Executive Board
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President Robert Stern has always taken an active role at Temple Emanu El since he joined in 1988. He has been secretary of the board, chair of the Marketing Committee. Bob has also been a member of the Administrative, House and Rentals, Dues and Collection, Membership, and Constitution Committees. He was also a past president of the Young Peoples Congregation.
Professionally, Bob is the director of corporate support for 90.3 WCPN & WVIZ/PBS ideastream. Throughout his career, he has worked at a variety of radio stations as a sales representative, sales manager, and general manager. Bob also worked as a writer, producer, media director, and account supervisor at advertising agencies. Bob holds a BA from Cleveland State University with a major in political science and a minor in communications.
Richard Landis, Executive Vice President
Richard Landis has been a Clevelander all his life. He graduated from Cleveland Heights High School and Miami University. He has been married to Barbara for almost 40 years. They are the parents of two daughters, Stacie Kachline and Halle Hebert, and are the proud grandparents of Dylan, 5. Richard's family was one of the founding members of Temple Emanu El. He remembers attending services and Sunday School at Bellefaire before the present building was built. His picture, in the Cleveland Press, showed him and his sister, Linda Boardman, adding one of the cornerstones to the new building. His father, Jerry, was president of the Men's Club and an active usher. His mother, Sylvia, was president of the Sisterhood. Richard was active in youth group and was once song leader for his regional NELFTY group. Richard is the president and owner of R. N. Landis Management Company, a real estate management company specializing in condominium and homeowner association management.
Mitchell Cronig, Vice President
Mitchell has been a member of Temple Emanu El since his marriage to Lisa in 1988. They have two children (Arielle 14, Jeremy 11) who both attend Emanu El religious school. A trustee since 2005, he now also serves on the executive board, with responsibilities for the ritual and worship committee. Mitchell is a Principal Engineer with Avtron Aerospace, designing and managing aircraft test equipment projects for airlines and air forces around the world. He has a BSEE from The Ohio State University and an MSEE from Cleveland State University.
Vice President Gary Freiman is currently the Chairperson of the Early Childhood education committee. Gary is also serving on the Administration Committee encompassing the Cemetery Committee, Communications Committee, Constitution and Bylaws Committee and House and Rentals Committee. Gary is also a past Assistant Treasurer.
Gary is a Senior Personal Banking Specialist with Ohio Savings Bank specializing in all financial, mortgage and investment needs.
Rhoda Konigsberg, Vice President
Vice President Rhoda Konigsberg has been a member of Temple Emanu El since 2001. She oversees education-related committees, chairs the Family Education Committee, and sits on the Worship and Ritual Committee. She has been a member of Temple Emanu El Educator and Rabbinic search committees, and founded the Sunday Night Book Group.
A recipient of the title of Reform Jewish Educator, Rhoda held positions
in Jewish Education in Dallas, Houston, and Pittsburgh before returning
to her native Cleveland to assume management of her family's real estate
investment business.
Karen Lazar, Vice President
Karen and her family have been Temple Emanu El members since 1987. During that time, she has served on the Religious School Committee, taught in the Religious School and coordinated family programming events, including Temple retreats. She has also been involved with the Women of Temple Emanu El. Outside of the Temple, Karen is the Director of Development at Hudson Montessori School.
David Sperling, Vice President
Dave Sperling is the new Vice President for membership and programming. He joined TEE in 2001 after moving to Cleveland from the Pittsburgh area. He has focused his attention at TEE on Youth group and programming. Dave is married to Pam Hruby and has three children Josh, Danny and Rachel. He works in Akron where he is a family physician on staff at SUMMA Health System.
Jon is the Managing Partner of JM Green CPA Group, LLC. JM Green CPA Group helps entrepreneurs reach their goals. The firm provides CFO, Controllership, financial and tax planning and compliance services to its entrepreneurial clients, and audit and consulting services to its not-for-profit clients.
Jon is also the President of Growth Capital Corporation, which facilitates lending of expansion funds through SBA and Ohio Department of Development programs, is the President of the Geauga Park District Foundation, a mentor in the COSE Strategic Planning Course, and Trustee of the Greater Cleveland Chapter, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. He lives in Russell with his wife Marlene, and enjoys running and old rock-n-roll.
Susan Krantz, Assistant Treasurer
Assistant Treasurer Susan Krantz serves on the Early Childhood, Administrative and Long Range Financial Planning Committees at Temple Emanu El.
Susan is a partner with Zinner & Co. LLP, one of the 20 largest certified public accounting firms in Cleveland. Susan is a CPA specializing in accounting and auditing services with an emphasis on audits of not-for-profit organizations. Susan is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants. She serves as chairperson of the Civic and Nonprofit Organizations Committee of the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants - Cleveland Chapter and has volunteered for the Cleveland Growth Association Council of Smaller Enterprises as a financial mentor. Susan graduated summa cum laude from The Ohio State University with a BS in accounting.
Steve Davis, Assistant Treasurer
Steve is an assistant treasurer of the Temple. He also serves on the board of the Brotherhood and has just completed a term as the treasurer of that group. He is active on the Usher corps and is a member of the minyan committee. He is an attorney in sole practice concentrating in bankruptcy. He has an active member of the Bankruptcy and Commercial Law section of the Greater Cleveland Bar Association and has been the chair of that section. He is also an active member of the National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees.
Even before her confirmation at Temple Emanu El and beyond her adult B'nai Mitzvah at TEE in 2004, Temple Emanu El has been an important part of Allison's life. Now in her second term on the TEE board and serving as the Temple board's secretary, Allison and her family - including her husband- Les, mother- Hermine Skully, daughter and son in law - Mara and Victor Bendersky and granddaughters Leia and Mallory - are happy and proud to share special moments together as members of TEE. Allison is Director of Campaign Operations at the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland and has been on staff there for 17 years. She recently completed year one of study in the Me'ah program.
| Trustees | Life Trustees |
| Lee Appel | Richard Horvitz |
| Maura Berkelhamer | Sol Siegal |
| Ferne Barr | |
| Sheryl Chaitoff | WOTEE Representatives |
| Natasha Davidson | Tracy Shriver |
| David Edelman | Marlene Green |
| Clarice Goldstein | |
| Ellen Hartson | Brotherhood Representative |
| Aaron Hershey | Gary Goodman |
| Kira Kabo | |
| Linda Lefkowitz | |
| Mark Leventhal | |
| Judith Lichtig | |
| Jennifer Mills | |
| Nelson Pitlor | |
| Lillian Schlachter | |
| Harlan Ullman | |
| Judy Uram | |
| Alan Wolk | |
| Joel Zaas | |