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Our Clergy and Staff
The clergy and staff at Temple Emanu-El is made up of 12 dedicated, passionate individuals. We strive to bring a joyful, welcoming experience to everyone who steps through Temple Emanu-El’s doors. Together we make up the synagogue’s clergy, as well as executive, programming, marketing, and maintenance staff. We’re here to provide guidance, information, and answer any questions you may have.
David-Seth Kirshner
Rabbi
David-Seth Kirshner is the rabbi of Temple Emanu-El in Closter New Jersey, where he is entering his 18th year of leadership.
Prior to joining Temple Emanu-El, Rabbi Kirshner worked at the Jewish Theological Seminary as Senior Director of Institutional Advancement.
In addition to building and strengthening Temple Emanu-El, Rabbi Kirshner is involved in the community at-large and holds many positions of leadership.
Rabbi Kirshner is the Past President of the New York Board of Rabbis, and past president of the NJ Board of Rabbis. He was selected among 50 rabbis to participate in the inaugural class of the Kellogg School of Rabbinic Management at Northwestern University. He is an adjunct faculty member at the Academy for Jewish Religion (AJR) where he teaches rabbinical and cantorial students. In 2013, Rabbi Kirshner was appointed to the New Jersey-Israel Commission by Governor Chris Christie and was re-appointed in 2018, by Governor Phil Murphy. Rabbi Kirshner holds a seat on the Executive Committee of the JFNA. Since 2009, Rabbi Kirshner was appointed to the National Council of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and in 2013, he graduated as a Senior Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, Israel.
Rabbi Kirshner is the author of Streams of Shattered Consciousness: A Chronicle of the first 50 days of the Israel-Hamas War. It has more than 10,000 copies in circulation and earned mention in the February 2024, NY Times Book Review.
Rabbi Kirshner has written articles for many media sources and is regularly published in the Jewish Standard, the Bergen Record, Haaretz, The Times of Israel, The Huffington Post and the New York Times and has been featured on national radio and television programs including Good Morning America, CBS, CNBC, WABC, WNBC, NPR, The Last Word, with Laurence O’Donnell Nightline, MSNBC, Al Jazeera, and Faith to Faith.
Rabbi Kirshner holds a BA degree from York University in Toronto, Canada and earned an MA in Hebrew Letters and rabbinic ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary. Rabbi Kirshner is married to Dori Frumin Kirshner. They have two children.
Israel Singer
Cantor
Cantor Israel Singer has served as the cantor of Temple Emanu-El of Closter, NJ since 1989 (formerly Temple Emanu-El of Englewood, NJ).
He also served in the prestigious Great Synagogues of Tel Aviv & Ramat Gan, Israel, as well as a guest cantor of the Great Synagogue in Jerusalem.
Cantor Singer started his singing career as a soloist of the prestigious Israel Defense Force Choir. Since then he appeared on concert stages, radio, and T.V. shows in Israel, Europe, the U.S., and Canada.
Among the highlights of his career are: singing in Gan Sacker, Jerusalem in front of fifty thousand people; a production of the Brooklyn Lyric Opera; various productions of the NY Jewish Theatre; and in The Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, NY.
He also sang at the inauguration of Governor Christie Whitman of NJ and the Jerusalem 3000 Celebration hosted by Governor George Pataki and Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Cantor singer produced the albums In your Name, The Angel’s Dance, Av Harachamin, Call The Shabbat A Delight, and My Coolest Aliya.
Cantor Singer contributed to Dr. Mordechai Sobol’s albums of Karlibach compositions and The Best of Melave Malka, and his repertoire includes Jewish music as well as Broadway tunes and opera.
Jeremy Ruberg
Rabbi for Lifelong Learning
Rabbi Jeremy Ruberg, is the Rabbi for Lifelong Learning at Temple Emanu-El in Closter, NJ. In that capacity, Rabbi Ruberg oversees all the educational portals at Temple Emanu-El from youth to seniors. He manages the Religious School, its curriculum and hiring, and all programs related to the school.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but grew up in Norfolk, Virginia. In 2000, Rabbi Ruberg began his education at The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) as a student in the Joint Program with List College and Columbia University receiving a BA from each institution. During his college years, he sang with and was the vocal percussionist for Pizmon, the co-ed Jewish a Capella group on campus. Upon completing his undergraduate degrees, Rabbi Ruberg continued his studies at JTS in The Davidson School of Jewish Education and The Rabbinical School. Over ten years in New York City, Rabbi Ruberg worked in a variety of Jewish educational settings, including Camp Ramah in New England, Jewish Federations of North America and Rutgers University Hillel.
Most recently he served as one of the rabbis at New City Jewish Center for nine years focusing on youth and family engagement. While in New City, Rabbi Ruberg served on the board of Federation was the President of the Board of Rabbis of Rockland and formed a high school Jewish A Capella group called Trey Kaley which performed all over the Hudson Valley.
An avid sports fan, he can often be found either watching sports on television or riding his Peloton bike. His wife Rebecca is the Senior Director for Executive Recruitment at Jewish Federations of North America and they are proud parents of daughter Aliza, son Jonah, and their dog Caleb.
Gabe Cohen
Assistant Rabbi
Rabbi Gabe Cohen joined the Temple Emanu-El clergy team as Assistant Rabbi in the summer of 2022.
Born and raised in nearby Hillsdale, New Jersey, and a Jersey boy through and through, Rabbi Cohen is a graduate of Rutgers University (Phi Beta Kappa) and earned his rabbinic ordination, master’s degree in education, and a certificate in pastoral care, from the Jewish Theological Seminary in May of 2022.
