2025 Honorees

I am a devoted husband, father, and retired professional whose life reflects a commitment to family, Jewish values, and community leadership. With a career spanning over three decades and a passion for creative and spiritual pursuits, I have made an enduring impact in both my professional and personal spheres.

My wife Sharon and I have shared 32 years of marriage, building a life together filled with love, respect, and shared values. We have raised two accomplished children, Jenna and Jordan, who continue to be a source of pride and joy. This past year we were overjoyed with the marriage of our daughter to Ian and we look forward to being grandparents one day.

My deeper engagement with Judaism began with my marriage to Sharon. A pivotal moment came when we decided to keep a kosher home—a significant shift from my upbringing in a Long Island “Conservative” Jewish household where keeping kosher was something the rabbis did. Shabbat dinners became a cherished family tradition, where we would gather with our children and whatever friends stopped by that week for meals and meaningful discussions about the weekly parsha—this reinforced my family’s bond and shared commitment to Jewish life. I am proud to say that both of my children honor Shabbat traditions in their own homes.

After a 34-year career at UPS where I excelled in Pricing Strategy, Revenue Management, and Revenue Management Systems I retired. Known for my strategic vision and collaborative leadership, my contributions left a lasting legacy of innovation and success.  

Retirement has provided me with the opportunity to explore personal interests alongside my leadership roles in my volunteer activities. My love for cooking continues to thrive as have my other hobbies which include woodworking, hiking and gardening. These activities provide me a balance of creativity, physical activity, and personal fulfillment.

My dedication to Judaism extended beyond my family into active involvement in synagogue life. Over the years, I’ve taken on various roles, including heading the Social Action Committee and serving as a member of the Board of Trustees. My leadership skills and passion for community-building led me to hold significant positions in Jewish organizations:

• President of the Etz Chaim Men’s Club
• Vice President of Fundraising for Congregation Etz Chaim
• Current President of the Anshei Darom Region of the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs (FJMC)

Through these roles, I have championed initiatives that strengthen Jewish identity, foster community engagement, and promote acts of tikkun olam (repairing the world).

Synagogue involvement has been a major part of my life. As a teen, I ran Junior Congregation Services and served on the Executive of my shul’s USY chapter. Eventually this led to my involvement with men’s clubs on a club level serving for many years as President and running a variety of programs.

Soon enough I became active with our region, Lake Ontario Region which is now known as Ansh-Eh Zafon. I have chaired numerous retreats, the Yellow Candle program as well as running several Man of the Year events in Toronto. I served as Ansh-Eh Zafon president from 2020-2022.

My involvement with FJMC International didn’t really begin until my first LDI at Pearlstone  Resort around  10 years ago. It was there where I learned about The Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs and all it has to offer its regions and clubs.  I worked as marketing chair for the Toronto Convention even though I had never attended one before and co-chaired marketing for the Chicago convention that ended up being virtual due to Covid.

Working in The Jewish Community has always been a passion of mine. In 2022, I chaperoned the youth baseball team at the Maccabi Games in Israel. Currently I am volunteering at the new Toronto Holocaust Museum teaching school children from all walks of life about the horrors of the Shoah.

I have been a business owner since graduating with a degree in Business and Finance and operated a printing company till 2021. Currently I own and operate a greeting card company in Support of  Make A Wish, Canada.

I have been married to my amazing wife, Cathy for 38 years and have 3 sons, Jacob (Kelsey), Noah and  Joseph. This past June, we were blessed with the arrival of our first Grandchild, Seth.

I am extremely honoured (Canadian spelling) to be Ansh-Eh Zafon’s Ma’assim Tovim recipient this year. I wish a hearty Mazal Tov to my fellow honourees.

A Connecticut native, Mitch graduated from Amity High School in Woodbridge, CT, received a BA Degree in Political Science from Muhlenberg College (Allentown, PA) and an MBA Degree in Management from the University of New Haven (West Haven, CT). 

