Leadership

Rabbi Jay M. Stein, D.D.

Rabbi Jay Stein received his ordination, an M.A. in Jewish Education and a B.A. in Jewish Philosophy from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. In addition, he received a B.A., Sociology from Columbia University. From 1990-1991, he served as an Alef-Alef Fellow in Jewish Education at Tel Aviv University.

In 1993, Rabbi Stein was awarded The Lowenfeld Prize in Practical Theology from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. In 1995, Rabbi Stein was named a Wexner Rabbinic Fellow. In 2021 he was awarded a Doctor of Divinity, honoris causa from The Jewish Theological Seminary of America. 

He has co-published articles on the subject of domestic violence in the Rabbinical Assembly Newsletter and Outlook Magazine, as well as authored a chapter in the Resource Guide for Rabbis on Domestic Violence published by Jewish Women International. Rabbi Stein has served as a national consultant in the area of Jewish supplemental high school education, as well as the Rabbinic Advisor to the Israel's Ministry of Tourism. He founded and headed a regional think tank for rabbis serving as spiritual leaders in Solomon Schechter Day Schools, and is a certified counselor in chemical dependence.

Rabbi Stein was a member of the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards and has authored papers on Special Needs Jewish Education, Ritual in the Synagogue and Physician Strikes. In his spare time he runs and does yoga. Most recently Rabbi Stein has authored his first Novel entitled Found in Thought available through Amazon. Rabbi Stein is married to Sharon Gross and he is the proud father of Adi, Nina, Gavi, Mia and Yasi.

Email: RabbiStein@ghcny.org

Visit Rabbi's Corner, Rabbi Stein's blog.

Visit Rabbi Stein's YouTube channel.

Cantor Anna May

Cantor Anna Chapman May is excited to be serving as the cantor at the Greenburgh Hebrew Center. She is passionate about Jewish music, education and liturgy, and graduated in May 2019 from the H. L. Miller Cantorial School at the Jewish Theological Seminary.

A native New Yorker, she grew up in Brooklyn and has spent most of her life here. The daughter of a classical pianist and a musicologist, she grew up surrounded by music, playing piano, and singing in choirs. She spent two years living and working in Jerusalem, which is where she first began her studies of cantorial music.

Cantor May has served as a student cantor at Congregation Brothers of Israel in Newtown, PA as well as Congregation Beth El in New London, CT. In 2018 she performed in the Dellheim cantorial concert "From Bima to Broadway" at Congregation Beth Tzedec in Calgary, Alberta. She has also performed in cantorial concerts at the Jewish Theological Seminary and in New London, CT.

She has also worked as a chaplain at New York Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital and at Project ORE, a program for marginalized seniors.

Cantor May holds a BFA in photography from New York University, a M.S. in Art Education and Masters of Information Science from Queens College, and a Masters of Sacred music from the Jewish Theological Seminary.

She is married to Scott May, and currently lives in Westchester County.

Email: Cantor.May@ghcny.org

Rabbi Emeritus Barry Kenter

Rabbi Barry A. Kenter, a GreenFaith Fellow, was rabbi of the Greenburgh Hebrew Center, Dobbs Ferry, New York from 1984 to 2015. He is currently GHC's Rabbi Emeritus.

A native Californian, he was graduated from California State University at Northridge with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and a Standard Secondary Teaching Credential. He was a Rotary Foundation Graduate Fellow at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium where he was awarded both first and second licenses with distinction, the first in Political Science; the second in International Relations and Comparative Political Science. He holds a Bachelor of Hebrew Literature degree from the University of Judaism and Master of Arts degree from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, which ordained him in 1980. In June 2011, he was inducted as one of 25 fellow 2011 class of GreenFaith Fellows. GreenFaith, an interfaith organization, believes that the world's great religions see the sacred in nature and teach respect for the earth. He serves as an adjunct professor at Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry. Rabbi Kenter returned to the Seminary several years ago and was awarded a Doctor of Hebrew Literature degree in Medieval Jewish Studies in May, 2014.

