Clergy and Professional Staff
Rabbi- Eric M. Rosin
Rabbi Rosin grew up in Michigan in a Reform home. While in High School, he served as regional President of Michigan State Youth and was an active member of the Jewish community from his teen years through his college years at Yale, during which he majored in Judaic Studies. He remained active in the Jewish communities in Washington, DC and Los Angeles in the years after college. In 1994, he graduated from Law School and received a Master’s degree in Communications Management from the University of Southern California.
After four years of a legal career in Los Angeles focused largely in the entertainment industry, devoting 80 grueling hours a week to crafting briefs, motions and depositions, he discovered that if he was going to spend most of his waking hours tied to his job, he needed to be doing something he was passionate about. He left the practice of law and began studying for ordination at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, the then-recently constituted Conservative seminary in Los Angeles.
After ordination, Rabbi Rosin served for two years as the assistant rabbi of Temple Beth-El in Richmond, Virginia. In the Fall of 2004, Rabbi Rosin assumed the pulpit at Kesher Israel Congregation.
Education Director - Rabbi Cynthia Kravitz
Rabbi Kravitz became the first full-time Education Director of Kesher Israel Congregation in 1997. Together with a creative team of teachers and committed lay leaders and professional staff, she has nurtured a generation of Jewish children at Kesher Israel. She is involved in every aspect of life at Kesher Israel, from story telling with our Preschoolers to teaching Adult Education classes. Rabbi Kravitz loves teaching and learning and is always looking for new ways to engage her students and beloved KI families into a love of Jewish learning, living and celebration.
Rabbi Kravitz graduated from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 1983. She is proud to be among the first generation of women rabbis. She also received a Master’s Degree in Curriculum Theory from Temple University in 1983. She is a certified Marriage and Family therapist trained at the Penn Council for Relationships. Rabbi Kravitz is an active member of Greater Philadelphia’s rabbinic and educational community. Over the last twenty-seven years of her career, she has served in the Philadelphia area as the Education Director of Society Hill Synagogue, the Germantown Jewish Centre and Congregation Or Ami.
She is the founder of the Jewish Educators’ Association of Greater Chester County and an active member of the Board of Directors of the Auerbach Central Agency for Jewish Education/Jewish Outreach Partnership. She also serves on the Formal Education Committee of the Center for Jewish Life and Learning of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. Rabbi Kravitz was an instructor for the Florence Melton Adult Mini School of Gratz College and has enjoyed teaching at their Kesher Israel Branch and Melton Summer Camp Experience.
Co-Director of Preschool/Kindergarten - Gail DeMarco
Gail DeMarco began in 1998 as a co-director and teacher at Kesher Israel Preschool / Kindergarten. She has been working in the field of Early Childhood Education since 1988. Gail works mostly in an administrative capacity with teachers and families, as well as teaching a toddler class. She also leads the Tot Shabbat Service with Rohna Paskow, her co-director.
Gail earned her Early Childhood Education degree from Temple University in 1982 and received her Core Director’s Certificate in 2006. Gail is the recipient of the Ateret Kavod award for an outstanding and well-rounded Jewish early childhood program. Gail continues her education through various workshops and with the Director’s Council at ACAJE/JOP. Gail and Rohna continually develop curriculum at the preschool and kindergarten to remain current with the Pennsylvania State Standards and to make sure they are involved with the best early childhood practices.
Gail has a fulfilling home life as well. She shares thirty years of marriage with Howard and has two young adult children, Lauren and Bryan and her dog, Tucker. She loves vacations (especially going to the beach), trying new restaurants and spending time with friends and family.
