By Howard Greenstein, Executive Director

It’s an exciting time at TST. While welcoming Rabbi Boxman and having Rabbi Shlobin join us full time, I’m thrilled to share news about another key team member. We’re lucky to have L.R. “Cookie” Mandell joining us as a consultant in the role of Director of Membership Engagement and Programming. Cookie will be partnering with me, the clergy, staff, our events manager Beth Cohen and marketing guru Eloise Goldman to help us improve and scale our events, marketing and congregational community building.

Cookie wrote, “As an engagement professional with over 20 years of experience in Reform congregations, most recently for the past 11 years at Temple Rodef Shalom in Virginia, it is clear that American Jewry is standing in a moment of significant transformation and search for identity, purpose, connection. I am so excited to join the team at Temple Shaaray Tefila, which is uniquely positioned to answer this call. You have a dynamic, gifted, authentic clergy team and leadership who did the very difficult work of digging in, turning the earth, and designing a landscape for the Temple’s future. I am very excited to be part of this extraordinary community especially at this time of such positive transitions.”

Temple President Bill Glenn tied this work to several important elements of our Strategic Plan implementation. “Several items that were clear from feedback received during the strategic plan process were Strengthening the Clergy, Deepened Engagement and Integrated Programming. With Rabbi Boxman and Ass’t Rabbi Shlobin joining Cantor Szterenberg we have achieved the former; and, by hiring Cookie we are addressing the other elements. We are investing in plans to further engage our congregants and bring generations together. Cookie will join a motivated team and we are excited to have her help accelerate our momentum.”

As your executive director, I’m not only excited to start implementing these strategic initiatives, I’m thrilled to have a knowledgeable, experienced and respected partner to join our already strong team to bring our programming and membership experiences to the next level. Please say hi and introduce yourself to Cookie at our BBQ welcoming Rabbi Boxman on July 10th. And, as always, call or email me with your questions.