Our Voices

I remember the first time I volunteered for a leadership role in high school. It was for the local BBYO Jewish youth group AZA chapter. I was elected as the Treasurer. After two successful terms, I moved on to chapter President. One year later I was the President of the entire Central Region West. After high school, I continued my education at the University of Arizona where I was heavily involved in the leadership of my Jewish fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Pi. After graduation, I made my way back to the Bay Area, where I continued my volunteer work, coaching little league baseball and being an adviser to the same local BBYO chapter where I had been a member during high school.

It was actually through volunteering as an adviser that I connected with my wife, when we were both staffing a dance for the organization. We have been together for almost 17 years (married 13) and have two amazing children together, Jordan (7) and Liam (3).

I feel so lucky to have grown up in the PTS community. Just like my father and uncles before me, I had my Bar Mitzvah at the temple with Rabbi Raiskin. My wife and I were married by Rabbi Feder. I remember the day like it was yesterday, when we brought our daughter to the bimah during high holidays to celebrate her birth. So many happy and wonderful memories in the community, and hopefully many more to come in the future.

In 2019, I was asked to join the Board of Trustees. I gladly accepted and have never looked back since. After one year on the board, I took over as Treasurer. Being part of the leadership to help us make it through the Covid years and come out even stronger is something I will always be very proud of. After five years on the board, I am beyond excited to be taking on the role as President.

I have always felt a sense of pride to be able to volunteer and give back to my community in any way that I can. I have one of those bad (good) habits of not being able to say no when it comes to volunteering. I love to set an example for my children of how rewarding it can be to give back and help others. I know that my time as a volunteer and leader in the congregation and community will continue on, even after I have completed my term as President.

In the upcoming year, I have a few goals I want to focus on. They all revolve around the Strategic Plan we put into place last year. Membership and Engagement are so important to the future of our congregation, and seeing these both thrive is one of my top priorities. We are also focused on philanthropy and starting the process to initiate an endowment campaign. I look forward to sharing more information about this with everyone in the near future. Lastly, as the former Treasurer, I will always be focused on fiscal sustainability and making sure we are being good stewards of the temple finances, with a close eye on the present and future.

I hope to be able to serve the Peninsula Temple Sholom community and provide leadership based on our vision, purpose, and mission. I hope to keep, strengthen, and build new connections with as many of you as possible. I hope to increase everyone’s feeling of connection and belonging to the community. Lastly, I hope to secure a strong future for the synagogue and leave it in a better place than I found it in.