Staff Directory
Staff
RABBI AMY FEDER
SENIOR RABBI
314-432-8050 afeder@ti-stl.org
Rabbi Amy grew up at TI and is proud to say she is as much a member of her community as its leader. Before you ask the inevitable St. Louis question, she attended Clayton High School and then studied Judaics and music at the University of Michigan. She moved to Israel to begin Hebrew Union College following graduation, and immediately met Michael Alper, whom she married in 2005, a year prior to ordination. She began her work as an assistant at Temple Israel following ordination and was invested as its Senior Rabbi in 2010, becoming the youngest woman to lead a large Reform congregation. With a background in vocal performance, she also serves as the primary cantorial soloist for the congregation. Amy’s rabbinic passions include creating opportunities for flexible education, ritual innovation, and intergenerational worship. She is also a coffee snob who knows how to make the perfect cappuccino. She has served as the president of the St. Louis Association of Reform Rabbis and the St. Louis Rabbinical and Cantorial Association. Amy serves Temple Israel alongside her husband, Rabbi Michael Alper, and they are the proud parents of two children.
When asked why she loves being a Rabbi at TI, Rabbi Amy explains, “I meet people where they are, nudging and nurturing them to see how accessible and meaningful Judaism can be. Through song, careful listening, and passionate preaching, I seek to inspire others to live in examined ways that bring comfort and joy. By building and nurturing relationships, I quietly remind others that they are not alone and that they can rely on me and the community we create together. Together we find purpose and inspiration to be the best versions of ourselves.”
RABBI MICHAEL ALPER
RABBI
314-432-8050 malper@ti-stl.org
Rabbi Michael is a self-described wandering Jew. Born in California to parents from Brooklyn and Queens, he first developed his taste for Judaism making cross-country pilgrimages to Katz’s Deli. He moved to Florida as a teenager, spent some time living in Israel, and then was off to Boston University where he obtained his degree in history. Following graduation, he taught public school in the Bronx, but his afternoons were dedicated to teaching Hebrew school and private B'nai Mitzvah tutoring. He moved to Israel to begin Hebrew Union College in 2001 and has been traveling to Israel as often as possible ever since. Following ordination, he moved with Rabbi Amy to St. Louis to begin working as the Education Director at Central Reform Congregation. Two years later, he moved to Temple Israel, where he and Rabbi Amy have been working alongside each other ever since.
Rabbi Michael’s greatest passion is teaching. Whether he’s hosting a coffee talk for adult B’not Mitzvah, planning Geek Yeshiva, helping the 7th grade class erect tents on the Temple lawn to emulate the Israelites wandering in the desert, or unrolling a Torah scroll for a visiting church group, Rabbi Michael always has a creative approach to encourage students of all ages to access Judaism in new ways. You’re also likely to hear Rabbi Michael playing guitar at Shabbat services, planning the next trip to Israel, or helping someone make their own tallit. Rabbi Michael’s Yiddishkeit, humor, and love of learning shine through in everything he does.
RABBI MARK L. SHOOK
RABBI EMERITUS
314-432-8050 mshook@ti-stl.org
Rabbi Shook is a native of Detroit, Michigan. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Anthropology/Near Eastern Studies, from the University of Michigan, a Bachelor of Hebrew Letters Degree, a Master of Arts Degree in Hebrew Letters, and a Doctor of Divinity Degree, from the Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion.
From 1972-1980, He was the Assistant, then Associate Rabbi of Congregation Temple Israel in Creve Coeur. In 1973 he began his police chaplaincy as a Department Chaplain for the St. Louis County Police. In 1981 he was called to serve as Rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel, Margate/Northfield, NJ, which he did until 1987. In 1987, Temple Israel in Creve Coeur invited him to return as their Senior Rabbi, a position he occupied until his retirement in 2010. Upon his retirement in 2010, he was named Rabbi Emeritus of the Congregation
Rabbi Shook taught Jewish Philosophy at St. Louis University, as an adjunct professor, from 1992-2016. He also continued his work in police chaplaincy. Since 2010 he has been serving as the Chaplain Coordinator of the St. Louis County Police, as a Division Chaplain for the St. Louis Division, FBI, and as a Chaplain of the Creve Coeur Police Department.
In addition to his chaplaincy, he continues to teach and write. His first historical novel, The Ezra Scroll, published in 2014, has just been reconfigured as a series with a new title, Search for the Sacred Scroll. It is published by the Newhouse Creative Group and is available through Barnes and Noble and Amazon.
RACHEL WALLIS ANDREASSON
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
314-548-9743 randreasson@ti-stl.org
Rachel believes that every special occasion in Judaism is wrapped in a ritual and is bound with a deeper purpose. She loves serving as TI’s Executive Director to connect the traditions of the past and create a strong foundation for future generations.
