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Leonard Grossman,
webmaster emeritus
ROBIN DAMSKY
RABBI
Rabbi Robin Damsky began her tenure at West Suburban Temple Har Zion in July, 2010. Previously she was both the rabbi and education director for Congregation Or Chadash in Scottsdale, Arizona from 2006-2010. She was ordained in 2006 by the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles. She also holds two Masters Degrees, one in rabbinic studies from the University of Judaism (2003), the other in Jewish education from the Jewish Theological Seminary (1996).
“I am looking forward to building a vibrant kehillah (community) at West Suburban Temple and to growing the education programs for youth and adults,” Rabbi Damsky said. “I hope to explore creative ways of expressing Conservative Judaism and to build bridges with the interfaith community.”
Rabbi Damsky recently co-authored Find, Fulfill, Flourish, an inspiring book of stories with guidance and practical tools for leading a fulfilling and purpose-guided life.
Her background includes serving as a teacher, counselor and administrator at synagogues in Southern California and Camp Ramah in Ojai, Calif., as well as teaching Hebrew high school, religious school and day school in Rhode Island, New York and California.
Rabbi Robin’s path to the rabbinate began when she was in her early 40s; the death of her grandfather was her inspiration. "I wanted to honor his memory with my life,” she said, “and studying to become a rabbi was the best way to do that. My grandfather had a strong commitment to serving others and to strengthening community. Both of these are cornerstones in my rabbinate that I facilitate through a deep love of people and a focus on relationships.”
Rabbi Damsky can be reached by calling the synagogue office at 708-366-9000 or by e-mail
at rabbi@wsthz.org.
WATCH: A Video Message from Rabbi Robin Damsky
DR. VICTOR A. MIRELMAN
Dr. Victor A. Mirelman has been rabbi of West Suburban Temple Har Zion since 1990.
From 1975-1989 he was the spiritual leader of Congregation B'nai Israel in Milburn,
New Jersey, at which time he was also Visiting Professor of History at the Jewish
Theological Seminary in New York. During 1970-74 he lectured at the Hebrew University
in Jerusalem, concentrating his courses in the modern and contemporary history
of the Jewish people.
A native of Argentina, Dr. Mirelman received an M.S. in Mathematics from the University
of Buenos Aires.
He was ordained as rabbi at the Jewish Theological Seminary and received his doctorate
from Columbia University.
He is an authority on Latin American Jewry, an area to which he devoted his doctoral
dissertation and numerous articles in scholarly publications. Rabbi Mirelman also
has a special interest, both personal and academic, in Sephardic Jewry. His most
recent book, Jewish Buenos Aires, 1890 - 1930, was published by Wayne State
University Press.
In 1991 he was appointed Professor of Jewish History at Spertus College in Chicago.
In 2005 he was elected President of the Chicago Board of Rabbis.
The Rabbi can be reached by calling the synagogue office at 708-366-9000 or by e-mail
at rabbimirelman@wsthz.org.
STEWART FIGA
Cantor Stewart Figa has served at West Suburban Temple Har Zion in River Forest
Illinois since 1998 and has been a Cantor in the Chicago area since 1990.
As member of the New Budapest Orpheum Society, a Chicago based musical troupe
dedicated to reviving European Jewish music from the first half of the 20th century,
he has sung at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C.
and at the Neue Gallerie in New York City.
In the 1980’s Mr. Figa performed for several seasons in Yiddish Theatre productions
in New York City, having had the privilege of working with some of the legendary
greats of the Yiddish stage. A recognized singer of the Yiddish repertoire, he
appeared in a guest role singing on the CBS-TV Golden Globe Award-winning program
Brooklyn Bridge, and has given concerts locally at the Harold Washington Library,
the Spertus Institute, the Arts Club of Chicago, Anshe Emet, K.A.M. Isaiah Israel,
North Shore Congregation Israel, and has appeared as a soloist with the Halevi
Choral Society. He has received Degrees from Northwestern University and Spertus
Institute of Jewish Studies.
The cantor can be reached by calling the synagogue office at 708-366-9000 or by e-mail
at cantor@wsthz.org.
CAROL SERBER
Carol joined our administrative staff in June of 2005.
