Leadership and Staff

Michael Tavel Clarke, President

I’m honoured and humbled to serve as B’nai Tikvah’s President. I’ve been a member of the Temple since moving to Calgary in 2004, when I accepted a position as an English professor at the University of Calgary.

I have served for two years as Temple’s First Vice-President and six years as Secretary for the Board and Executive. I’ve been an active member in a variety of other ways, chairing the first Environment Committee, assisting with refugee support programs, serving meals at the Calgary Drop-In Centre, cooking dinner at a battered women’s shelter, participating on beit din committees for conversions, making latkes on Hanukkah, and volunteering at fundraising events. I’m particularly proud of leading an initiative as Chair of the Environment Committee to install solar panels on the Temple’s roof, making us the first synagogue in Calgary to do so.

As President, I hope to preserve and enrich Temple’s vibrant and inclusive community, facilitate our inspirational religious services, promote our rich and diverse educational opportunities, expand our vital social action initiatives, maintain the financial stability of the synagogue, and support the work of our devoted staff.

I expect one of our biggest goals for next year to be raising funds for the Temple renovations laid out in the recent building condition assessment.

I have no family in Calgary; I consider the B’nai Tikvah community one of my adoptive families. I cherish the relationships I’ve made here, look forward to making more, and will work to sustain and enrich our community.

Board of Trustees

Executive

President: Michael Tavel Clarke
First Vice-President: Rebecca Silverberg
Second Vice-President: Sydney Sharpe
Past President: Josh Hesslein
Treasurer: Martin Molyneaux
Secretary: Kaye Booth

Adult Education: Jennifer Eiserman
Budget & Finance: Martin Molyneaux
Building: Bruce Winston
Caring Community: Albert Herscovitch
Communications: Eric Rosenbaum
Environment: Peter Driftmier
Membership: Betsy Ritter and David Sklar
Ritual: Naomi Lear
Security: Kelly Sundberg
Shabbat School: Amos Ben-Zvi
Social Action: Sandy Mann
Social Programming: Victoria Perkins
Volunteer: Hannah Giesinger
Way & Means: Betsy Jameson
Member at Large & Youth Rep: Corbin Larsen
Honourary Trustee: Roslyn Mendelson and Terry Bell

(Board listing updated February 5, 2024)

Temple B’nai Tikvah values diversity in expression and ideas and encourages a climate of mutual respect to foster meaningful relationships and discussions in the community. Public statements made by individual Temple members, including members of the Board of Trustees, reflect those members’ unique viewpoints and do not represent Temple as an organization.

Staff

Rabbi: Rabbi Mark Glickman
Executive Director: Danny Oppenheim
Music Director: Katie Baker
Educator: Emma Faber
Communications: Lana Niemi
Office Administrator: Patricia Martin
Bookkeeper: Ruth Fink

Katie Baker, Music Director

Katie Baker first joined Temple B’nai Tikvah in 1987. A graduate of the synagogue’s religious school and madrichim programs, she studied music in university, earning a Bachelor of Music Performance (Hon) from the University of Calgary, and a Master of Music Performance from Indiana University.

Katie has been engaged in music on the bimah as a cantorial soloist and chorister since 2002, and has conducted Jewish community choirs in Birmingham UK and Calgary. Upon her return to Calgary in 2011 she became the Music Specialist for Temple’s shabbat school. Working with students, from Shabbatots, to B’nai Mitzvah tutoring, is one of her passions. She was honoured to become Temple B’nai Tikvah’s first Music Director in 2017; a role in which she is privileged to work with many talented staff members, musicians, and teachers.