Rachel grew up at TI. Her parents were married by Rabbi Rubin, and the many lifecycle events for her and her children were done at TI surrounded by family, friends, and the greater TI community. The coolest fact is that she was a first-year camper at TI’s Camp Kee Tov in 1977, came back to serve as a camp counselor in 1992 (when Rabbi Amy was a camper!), and then her oldest son attended the camp in its last year of operation.
Growing up where Rachel did in rural Missouri, there are no connections to Judaism other than what an individual chooses to bring forth. So, when the opportunity was available to assume the Executive Director role, she felt it was bashert (which means “meant to be” in Hebrew). Rachel took on the Executive Director role after working at her family business for 24 years in multiple operational and people-centric roles, and for more than a decade, she served as the Chair of TI’s HR Committee, too. One of her favorite parts about the job is hearing personal stories from TI members who’ve just joined to those that have been here for decades or generations. “It is always so interesting to hear about what connects our members to Judaism and to our community.”
ASHLEY PURVIS
ACCOUNTING MANAGER
314-432-8050 apurvis@ti-stl.org
MARTINA STERN
DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EVENTS
314-432-8050 mstern@ti-stl.org
RACHEL LEONARD
ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST
314-432-8050 rleonard@ti-stl.org
DEBBIE JENNINGS
CATERING MANAGER
(314) 432-8050 djennings@ti-stl.org
LESLEY GOLDENBERG
DIRECTOR OF FAMILY EDUCATION
314-432-8076 lgoldenberg@ti-stl.org
SIDNI WEGLARZ
DIRECTOR OF RELIGIOUS & HEBREW SCHOOL
314-432-8076 sweglarz@ti-stl.org
KIM HIGGINBOTTOM
EDUCATION CENTER ACCOUNTING MANAGER
(314) 432-8076 kheil@ti-stl.org
KIN WAN
FAMILY EDUCATION OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
MAYA POGER
YOUTH ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR
314-432-8076 mpoger@ti-stl.org
ERIN WOLFMAN MAY
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR
SAMANTHA WENDLING
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS MANAGER
314-432-8050 swendling@ti-stl.org
DERRICK BRYANT
BUILDING SUPERVISOR
314-432-8050 dbryant@ti-stl.org
YURIY MOSKALETS
MAINTENANCE
TIM MUSZALSKI
MAINTENANCE
TANNER SMITH
MAINTENANCE
Board
JENNY ABELES
BRAD ARST
TREASURER
PATTY BLOOM
JEFF BROWN
VICE PRESIDENT, SOCIAL ACTION
LIZ BUCHMAN
DAVID CHASSIN
VICE PRESIDENT, FACILITIES
AMY COHEN
ELLEN DEUTSCH
1991-93
ALLAN EPSTEIN
ROB EPSTEIN
DIANE FADEM PACKMAN
SARAH FALKOFF
VICE PRESIDENT, EDUCATION
GARY A. FOLLMAN
1988-90
KORINA GABRIELSON
ASSISTANT TREASURER
ED GOLDBERG
NEIL J. HANDELMAN
2005-06
PHIL HORWITZ
SECRETARY
ROY HENDIN
VICE PRESIDENT, GOVERNANCE
WAYNE KAUFMAN
AMY KNOBLOCK-HAHN
PRESIDENT-ELECT 2024
BENJAMIN KOZOWER
AMY LAMPERT
JOANNE LEVY
PAST PRESIDENT (2011-13)
ELIZABETH LIEBERMAN
ROBERT D. LITZ
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
LOUISE LOSOS
PRESIDENT
MATTHEW MEYERS
DEE A. MOGERMAN
2014-17
NEIL MARGLOUS
VICE PRESIDENT, MEMBERSHIP
