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About our President and Chair of the Board

Kol Rinah Board Officers serving through 2026

President Barbara Shamir

Chair of the Board Gary Kodner

VP Communications Joel Schwartz

VP Leadership Development Dan Rosenthal

VP Funding Development Lvav Spector

VP Facilities Helene Mathis

VP Membership/Engagement Laura Chaise

VP Programming Elisa Israel

Secretary Beth Rubin

Treasurer Marc Spector

Board Directors serving through 2025

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

Board Directors serving through 2027
Brett Fox, Ben Igielnik, Sherri Sadon

Auxiliary Board Representatives serving through 2027

Sisterhood Deborah Finkelstein

Brotherhood Morris Finkelstein

Past Presidents Randi Mozenter

Ritual Leaders

Rabbi Noah Arnow

Ba’al Koreh 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

Capital Campaign/Development Elisa Israel, Dan Rosenthal

Chesed Barbara Bianco, Debbie Igielnik

Communications Tovah Enger, Joel Schwartz

Community Learning / Interfaith Inclusion Skylar Swim

Executive Committee Barbara Shamir

Engagement Laura Chaise

Facilities Dave Cooperstein

Finance Zachary Leeds

Halls & Catering Marsha Birenbaum, Florence Cohn

Israel Shula Neuman, Rena Munster

Early Childhood Education Karen Wetmore

Personnel Michael Besmer

Ritual Gavriel Savit-Woods

Social Action / Tzedek Team Becky Mollett

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

Chair of the Board

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.

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, 11 years and counting of Kol Rinah history.

I am married to my life-time partner, Peggy Nehmen. We have 2 Children, Rachel and Oliver.

Mon, January 20 2025
20 Teves 5785

MISSION: Create a welcoming community that embraces Torah, meaningful worship, lifelong learning, music, Israel, and tikkun olam, guided by the tenets of Conservative Judaism.