The Board of Trustees is comprised of volunteer parents and dedicated community members who are committed to quality Jewish education. The Board sets policy and standards, ensures fiscal responsibility, and acts as ambassadors for the school. The Board encourages parental and community involvement in Yavneh and actively solicits support for the school. | |
2017-2018 Board of Trustees | |
Executive Committee
|
General Board |
Arnnon Geshuri | Jennifer Copaken |
Board Chair | Orly Friedman |
David Gaertner | |
Adam Dorsay | Scott Guggenheim |
V.P. of Strategic Planning | Yuval Minkowski |
Ran Metz | |
Rebecca Dishotsky | Sarah Munson |
V.P. of Development | Rabbi Shoshana Ohriner |
Alison Ruebusch | |
Seth Silverstein | Jeff Salowe |
Treasurer | Howard Solovei |
Wendy Askenas | |
Secretary | |
Rabbi Philip Ohriner | |
Steven Dick | Community Rabbi |
Immediate Past President | |
Zvi Weiss | |
Rebecca Silberstein | Head of School - Ex Officio |
YPA President - Ex Officio | |
Adam Dorsay works as a licensed psychologist in private practice in San Jose. He also serves as an educator and consultant to Facebook’s eCrimes Department, whose primary mission is the protection of children. Adam is the father of two boys at Yavneh and recognizes the importance of a Jewish education (especially because he and his wife met when they were eight-years-old in Hebrew School!).
Rebecca Dishotsky is a Silicon Valley native, working as a communications professional at eBay. With her husband, Kirk, and two growing daughters, she enjoys music, gardening, cooking, movies, hiking and spending time with family and friends. The family are members of Temple Emanu-El in San Jose and live in a 100+ year old Craftsman home in the Rose Garden area.
Seth Silverstein has worked for 20 years throughout Silicon Valley in Finance, Marketing, and Business Analytics. He loves good food, cooking, and fitness (to balance all the good food!). He has spent the past 4 years as the Treasurer and member of the Board at Yavneh. He is married with two children at Yavneh.
Wendy Askenas was a Yavneh parent for 11 years. She enjoyed being an active volunteer during those years, many as room parent and working on the yearbook. Wendy has volunteered in Jewish communal life including Jewish Federation, Jewish Family Services and both synagogues she attends. She received a bachelor's degree and MBA and has finally transitioned from years as a professional volunteer back into the working world specializing in HR Benefits for Fortune 100 companies. She is enjoying her fourth year on the board.
Jennifer Copaken is an east coast transplant and Yavneh parent. With a BA from Harvard in History and Literature, she joined Teach for America and taught in New York City public schools. Inspired by her students, she returned to graduate school and went on to a career in musical theater choreography. She continues to find ways to pursue passions for education and the arts. Jennifer and her family are members of Congregation Sinai.
David Gaertner has been on Yavneh’s Board since 2005 including serving as Treasurer for three years. David has held various leadership positions in software and sales at IBM where he has worked for over 25 years. He earned MBA and MS Software Engineering degrees from the University of Texas at Austin as well as a BA from UC Berkeley. His children’s Yavneh education continues to positively influence them today.
Scott Evan Guggenheim is the recipient of the "Award for Excellence in Theatre-for-Youth and Development of New Audiences" by the American Theatre Wing (giver of the coveted Tony award) and the Helen Diller Family Fund Award for Excellence in Jewish Education. He is an accomplished producer, director, playwright, educator and not-for-profit administrator. He has created award-winning and nationally recognized works for regional, non-profit, and commercial theatre companies and educational institutions. Along with his wife and his brother, Scott created The Retro Dome and leads the team at Guggenheim Entertainment, Inc, an events, design, and marketing firm. Scott also serves as the Executive Director of The California Academy for the Creative and Performing Arts. Scott has a daughter in 8th grade at Yavneh where she has attended since kindergarten.
Yuval Olivier Minkowski is a parent of Yavneh students for over seven years. He is an international professional with practice through Europe, Israel and the U.S. Yuval has worked with large technology companies in the telecom, finance, and entertainment industries as well as with a few startups. Yuval holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a master’s degree from Tel Aviv University.
Ran Metz is the Vice President of Sales Planning and Product Development for the Retail Business Unit at SanDisk. Ran earned his MBA from Recanati Business School and BSc in Industrial Engineering from Tel Aviv University. Prior he was a Director of Project Management for EDS. Before his career in high tech, he served six years as Captain in the Israeli Navy.
Sarah Munson is currently an executive at WineGame where she continues her entrepreneurial career after founding and running a chain of popular wine bars in Seattle called the Local Vine. Prior to starting her own business, she built her career in Product Development, Merchandising, and Marketing for companies including Estee Lauder, Beauty.com and several start-ups. She began her career consulting at Bain & Company and earned her MBA from Harvard Business School, and a Bachelor's in Economics and Public Policy from Pomona College. Sarah is a candidate for Master of Wine certification and earned Diploma from Wine & Spirits Education Trust.
Shoshana Ohriner is a Conservative Rabbi with training as a multi-faith hospital chaplain. She is very involved with the local Jewish community, and leads the Shabbat and holiday services for young children at Congregation Beth David. In addition, Shoshana has a passion for cooking and baking and runs two successful kosher food blogs, along with teaching occasional cooking classes. She is the mother of three boys, all current or future yavneh students.
Alison Ruebusch recently retired as the Principal at Kehillah Jewish High School in Palo Alto, CA. Prior to serving as the academic leader, she served as both department chair and instructor for mathematics. Starting at Kehillah at the beginning of its third year, she was instrumental in building Kehillah into the school it is today. Earlier in her career, she was an electrical engineer in the high tech sector. She earned both a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University and her teaching credential in mathematics from San Jose State University. Alison also currently serves on Congregation Beth David's Board of Directors.
Jeffrey Salowe is a software developer at Google, Inc. and has over 25 years of experience as a software architect, inventor and educator. He holds 20 patents and has published numerous papers. Jeffrey received his Ph.D from Rutgers University. He is the father of three children who attend or have attended Yavneh.
Howard Solovei is a parent of two former Yavneh students now in middle school. A UC Berkeley graduate, he is also a member of Congregation Sinai and spent two years at Machon Pardes in Jerusalem. Howard has spent over 30 years as a finance professional, and is now managing private capital funds invested in marketplace lending. He enjoys getting outdoors with his family.