Clergy
KJ is blessed with world-renowned clergy, who are known for their warm pastoral care, engaging sermons, sensitive halakhic direction, insightful classes, attentive spiritual guidance and passionate leadership.
Chaim SteinmetzSENIOR RABBI
Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz is the Senior Rabbi of Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. He has been a congregational Rabbi for over 30 years, and previously served pulpits in Montreal, Quebec and Mount Vernon, New York. Read More+ He has always been deeply engaged in community affairs. He is on the leadership team of the Zionist Rabbinic Coalition, on the board of directors of the American Jewish Committee-NY and American Friends of Open University- Israel, and a founding board member of the Moral Hearts Alliance, which builds Jewish-Christian cooperation in support of Israel. When he lived in Montreal, Rabbi Steinmetz served as a Vice President of the Montreal Federation, and held executive positions in the Montreal Hillel and the Canadian Jewish Congress. He writes a weekly column for The Jewish Journal, and has written for many other publications, including The Washington Post, The Daily News, The Globe and Mail, La Presse, Haaretz, and The Jerusalem Post.
212-774-5665 | rcs@ckj.org |
Roy FeldmanASSOCIATE RABBI
Rabbi Roy Feldman believes that a rabbi’s primary role in the twenty-first century is to articulate, embody, and exemplify the reasons why traditional Judaism remains relevant today. He obtained a BA from Columbia College, and his ordination and MA in Jewish Philosophy from Yeshiva University. Read More+ He is currently pursuing a Ph.D in Jewish History. He also serves on the faculty of the Ramaz Upper School. For several years, Rabbi Feldman served as rabbi of the Modern Orthodox congregation in Albany, NY, and he has been a member of the Executive Committee of the Rabbinical Council of America. He is married to Rachel Minkin, and they are proud parents of Charlotte, Millie, and Max. (Sermons)
212-774-5636 | rrf@ckj.org |
Meyer LaniadoASSOCIATE RABBI
Rabbi Meyer Laniado is a proven leader in Jewish education and community-building, shaping the KJ Sephardic community since 2018 as its first full-time Sephardic rabbi. Read More+ Through bold initiatives, rigorous Torah scholarship, and a focus on cultivating leadership, he has built KJ Sephardic into a thriving, engaged community where individuals take ownership, deepen their learning, and actively shape its future.
212-774-5640 | rml@ckj.org |
Haskel LooksteinRABBI EMERITUS
Rabbi Haskel Lookstein has been a Rabbi of Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun since 1958 and served as Principal of the Ramaz School from 1966 until 2016 when he became Principal Emeritus. Read More+ He served for forty years as the Joseph H. Lookstein Professor of Homiletics at Yeshiva University. He is a Vice President of the Beth Din of America, and a member of the Board of Directors of UJA Federation of New York. He received his B.A. from Columbia College and earned his ordination, Master’s degree, and Ph.D. from Yeshiva University. He is the author of “Were We Our Brothers’ Keepers?: The Public Response of American Jews to the Holocaust, 1938-1944. He has also made available online recordings for a Ba’al Tephila for weekday, Shabbat and holiday davenings. (Sermons, Nusach Recordings).
212-774-5650 | rhl@ckj.org |
Rabbi Daniel KrausDIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY EDUCATION
Rabbi Daniel Kraus is a native of Melbourne, Australia, and graduated Yeshiva University with a B.S. and MBA, completed the Ner LeElef Fellowship at RIETS. Read More+ He received his ordination from Rabbi Zalman Nechemia Goldberg of Jerusalem. Prior to KJ, Daniel served as the inaugural Director of the Manhattan Jewish Experience (MJE) Downtown location where, together with his wife Rachel, he spearheaded the creation of a vibrant community of young Jewish professionals and created a hub of Jewish engagement in Midtown Manhattan for over 7,000 participants. Daniel also served as MJE’s Chief Operating Officer. Outside of KJ, Daniel is the Director of Strategic Partnerships for the Birthright Israel Foundation, where he leads strategic alliances for the Foundation, and manages the post-trip engagement strategy for Birthright alumni and Institutional Giving.
