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2025-2026 Board of Trustees Bios

Mount Sinai Jewish Center  2025-2026 Board of Trustees Bios

OFFICERS
President: Caleb Fischer
Caleb grew up in Columbus, Ohio and moved to Washington Heights in 2011 to pursue his MA in Ancient Jewish History from Yeshiva University and Semikha from RIETS. He has been working with Jewish institutions for over a decade in multiple capacities and currently works for Jewish Voters Unite as Director of Operations. Caleb and his wife, Channa, love raising their family in the Heights, are proud Mini Sinai parents, and can't imagine living anywhere else.
Vice President: Yael Simpser
 

Recording Secretary: Ari Rieser
Treasurer: Sarah Schnoll
Sarah grew up in Cedarhurst and has been a member of Mt. Sinai for six years.  She is proud to call the Mt. Sinai community her home.  She studied Electrical Engineering at Cooper Union and works as an Engineer on Long Island. She also loves to bake and decorate cakes.  She has been involved with Women’s Hakafot and Women’s Megillah reading at Mt. Sinai as a member of the Gabbai Committee, and is chairing the Construction Committee. She looks forward to continuing to serve the community. 
Financial Secretary: Davida Kollmar
Davida Kollmar is excited to serve on the board for her ninth term, her second as an officer! She grew up in Edison, NJ, but has been living in the Heights since August 2013 (with a hiatus for the pandemic) and has been a shul member since that December. She has been a Gabbai since 2014 (co-chair since 2019) and has been a member of the education committee since 2016 (co-chair from 2017-2020). By day, she works as a data scientist for Lakeside Software, an IT software company.
 
 

TRUSTEES

Ari Adler
Jon Dubin
Jon moved to Washington Heights in August 2024 after getting married and was eager to get involved in the Mount Sinai community. He is honored to be serving his first term as a trustee. Jon works in healthcare data analytics and enjoys helping organizations run more efficiently. He is passionate about using data to improve patient outcomes and is excited to contribute his skills and energy to Mt. Sinai.
Evan Finkelstein 
Evan moved to Washington Heights in 2018 after graduating from Rutgers University with a bachelor's degree in Information Technology and Psychology. He has worked in technology management at several local yeshiva day schools and currently serves as Manager of Classroom and Technology support at a national non-profit organization. This is Evan's sixth year serving as an MSJC trustee. He has helped plan and run events such as communal shabbat meals and "Tackling Taboos" and is a co-chair of the Welcoming Committee.
Becca Gelberman
Becca Gelberman is excited for her first year on the board! Originally from Teaneck, New Jersey, Becca has been living in the heights since 2016. Working as a non profit accountant, Becca enjoys being involved in organizations both professionally and personally. She has volunteering as a member of the events committee this past year and looks forward to growing her involvement. 

Gilad Kopelman

Gilad is originally from Sunnyvale, CA and has lived in Washington Heights since 2007 as a YU student. He is co-chair of the Gabbai Committee, and is excited to serve a second term on the board, and his first as an officer. Professionally, he works as a credit analyst at S&P Global Ratings. Gilad, his wife Elisheva, and their daughter Maytal enjoy trying out new restaurants, jogging across the GW.

Laura Levin-Dando
Laura has lived in Washington Heights since 2013. After working as a lawyer in the non-profit art world for nearly a decade, Laura now spends her days as a career counselor for future lawyers. Outside of work, Laura enjoys cooking and baking all things Alison Roman, spending time in local parks, and watching music documentaries. She is proud to be a member of the Mount Sinai community and looks forward to serving on the board.
Rachel Shafier
Rivka Press Schwartz
Rivka Press Schwartz has lived in Washington Heights since 1999, and remembers when the Heights had multiple kosher butchers, bakeries, and a kosher grocery store in what's now the Spoiled Brats pet store. She has been active in Mt. Sinai since 2009, as Rebbetzin for 10 years and as a frequent speaker at various shul programs. Rivka's five children have grown up in the embrace of the Mt. Sinai and Washington Heights community. In her day job, Rivka serves as an administrator at SAR High School and its affiliated research arm, Machon Siach. Much to her own surprise, Rivka has in recent years become a fairly serious hiker.
Daniel Shlian
Daniel originally hails from Central New Jersey and has lived in Washington Heights for somewhere between 8 and 12 years, depending on how one counts. He works in chemistry and/or software development, and enjoys exploring the city by train and on foot with his wife Eleorah and their three children. Daniel deeply values the Mount Sinai community for the passion and dedication its members have for God and for one another, co-chairs the shul's welcoming committee, and is a one-time Panoply champion as well as a one-time winner of the Panoply costume contest.
Gila Stadler
Gila has lived in Washington Heights since 2006, and has been an active member of Mt. Sinai since then. She and her husband Naftali Polachek have three sons.  Gila has served on the board and several committees, including the meals for new parents committee. Naftali and Gila have also worked to create busing options to Jewish elementary schools, to give more educational options to those who want to raise families in Washington Heights. Professionally, Gila works in public health, supporting primary care practices around NYC through her work at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
 
 

 

Thu, September 18 2025 25 Elul 5785