CARY J. MOGERMAN
2002-04
BRIAN NEWMAN
BECKY PEARSON
RACHEL PROTZEL
AMANDA ROODMAN
STEVE ROSENBLUM
JERRY THOMECZEK
DEBBIE SCHULTZ
DANIEL J. SCHWARTZ
1999-2001
DAVID L. WEINSTEIN
MEMBER AT LARGE
DAVID L. WEINSTEIN
2007-10
MICHAEL WEISS
VICE PRESIDENT, EDUCATION
DECC Teachers
LESLEY GOLDENBERG
DIRECTOR OF FAMILY EDUCATION
314-432-8076 lgoldenberg@ti-stl.org
MISS AMY GARRIGA
TEACHER
MISS ANYA CERULO
TEACHER
MISS ANGELA KAVOURAS
TEACHER
MISS BOBBI PERNIKOFF
TEACHER
MISS CATHERINE MARINO
TEACHER
MISS CINDI BURSTEIN
TEACHER
MISS COLIE BUSHONG
TEACHER
MISS COURTNEY ROWAN
TEACHER
MISS DANIELLE EBERHARDT
TEACHER
MISS DAWN TURNER
TEACHER
MISS DEBBIE KALMAN
TEACHER
MISS DENNY GREENBERG
BEHAVIOR SPECIALIST (ABA)
MISS EDEN LAMB
TEACHER
MISS EMILY KEOWN
TEACHER
MISS EMILY TRENT
TEACHER
MISS EUNICE GATESH
TEACHER
MR. HENRY DEUTSCH
AFTERCARE
MISS JAN BLUMOFF
TEACHER
MISS JANE WEINHAUS
TEACHER
MISS JENNIFER BERNIER
FLOATER
MISS JEN WITTNER
TEACHER
MISS JENN SAGETT
TEACHER
MISS JOSIE TALVE-GOODMAN
STEAM TEACHER
MISS JULIE EASTLUND
TEACHER
MISS JULIE HIBBARD
TEACHER
MISS JULIE ROSEN
TEACHER
MISS JULIE SEHL
TEACHER
MISS JULIE SANDLER
SPEECH THERAPIST
MISS KALIE HALE
TEACHER
MISS KATIE DURHAM
TEACHER
KIM HIGGINBOTTOM
EDUCATION CENTER ACCOUNTING MANAGER
(314) 432-8076 kheil@ti-stl.org
KIN WAN
FAMILY EDUCATION OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
MISS KRIS WILLIAMSON
TEACHER
MISS LEAH FISHER
AFTERCARE
MISS LESLIE MORRIS
TEACHER
MISS LINDSAY GILL
AFTERCARE
MISS LISA KIRBERG
TEACHER
MISS MAYA POGER
TEACHER
MISS MEGAN STURDEVANT
MUSIC TEACHER
MISS MELISSA SCHUVAL
TEACHER
MR. MICHAEL TZINBERG
FLOATER AND AFTERCARE TEACHER
MISS MINDY WOOLF
COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATION
MISS NICOLE SCHADE
AFTERCARE
MISS REILLY TUCKER
AFTERCARE
MISS SAMMI DUBOIS
TEACHER
MISS SHELBY PHLIPOT
TEACHER
MISS SIDNI WEGLARZ
OFFICE
MISS SONYA JACOB
AFTERCARE
MISS STACIE WEINSTEIN
TEACHER
MISS STEPHANIE BROWN
TEACHER
MISS SUSAN KYMAN
TEACHER
MISS SUSIE EPSTEIN
JUDAICS AND SCIENCE
MR. TANNER SMITH
TEACHER
MISS TRACI SUFFIAN
TEACHER
TIRS Teachers
MORAH MAYA POGER
7TH GRADE
SIDNI WEGLARZ
DIRECTOR OF RELIGIOUS & HEBREW SCHOOL
314-432-8076 sweglarz@ti-stl.org
RABBI MICHAEL ALPER
7TH & 8TH GRADE/CONFIRMATION
RABBI AMY FEDER
8TH GRADE/CONFIRMATION
MORAH ADELE LEWIS
8TH GRADE & HEBREW
MORAH AMANDA STEIN
4TH GRADE
MORAH CHARLENE EHLL
3RD GRADE
DEBBIE BECKER
TEACHER
MORAH DEBBIE SCHULTZ
3RD GRADE & HEBREW
314-330-9940 debbie_world@yahoo.com
MORAH DIANE PACKMAN
COOKING (BISHUL) AND HEBREW
MORAH DONNA STONE
2ND GRADE
MORE’AH EZRA LUECK
6TH GRADE
GUY DOBRIN
SHINSHIN
MOREH HOWARD PRICE
5TH GRADE & HEBREW
MORAH JENNIFER PATCHIN
1ST GRADE
MORAH JODI LEISE
ART (AMANUT)
MOREH KEN SUSMAN
MUSIC (MUSIKAH)
MORAH LINDSAY RICH
2ND GRADE
MORAH MAIA ELKANA
9TH GRADE
MORAH MARY COTTON
INCLUSION SPECIALIST
MOREH MICHAEL TZINBERG
NATURE (TEVA), YOGA, GAMES
MORAH SARAH LEVINSON
KINDERGARDEN
MORAH SUSIE EPSTEIN
KINDERGARTEN
MORAH SUSAN KEMPPAINEN
5TH GRADE
MOREH TANNER SMITH
6TH GRADE
MORAH TZIVIA LEVIN KALMES
HEBREW