Leadership and Staff

Rebecca Silverberg, President

I am deeply honoured to be elected as Temple’s President. My relationship with Temple B’nai Tikvah started when I moved to Calgary from Toronto in 1995 when my mother became Chief of the Calgary Police Service.

I had my Bat Mitzvah under the mentorship of Rabbi Jamie Korngold back when the Temple was still located at the Calgary Jewish Centre. Some of my fondest childhood memories are attending Friday night service at the Jewish Centre with my friends and the strong feeling of community and belonging I was always left with. It is fair to say that the Temple is where my Jewish identity was formed, and I have carried the Temple’s values with me into my adult life.

I have served on Temple’s Board since 2020 and the Executive Committee since 2021. Most recently, I am concluding a two-year term as Temple’s First Vice-President. I have served on Temple’s Nominations Committee, Governance Committee, and COVID-19 Committee, and volunteered to check in on members during and after the pandemic, and at various casinos and other fundraising events. I am a regular attendee at Services on Friday nights, my favourite part of the week. We have a wonderfully diverse and inclusive community at Temple. As President, I hope to continue fostering a strong post-COVID community centred around open dialogue, creating opportunities to create meaningful relationships between Temple members and encouraging and growing participation in Temple activities.

Over the past ten years or so, I have travelled a lot to pursue my post-secondary education. My most memorable education experience was living in Israel to complete my Master of Arts in Public Policy and International Mediation Certificate at Tel Aviv University. While living in Israel I had the opportunity to travel to many different places in Israel and the Middle East, and also find a reform Judaism community in Israel.

My husband, also a Temple member, and I are now firmly established in Calgary and we are looking forward to growing our family. I am a Partner at the law firm McLennan Ross LLP and my practice is management-side labour and employment law. In my profession, I am known for my willingness to listen, strong advocacy and communication skills, and pursuit of excellence.

I strongly value volunteering in the community where I work and live, which I believe has made it possible for me to foster meaningful connections with my clients, my community, and my colleagues.

Read Rebecca’s Speech on Kol Nidre 5785

Board of Trustees

Executive

President: Rebecca Silverberg
First Vice-President: Betsy Ritter
Second Vice-President: Kaye Booth
Past President: Michael Tavel Clarke
Treasurer: Dan Eisner
Secretary: Sydney Sharpe

Adult Education: Jennifer Eiserman
Budget & Finance: Dan Eisner
Building: Bruce Winston
Caring Community: Leslie Handy
Communications: Eric Rosenbaum
Environment: Marc Ereshefsky
Membership: Dan Furst
Ritual: Elka Schrijver
Security: Kelly Sundberg
Shabbat School: Teresa Sofocleous
Social Action: Sandy Mann
Social Programming: Victoria Perkins
Volunteer: Daniel Lenfest-Jameson
Way & Means: Betsy Jameson
Members at Large: Hannah Giesinger and Howie Kislowicz
Member at Large & Youth Rep: Corbin Larsen
Honourary Trustee: Roslyn Mendelson and Terry Bell

(Board listing updated October 8, 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.