Co-Director of Preschool/Kindergarten - Rohna Paskow
Rohna Paskow is a co-director and teacher at Kesher Israel Preschool and Kindergarten. Her passion for children and best practices in the area of Early Childhood Education is apparent when she is working with the children in her classroom. Rohna enjoys creating and leading the monthly Tot Shabbat service along with her co-director, Gail DeMarco. Rohna has been working in the field of Early Childhood Education since earning her degree from Temple University in 1976. Rohna received a certification in Jewish Early Childhood Education from Gratz College in Philadelphia, PA. She also completed the Lasko Fellowship for Early Childhood Teachers in Special Education. Rohna received the Demchick Award for excellence in Jewish Education. Along with Gail, Rohna was honored with the Ateret Kavod award for an outstanding and well-rounded Jewish early childhood program. Rohna presents professional development workshops in a variety of early childhood settings to help other teachers learn practical, innovative, and developmentally appropriate curricular activities that can meet children’s diverse needs.
Rohna loves spending time with her husband, her adult children, and her grandson, Levi. In her spare time, she loves a good book, going to the beach, and volunteering for various community organizations. Her two dogs are a source of constant entertainment.
Program Manager - Meara Lebovitz
Meara Lebovitz joined Kesher Israel's staff as Program Manager in 2010. She is involved in numerous aspects of life at Kesher Israel, program support to publicity, and enjoys working closely with lay leaders and professional staff. Meara's journey to become a Jewish non-profit professional started at a very young age. Raised in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, she took her first trip to Israel at age 6, attended Jewish summer camp, and founded L'Shir, the first Jewish a cappella group at the University of Hartford. She holds Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from the University of Hartford and a Master's degree in Jewish Communal Service from Gratz College. Before embarking on her studies at Gratz College, Meara worked in television, producing morning newscasts for KTVN in Reno, Nevada, and launched the "CW Philly WakeUp News" in Philadelphia. Meara serves as a cantorial soloist in the Philadelphia area and teaches for the Jewish Community High School of Gratz College at two different branches including Shir Ami, where she serves as Branch Director and as a teacher at Kesher Israel. In her free time, Meara enjoys spending time with her family, cycling, and taking in the occasional musical.
Office Manager- Cindy Hamilton
Cindy Hamilton has part of the Kesher Israel office staff since 2009, and prior to that, spent four years as a teaching assistant in the Kesher Israel Preschool. Cindy earned an accounting degree from American University in 1985 and worked as a Tax Accountant with a Big 8 Accounting firm in Washington, D.C. for several years before returning to her family and their family business in the Philadelphia area. Cindy is the proud mom of twin boys, Sam and Kyle, who are currently students at Henderson High School. Cindy and her sons are avid sports fans, and are kept very busy with their baseball, soccer and tennis schedules. Cindy enjoys time with family and friends, reading, dining out and attending Philly sporting events.
Administrative Assistant- Eileen Olenik
Eileen Olenik started working in the Kesher Israel office in 2004. Before that, she worked as an aide in the preschool. She enjoys interacting with everyone who calls or stops in the office and will help to answer any and all questions. Eileen provides clerical and administrative support to the Rabbi, the Education Director and to the President. Eileen graduated from Penn State University in 1977 with a degree in Marketing. She worked in the corporate office of Acme Markets and then with Amtrak for many years after college. Eileen has been married for 27 years and has four children, the youngest of whom is just starting college. She enjoys time with family and friends, exercising, and going to the beach.
Librarian - Lori Goodstein
Lori Goodstein has been the Librarian at the Rebecca Kauffman Memorial Library since 2005, working to promote Jewish resources and provide educational programs for the children and adults of our congregation. She enjoys working with Religious School students and maintains our extensive collection of Jewish materials.
Lori earned a bachelor’s degree from Shippensburg University in Business Information Systems. After graduation, she moved to Wilmington, DE to work for DuPont, where she met her husband, Dan. After marrying at Kesher Israel in 1996, Lori and Dan moved to Downingtown, where they currently reside with daughter and son, Sophie and Sammy. In 1998, she left the work force to become a stay at home mom, until the opportunity arose to use her skills and experience as the KI Librarian. She enjoys reading, skiing, watching her kids play sports and going to the beach with her family.