After nearly two decades in various purchasing positions for Connecticut manufacturing firms, Mitch was elected to his first of three terms as First Selectman of the Town of Orange. Following a two-year role in real estate, Mitch became the Director of Human Resources for the Town of Guilford, a position he holds today. He is also an adjunct professor of Public Administration and Labor Relations at the University of New Haven.

Since he was very young, Mitch has been an active participant and volunteer in various civic, political, and religious organizations. He has served as Reunion Chairman for both his high school and college classes, and currently is the chair of the Orange Recycling Committee and a member of the Orange Pension Board. He has been the Building Chair for both the Library and the Fire House, and is a member of the Bond Oversight Committee. A former Town Constable and member of the Orange Town Plan and Zoning Commission, he also served as Chair of the Orange Inland Wetlands Commission for a decade. Mitch has been a member of the Orange Board of Selectmen for over thirty years, and is a member and former President of the Connecticut Public Employer Labor Relations Association (ConnPELRA). 

In 2016 he was voted by readers of The Orange Times as a Volunteer of the Year, in 2017 he received the Keeper of the Flame Award from the Congregation Or Shalom (Orange, CT) Men’s Club, in 2022 he was named a Paul Harris Fellow by the Orange Rotary Club, and in 2023 he was presented the O’Sullivan Award for Public Service.

As a teen, he was a member of Beth Israel Synagogue (Derby, CT) chapter of United Synagogue Youth (USY) and attended USY Encampment. In college, he was a member of Hillel and after graduation became an active Men’s Club and synagogue member.

Since the merger of Beth Israel Synagogue and Congregation Or Shalom, Mitch has been an active board member of the Or Shalom Men’s Club and the Jewish Community. In 2004 the Jewish Historical Society of Greater New Haven recognized Mitch as a Prominent Jewish-American Political Leader with New Haven Connections.

His late father Barry Goldblatt, a 2011 recipient of the Keeper of the Flame, was a founder of the Yellow Candle Program to perpetuate the memory of the Holocaust. Mitch has been extremely involved in that effort, as chair of the Congregation Or Shalom Yellow Candle Program in 2015. Then, in 2020, Mitch accepted the position of Yellow Candle co-chair for the Connecticut Valley Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs, a position that he still holds today.

Beginning in 2023, Mitch spearheaded the local Yellow Lights Program with the Or Shalom Men’s Club to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Mitch and his wife Abby, are the proud parents of two adult children, Carl and Shayna.

Jon was born in Huntington Station, Long Island, NY and lived there until he was 14, after his parents got sick of the weather, high taxes, and congestion of living in New York and wisely moved to sunny Sarasota, Florida.  After graduating college at the University of Florida (Go Gators!), Jon moved to Tampa and has been there for 26 years.

Jon has been an active member of Congregation Kol Ami for over 20 years and served as Security Chair before becoming active in Brotherhood, thanks to Barry Dvorchik (z’l) and his mentorship.  He’s implemented several annual traditions of successful programming such as Firearm Safety Day, Cigars and Spirits Night, Hearing Men’s Voices sessions, and more.  

Jon’s greatest accomplishment is being a father to Alissa, his 10 year old daughter.  He’s a Business Development Manager for a chemical company in their healthcare division.  His hobbies include spending time outdoors, traveling around the country, watching the Gators, enjoying a good stout, pale ale or scotch, and spending time with Alissa. 

Stephe Sturman is an active member of Temple Sinai in Middletown NY, where he has had the pleasure to serve as Men’s Club President, Board of Trustee member and Temple President.

He is a hairdresser for 51 years, 22 of which were spent traveling the U.S and Canada as a platform artist and educator, doing hair shows, symposiums and continuing Ed conferences. He served as Director and Chair for the New York State Design Team (The educational body for the New York State Cosmetology Association) and Director of Hair America (the educational body for the National Cosmetology Association).  He was a national designer and platform artist for TRESSA International as well as national designer and Artistic Director for IT&LY Hair Fashion, North America.

He is a collector of ancient artifacts, mostly Egyptian and Roman/Holyland in origin, and enjoys stringing and selling jewelry made with ancient beads ranging from 2,000 to 3,500 years old.