Following ordination, Rabbi Kenter remained at the Seminary as assistant director of Public Information. Before arriving in Dobbs Ferry, he served as assistant rabbi of Adath Israel Congregation, Downsview, Ontario, Canada. He has served as Jewish Chaplain at Mercy College, is a member of the board of Governors of the New York Board of Rabbis, and was Chairman of the Council of Regional Presidents of the Rabbinical Assembly. A past president of the Westchester-Rockland Rabbinical Assembly, he has been honored by the Jewish Theological Seminary with a Rabbinical Service Award and by the Jewish Education Fund with the Jack Sonkin Memorial Award. He has served on the Dobbs Ferry Youth Council and is active in ecumenical projects throughout Westchester. He is a founding board member of the Center for Jewish-Christian-Muslim Understanding, Irvington, N.Y., serves as its current president. For many years he was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Community Hospital at Dobbs Ferry. In February 1999 he was asked by the World Council of Synagogues to serve as a weekend rabbi-in-residence for a newly-created Conservative congregation in Nice, France.

Rabbi Kenter and his wife, Judith Dickstein Kenter, are the proud parents of two sons, one of whom is a rabbi of a congregation in Ottawa, Canada; the other is a lawyer who works at a Jewish non-profit. Judi, a past-president of the Hudson Valley Branch of Women's League for Conservative Judaism and previously served as International Recording Secretary for Women's League for Conservative Judaism, 

Email: RabbiKenter@ghcny.org

Amy Kessler, Director of Education

Amy Shapiro Kessler is a licensed social worker and educator with an M.S.W. from Hunter College and a B.A. in Psychology from SUNY Purchase. Amy’s Master degree in Social Work included a dual concentration in Administration and Community Organizing, with a specialization in Children & Families. She has served as an Assistant Director and Director of a day care center in Scarsdale, was Director of an adoption program for a large non-profit organization, and ran a therapeutic recreation program for children 5-18 years old.

Amy’s own positive experience in religious school led her to join youth group, attend Jewish summer camp, and volunteer in religious school on Sundays as a teenager. She has worked in religious schools for over 20 years, and has taught every grade, including holidays, Judaica, history, Hebrew reading and writing, as well as Bar/Bat Mitzvah preparation. She has taken numerous continuing education workshops at the Jewish Education Project, Keshet, Foundation for Jewish Camps, and Board of Jewish Education on topics including curriculum development, the use of technology in Jewish education, and teen engagement. Amy is thrilled to combine her passion and skills for Jewish education, working with children, teens, and their families, and administration, as Director of Education at GHC.  We have been fortunate to have Amy as a member of our professional staff since 2015.

Amy lives in Dobbs Ferry with her two children, dog and bunny.   She is proud to be part of such a vibrant community, and loves the Rivertowns.  In her free time, Amy enjoys relaxing on her deck with a cup of tea and good book, road trips, and any outdoor adventures.

Email: DirectorEd@ghcny.org

B'nai Mitzvah

Ilana Finkelstein

Campus Connection

Robin Rosenberg (college@ghcny.org)

Caring Community

Sheila Greenwald

Green Team

Enid Lotstein (Greening@ghcny.org)

Empty Nesters

Howard Baskin
Rhonda Baskin

Hamvaser

Willys Kals (Hamvaser@ghcny.org) 

Israel Team

Mark Sloane (Israel@ghcny.org)

Kiddush

Leslie Liss

Marketing

Shiran Pasternak

Men's Club

Howard Baskin (mensclub@ghcny.org)
David Luftig (mensclub@ghcny.org)

PJ Library

Ilana Goldstein; Andrea Anger

Religious School

 

Religious School PTA

Karen Ecker Greenbarg
Shara Sheinberg

Sisterhood

Allyn Salpeter (Sisterhood@ghcny.org)

Social Action

Adam Bass (Sato@ghcny.org)

Usher Squad

Naomi Feinkind