212-774-5696 | rdk@ckj.org |
Rachel KrausDIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY EDUCATION
Rachel Kraus completed a B.S. from Stern College majoring in marketing with a minor in music, including coursework study at The Juilliard School and holds an MBA from NYU. Read More+ She has over a decade of experience in teaching informal Jewish education, has taught and lectured in Australia, Belarus, and throughout the US and has been teaching the Matan Bat Mitzvah program in the NY/NJ area for the past decade. Rachel and Daniel are the proud parents of four young children. They were also listed among the 2017 Jewish Week’s 36 Under 36 list of emerging Jewish leaders.
rachel@ckj.org |
Dr. Jeremy WiederRABBI SCHOLAR
Rabbi Dr. Jeremy Wieder is Yeshiva University’s Joseph and Gwendolyn Straus Professor of Talmud in the Mazer Yeshiva Program, a rosh yeshiva at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary and an adjunct professor of Bible at Yeshiva College. Read More+ A summa cum laude graduate of Yeshiva College. He was ordained at RIETS, received his MS in American Jewish history from the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies, and holds a Ph.D. in Judaic studies from New York University. Rabbi Wieder is a prolific scholar on issues of Torah’s relationship with modernity, with more than 1000 lectures on Judaism captured on audio and video and available online. |
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Cantors - Music at KJ
Our congregation takes great pride in its magnificent Sanctuary and eloquent services. Throughout its history, KJ has been blessed with world-renowned cantors who enrich the lives of our community with their inspiring T'filot and beautiful music.
Chaim Dovid BersonCANTOR
Cantor Chaim Dovid Berson, a Jerusalem native, is the Chief Cantor of Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun, where he brings his musical expertise and knowledge to KJ’s prayer services, synagogue concerts, family programming, and the education of bar and bat mitzvah students. Read More+ He studied at the Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem and trained at the Tel Aviv Cantorial Institute under Cantor Naftali Hershtik and composer Raymond Goldstein, he is renowned for his tenor voice, musical mastery, and dynamic presence.
212-774-5625 | cantor@ckj.org |
Dr. Benjamin ZaltaCHAZAN
Dr. Benjamin Zalta, an Associate Professor of Radiology in the Cardio-thoracic Division at Montefiore Medical Center and a native of Damascus, Syria, has been Chazan at the KJ Sephardic Minyan since its founding in 2011. Read More+ He came to New York at the age of 18 to study at Yeshiva University, and went on to earn a medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Steeped in the Syrian musical tradition, Dr. Zalta has served Sephardic congregations in Brooklyn and Deal, NJ and led the Sephardic Services at Fifth Avenue Synagogue for 18 years. |
Mr. Charles ZamiASSISTANT CHAZAN
Charles moved with his wife, Rosy, to the Upper East Side and joined KJ after their marriage in the summer of 2015. Charles grew up in Brooklyn, reading from the Torah and participating in weekly hazzanut classes from a young age. Read More+ He has been a leader of shabbat and daily minyanim for over 14 years in various synagogues throughout Brooklyn and Deal. |
Administrators
The KJ Administration is an experienced team of administrators who are responsible for KJ’s unparalleled programs and initiatives. Our Administration looks forward to working together with you.
Main office: 212-774-5600 | Security Guard: 212-774-5605
Leonard SilvermanEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Leonard Silverman oversees many non-rabbinic facets of KJ’s operations. A graduate of Ramaz School, he holds a B.A. from Brandeis University, and a J.D. from New York University School of Law.