He is proud of his involvement with FJMC and the privilege of having been President of Hudson Valley Region FJMC, and having served as chair of FJMC’s Inclusion initiative.

He takes pride in having been recognized by the Jewish Federation of Orange County as Volunteer of the Year and by Temple Sinai Men’s Club as Man of the Year.

A special honor was being named last year’s recipient of the Hudson Valley Region Stanley Stern Award for Exemplary Service.

Stephe lives in Middletown, NY and has been fortunate to travel the world with his husband and partner of 50 years, Rob Abramson.

He believes that it is the responsibility of each of us to do what is in our power to help one another in whatever way we can. 

To see the change, we must be the change.

Karl Rubin is a financial advisor with Voya Financial Advisors and lives in Columbus, Ohio with his wife, Sharon Simon, who is a clinical therapist. His son Jacob is 30 years old and is a consultant for Price Waterhouse Coopers. Jacob lives, works and skis in Denver, Colorado.

Karl has been involved with the FJMC for over 15 years, ever since a few members of his local synagogue, Congregation Tifereth Israel, found out he could make a pretty mean latke and had not really played much poker and asked him to join the Men’s Club poker group. Shortly after sharing his stack with his Jewish brothers, Karl went on to become Tifereth Israel’s Men’s Club secretary, vice-president and then eventually Club president. A short period later he was asked to become the regional president of KIO+, a role he happily embraced.  As he got more involved in not only Men’s Club but other shul activities, he began reading Torah and became a board member of his shul. One thing led to another, and after going to LDI a few times and learning new skills he became vice president of his synagogue and eventually became president of Congregation Tifereth Israel in Columbus.

Among the many FJMC International roles Karl has embraced are being on numerous committees, leading discussions during Hearing Men’s Voices sessions and chairing the very successful FJMC Affinity Groups and Webinars for two years. In his role as Affinity groups chair he helped engage thousands of people around the world and helped people stay connected, even in the midst of a world pandemic. Additionally, Karl has for many years been both a board member and an honorary board member of the Foundation for Jewish Life.

One of Karl’s passions has always been Israel and it’s people. Most recently over the past two years, Karl has been the chairman of FJMC Israel Programming and Affairs. Shortly after the tragic events of October 7, 2023, he created the very successful Israel On My Mind Webinars and Reflections. Israel On My Mind is a program that has a two-fold approach. First, members and non-members are invited to share their personal thoughts, feelings and connection to Israel by writing a personal reflection. These are then shared with others via the FJMC website. The second component of Israel On My Mind presents monthly webinars with those who have some personal connection to Israel. Subjects have ranged from a live feed from the Soroka Medical Center in Israel which received many of the early casualties from October 7, to representatives and participants of the Israel Lone Soldier program to interviewing the presidents of Mercaz USA and Canada and sharing their insight regarding the World Zionist Organization and Israel today. Encouraging American and Canadian Jews to participate in the Mercaz election is another of the projects he has embraced.

In his spare time Karl is passionate about biking and fundraising for Pelotonia which is a one day annual cycling event with the James Cancer Research Hospital at The Ohio State University. He has been training and riding with a group of cyclists where the goal has been to ride 100 miles in one day for the past 10 years where the ultimate goal is to find a cure for cancer during our lifetime.

Karl keenly understands that in life, people bring you to people and that many of us are where we are today because of the people around us. In particular, for his FJMC journey, he greatly appreciates the support and guidance he has been given by Doug Segerman, Stan Greenspan, Tom Sudow, Allan Kahan and Norm Kurtz. Additionally, he deeply values the friendships he has developed over the years because of FJMC. Clearly, without those friendships he wouldn’t be here today.

Art Lashin is a dedicated individual who has significantly impacted his synagogue and community. Art and his wife, Eileen, have been members of Beth Sholom Congregation in Elkins Park since 1976 and have shown unwavering dedication to their faith and community. Art has held various leadership positions within the Men’s Club, including President, Treasurer, Recording Secretary, and Programming VP, demonstrating his commitment and leadership within the organization. Art’s passion for the Men’s Club is unwavering, rooted in his belief that it provides a valuable platform for men to engage with and contribute to the Jewish community. He cherishes the sense of camaraderie and the enriching activities organized by the Men’s Club, which significantly contribute to the congregation’s social, religious, and educational experiences.

