Leadership

Meet Our Rabbi, Sonya Starr
Rabbi Sonya Starr is a graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Wyncote, Pennsylvania where she received her Ordination, as well as her MA in Hebrew Letters in 1994. Her student pulpits included the Jewish Congregation of Fairbanks, Alaska and the Hebrew Association of the Deaf in Philadelphia.

After serving as Rabbi at Beth El Synagogue in Torrington, CT and Rabbi Educator at Congregation Mishkan Israel in Hamden, CT, she came to us at Columbia Jewish Congregation (CJC) in 2000.

Rabbi Starr is a member of the Baltimore Board of Rabbis and the Board of the Oakland Mills Interfaith Center, the home of CJC. She is currently active with The Faith Network of the National Association of Mentally Ill and also ISHUT ("Identity"), which works to determine the boundaries of Reconstructionism and Judaism.

She is passionate about Jewish study believing that learning informs our actions and the meaningfulness of our lives. She focuses on a mix of spiritual practice and community activism guided by Jewish values, especially tikkun olam. Rabbi sees community work as providing a context for "thinking globally and acting locally."

Rabbi Starr lives in Columbia with her family and enjoys working closely with CJC members and the larger community. She says, "I am proud to be a part of a dynamic, intergenerational congregation that values inclusiveness and celebrates our differences."

Cantor Jan Morrison
Cantor Jan Morrison has been engaged in Judaism since early childhood. Although she grew up in the only Jewish family in a small northern Minnesota town, she traveled to the city each Sunday for Jewish learning and began teaching Hebrew School at the age of thirteen. Jan also loved singing from those early days and wanted to be a Rabbi although this career choice was not supported then.

Jan attended the Hebrew University postgraduate program in Jerusalem after college graduation, completed the Maalot program of Cantorial Training with Reb David Shneyer, and fulfilled several apprenticeships with rabbis and cantors, including Rabbi Shefa Gold, with whom she has been studying meditation and sacred chant. Jan is trained in pre-marital and marital counseling and enjoys working with couples. Cantor Morrison received investiture from Columbia Jewish Congregation in 1994.

Jan's passion is "helping people on their journey" during times of joy and being a "companion for healing" during times of sorrow. She particularly enjoys creating and leading choirs and engaging congregants through music at Shabbat, holidays and events. A joy for her is working with children as they prepare for their B'nai Mitvah and standing with them and the Rabbi as they fulfill this generation-to-generation ritual in the presence of their families and the congregation.

Cantor Morrison lives in Columbia with her husband and is a proud grandmother and avid cookbook and spy thriller reader.

Associate Rabbi Bob Saks
Rabbi Bob Saks was ordained in 1970 by the Conservative Movement's Jewish Theological Seminary. In 1973 he joined the Reform Movement's rabbinical association. For the first 21 years of his career Rabbi Saks served as a Hillel Director and campus Jewish chaplain, including 18 years at the University of Maryland. From 1991 to his retirement in 2009 he was rabbi of Cong. Bet Mishpachah in Washington, which has a primary outreach to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Jews. He is now rabbi emeritus of that congregation. Since 1991 he has also served CJC as associate rabbi. Rabbi Saks' Jewish interests are wide-ranging, with a special emphasis on kabbalah/Jewish mysticism and mussar/Jewish ethics and spirituality. Rabbi Saks has been married to Loretta Vitale Saks since 1970. They have two sons, Joshua and Daniel, both married, and two granddaughters.

CJC President, David Glaser
David R. Glaser, MS, MA has been a resident of Columbia, MD and a member of Columbia Jewish Congregation since 1982. Prior to accepting the role of President this year, he was Secretary to the Board of Directors for four years and involved in many initiatives. Professionally, he is a long time Organization Change Consultant to organizations and an Executive Coach. He began his career as a City Planner with the State of Maryland. David has a passion for singing and guitar playing and is part of a band that performs intricate three-part harmony singing arrangements of folk, rock and jazz music. He is also a practitioner and teacher of mindfulness meditation. Married to Judy Vogel, he is the proud stepfather of Jason and Margery and their spouses, Rhea and Matt, and three wonderful grandsons - Jordan, Jacob and Ze'ev.

Meet Our Administrative Director, Mindy Silverstein
We are delighted to welcome Mindy Silverstein, our new Administrative Director, to CJC. Raised in Staten Island, she attended Boston University and received her Masters degree from George Washington University in both Human Growth & Development and Jewish Education. Mindy has over 25 years of experience in Jewish education and communal work, most recently at Kehilat Shalom Congregation in Gaithersburg. She brings experience, enthusiasm and fresh ideas to our congregation. She lives in Olney with her husband Ken; and they have three grown children, Adam, Jenna and Keri. Happily, this past October, Mindy and Ken became in-laws when Adam married Bri. Mindy enjoys crocheting and she has goals for getting more exercise and healthy eating. As she settles into her new role with us, Mindy is eager to meet all CJC congregants, so please stop by the office and introduce yourselves.

Columbia Jewish Congregation 2011-2012 Board Members