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Program Staff
Rabbi Neil Zuckerman is committed to Jewish education for people of all ages, all interests, and all levels of Jewish knowledge. As Rabbi of Temple Israel Center in White Plains, where he served from 1999-2009, he developed programs for Youth and Families, taught in the Religious School, the Community Hebrew High School, and the congregation’s Adult Education program. He was instrumental in bringing the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School to Westchester County and served on the Melton faculty, teaching the first-year Purposes course and the second-year Dramas course. At Congregation Har Shalom in Potomac, Maryland, where Neil has served as Senior Rabbi for the past year, he continued his active involvement in all facets of education in the synagogue. In addition, Neil has served as president of the Westchester County Board of Rabbis and has chaired the Israel Committee of the Rabbinical Assembly. A lifelong learner himself, Neil is currently a rabbinic fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem in the Center for Rabbinic Enrichment (CRE), an exceptional opportunity to learn with colleagues and build relationships across the religious movements. CRE is a three-year program of study for rabbis of all denominations from North America, involving weekly classes via videoconference and bi-annual study seminars in Israel. In July, Neil will travel to Jerusalem for ten days for his final CRE summer seminar and “graduation” from this prestigious program. Neil was raised in Harrisburg, PA, and began his Jewish education at the Conservative synagogue there, Beth El. He earned his B.A. from the University of Maryland in English. He attended the Jewish Theological Seminary of America (JTS), where he earned a Masters degree in Jewish Studies and was ordained a rabbi in 1999. Neil looks forward to introducing his wonderful family to the to the PAS community.
Rabbi Eve Rudin is the Director of the Congregational School at the Park Avenue Synagogue in New York City. Previously, Eve served as the Director of the Department of Camp Excellence and Advancement for the Foundation for Jewish Camp, as well as the Director of the URJ Kutz Campus for Reform Jewish Teen Life and the North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY) for the Union for Reform Judaism. A product of the Reform Jewish movement, Eve graduated with a B.A. in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies from Brandeis University in 1992. She was awarded a Wexner Graduate Fellowship for her rabbinic studies at HUC-JIR and was ordained there in May 2000. Her undergraduate thesis was on the history of the founding of Reform Jewish camping, and her rabbinic thesis studied the early history of HaShomer HaTzair as it developed from a European-based youth movement to an Israeli political party. Eve has spoken and presented at numerous conferences on experiential Jewish education, camping, faith development and youth mentorship. She lives in Tarrytown, NY, with her daughter, Emma.
Carol Hendin has been the Director of the Park Avenue Synagogue Early Childhood Center since August of 1994. Previously, Ms. Hendin was the Director of the Nursery School at New York Hospital for 15 years. She is also currently a member of the J.E.C.A. Executive Board (Jewish Early Childhood Association of the Board of Jewish Education) and a member and past Chair of ISAAGNY Board (Independent Schools Admissions Association of Greater New York). Carol received her BS in Education from the University of Missouri, MS in Early Childhood Education from Hunter College, and completed post graduate work at Bank Street College in Leadership & Supervision.
Liz Offenbach is the Director of Synagogue Programming, where she oversees adult learning opportunities and events. Most recently, Liz served as director of program at the Jewish Outreach Institute, where she developed and implemented programs for intermarried families and others on the periphery of the Jewish community, working with Jewish institutions throughout North America. Prior to the Jewish Outreach Institute, Liz worked at an advertising agency, in the television industry and at several publications. Liz has a Master in Public Administration from Baruch College, part of The City University of New York. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from New York University, majoring in journalism & mass communication and Jewish history & civilization. While she was at NYU, Liz taught religious school in Manhattan and Brooklyn. She is excited to be working at a synagogue again. She especially looks forward to integrating adult learning with the full arc of lifelong Jewish education that is so much at the core of Park Avenue Synagogue.
Matt grew up in Newtown, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. After majoring in English and Spanish literature at the University of Pittsburgh, he spent a year volunteering in various social venues for the Jewish Agency in Israel. Upon his return to New York, he studied at the Jewish Theological Seminary and taught Hebrew language and Jewish studies in several schools and synagogues. After earning his Master in Jewish Education from JTS, he served for two years as Religious School Assistant Director at Central Synagogue. He joined the educational team at PAS in July, 2010. In May, 2011, Matt received a Master in Public Administration from Baruch College. Also an accomplished singer-song writer in both bluegrass and Jewish children’s music, Matt brings his passion for Jewish communal life and education to the PAS family.