His involvement extends to the Middle Atlantic Region, where he served as Regional President and Treasurer and contributed to organizing events such as the Man of the Year, Leadership Development Institute, and the Quad Retreat. Additionally, Art has been actively involved with the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs, serving as the FJMC Shoah Yellow Candle™ Program Chair and a member of the FJMC Executive Committee and the FJMC Board of Directors.

Outside of his community involvement, Art had a successful 42-year career as a managing attorney at a major Philadelphia law firm. He dedicated his free time to philanthropy, including volunteering at the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation and serving for twenty years as a board member and Vice President at the Hebrew Free Loan of Greater Philadelphia.

Art’s life is guided by the motto, “Always find time for things that make you happy to be alive.” His diverse hobbies, such as traveling, gardening, fishing, and birding, reflect this philosophy. These activities bring him joy and showcase his zest for life, love for exploration, and appreciation of nature.

Art and Eileen have been happily married for 48 years, a testament to their enduring love and commitment. They have two children, Andrew and Debra, their spouses, Jillian and Adam, and four grandchildren: Everly, Brielle, Emmy, and Lennox. Their close-knit family is a source of joy and strength for Art, and their support has been instrumental in his many achievements.

Art is honored as the 2024 Middle Atlantic Region Man of the Year for his outstanding contributions, which have left a lasting impact on his synagogue and region. His dedication to synagogue and community service continues to inspire others, and his priorities align with enhancing membership growth, club retention, and programming. Art expresses his heartfelt gratitude to the MAR Regional Board and his friends at the Beth Sholom Men’s Club for their continuous support in nurturing the growth and needs of his Club, Region, and FJMC.

Michael was born in Chicago, Illinois and attended synagogue and schools located on the southeast side of Chicago. He first became active in the Jewish Community in high school as a member of Golden AZA and later attending Hillel in college. From grammar school through college he played trumpet and was an avid photographer. 

Professionally, he received a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Illinois, College of Pharmacy, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, and worked as a scientist and Research Director for over 36 years in the food industry. Thirty years were spent working for the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company during which he was an Inventor listed on over fifty five issued United States patents, numerous international patents, and author/coauthor on numerous publications in peer reviewed journals.

 Michael joined Congregation Beth Shalom, Northbrook, Illinois in 1990 and became active in their Men’s Club. He was the Club Treasurer, and held Vice President Positions in House, Membership, and Ways and Means. After a two year stint as Executive Vice President, he was the Club President during which they won FJMC Quality Club Awards and Torch Awards.  In 2001, he became the Clubs Man of the Year and in 2010 he became the Kavod honoree.  He was the Congregation Beth Shalom Youth Basketball Coach for two seasons, was the unofficial photographer at all major synagogue and Men’s Club events, and sounded the shofar during High Holidays at Beth Shalom for twenty one years before retiring in 2020.

He became active in the Federation of Jewish Men’s Club Midwest Region, serving as the Recording Secretary, Vice President, Executive Vice President and from 2013-15 as President. He was an editor and contributor to the Region Website, and the Region Newsletter entitled “The Communicator”. He was the Region Photographer at Man of the Year, Region Events and International Conventions for over two decades. Key accomplishments as President included starting a Softball Tournament & BBQ- first held in 2013 which morphed into a Region Softball league that continues to this day, creating a Tu B’Shvat Haggadah for Clubs to hold Seders that was distributed to Region clubs, and expanding the annual Man of Year to include Youth of the Year with a fund raising option to support Youth Groups. Another major program improvement as a result of his efforts was the Midwest Region FJMC Retreat which was held from May 2-4, 2014 at Starved Rock State Park, Illinois.  This major improvement involved a combination of venue, speakers, kosher food (yes, meat!!), libations, and plenty of ruach

In 2019, he authored a Jewish World War II history book entitled “Tables Turned on Them- Jews Guarding Nazi POWs Held in the United States”. He presented the story behind the book at the 2019 FJMC Convention in Toronto, made over 30 Zoom Webinars to FJMC clubs from 2020-2021, 3 webinars to FJMC, and others to the National World War II Museum, the Chicago Jewish Historical Society, and Jewish War Veterans.   

