2023-2024 Board of Trustees | United Synagogue of Hoboken

Board of Trustees

Adam Berkowitz

President

Adam has been a member of USH since 2012, joining the Board in 2017. He's also been a member of the Mitzvah Day committee since 2016. He and his wife Lindsay live in Weehawken with their two daughters, Marissa and Victoria, both of whom love to attend LC classes. Adam is a Managing Director at Prudential, managing a portfolio of real estate, tax credit, and agriculture investments.

Lauren Sapira

Executive Vice President

Lauren joined USH in 1994 after she just happened to find a parking spot in front of 115 Park Ave.when visiting Hoboken before moving in to her new apartment - and seeing a sign for a welcome back barbecue, she decided to go and the rest, as they say, is history. All these years later, Lauren truly feels that USH is her second home and is the reason she decided to bring her kids up in Hoboken. Lauren and her husband Valdi were married by Rabbi Scheinberg in 2000 and their kids Josh and Sammi are graduates of Kaplan preschool and the Learning Center. After being the educational trustee for several years, Lauren is excited to move into the Executive VP role. Lauren is the Director of digital products in the science and technology group at McGraw Hill Professional.

Rochelle Ohring

Secretary

Rochelle Ohring, a USH member since the late 1980s, was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2014 and has served as Secretary since 2016. Rochelle, who moved to Hoboken in 1984, has vivid memories of 115 Park Avenue being gated and locked, the opposite of the booming building it is today.

After over 30 years in marketing research in the financial services industry, Rochelle retired in 2019 after spending her last 17+ working years at Citi. She and her husband Avi (who she met at USH in 1989) have two grown sons, Jake and Max. In her retirement, Rochelle loves working as one of Susie Klein-Cohen’s stained glass window volunteers.

Michael Katz

VP Finance

Lauren Braun

VP Development

Lauren and her husband Daniel have tremendously enjoyed attending services and programs at USH since 2008. She joined the USH board in 2016.They also had the honor of having their wedding officiated by Rabbi Scheinberg. Together, Lauren and Daniel partake in Shabbat services, USH's vibrant and welcoming community, and feel fortunate to have participated in the USH Sulam Leadership Program. Lauren is the Deputy Director of Leadership Giving at Baruch College, guest lectures on non-profit fundraising, and is pursuing an Executive Master of Public Administration (MPA).

David Heafitz

Trustee at Large

David Heafitz is excited to assume his new post on the USH Board as VP of Education. He is the proud father of Sarah and Sage who are enrolled in the Kaplan Preschool and toddler programs. David grew up in the Boston area and came to New Jersey with his wife Kayo in 2005, after seven years together in Japan and their wedding at the JCC Tokyo. They joined USH and then moved to Hoboken in 2010. When not at the park or chasing the ice cream truck around town, David is a Vice President at Prudential Financial in Newark in the Global Business and Technology Solutions Group.

Heather Katz

Co-VP Education

Mimi Lavine

VP Membership

Mimi Lavine and her husband Jon Gellman have been synagogue members since 1997. Mimi joined the board as the membership chair in 1998, but left in 2000 not long after having their first child, Adam. She rejoined the board 18 years later, and within a couple of months was back in her former position as membership chairperson, where she has remained. She is also the long-time coordinator of Shabbat morning kiddush. Mimi's two children, Adam and Rachel are graduates of the Kaplan preschool, Kaplan Learning Center, and were both teacher's aides for the Learning Center. In her free time Mimi is also the Director of the Outpatient Community Mental Health Clinic for Hoboken hospital.

Russell Kriegel

VP Building

Russell and family have been members of USH since 1996. He is Assistant Chief Architect at the Port Authority of NY & NJ and assists the board on design and construction issues. Russell was the design chair for the Annex Committee. He is also a local co-chair of the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey's Annual Campaign, formerly known locally as United Jewish Appeal of Hoboken.

Louise Kurtz

VP Ritual

Louise has been a USH board member since 1988 and has served as Ritual Chair for most of that time. She is one of the volunteers that has been working on our beautiful new stained glass windows and she coordinates the volunteer
schedule. Louise also sings with the USH Choir. She works at Abbeville Press, a company known for its beautiful art books, as their Production Director.

Adam Laden

VP Programming

Adam and his wife Liz have been living in Hoboken since 1986. They have two daughters, Noa and Ava, who are both cum laude graduates of the Kaplan Learning Center.

Merry Firschein

Tikkun Olam

Merry Firschein has been a member of USH for over 20 years, coming to the Synagogue for Friday night services in Feburary 2002 - and has never left. Currently a Trustee-at-Large focusing on Tikkun Olam, Merry has been a member of the annual Mitzvah Day organising committee for many years. She is a regular at Shabbat morning services, and assists Ritual Chair Lousise Kurtz in many ways during the course of the year. She is married to David Swirnoff, a former president of the USH Board of Trustees. They met through a mutual friend who happened to be a USH member; Rabbi Scheinberg officiated at their wedding in 2010. They live in Rutherford, in lower Bergen County.