Rabbi Cohen spent his whole life involved in the Conservative movement. He is a graduate of the Solomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County, was transformed by his experiences in USY, and loved his year as a participant on the Conservative movement’s gap-year program in Israel, Nativ, so much that he went on to staff it after graduating from Rutgers. Rabbi Cohen’s rabbinic path was greatly influenced by his eight summers spent on staff at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires. The camp will always hold a special place in his heart, especially because that is where he and Deb met while they were both on staff together?
Rabbi Cohen brings his love of Jewish life, culture, and humor to everything he does. He has a passion for making Judaism feel accessible and relevant in the lives of those he teaches.
In his spare time, Rabbi Cohen can be found cheering for the New York Knicks, reading superhero comic books, watching Curb Your Enthusiasm, over-analyzing Star Wars, listening to The Beatles, or completing the daily New York Times crossword puzzle. Rabbi Cohen’s wife, Deb Pollack is a graduate of Barnard, also has a masters from the Davidson School of Jewish Education at JTS and a masters in social work from Wurzweiler. She loves decorating their home with pomegranate decor, keeping up to date on the latest trends in Jewish food, and baking her award-winning challah and mandel bread for friends and family. Rabbi Cohen and Deb live nearby with their adorable son.
Becky Skoff
Executive Director
Becky joined Temple Emanu-El as Executive Director in April 2022.
Previously, she worked at the 14th Street Y of the Educational Alliance, where she served as Associate Executive Director and oversaw a portfolio of programs across three different sites including a senior center, summer camps, and a preschool, as well as led her team in finance, operations, and administration.
Also at the 14th Street Y, Becky served as Program Manager for the launch of LABA: A Laboratory for Jewish Culture, an artist Beit Midrash program that is now a global artist network with hubs in New York City, the Bay Area, Berlin, and Buenos Aires. Throughout the years she also developed and produced a wide variety of Jewish and cultural programs, including a theater and dance series, teen theater camps, Jewish family programs with PJ Library, and the Downtown Jewish Life Network. She was also selected as a Fellow in the second cohort of the Ruskay Institute for Jewish Professional Leadership.
Previously, Becky worked for numerous performing arts organizations throughout the United States, including on Broadway with the Roundabout Theatre Company, the Philips Center for the Performing Arts, the New Harmony Theatre, Chamber Theatre Productions, Boch Center for the Performing Arts, and the Writers Theatre of New Jersey. Becky is also the co-founder of The New Roman Theatre Group, an avante-garde theater company devoted to breaking down the barriers between performers and the audience.
Becky grew up in Tampa, Florida, and she received her undergraduate degree from the University of Florida in Public Relations and Theater. She received her Master’s degree in Arts Administration at Boston University.
Becky can usually be found in her gardens, taking photos, or planning her next family travel adventure with her husband, Judah, and son, Benzi.
Adam Schwartzbard
Director of Youth Engagement
Adam joined Temple Emanu-El as a teacher in the fall of 2007 and has been a part of the staff in various roles since then. He currently serves as the Director of Youth Engagement, working very closely with Rabbi Ruberg to help oversee and run the Religious School, teen and other youth programs.
In addition to working at Temple Emanu-El, Adam is a full time Special Education teacher in the Jersey City Public Schools, where he has taught for nearly twenty years, the last 15 at Snyder High School. In the 2020-2021 school year, Adam was honored as the Teacher of the Year and was recognized as part of the New Jersey Governor’s Outstanding Educator Program.
Adam received his Bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University and a Master’s degree in Special Education from NJCU.
Adam and his wife Gabi, a Nurse Practitioner at NYU, are the proud parents to Taya, Simone, and Mickey who attend Leffell School and Solomon Schechter Day School in Bergen County.
Outside of work and spending time with his family, Adam enjoys pitching for his softball team, riding his bike, watching sports, tv & movies, reading, sitting by the pool and going to the beach.
Chareen Kramer
Executive Assistant to Clergy
Julia Vazquez
Director of Operations & Facilities
Tiffany Garavito
Director of Marketing
Tracy Anser
Member Services Associate
Shelby Effron
Religious School and Youth Programs Coordinator
The congregants and leadership of TE have been warm and welcoming, and although we have only been members for a short time, TE already feels like home.
- Brittnay Alter 
Our family has found a second home at Temple Emanu-el. For us it is a place for meaningful worship; but also it's a vibrant community that caters to every member of our family. From enriching religious school programs and fun holiday celebrations for our kids, to engaging study sessions and social activities for my husband and me, there's always something happening at the Temple.
- Ruthie Nussbaum 
I can’t believe our Hebrew school journey has come to end. Thank you to all of our Morahs, the Rabbis, Cantor Singer, and Adam who have all made an impact on my Jewish values. I always love learning about where I come from and the traditions we keep. Not to mention the ice cream truck we get rewarded with at the end of the year has made it all worth it. But seriously, learning the stories of our people and seeing how they connect to the traditions my family observes during the holidays has given more meaning to those stories.
- Maya Kent 
I am blessed to have four generations active as members of Temple Emanu-El. Spending time here with my grandkids creating lifelong memories is a priceless gift.
- Robin Miller 
The first time I arrived on the Temple Emanu-El campus I could feel the vibrant and warm energy. I knew immediately that this is where I wanted my children and family to engage in their Jewish life. Since then, we have been blessed to watch our children move through the Temple’s Hebrew school and become Bar and Bat Mitzvahs. Jillian and I have built deep and meaningful friendships with fellow members and the clergy. The energy we felt at the beginning has grown to become a vibrant Jewish light.
- Daniel Herz 
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