As a photographer, his images have been exhibited in the Greater Chicago Jewish Festival Art Fair, and many local galleries.  Others have appeared in print such as the Fall 2012 Issue of “Voices of Conservative Judaism”, the February 1, 2013 Jewish Daily Forward, the April 2016 cover photo and August  2019 issues of the Chicago Jewish News, and the 2020 Calendar of The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

Michael has been married for over 40 years to his lovely wife, Judi, and they have lived in Northbrook for over 40 years. They have one son, Rob who is married to Molly and they live in Libertyville with our three year old granddaughter Ruby.

Elliot has been active in leadership roles since he became President of the Temple Israel Brotherhood in Sharon at age 35. Some years later, he became the President of the New England Region, where he initiated the Region’s first-ever Chili Cookoff, a very successful program. After finishing his term, he was named the national Vice President of Operations and then Vice President of Clubs. As VP of Operations, he led the effort to outsource the FJMC office operations, resulting in the hiring of Officense. As VP of Clubs, Elliot’s committee helped bring in eight new clubs into FJMC and worked to increase the number of affinity groups within the FJMC webinars to six. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Focus on Families and Attracting Young Men Committee, a cause he holds dear for two reasons: the survival of FJMC depends on attracting younger men, and he believes that these men deserve the enriched lives and friendships that come with joining a men’s club. This membership can help them overcome the isolation that so many of them face.

Elliot brings the same passion to his professional life. For over forty years, he has helped older people who have lost vision become more independent. It gives him great joy when patients tell him that he has significantly improved their lives. He is gratified to know that the program model he built many years ago is now being adopted by agencies serving people who are visually impaired across the country.

His volunteer activities include serving on the boards of the Sharon Council on Aging and Health & Social Services Consortium Elder Services. He has a particular interest in how society can help improve the health and quality of life of at-risk elders.

He is a past Vice President of Temple Israel of Sharon and a past chairman of several committees at Temple Israel, including a major gifts committee. Elliot is also a co-founder of the Temple Emanu-El Brotherhood of Providence.

He and his wife, Marcia, are the proud parents of four children: Joshua and Caroline, Amanda and Jonathon, Adam and Alison, and Sarah and Adam. They are thrilled to be the grandparents of six grandchildren, all five years old or younger: Jade, Ella, Eden, Piper, Landon, and Shay.

Elliot’s hobbies include home repairs, baking desserts, and trying to keep up with his grandchildren.

Accordion Content

Milton and his wife, Carol, have been members of Temple Beth El for more than forty years.  Their three children had attended the Hebrew School and Hebrew High School, and had their Bat and Bar Mitzvahs at Temple Beth El.  Their eight grandchildren have enjoyed taking part in many Temple events.

 Milton earned a BBA from Bernard Baruch College, CUNY, and a Master’s  Degree from NYU in Educational Supervision and Administration.  He was the Principal of “The Business, Computer Applications and Entrepreneurship Magnet High School” in NYC.  Prior to that he was the Director of the “Work Experience and Training Unit” for the NYC  Department of Education, and has also held various supervisory and administrative positions in the Educational field.

 Although now retired from the Department of Education, he has continued to teach Introductory Business Management and Marketing Courses at St. John’s University.  He has also taught courses at LaGuardia Community College, and The Parsons School of Fashion at The New School.