Carol graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a degree in Communications. Her previous positions include temple administrator, director of human resource, commercial and television production work, office management, and Alzheimer’s patient caregiver.
You might say that temple work is in her genes: her father is a retired rabbi, cantor and teacher and her mother, a retired rebbetzin who recently relocated to Chicago from Waterloo, Iowa.
The executive director can be reached by calling the synagogue office at 708-366-9000 or by e-mail at cserber@wsthz.org.
MARSHALL KUPCHAN
Marshall Kupchan, Principal of the WSTHZ Koven Religious School, received a BA in Religion from Bard College and an MA in Jewish Education from Brandeis University. After serving as Head Teacher/School Administrator at Temple Beth Ahm in Aberdeen, NJ, he married Judy Mars. They then moved to Washington, DC, where Marshall served as Director of Education at Adas Israel Congregation, and Judy as the director of the BJE Teacher Center. Marshall also served as the founding co-director of the Jewish Primary Day School, a non-denominational, independent Jewish day school serving the DC area.
After a sabbatical year with the Senior Educators Program at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, the Kupchans moved to Chicago to assume positions at the Board of Jewish Education (BJE) of Metropolitan Chicago. Marshall then assumed the position of Director of Education at Beth Hillel Congregation Bnai Emunah in Wilmette, and Judy serves as the North American Director of the Florence Melton Adult Mini School. Last year, Marshall was awarded a Doctor of Pedagogy, honoris causa, by the Jewish Theological Seminary in NY.
Marshall and Judy, who live in Skokie, are parents to Becky, a recent graduate of Brandeis University working for Shorashim, a Chicago-based Birthright Israel provider, and Noey, who is married to Shuli Miller, both graduates of Indiana University. Noey works for the editorial department of STATS, Ltd, a sports data company in Northbrook, and Shuli is a teacher at the BJE Early Childhood Center in Wilmette.
Marshall can be reached by calling the synagogue office at 708-366-9000 or by email at principal@wsthz.org
ILANA MARCZAK
Ilana Marczak was raised in the northwest suburbs of Chicago in Buffalo Grove and attended the public schools there. Her formal Judaic education was received at Temple Chai in Long Grove where she completed and graduated from both the Hebrew and religious schools. During this period, Ilana realized her calling as a teacher and began working at the JCC in Buffalo Grove where she had also attended as a child. During college Ilana held the Youth Director Position at Beth Tikvah Congregation in Hoffman Estates. This was followed by attaining her Baccalaureate Degree in Early Childhood Education, a Type 04 Teaching Certificate, and an Illinois Director Credential Level II while at Kendall College.
Upon graduation in 2005, Ilana accepted a lead teaching position at Gan Shalom Early Childhood Center in Chicago. In addition to teaching the Junior Kindergarten class, she led several staff trainings on the Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Education. Ilana went on to teaching as a Head State Pre-K Teacher for a Chicago Public School Community Partnership Program, which serves low-income families at Saint Vincent De Paul Center. She has been married to Dan since September 2007 and most recently, in January 2010, became the proud mother of Abigail Mikayla. She brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and youthful enthusiasm to her new role as Early Childhood Director here at West Suburban Temple Har Zion.
Ilana can be reached by calling the synagogue office at 708-366-9000 or by email at imarczak@wsthz.org.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2011
Officers
Alan Peres,
Board Members
Annabel Abraham
Laurie Myers
Mimi Alschuler
Kelly Oxer
Howard Berlin
Howard Rubin
Robert Bloch
Ed Sachs
Steve Blumenthal
Michael Schiff
Carol Flank
Hai Solomon
Juli Ann Geldner
Steve Steinfeld
Morris Goldman
Marsha Weiss
Dale Guralnick
Adam West
Carol Koenig
Jim Zucker
Doug Laney
RABBI EMERITUS
CANTOR
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
SCHOOL PRINCIPAL
PRESCHOOL DIRECTOR
Vafa Shayani,
President
Ed Schmitt,
V.P. Membership & Programming
Ori Gottlieb,
V.P. Building & Administration
Dan Evans,
Treasurer
Debra Fulscher,
V.P. Education & Youth
Secretary
Carol Solomon,
V. P. Fundraising
Ed Sachs,
Immediate Past President
Gabbai (Dual Appointment)