Bronfman Center for Jewish Life

Rabbi David A. Ingber is the new Senior Director for Jewish Life and Senior Director of the Bronfman Center at 92NY. He serves as the founding rabbi of Romemu, the largest Renewal synagogue in the United States. Rabbi Ingber founded Romemu in NYC in 2006, following his ordination by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, Founder of the Jewish Renewal movement. Over the past decade-plus, Romemu has grown into a weekly home for thousands of people, a growing membership of over 1,000 in its two physical locations (Manhattan and Brooklyn), and a growing online global membership. Rabbi Ingber also founded Romemu Yeshiva, the first fully egalitarian Yeshiva (immersive learning center), dedicated to mystical and meditative Jewish learning and practice.

Raised Modern Orthodox in New York, Rabbi Ingber studied at Ramaz, Yeshiva University, Beit Midrash L’Torah, Yeshivat Chaim Berlin, and Yeshivat Chovovei Torah Rabbinical School. He also studied philosophy, psychology and religion at New York University.

Rabbi Ingber’s distinct approach to Torah, rabbinical teaching, and ritualistic practice is informed by his own personal seeking and learning from a wide cross-section of sacred traditions and faiths. He is enlightened by Jewish mysticism and Hasidut, fusing these beliefs with those of other ancient philosophies and world views. Particular influences include 18th Century Kabbalist and Founder of Hasidut, Rabbi Yisrael Ba’al Shem Tov; the great 19th Century Ishbitzer Rebbe, R. Mordechai Leiner; and leading 20th Century thinkers from Kabbalist, Rav Abraham Isaac Kook to psychologist, Carl Jung.

Rabbi Ingber was named by Newsweek as one of the top 50 most influential rabbis in the United States as well as by The Forward as one of the 50 most newsworthy and notable Jews in America. A major 21st Century Jewish thinker and educator, his rich perspective, open heart and mind, and full-bodied approach to Jewish learning has brought him to speak worldwide. He serves on the faculty for the Wexner Heritage Program, and the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America and Israel, and was an AJWS Global Justice Fellow. Rabbi Ingber has lectured extensively on the topics of spirituality, theology, Jewish mysticism, prayer, and meditation. He lives in Manhattan with his wife Ariel and their three children.

Rachel Arcus-Goldberg is the Director, Bronfman Center for Jewish Life at 92NY. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Brandeis University, a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Columbia University and Master's Degrees in Jewish Studies and Jewish Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary. Rachel held the positions of Head of School and Principal at the Columbus Jewish Day School in Ohio. Prior to this, Rachel worked as an educational leader and administrator at Gann Academy in Boston for ten years, where she held positions as the Director of Experiential Education, Associate Dean of Students, and Freshman Class Dean. In addition to leadership positions, Rachel enjoys teaching, reading, dancing and spending time with her family.

Rebecca Schoffer is the Director of Jewish Family Life and the leader of the Shababa community at The 92nd Street Y, New York. She is a musical and experiential Jewish educator, a singer songwriter, cantorial soloist and a playwright of Jewish family theater. Rebecca is a recent recipient of the 2019 Young Pioneers Award from The Jewish Education Project, which celebrates forward thinking innovative educators.

Before her 92NY days, Rebecca worked at the Atlantic Theater Company, where she also taught children’s theater classes and performed in theater for young audiences. She is a alumna of Tufts University and the Atlantic Acting Conservatory. Rebecca brings her background in theater, acting, music and improvisation to her work, creating spaces where hundreds of kids, parents, caretakers and grandparents come together every week to celebrate Jewish life through music, movement and play!

In addition to her weekly Shabbat celebrations, Rebecca also leads 92NY’s Family High Holiday services, baby naming ceremonies, holiday & Shabbat dinners, concerts and many other joyful Jewish celebrations for families. She sings as a cantorial soloist during the 92NY High Holiday season. As a songwriter, Rebecca weaves psalms, prayers and Jewish concepts into contemporary melodies. Her album Shababa of the Heart recorded in collaboration with Karina Zilberman and Toby Singer in 2015, is available on iTunes and Spotify. You can also check out Shababa concerts on 92NY On Demand and YouTube and sing along at home!

Rebecca is a theater director and playwright of family musicals, including Bagels from Benny the Musical and Sammy Spider’s First Mitzvah the Musical! co-written with Joel Esher and based on the beloved PJ Library books by Aubrey Davis and Sylvia Rouss.

Born and raised in Margate, NJ, Rebecca now lives in New York City with her husband Jonathan and son, Sam.

Sharon Kaufman is joining the 92NY as the Program Manager, Events, after spending 7 years working in synagogues in Virginia and Michigan. As the Program Manager, Events, Sharon will be managing both virtual and in person events.

