Our Leadership

Home > About > Leadership

Beth Sholom Temple Welcomes
Student Rabbi Julia Bennett

Julia is originally from Long Island, NY, but she has lived in Manhattan for several years now. She is a fourth-year rabbinical student at HUC with a master's degree in religious education. This past summer, Julia was a Community Care Team associate at URJ Eisner Camp, her "second home". She enjoys studying Hebrew, and she is currently reading the Harry Potter book series in Hebrew with her best friend. Julia is so excited to be joining the Beth Sholom Temple community this year and is looking forward to meeting everyone!

Meet Our Leaders

		Robert Jobrack
		`President`
		As a longtime Hebrew teacher, lay leader & a former president, he is well-versed in many of the aspects of congregational operations & coordinates the efforts of the other directors.
		PRESIDENT@BSTVA.ORG

		David Coman
		`VP of Administration`
		As a past president & VP of Admin, he handles all building use, as well as security, grounds, & building maintenance. All repair, usage change, or proposal requests go through him.
		ADMIN@BSTVA.ORG

		Laraine Whitcomb
		`VP of Finance`
		She supervises financial operations, which involve budgeting, financial planning, & reporting. Additionally, fundraising efforts & monitoring financial performance to uphold the financial well-being & sustainability of the Temple falls under the VP Finance umbrella.
		FINANCE@BSTVA.ORG

		Samantha Lemmerman
		`VP of Religious Life & Education`
		She supervises the creation & execution of religious & educational programs, collaborating closely with religious leaders & educators to improve worship experiences, & promotes educational projects, with the goal of creating a lively & captivating Jewish learning atmosphere across all age groups.
		RELIGIOUSLIFE@BSTVA.ORG

		Kelly Ritchie
		`VP of Community Life & Events`
		She is responsible for organizing & overseeing social, cultural, & community-building events. She works to create a welcoming & engaging environment, fostering connections among congregants through various activities, programs, & events that enhance the synagogue's sense of community & inclusivity.
		COMMUNITY@BSTVA.ORG

		Ellen Grady
		`Treasurer`
		She oversees the financial aspects of the synagogue, such as managing budgets, financial reporting, & audits. Her duties involve handling financial transactions, monitoring cash flow, & ensuring compliance with financial controls & policies. Additionally, she provides routine updates to the Board of Directors to uphold financial health & transparency.
		TREASURER@BSTVA.ORG

		Laura Rosenthal
		`Recording Secretary`
		The Recording Secretary keeps minutes of the Board of Directors meetings, the congregational Annual Meeting and other general membership meetings. Approved minutes are available to the membership upon request. The Recording Secretary also maintains a list of actions of the Board of Directors and provides an annual summary of such actions at the Annual Meeting.

		Michael Camber
		`Corresponding Secretary`
		He manages all official external correspondence for the Temple, including letters, emails, & notices, as directed by the Board of Directors. He ensures timely & accurate communication regarding synagogue events, updates, & administrative matters.

		Dr. Tiina Rodrigue, Dr. Jocelyn Bixler, & Alyssa Vigliotti
		`Members at Large`
		Their primary commitment is to be accessible to the membership, listen to ideas & concerns, & communicate them to the Board of Directors.

		Randi Morris & Liz James
		`Sisterhood Co-Presidents`
		They serve as the Board of Directors representative for Beth Sholom Temple Sisterhood.
		SISTERHOOD@BSTVA.ORG

		Rebecca Boyd
		`Religious School Principal`
		She is responsible for all operations of the Beth Sholom Temple religious school. She selects teachers, curricula & education materials. She oversees the correct implementation of the Institute of Southern Jewish Life (ISJL) curriculum. She ensures that the religious school achieves its purpose of educating the congregation's members according to the highest ideals of Judaism.
		SCHOOL@BSTVA.ORG

		Anna Griffith
		`Office Manager`
		She facilitates all internal communication within the Temple & supports the Board of Directors in carrying out their directives & plans. She also serves as a point of contact at the Temple during the week to answer questions & handle concerns from community members.
		OFFICE@BSTVA.ORG

Zoom Link

Board of Directors meeting reports, agendas, and minutes for the current year can be found here. Reports for past years can be found in the Beth Sholom Temple Office or in the archive below. If you wish to review past BOD reports, agendas, and minutes please reach out to the BST office at office@bstva.org or (540)373-4834 to make an appointment. Requests for archived minutes prior to 2018 may be made in writing to the BST Office via email.

Board of Directors Meeting Minutes Archives

Fiscal Year 2023-24

Fiscal Year 2024-25

Upcoming Events