Staff Bios
Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald – Director
Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald is one of the leaders in the movement of Jewish return in America today. He has pioneered and developed many of the most dramatic and effective outreach programs in this country.
Ordained at Yeshiva University, where he was a student of Rabbi Dr. J. B. Soloveitchik, Rabbi Buchwald served from 1973 for 15 years as the Director of Education at Lincoln Square Synagogue in New York, which, during his tenure, became one of the largest and most successful centers for adult Jewish education programs in America. He also established and coordinated Lincoln Square’s celebrated outreach program. Since 1975, Rabbi Buchwald has led the now-renowned “Beginners Service,” a special Shabbat service for people with little or no synagogue experience.
In July of 1987, Rabbi Buchwald founded the National Jewish Outreach Program. NJOP sponsors the acclaimed SHABBAT ACROSS AMERICA /CANADA and READ HEBREW AMERICA /CANADA campaigns, establishes Beginners Services and offers the TURN FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SHABBAT, PASSOVER ACROSS AMERICA and SUKKOT ACROSS AMERICA programs, as well as free “Crash Courses” in Hebrew Reading, Basic Judaism and Jewish History. These programs are now hosted by more than 3919* locations across North America, and in 39* countries worldwide.
NJOP also has an extensive presence on the web. NJOP’s “JewishTweets” was the first Jewish presence on Twitter, and has become Twitter’s most highly-followed Jewish newswire, generating more than 450,000 impressions daily. “Jewish Treats,” NJOP’s enormously popular email, offers “Juicy bits of Judaism, daily,” on diverse Jewish topics. Through these much admired programs and the innovative Jewish consciousness-raising advertising campaigns, NJOP has successfully reached more than 1,317,100* North American Jews and engaged them in Jewish life.
In May 2001, Rabbi Buchwald was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters by Yeshiva University in recognition of his pioneering outreach work. He has been included in the Forward 50, a list of America’s 50 most influential Jews and Newsweek’s list of the top 50 Rabbis in America.
Rabbi Buchwald was Founding President of the Association for Jewish Outreach Professionals (AJOP). He lectures across the country and overseas, and leads experiential programs in cities throughout the world. He and his wife Aidel, reside in New York City, and are the proud parents of four children and a growing number of grandchildren.
Rabbi Buchwald may be reached at ezb@njop.org, or at 646-871-0012. His assistant, Freeda Rudman may be reached at freeda@njop.org.
* figures as of 6/11
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Beryl Levenson – Associate Director, Emeritus
After serving as NJOP’s Associate Director since its inception, Beryl Levenson is now operating primarily from Israel. She is still responsible for NJOP’s major mailings, and is always available to share her wealth of knowledge with the NJOP staff by phone, fax and email. She can be reached at beryl@njop.org.
email: beryl@njop.org
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Rabbi Yitzchak Rosenbaum – Associate Director
Rabbi Yitzchak Rosenbaum has been with NJOP since 1989. He is ultimately responsible for all aspects of NJOP’s programs including advertising and public relations.
Phone 646-871-0021 email: yr@njop.org
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Florence Wiener – Hebrew Language Coordinator
Florence Wiener has been with the National Jewish Outreach Program since 1988, teaching Hebrew and creating methods of teaching which have been replicated and used not only by the 3665 locations which offer NJOP classes, but are also sought by Day Schools and Hebrew Schools for their students.
Phone 646-871-0005 email: florence@njop.org
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Levon Arutyunov – Database Manager
Levon Arutyunov is NJOP’s Database Manager and is responsible for maintaining and updating NJOP’s fundraising database. He also provides support for NJOP’s Special Events and all other database requirements.
email: levon@njop.org
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Chava Blumenthal – Regional Program Coordinator
Chava Blumenthal, NJOP’s Regional Program Coordinator, is the contact person for rabbis and coordinators in 19 states. Chava is there to answer any questions about NJOP programs,and is also responsible for providing her locations with their required course materials and processing their student lists.
Phone: 646-871-4444, ext. 32 email: chava@njop.org
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Renee Erreich – Events Coordinator
Renee Erreich is responsible for the coordination of all NJOP Events, including Singles Events, Parlor Meetings and the Annual NJOP Dinner.
Phone: 646-871-0111 email: renee@njop.org
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Larry Greenman – Program Director
Larry Greenman is the Program Director and has been at NJOP since Fall 2000. He oversees all of NJOP’s major programs and campaigns. He assists Rabbis and adult education chairs to successfully implement NJOP programs and initiatives to maximize participation, encouraging them to avail themselves of creative opportunies for continued growth. Larry is also very involved in the development of new NJOP programs and initiatives.
Phone:646-871-0113 email: lgreenman@njop.org
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Amy Gugig – Director of Information Systems and Technology
Amy has been with the organization since 1995 and is responsible for NJOP’s internal computer operations, office technology, and the NJOP Website.
email: amy@njop.org
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Susanne Goldstone Rosenhouse – Social Media Coordinator
Susanne manages all of NJOP’s social media initiatives including JewishTweets (the #1 Jewish Lifestyle Twitterfeed), the Jewish Treats Facebook Page and the Jewish Treats YouTube Channel. Susanne is also the NJOP.org Web Editor.
email: susanne@njop.org
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Sarah Rochel Hewitt – Publications
Since joining the staff of NJOP in November 1999, Sarah Rochel Hewitt has taken on the responsibility of both publications and in-house graphic design. In addition to creating (writing, editing, layout, design) the varied newsletters of the National Jewish Outreach Program and much of NJOP’s recent promotional material, Sarah Rochel has produced the Crash Course in Basic Judaism Companion Guide, the Crash Course in Jewish Holidays on the NJOP website (as well as additional educational material for www.njop.org), a Chanukah Workshop Discussion Guide, Shalom Aleichem Discussion Guide and Aishet Chayil Study Guide (both for Shabbat Across America/Canada), the Crash Course in Jewish History and its Companion Guide, and additional projects that are constantly in the works. Most recently, Sarah Rochel writes and edits the highly acclaimed Jewish Treats email and blog.
email: sr@njop.org
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Naomi Robin – Regional Program Coordinator
Naomi Robin, NJOP’s Regional Program Coordinator, is the contact person for rabbis and coordinators in 20 US states and Canada. Naomi is there to answer any questions about NJOP programs,and is also responsible for providing her locations with their required course materials and processing their student lists.
Phone: 646-871-4444, ext. 30 email: naomi@njop.org
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Freeda Rudman – Rabbi Buchwald’s Assistant
Freeda serves as Assistant to Rabbi Buchwald, NJOP’s Founder and Director, utilizing sensitivity and a keen sense of priorities in this demanding position. Freeda has been at NJOP since 2000.
Phone: 646-871-0012 email: freeda@njop.org
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Lea Schulman – Production Manager and Regional Program Coordinator
Lea’s position at NJOP encompasses everything to do with shipping, mailing and production, overseeing the copying and shipping of tens of thousands of letters, packages, pamphlets, schedules, invitations and tapes each year. Her legendary sense of organization makes everything work when it should!
Lea is also one of NJOP’s Regional Program Coordinators and acts as the contact person for rabbis and coordinators in 12 states.
Phone: 646-871-4444, ext. 35
