Rabbi Aura Ahuvia serves at Shir Tikvah, a Reform/Renewal congregation in Troy, Michigan. Ordained as Rabbi and Mashpiah by ALEPH in 2014, she also holds master’s degrees from the University of Michigan in journalism (1996) and Judaic Studies (2006). She co-founded the Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Havurah in 1993, and in 2014 was selected for CLI, which offers business skills to innovation-minded spiritual leaders.

Linda Jo Doctor brings over 30 years of experience in leadership roles working in non profit, academic and government sectors. She currently serves as a Program Officer for the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and provides guidance for investments supporting sustainable and equitable food systems and public health efforts. She brings specific skills in organizational development, management, leadership development, and working cross multiple sectors and disciplines. She lives in Ann Arbor Michigan with her husband, Rabbi Elliot Ginsburg and famous cat Simon = who loves studying Zohar with his best bud. Linda is the proud step mother to three amazing young adults, and “safta” to two gorgeous grandchildren. She is a member of Pardes Hannah, a Jewish Renewal Community affiliated with ALEPH.

 

Neil Markowitz is the founder and Executive Director of the Environmental Education Exchange (E3), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization based in Tucson, Arizona since 1991. E3 has developed a wide variety of environmental education programs and materials for agencies and organizations through the US and Internationally. With an undergraduate degree from Rutgers University and a Masters of Science from the University of Michigan, Neil has successfully taught graduate-level coursework and managed educational projects for a wide range of agencies and organizations. For two years, in the mid-1980's, he lived in Australia while on the faculty at Deakin University, in the College of Education. Neil has been actively involved in the Jewish Renewal world since the 1990’s, studying with a wide selection of Renewal teachers. Neil lives in Tucson with his partner of 24 years, Ilana, a practicing psychotherapist, and together they have two children; Zakkai, currently enrolled at Haverford College, and Aliya still attending high school.

 

Rabbinic Pastor David Daniel Klipper serves as Pastoral Education Coordinator for the ALEPH Ordination Program. He is also a Mashpia and CPE Educator. He co-teaches the AOP Pastoral Counseling course and teaches the Practicum in Pastoral Care. He is an avid runner and reader.

Rabbi Anne Brener, LCSW is Professor of Ritual and Human Development at the Academy for Jewish Religion, California, where she trains rabbinical, cantorial and chaplaincy students. A Spiritual Director, Psychotherapist, Meditation Teacher, and Author, she specialized in grief, healing and spirituality and assists institutions in creating communities grounded in compassion. Rabbi Brener was ordained by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Jewish Religion in 2008. Her writing appears in many anthologies on Jewish spirituality and healing and she has been frequent contributor to the Los Angeles Jewish Journal. Her acclaimed book, Mourning & Mitzvah: Walking the Mourners' Path through Grief to Healing, is in its expanded third edition. A founder of one of California’s first shelters for victims of Domestic Violence, she has worked as a Hospice Chaplain and co-founded the Morei Derekh Jewish Spiritual Direction Training Program. She has serves on the Aleph Board since January, 2018.

 

Douglas Chermak lives and works in Oakland, CA. He graduated in 2004 from Berkeley Law and is currently a partner with Lozeau Drury LLP, a plaintiff’s side environmental law firm. Since 2007, he has practiced environmental law, with a focus on water quality and the Clean Water Act throughout California. From 2004 through 2012, Doug served as the Law Program Director for the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society, working to integrate meditation and contemplative practices with the legal profession. In October 2010, he organized “The Mindful Lawyer” conference at UC Berkeley School of Law, the first national conference on the subject of law and meditation. He continues to lead and teach at mindfulness programs for legal professions.

 

Rosalie Eisen has held the position of Program Officer for the Harold Grinspoon Foundation for the past nine years. Her professional work focuses on PJ Library, a global outreach and engagement initiative for families raising Jewish children. In this capacity, she works widely with Jewish organizations and their professional and lay leaders, foundations and philanthropists across the U.S. Her expertise is in building community collaboration, family engagement and donor relations. Rosalie has also held professional positions as a life coach, financial consultant, and non-profit director. She co-founded and directed Basherte, an international network of workshops focusing on Jewish relationships, with her husband, Rabbi Efraim Eisen. Rosalie has been involved in ALEPH since the early 1990’s, and received smicha as a Master of Blessings, Jewish Relationship Counselor and Convener of Congregations from Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi z"l. She was honored as an Eshet Hazon at the 2005 Kallah. Rosalie resides in Amherst, MA, and is blessed with four sweet grandsons.