Jason Oppenheimer is thrilled and grateful for the opportunity to bring his passion for Jewish education and his skills in youth programming to Park Avenue Synagogue. He arrives here with years of experience working with Jewish youth in classrooms and in various informal settings. His gift for relating to children of all ages, his knowledge of contemporary culture and mass-media, and his natural “pied-piper” charm combine to make him ideally suited to excite young people about Judaism and to guide them in creating their own Jewish home within the synagogue community. Jason is a second generation Southerner, born and raised in Atlanta. His career as a Jewish educator began with a passionate enthusiasm for his Temple youth group and a lifelong devotion to his childhood Jewish camp. Jason is committed to integrated Jewish education, combining the best parts of formal and informal learning to make Judaism a tangible, meaningful part of his students’ everyday lives. Jason has worked at several congregations in similar capacities, most recently serving as the Youth and Family Learning Coordinator at Larchmont Temple in Westchester. In addition to coordinating and supervising all informal educational activities for teens, he brought informal learning into the classroom as a teacher and programmer for students in grades 4-9. Jason has also spent nearly every summer of his adult life serving and supporting the Jewish Camping movement. Along with roles as a counselor, world-percussion specialist, unit-head, and CIT director, his last stop took him to URJ Eisner Camp, where as Programming Director he guided staff members in the planning and coordinating of daily (and nightly) activities for more than 550 campers. Jason attended Washington University in St. Louis, where he graduated in 2005 with a major in Film & Media Studies and a minor in Philosophy, passions he continues to incorporate into his career as a Jewish educator. He’s extremely excited to be here, working alongside an already phenomenal educational team and he can’t wait to help make all of the Youth Programs at Park Avenue Synagogue truly flourish. Jason looks forward to meeting and hanging out with Park Avenue teens in the newly refurbished, wi-fi equipped Youth Lounge on the 4th floor that doubles as his office.
Marga joined the staff of Park Avenue Synagogue as Librarian in August 2008 and became Editor of the Park Avenue Synagogue Bulletin a year later. She teaches in the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School at PAS and is the principal teacher of the Adult Bat Mitzvah Class. She also contributes to the PAS website and edits the annual collections of Rabbi Cosgrove's sermons as well as other synagogue publications.
Beyond her training as a librarian and her love of books, Marga is an experienced family and adult educator. Previously, Marga was librarian of the Perelman Jewish Day School in Philadelphia. She also served as program director of Har Zion Temple in Penn Valley, PA, and as administrator of the Goodblatt Academy of the Philadelphia Region Rabbinical Assembly, which offers education in Hebrew and Judaism to individuals considering conversion. In addition, Marga was a popular teacher in the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School and in the Melton Parent Education Program. Marga is the editor of Ets Hayyim Hi, A Tree of Life: A Handbook for Jewish Family Education published in memory of Barbara Eidelman Wachs, z”l, by the Auerbach Central Agency for Jewish Education in Philadelphia in 2000.
Marga has been active in the National Havurah Committee for over 30 years. She has taught at the annual NHC Summer Institute and co-chaired of the 2002 Summer Institute with her son.
Marga holds an M.L.S. from Drexel University, an M.A. from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and an B.A. from Harvard University. She studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem as a Fellow in the Melton Senior Educators Program.
Marga has four adult children, who have awarded her the title “Wowmom.” When her granddaughter was born in February, 2011, friends began calling her "Grandmarga." Her grandson was born in February, 2012.
Beyond her training as a librarian and her love of books, Marga is an experienced family and adult educator. Previously, Marga was librarian of the Perelman Jewish Day School in Philadelphia. She also served as program director of Har Zion Temple in Penn Valley, PA, and as administrator of the Goodblatt Academy of the Philadelphia Region Rabbinical Assembly, which offers education in Hebrew and Judaism to individuals considering conversion. In addition, Marga was a popular teacher in the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School and in the Melton Parent Education Program. Marga is the editor of Ets Hayyim Hi, A Tree of Life: A Handbook for Jewish Family Education published in memory of Barbara Eidelman Wachs, z”l, by the Auerbach Central Agency for Jewish Education in Philadelphia in 2000.
Marga has been active in the National Havurah Committee for over 30 years. She has taught at the annual NHC Summer Institute and co-chaired of the 2002 Summer Institute with her son.
Marga holds an M.L.S. from Drexel University, an M.A. from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and an B.A. from Harvard University. She studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem as a Fellow in the Melton Senior Educators Program.
Marga has four adult children, who have awarded her the title “Wowmom.” When her granddaughter was born in February, 2011, friends began calling her "Grandmarga." Her grandson was born in February, 2012.
Aliza Cantor became part of the Park Avenue Synagogue family in 1996. Aliza received a Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education at Yeshiva University and went on to get her Masters in Early Childhood Education at Bank Street College of Education. She began as a student teacher, then became an assistant and eventually a lead teacher in the ECC. She has been an educator at PASECC for fourteen years and was the head teacher in the Blue Room from 2000-2011. She recently joined the administrative staff of the school as the assistant director. Aliza also joined the Park Avenue Synagogue Day Camp as a counselor and soon after became the assistant director. In 2008 Aliza was thrilled when presented with the opportunity to become the director of Camp Keshet. Her passion for working with young children and dedication to innovative teaching and child-centered learning makes this the perfect place for her!