Sharon grew up in the Hudson Valley, and graduated with her undergraduate degree in Political Science from the University at Buffalo and received her Master of Arts in Teaching from SUNY New Paltz. She was the Assistant Educator and Youth Director for a Reform synagogue in Fairfax Station, Virginia, and most recently was the Program and Synagogue Manager for a Conservative synagogue in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Lauren Marks is excited to be joining the Bronfman Center for Jewish Life as the Program Manager, Communications. Lauren grew up in Philadelphia, PA where she attended Temple University and graduated with her degree in Advertising. She then went on to work at Hillel at Temple University where she took her passion for inspiring the Jewish community by progressing through several roles, eventually becoming the Director of Jewish Student Life. When she is not working, Lauren enjoys musical theater, photography, and travel. She is often found singing show tunes in her free time and even knows some in Hebrew!

Peter J. Rubinstein is the Emeritus Director, Jewish Community and the Bronfman Center for Jewish Life, having previously served as the Senior Vice President of Jewish Community and Managing Director of the Bronfman Center for Jewish Life at The 92nd Street Y, New York from 2014-2022. He continues as a consultant supporting Jewish Community at the 92NY.

Rabbi Rubinstein is the Rabbi Emeritus of Central Synagogue, a Reform congregation where he served as the Senior Rabbi for 23 years. Prior to his position at Central Synagogue, Rabbi Rubinstein served as the Rabbi of Woodlands Community Temple in White Plains, New York and Peninsula Temple Beth El in San Mateo, California.

He is the immediate past Chair of the Partnership of Faith in New York City, which includes the senior clergy of the city’s major congregations and was co-president of the US Board of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation. He is Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Auburn Theological Seminary in New York City and is on the Board of the New York Region of the American Jewish Committee. He is presently the Co-Director of the Be Wise Fellowship in Jewish Entrepreneurialism at the HUC-JIR in New York City having served as Director from 2014-2020. Rabbi Rubinstein is a founder of the Rabbinic Council of the World Union for Progressive Judaism and was the long time Rabbinic Chair of the NCRCR of the Union for Reform Judaism.

Rabbi Rubinstein was ranked number three in Newsweek’s 2012 list of “America’s 50 Most Influential Rabbis” and number 5 in 2013. He was named one of the 28 “2014 America’s Most Inspiring Rabbis” by The Jewish Daily Forward.

Rabbi Rubinstein graduated from Amherst College from where he also received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in 2017. He was ordained by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City and received the Master of Hebrew Letters degree with honors. He received a Doctor of Divinity in 1994.

He has taught at Manhattanville College, Colgate University, San Jose State, and the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion both in New York and Cincinnati. His essays have been included in Restoring Faith by Forrest Church, How Can I Find God (edited by James Martin), Our Rabbis Taught and Shine by Star Jones. He co-authored an article entitled “Innovation in All Generations” which appeared in the Winter 2017 edition of The Reform Jewish Quarterly. His essay “A Search for Truth: A Touchstone of our Judgement” is included in JFK The Last Speech (2018).

Michal Abramoff is the UES Shlicha of the Jewish Agency.

Michal was born in NYC and made Aliyah to Israel with her family at a young age. She grew up in Tel Aviv attending art schools, majoring in visual arts and social sciences. From an early age Michal worked in education — as a camp counselor, an educational NCO in the IDF, and a verity of small educational programs directed at building leadership and social responsibility. After completing her BA in Psychology, Sociology and Anthropology from TA University, she spent two years as a Shlicha to the Jewish community of greater Hartfrod, CT.

Upon returning from Shlichut, Michal moved to Jerusalem, and received a master’s in Jewish education through the advanced program in pluralistic Jewish education at Hebrew Union College — Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR)/ Jerusalem, in cooperation with the Melton Center for Jewish Education at the Hebrew University. Michal also was a fellow at the Youth Leadership Program of the Mandel Leadership Institute in Jerusalem.

During her time in Jerusalem Michal worked for Noar Telem, the Israeli Reform youth movement, at first as the Jerusalem Regional Director, leading three different branches in the Jerusalem area and creating regional programming and Alumni Community Director, creating the alumni community, planning community events and furthering the connections between the alumni and the reform movement at large. For the past two years Michal became the National Director of Noar Telem, overseeing all branches, staff and programing, leading the youth leadership government and was also the movements camp director.

David Elitzer (he/him) is a rabbinical student at Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion in New York. After graduating with a BA in Archaeology from Brown University, David was awarded a UK Government Marshall Scholarship to research wartime cultural heritage destruction. During this time, he received an MSc in International Public Policy from University College London and an MPhil in Architecture and Urban Studies from the University of Cambridge. He has conducted fieldwork in Israel, Turkey, Italy, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Before rabbinical school, David worked for the University of Oxford, where he researched democratic backsliding and its effects on minority rights. He lives in Brooklyn with his partner, Rhea, and their dachshund, Earl Grey.