212-774-5680 | lss@ckj.org |
Riva AlperADMINISTRATOR
My Ooma, Riva Alper, has a very important job at KJ. She is the Administrator. When you come to shul and there are Siddurim and Chumashim, places to hang your coat, big Kiddushim, and a different room for each service, it’s because of her. Read More+ If you celebrate a Bar or Bat Mitzvah or a wedding or a birthday party she is the person who will find you a room and introduce you to the caterers and hold your hand and support you while you make your plans. When there are guest speakers and movies she finds rooms for those events, too. She arranges delicious catered Friday night dinners when there are special guest lecturers. She helps with the Chevra Kaddisha (which I can’t explain very well yet), and and the Women’s Tefillah She is very kind and understanding. She loves her job . But not as much as she loves my brother and me. She just can’t spend as much time with me and Joseph as she does at shul and sometimes I wish I worked at the shul so I could see her a lot! But first I have to go to kindergarten. - - Ayala Margot Bierman Wallis, Riva's granddaughterr
212-774-5670 | riva@ckj.org |
Sy YanofskyCOMPTROLLER
Sy Yanofsky is KJ’s Comptroller. He holds a B.S. in Accounting from Brooklyn College. and also serves as a Gabbai at the Young Israel of Flatbush where he lives with his wife and daughters.
212-774-5620 | sy@ckj.org |
Esther FeiermanDIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
Esther Feierman is Director of Communications and Programming. Orginally from Brooklyn, she graduated from SUNY Oswego with a degree in Global Politics and French. Read More+ Her first foray into the business world was selling diamonds on 47th Street until she found a passion for the Jewish non-profit world - specifically within the communications field. Esther has returned to her roots in Brooklyn with her husband, Chaim, daughter, Addy and pup, Suzie.
212-774-5654 | esther@ckj.org |
Dina FarhiEXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
Dina Farhi’s European refinement dates back to a childhood spent in Belgium. The face and voice of our rabbinic suite, Dina has faithfully served the KJ/Ramaz community for more than 30 years. Read More+ During which time she also demonstrated keen leadership and organizational skills that are now put to good use on behalf of our heavily engaged rabbis. Dina and husband Jacques are the proud parents of two distinguished Ramaz alumni, and the grandparents of three adorable grandchildren.
212-774-5648 | dina@ckj.org |
Edgar RosarioSUPERINTENDENT
Edgar Rosario, KJ Superintendent, was born in Philadelphia, PA, to an Italian father and a Puerto Rican mother. He spent part of his childhood in Puerto Rico, where he had the privilege of attending the University of Puerto Rico and earning a degree in Criminal Justice. Read More+ Upon returning to New York City, Edgar began his career in management and maintenance, accumulating over 30 years of experience in the field. After three decades of dedicated work in maintenance, Edgar joined the KJ and Ramaz family as Superintendent. For him and his family, this opportunity represents a wonderful chance to contribute to and be a part of such a vibrant and supportive community.
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Yael HallerDIRECTOR OF MEMBER AFFAIRS
Originally from Toronto, Canada, Yael Haller is a graduate of the International Academy of Design and Technology, majoring in Fashion Design. She has been very involved in the Jewish non-profit world. Read More+ First volunteering as an NCSY advisor as a student and most recently working for Manhattan Jewish Experience. She has also used her talents as a costume designer for 24/6: A Jewish Theater Company for two of their most recent productions. Yael is very excited to deploy her creativity and energy in her KJ role. Yael lives with her husband, Josh, and two adorable kids, Mikey and Layla, on the Upper West Side.
212-774-5674 | yael@ckj.org |
Ruthie HollanderYOUTH DIRECTOR
Ruthie is a dedicated educator with a passion for innovative Jewish communal programming and engagement. She currently serves as Director of Youth Programming at KJ, where she designs and leads dynamic educational experiences for children and families. Read More+ Beyond her role at KJ, Ruthie is deeply involved in Jewish leadership and advocacy. She serves on the board of Camp Tizmoret Shoshana, a creative and performing arts camp she attended as both a camper and staff member. She is a UJA Shapiro Family Fellow and a participant in the ADL’s Glass Leadership Institute, and has previously been involved in the Orthodox Leadership Project, JFNA Changemakers, Machon Siach Graduate Fellowship, and iCenter's Conflicts of Interest.
212-774-5674 | RUTHIE@CKJ.ORG |