relocation to Richmond Heights. My family was affiliated with BSKI up until the time of the merger. My mom worked at BSKI for 17 years as a secretary. I left in 2004 to re join Shaare Zedek. I have had the privilege of serving on the boards and as president of BSKI, Shaare Zedek and now Kol Rinah.
In between somewhere I served as president of the St. Louis Jewish Light and served on the board of the Central Agency for Jewish Education as the chair of the afternoon Hebrew School. I have chaired and participated on numerous committees and task forces, but my favorite appointment has been the chair of our Communications Committee, a committee I have served on since 2004. In addition to our amazing communications committee, I serve on the membership committee, facilities committee, finance committee, past presidents committee, archives committee, and yes have even helped Randi clean out the basement.
In my professional life I have been a graphic designer, an illustrator, a painter and an author. In my spare time i study Jewsih genealogy, researching and recording extensive family histories. I have also researched the histories of Shaare Zedek, Brith Sholom, BSKI, and yes, 8 years of Kol Rinah history.
I have partnered with my son Oliver on the history of the St. Louis Cardinals Logos and uniforms. We are also partners in Brewstock, a home brewers supply store in New Orleans. My daughter Rachel is a TV editor at Turner Sports, part of the Warner Media Corp. And of course my wife, Peggy Nehmen, who has been a life partner for 38 years in both marriage and business. She started our company Nehmen-Kodner, and she will finish it as well as I have retired from graphic design business. Peggy has supported me, put up with me being so involved with our Jewish community.
Sat, July 27 2024
21 Tammuz 5784
MISSION: Create a welcoming community that embraces Torah, meaningful worship, lifelong learning, music, Israel, and tikkun olam, guided by the tenets of Conservative Judaism.
Find it at Kol Rinah
Reserve/Purchase
Call the Office to Sponsor a Kiddush
Weekday Services
Weekday minyans on Zoom:
Mornings- M, T, W, F 7am & Sun 8am.
Evenings- Sun-Th 6pm.
Log in to view the Zoom Links page.
Thursday mornings 7am are in-person only.
Office Hours
Monday – Thursday 9am to 5pm
Friday 9am – 3pm
Phone: 314-727-1747
Friday 9am – 3pm
Phone: 314-727-1747
Shavua Tov
Event Request
Sat, July 27 2024 21 Tammuz 5784