As a member of the Board of Trustees at Temple Beth El, Milton is an active participant at Daily Minyans, Shabbat services, and at Holiday events.  President of the Men’s Club for the past six years, he has presided over many religious, cultural, and social programs for the Temple, including: The World Wide Wrap,  Men’s Club and Veterans Shabbats,  Kristallnacht Memorial Programs, Yom HaShoah candle lighting programs, Tuesday Trivia programs held during COVID,  Monday Night at the Movies with the Men’s Club showing various Moriah Films purchased from the Simon Wiesenthal Center, and  Drive-In Movies/Barbecue programs held in June.  Trips have been organized to the Museum of Jewish Heritage, Tenement Museum, various Synagogues, as well as to various Sporting Events.   Milton has established a Northwell Health Collaborative with eight Partners including Community Synagogues and the JCC, where pertinent medical issues/concerns are shared with the Congregants.

The Men’s Club of Temple Beth El of Cedarhurst has won Torch Awards; A Gold Medal in the category of “Coping with COVID”; and a Silver Medal in the category of “Men’s Health Programs”.  In addition, the Men’s Club has won “The Quality Club Award” for six consecutive years.

Milton is an avid sports fan. He and his wife, Carol, a Clinical Psychologist, love to travel, and have visited many countries around the world.  They also enjoy Broadway Shows, concerts, and museums.  Above all, they love spending time with their family.

Always an enthusiastic person, Milton believes that a leader is only as strong as the people he works with.  He is a team player who is very proud of the accomplishments of The Men’s Club at Temple Beth El, and he is honored to be chosen MA’ASIM TOVIM representing the New York Metropolitan Region.

Rob and his wife, Jerri, had been involved members of Beth El Synagogue in East Windsor, NJ for over 30 years. Jerri, had been Youth Commissioner and daughters Monica [past USY chapter president] and Stephanie were both very involved with youth groups and social action. For Rob, Men’s Club was his chance to be in the Youth group he never was as a kid. Prior to becoming involved with Men’s Club, Rob served on the synagogue board including executive positions as Fundraising and Membership Vice President.

After becoming his club’s Man of the Year, Rob left the synagogue board and became Men’s Club president. During his first term as president, the Club won a Torch Award for its World Wide Wrap program. During his second stint as club president, sharing the club presidency with Marshall Alter, the Beth El Synagogue Men’s Club was awarded the Quality Club Award, which it received year after year. Beth El Synagogue Men’s Club served the community well, living up to its motto: Help out and have fun!

At some point Rob was asked to join the Northern New Jersey Region (NNJR) board, where he has been working to help Jewish guys from Jersey get the most out of FJMC. His first big role for the region was chairing the convention committee and with his efforts, a record number of attendees from the NNJR community descended upon Philadelphia (2009).

Rob believes community is critical to fostering the FJMC’s mission of involving Jewish men in Jewish life. The rewards of community and Jewish living are most evident at convention and regional retreats. For many years, Rob chaired the biennial multi-region retreat, successfully coordinating with leaders from the Hudson Valley, Middle Atlantic and New York Metro Regions. This past year the retreat welcomed FJMC Executive Director Noam Raucher and his kids, to another successful multi-region retreat. The success of the retreat was really measured by the tremendous friendship, learning and camaraderie that the men took with them, not to mention the amazing bonfire Saturday night.

Rob continued to take on leadership positions within NNJR, and eventually became NNJR President in 2020 – – more like virtual President as Covid put a stop to all in-person events. Rob helped keep NNJR afloat by pivoting to virtual events on Zoom, including the Presidents’ Dinner and Man of the Year programs. These successful events provided a blueprint for FJMC and other regions to follow.

While he continues to devote time to the NNJR as part of the executive board, Rob has become more involved at the international level of FJMC. This past year he chaired the Leadership Development Institute (LDI), has been involved with new club recruitment and is co-chair of Programming for the 2025 FJMC Convention.

Rob is honored to be the NNJR Ma’asim Tovim honoree. In large part, he says, it is because of the support of his wife, Jerri, that he has been able to help out and have fun as part of the FJMC

Bob Watts grew up in a small town in Connecticut, went to college in Florida, and Columbia U. for a Masters of International Affairs, and went to work for the State Department as a Foreign Service Economic Officer. His first overseas assignments were in Portugal and Brazil. State sent him to Stanford for a MA in Economics, and after returning to DC, Bob met his beshert Linda, also at the State Department. 

