Oak Park Temple on the Web

Contact the committee by email: rabbisearchcomm@oakparktemple.com

Dear Chaverim (friends),

The selection of the Rabbi Search Committee has been very difficult. I'm happy to report we had around 40 congregants who volunteered their time and energy to the process. All of these applicants would have made wonderful contributing members of this important committee. However, I tried to consider a workable, efficient number that could accomplish the task. My research on maximum size for a successful committee was around 20 members. Thus I decided to select no more than 20 members besides the Chair, Jeff Blaine.

Another important consideration to me was to represent as many segments of the congregation as possible. I wanted to also achieve balance between women and men, different age groups, and different levels of involvement in the Temple. I felt those who might only come on the High Holidays and are dues paying members are just as concerned about who is chosen as a new Rabbi, and actually represent more of the congregation than active volunteers. I wanted different voices with different perspectives, needs, and objectives. I felt both new and long term members have an equal stake in who is ultimately chosen. Every committee and group of our Temple could not be represented; we are fortunate to have many active missions meeting currently.

After much deliberation, I presented the following slate to the Exec Committee and the Board of the Temple. Fortunately, both groups approved this slate and I can now present them to you as our Rabbi Search Committee. Please feel free to offer your opinions and ideas to any of these members so they can take them back to the group for consideration.

Also I would like to make sure everyone knows there will be more committees formed along the way in this process, and many public forums for you to present your thoughts. Please take advantage of all these opportunities so we will end up with a Rabbi who closely meets all of our needs.

B'shalom,
Linda Ross
President, Oak Park Temple

1. Matt Tushman (Financial Services Manager)- Past President of the Temple, Nominating Committee Chair, Endowment Committee and Membership Committee member, Katrina Project participant, regular Friday night service attendee, interfaith family, two children in Religious School, member since 1995

2. Mark Segal (Business Manager)- URJ Regional Director Search Committee member, Board member, Board Vice President, Constitution Revision Architect, Long Range Planning Chair, Torah Study Group member, Worship Committee member, Bagel Boy member, Chair of Board Committee Study, regular Friday night and Saturday morning service attendee, one child in Religious School and two children involved in Temple High School group, member since 1992

3. Harriet Hausman (Full time volunteer)- Annual sponsor of Hausman Brunch and lecture, Sisterhood past President and member, past Board member, past Social Action member, past fundraiser event chair, and recipient of the Temple's Social Action Award, past Rabbi Search Committee member for the last two Rabbis, member since 1946

4. Lori Weiss (Pediatrician)- Member of various Temple choirs, Music committee member, Sisterhood member, Adult Ed member, past Temple Retreat Chair, OSRUI Camp volunteer, Temple Break-Fast sponsor, organized new music section for OPT Library, JUF Brunch Chair, three children involved in Temple through high school, member since 1987

5. Amy Kaufman- (Pre-school Teacher), Torah study group, choir member, started Temple meditation group, taken classes with the Rabbi, two children in Religious School, Adult Ed participant, member since 2001

6. Deb Holdstein (College Dean, School of Liberal Arts and Sciences)- Co-chaired Temple Library for many years, past choir member, past Nursery School committee member, past Ritual Committee member, two children attended Preschool and Religious School, member since 1986

7. Sheri Gilley (Software Designer and Manager)- Past Temple Treasurer, Worship Committee Chair, Torah Study group, Adult Ed member, regular Friday night service attendee, official Temple website developer and maintainer, a member since 1985

8. Dan Landsman (Social Worker)- JCC Day Camp Director for 5 years, children in Preschool and Religious School, directs traffic for Religious School on Sunday mornings, currently heads Jewish/Catholic dialogue group in Chicago, both his parents served on their Temple's Board of Directors, interfaith family, member since 2006

9. Danielle Locke (CEO of Locke Household)- Child in Preschool, Finance Officer of Preschool Board, Temple Finance Committee member, interfaith family, member since 2006

10. Craig Silverman ( Real Estate Developer)- Three children in Religious School, past OSRUI Board member and volunteer, Religious School Committee, parents have served on their Temple's Board including father as President, member since 1998

11. Steve Baskin (CEO of Chicago company)- Served 10 years on a hospital Board, three children consecrated and confirmed at OPT, member since 1985

12. Eddie Pont (Pediatrician)- Secretary Of Temple Board, three children in Religious School, Katrina Project participant, Shalom Baby organizer, Echad Steering Committee member, organized a health care access forum in 2005, currently planning intergenerational component for Mitzvah Match group, has strong family ties to Temples with mother as a staff member for a congregation and a brother who is a Rabbi, member since 1999

13. Kathy Madura (Physical Education Teacher)- Sisterhood President, past Religious School teacher, OSRUI staff member, interfaith family, two children consecrated and confirmed at OPT, member since 1981

14. Cheryl Lipton (Attorney)-Past Preschool President, two children in Religious School, member since 1995

15. Andrew Goldstein (student)-Student in high school, OPT Youth Group member, member all his life

16. Gabriel Plotkin (Attorney)-Previous B'nai Mitzvah tutor, BS Judaic Studies at Brown Univ, Past counselor and Religious Director at Camp Interlaken JCC, led Jewish programs at Brown Univ, spent one year as Jewish Campus Corps Fellow for Univ of Wisc Hillel, past volunteer coordinator for crisis intervention and counseling center for Milwaukee teens, 5 year Board member for and founded community based non-profit group while at Yale Law School to aid social change in New Haven, one child at Preschool, member since 2007

17. Morrie Seeskin (Attorney)- Immediate Past President, past Social Action Committee member, Torah Study Group, library volunteer, regular Friday night service attendee, unofficial Temple historian having grown up in the Temple, and known every Rabbi at OPT, member since 1989

18. Kathy Lewis (Small Business owner)- Past member of Preschool Board, past member OPT Board, past Chair Outreach Committee, current member URJ Great Lakes Region Outreach and Synagogue Community Committee, facilitated OPT's New Beginnings group for Jews by Choice and those considering conversion, organized first Shabbat Across America dinner, Ritual Committee member, Pads volunteer, Sisterhood Gift Shop volunteer, Temple auction volunteer, Katrina Project volunteer, member Cantor and Educator Search Committees, Echad al Echad Teen Exchange Program Coordinator, member since 1992

19. David Cohn (Teacher)- Advisor to the Oak Park Temple Youth Group, seven years in staff positions at OSRUI, Temple service guitarist, father is a Cantor, and represents single young adults in twenty somethings, member all his life.

20. Laura Kaufman (Director of Jewish not for profit group)- Works to make positive social change for Jewish women worldwide, Social Action Committee member, Religious School Committee member, two children in Religious School, member since 1998.

21. Jeff Blaine .(Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Solo Practice) - Board of Directors approved Chair of the Rabbi Search Committee, 9/26/2007. OPT member since 1979. Two adult sons educated, became b'nai mitzvah and confirmed at OPT. Jeff's wife, Sue, also became b'nai mitzvah at Oak Park Temple in 1993. Current member of the Board of Directors of the Temple and also served in that capacity in 1983-85. Bagel Boy, for the last 20 years and was the Chief Bagel for more than 10 years. In that capacity was the recipient of the "Rabbi Samuel Schwartz Keter Shem Tov Award, Crown of a Good Name". He has also served as Oak Park Temple’s ba’al tekiah, blowing the shofar for the last 25 years. Sue, was the president of the congregation from 1993-95. In 2002, Jeff and Sue received “The Celebration of Life Award” from the State of Israel Bonds.