PAS Staff are Here for You
From the receptionist who answers your call and greets you at the door to the educators who plan events, our dedicated and capable staff welcome you to a rich array of classes, social events, and innovative explorations of all facets of Judaism.
Administrative
Valerie Russo
Executive DirectorWe are excited to announce that Valerie Russo will be the next Executive Director of Park Avenue Synagogue.
Liz Offenbach
Associate Executive DirectorLiz Offenbach is the Associate Executive Director of Park Avenue Synagogue. From May 2011–July 2015, Liz was Park Avenue Synagogue’s Director of Synagogue Programming where she oversaw adult learning opportunities and events. Liz initiated several new adult learning programs, including the Park Avenue Synagogue Conversation, the Women’s Seder, the Women’s Trip to Israel, the Adult Learning Retreat and the Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning graduate program.
Rachel Zorbaron
Director of MembershipRachel Zorbaron joined Park Avenue Synagogue as the Director of Membership in March 2016. She has an extensive background as an actor, dancer and non-profit professional. Previously, Rachel has worked in theatre companies as well as grass roots non-profit organizations forging new partnership, collaborating on events and developing the building blocks of impactful programming.
Geet Engel
Director of FinanceGeet joined Park Avenue Synagogue as Director of Finance in March, 2015. She has extensive management experience in accounting and financial management positions with a specialization in working with private Jewish Day schools. She has an expertise in accounting procedures and financial statements, payroll and financial forecasting.
Hadley Rolf
Director of DevelopmentHadley Rolf joined Park Avenue Synagogue as Director of Development in October 2019. Most recently, Hadley was the Associate Director of Development at St. Anne’s Episcopal School an independent school in Denver, CO. She has experience in growing annual funds, enriching capital campaigns, and managing planned giving societies.
Programming
Rabbi Charles Savenor
Director of Congregational EducationRabbi Charles E. Savenor joined the PAS staff as Director of Congregational Education in July, 2014. Rabbi Savenor came to PAS from the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ), where he served as the Director of Kehilla (Congregational) Development (2011 to present) and as Executive Director of its Metropolitan New York District (2008-2011).
Mara Bernstein
Director of Synagogue Programming and Adult EducationMara joined the Park Avenue Synagogue team in June 2018 as Director of Synagogue Programming and Adult Education. She has a background in event planning and program management, having worked at several New York City nonprofit organizations and cultural institutions, including Fraunces Tavern Museum, the Museum at Eldridge Street, and the Jewish Theological Seminary.
Jennifer Stern Granowitz
Director of the Congregational SchoolJennifer joined Park Avenue Synagogue in 2011 after receiving her Master of Arts in Jewish Education from the William Davidson School of Jewish Education at JTS. Earlier, she earned a BA in Sociology from Johns Hopkins University. Jennifer served as a unit head at Camp Ramah in New England and continues to be connected to Jewish camping as a board member of her childhood camp.
Pamela B. Schwartz
Director of Penn Family Early Childhood CenterPamela B. Schwartz joined PAS as Director of the Penn Family Early Childhood Center in July, 2014. As Director, her mission is to move the PFECC from strength to strength by incorporating best practices in early childhood education. Before coming to PAS, Pamela was the learning specialist in the early childhood division of the Abraham Joshua Heschel School for seven years.
Jamie Diamond
Director of Young Family Education/Director of Camp KeshetJamie returned to PAS as the Director of Young Family Education and the Director of Camp Keshet in July 2016. In 2011–14 she was an Assistant Director of the Congregational School, focusing on the learners in grades K–2 and helping to develop the school's experiential education program.
Rachel Sherman
Director of Youth Programming and EngagementRachel joined Park Avenue Synagogue in 2020 after serving as the NY field manager at OneTable, where she brought more than 30,000 young adults to Shabbat dinner tables. At the same time, she also worked as a teen educator at Congregation Rodeph Sholom and taught courses on Judaism in pop culture and Jewish cooking and led service-learning trips to New Orleans. Rachel welcomes the opportunity to explore your learner’s needs and interests!
David Enlow
Music DirectorDavid Enlow is a “commanding” organist (The New Yorker), teacher, and conductor based in New York. He serves as Assistant Conductor and Repetiteur to the Clarion Choir and has appeared in almost all of New York’s major concert halls as an accompanist at the piano with choruses and solo singers, as well as in performances of chamber music. He is also organist of the Clarion Music Society and appears with various groups at the organ, harpsichord, and fortepiano. David has worked for PAS since 2012, and became Music Director in 2020.