Bob grew up in an Episcopalian family, regular church goers, and his father was a lay leader at his small country parish. Bob had always been drawn to Judaism through friends and girlfriends, and completed his journey when he met Linda, who grew up in Cherry Hill, NJ, belonging to Temple Beth Sholom. He and Linda were transferred to Peru where Bob studied for conversion in Spanish with the Masorti Rabbi there, finishing at Temple Beth Sholom in 1994. Bob and Linda later served together in Canada and Uzbekistan, where they lived with their two little children. Bob’s first Men’s Club experience was at a Conservative synagogue in Ottawa.

Bob and Linda (and Vega and Zach) finally put down their roots in Northern Virginia in 2004, and joined Congregation Olam Tikvah in Fairfax, VA. One fateful night during the 2004 AL pennant race, Bob answered a call and agreed to help out with the Men’s Club to get off the phone and back to watching his Sox beat the Yankees.

Bob retired after 30 years as a diplomat in 2010, and stayed on part-time as a consultant at State. While spending most of his career working on economic issues, in his last job Bob was Chief of the Diplomatic Innovation Division at State and picked up many IT skills. After retiring he continued to work there on online communications. Stan Greenspan met Bob at the 2011 Convention and asked him to edit The Unraveller haftarah commentary. He set up the first FJMC webinars and has led the organization on social media, tech training, video and photography, and set up the current FJMC Youtube channel.

Bob was a single Dad for two years while Linda was posted overseas, and organized a bar mitzvah for son Zach and helped Vega with college admission. In Bob also at that time felt that to deepen his FJMC commitment he needed to take up leadership, and became club President, launching successful fundraising efforts, and winning two Gold Torch Awards for promoting Israel/Masorti causes. 

Bob was Seaboard Region President from 2019-2021, and was appointed to the FJMC Executive Committee in 2021. He managed the migration and setup of the new FJMC website. Bob became FJMC Secretary in 2023, and has been nominated to be a Vice President of the FJMC for 2025-2027. In addition to EC responsibilities, Bob manages the website, chairs monthly regional leadership training, is on the Convention Programming, Inclusion, and International Committees, and is committed to moving the FJMC forward. He still supports club and region activities, organizing the region 2022 retreat, and helps coordinate work with the Abayudaya Jews of Uganda. He went with Abayudaya Chair David Freiman, Tri-state President Jonathan Epstein, Seaboard VP Johnny Parker and others to Uganda in December, 2024 – January, 2025.

Bob has been active in other volunteer organizations. He was on the board of the JCC of Northern Virginia, is on the board of the Alumni Association of New College of Florida and mentors students on international careers. He is a member of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee, and manages the Olam Tikvah livestream. He loves classical music and every summer he and Linda spend time at the Wintergreen Music Festival in the Blue Ridge Mountains, often accompanied by children Vega, who lives in in Richmond, VA, and Zach, a graduate student in history at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA. The family is growing, as Zach is engaged to marry Ruby Jackson, a 4th grade teacher in Harrisonburg, the week after the 2025 FJMC Convention.

Bob is extremely proud and honored to have been chosen the region Ma’asim Tovim for 2025, and looks forward to continuing to work with his brothers to move the FJMC forward. 

Jonathan D. Epstein is President of the Tri-State Region and President of the Temple Beth Tzedek Brotherhood in Buffalo, N.Y., where he has been a member since moving to Buffalo with his wife, Judy, in 2004. He has led the Brotherhood for most of the last 16 years, reinvigorating it twice with the help of a core group of members and the synagogue’s spiritual and lay leadership. He is also a current member of the synagogue’s Board of Trustees, where he has previously served as Treasurer and Secretary, and chaired its Shofar newsletter committee.

Jonathan has been involved in FJMC since 2008, after being invited and recruited to participate in the Leadership Development Institute by former FJMC International President Stan Greenspan and other members of the former Lake Ontario Region from Toronto. He has attended several LDIs and international conventions since then, including in California, Boston, Toronto, Philadelphia, and most recently the current convention in Chicago.

