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VOLUNTEER LEADERSHIP

 

 

 

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

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Bruce Hillenberg
Max Lark
Alan Levy
Alex Lumelsky
Sarah Markowitz
Mary Monahan
Angela Petersen-Ernst

Marc Sackin

Fran Shor

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Ned Greenberg, Immediate Past President

 

 

EXECUTIVE BOARD

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Elaine Fieldman, President

Elaine has been a CHJ member since 1995 and is the current Vice President. After practicing law for about 25 years, she retired from the firm of Barris Sott Denn & Driker. Elaine has served as a board member of the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism, JVS, Lighthouse Path and the Michigan State University College of Law. Her partner, John Knaffla, became a temple member in 2020. Elaine’s daughter, Erika Sims, celebrated her B’Mitzvah at our congregation. She and her husband, Marcel Kooi, recently moved from Philadelphia to Columbus Ohio. They have a two-year-old named Leon. 

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Cathy Radner, Vice-President

Cathy and her husband, Russell Linden, have been Temple members for over 25 years. Their two daughters went through our school program and celebrated their B’Mitzvah. Both daughters believe that going through the study, preparation and presentation at their B’Mitzvah were tremendous experiences. Cathy is a retired health care attorney, a long time trustee of Machpaleh Cemetery, and she has previously been on other boards.

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John Knaffla, Treasurer

John has been a member of CHJ for two years, although he’s been attending services and events with his partner Elaine Fieldman over the past nine years. In northern Michigan he served as a board member of a bank, a city government, and a chamber of commerce. He is an entrepreneur and investor with over 35 years of experience in healthcare technology, IT consulting for federal agencies, real estate development, executive coaching, and artificial intelligence, utilizing vision technology. Currently he is CEO and partner of Rota Technologies, LLC, a vision engineering technology company that specializes in proprietary and patented egg grading equipment including expert services primarily for large egg producing facilities across the US.

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Suzanne Paul, Secretary

Suzanne, and her husband Charlie Paul, have been associated with the Congregation for Humanistic Judaism (formerly the Birmingham Temple) for 52 years – which also coincides with the number of years they have been married. Suzanne was active in CHJ throughout the 70’s and early 80’s. In 1988, after completing her studies at the Humanist Institute and doing a year-long internship at the Ann Arbor Unitarian Universalist Church, she began a 29-year career as a Humanist Leader/Minister in five local UU congregations.  Since her retirement in 2016, she is happy to return to participating in CHJ. Most recently she has served on the CHJ Board and chairs the Daytimers group.

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