 

Rabbi Dan Goldblatt has been the spiritual leader of Beth Chaim Congregation in Danville, California for 22 years. He has worked as a journalist, theater director and award-winning writer/director/ producer of documentary films. He served seven different congregations as spiritual leader before entering the ALEPH Ordination program through an attraction to the life and work of Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi z"l. He has served as Chair of the OHALAH Ethics Committee, is on the Board of both OHALAH and ALEPH and is Past President of OHALAH. His passion is for sacred storytelling and has lectured, lead workshops and been a Scholar-in-Residence around the U.S., Canada and Israel. He also leads workshops on intimacy making relationships sacred with his wife, Yael Goldblatt, a clinical psychologist specializing in couples work. Dan is assembling the first cohort for a Sacred Storytelling training program and is readying for publication a book, Miracles Happen: Stories That Break Open the Heart.

 

Janee Graver is a serial entrepreneur and activist who has spent her life involved in Progressive Judaism. She has a deep curiosity about how institutions, organizations and even religions can grow and change. Janee served as a board member for three different synagogues in New York and New Jersey. As the top executive at Romemu, the fastest growing Jewish Renewal Synagogue in New York City, she oversaw the rapid growth of membership budget. She has been active with the World Union and European Union for Progressive Judaism. Named as “Entrepreneur of the Year” by Inc. Magazine, Janee successfully started two technology companies, (one which went public), an educational foundation and an organic tea company. And she has authored a bestselling technology book. Janee has earned Master’s Degrees in Instructional Technology and Information Science. Janee taught ethics in Hebrew School for over two decades, co-teaching with Rabbi Sally Priesand. She lives in NYC and is the proud mother of two amazing sons. Her third chapter professional life is focused on management consulting for emerging companies and supporting others in their third chapter.

 

Maggida Susan Raskin Abrams is a retired Children's Librarian. She was supervisor of Children's Services for the Newton Free Library (MA) for 25 years. At Newton, she was a manager and innovator. She was also a storyteller which led her to study Maggidut with Maggid Yitzhak's Buxbaum. She received S'micha as a maggid from Yitzhak's and Reb Zalman z"l. She considers Aleph Board work as her spiritual path and is happy to be back on having previously served. She has also served on the Steering Committee of Bnai Or of Boston, was president of the New England Library Association and served on many professional boards and committees. She was also elected to serve as a Library Trustee for the Framingham (MA) Public Library.

 

 

 

Connie Reider has been a professional portrait and event photographer for more than 35 years. In 2004, she co-founded The F. Holland Day Center for Healing and Creativity, a cancer retreat center in Maine, where she served as Creative Director until 2009. In 2008, Connie launched INscape, The Healing Art of Photography. She has offered INscape retreats and workshops at cancer wellness centers, health spas and private sites nationally and in Mexico and Brazil. Connie is a graduate of ALEPH’s Kol Zimra training, Wisdom School and The Sage-ing Mentorship program. Presently, she is working on The Wise Elders Project. She has interviewed and photographed more than 40 elders across the country, aged 89-103. She shares their legacy and wisdom in an interactive presentation, Wisdom of the SAges…90 and Beyond.

 

Charles Silverstein PhD is dedicated to pursuing his deep interest in personal transformation, alternative healing, depth psychology and the relationship between science and spirituality. He holds an MA degree in Conscious Evolution from The Graduate Institute, Bethany, CT, and a PhD in Transformative Studies from the California Institute of Integral Studies. He is a certified Nondual Kabbalistic Healer, a certified Sage-ing ® Mentor (Yerusha), has attended many Jewish silent retreats beginning at the old Elat Chayyim and most recently Ecstatic Meditation with Rabbi Shefa Gold. At The Graduate Institute (Bethany, CT), Charles is the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Academic Co-Director of the Master of Arts program in Consciousness Studies and Transpersonal Psychology, and Secretary of the Board of Directors. He also serves on the boards of Congregation P’nai Or of West Hartford as Treasurer, and the Society for Consciousness Studies. Charles’ first career was as an educator in the fields of science and math, and his second career was as an institutional fixed income portfolio manager, holding the Chartered Financial Analyst credential.