He has been President of Tri-State since 2021, after succeeding Alex Kiderman,
shortly after the Western New York clubs were transferred from Lake Ontario Region (renamed Anshe Tzafon) to the Tri-State Region just prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. He took on a second two-year term in 2023, and will be succeeded by Steve Haberman in 2025. Jonathan is also Vice Chair of FJMC’s Young Men’s/Young Families Initiative, a member of the HaD’var Newsletter Committee and Marketing Committee, a member of the International initative, a member of the 2025 Nominating Committee, and a member of the Strategic Task Force.

Professionally, Jonathan is a national and statewide award-winning Financial
Reporter at The Buffalo News, covering real estate and development amidst the ongoing resurgence of Buffalo. He is part of the Business Next business desk covering Buffalo’s business community, and previously covered banking, insurance, and real estate together for the newspaper.

Prior to joining the News in January 2004, Jonathan spent six and a half years
covering banking, credit cards and insurance for The News Journal in Wilmington, Del., a 150,000-circulation Gannett Co. daily newspaper. He also covered small business lending. He began his career as a Community Banking reporter and deputy Community Banking section editor for The American Banker, a daily financial services newspaper owned by Thomson Corp., from July 1994 to August 1997.

A native of Schenectady, N.Y., Jonathan earned his bachelor’s degree in history and
political science from University of Rochester in 1993 and his master’s in print
journalism from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 1994. He was also a journalism fellow at the Stonier Graduate School of Banking program at University of Delaware in 1997, a National Press Foundation Fellow in 2000, and a fellow of the Columbia Age Boom Academy in 2023.

Jonathan is active in the Jewish community in Western New York, where he is a past recipient of the Buffalo Jewish Federation’s Ann & Meyer Riwchun Emerging
Leadership Award. He is also immediate past-president of Kadimah Academy, a private K-8 Jewish day school organization in Western New York that is now collaborating with the Park School of Buffalo on an innovative partnership called Kadimah Scholars at Park.

He is married to a University of Rochester alumna, with a daughter at UR and a son in Kadimah Scholars at Park School, and resides in Amherst, N.Y. 

Benny Sommerfeld was born in Gothenburg (Göteborg), Sweden. Early on he was involved in the Jewish community through sports, playing soccer (“real” football) and the youth movement, Habonim.  During his years in Sweden was active in the Jewish Congregation of Gothenburg as President of the Information Board and a member of the Youth and Leisure Board. He was part of a group that created the Jewish Local Radio station, with weekly live broadcasts interviewing Jewish personalities in town and playing Jewish music for the listeners. He served as program host and technician controlling the broadcast.

His professional career started as a Chemical Engineer at Volvo Cars. After seven years in Process Engineering, he transferred to Advanced Product Development. This brought him to the USA and California. Instead of returning back to Sweden he decided to stay, after meeting his Beshert wife, Irma at a Shabbat dinner in one of Los Angles’ major conservative shuls.

Benny joined Valley Beth Shalom, Encino in 1993 and sang in their adult choir for the next ten years. During that time, he got married (1996). In 2006, he became involved in the Conservative movement through the Temple Etz Chaim Men’s Club (MC) when he was asked to help organize the MC Shabbat. Benny was part of the MC Board as VP for different portfolios until he became President of the Club in 2012. He has continued his involvement in the Western Region and after rotating to different positions on the Regional Board, was President of the Western Region from 2017-2019. Benny has continued his leadership role within the FJMC. He has chaired LDI for the regional track twice and is now in his third term as member of the Executive Committee.

Benny served a layman Cantor in his congregation (until they found a Cantor) and is still part of the community until today. He has transitioned from engineering to becoming a clergy. Benny currently serves as the Associate Chaplain at his temple, while finishing his master’s program to become a Jewish Chaplain.

Benny resides in Thousand Oaks California with his wife Irma, and they have two daughters, Naomi and Marissa who still live in Los Angeles.