November 2025 / Presenting the Torah Fund Region Vice Presidents 2024–2026

On July 1, we welcomed our new Torah Fund region vice presidents. In this group we have a fascinating combination of ages, interests, charm, technical ability, and above all, devotion to Torah Fund. Our volunteer Torah Fund leadership includes Marilyn Berkowitz, vice chair, finance, and Shelley Szwalbenest, vice chair, communications.  With pleasure I present our thirteen 2024–2026 region vice presidents:   

BQLI: Barbara Kaplan · Central Great Lakes: Rebecca Goldwasser · Florida: Shula Fleischer · Garden State: Sindy Manas · International Northeast: Adele Weinstein · Intracontinental: Margie Schneider · Metro North: Cedine Issman · Mid-Atlantic: Ariana Burrows · North Atlantic: Fern Cohen · North by Northwest: Wendy Glasser (interim) · Pacific Southwest: Marcy Melton · Seaboard: Ellen Weiss · Southern: Hilary Rosenbaum 

As a bonus, three women continued in their positions: Rebecca Goldwasser, Cedine Issman, and Marcy Melton. To add further depth, Barbara Kaplan, BQLI, an immediate past region president and previously a Torah Fund region vice president, joined us again as a region vice president. And Shelley Szwalbenest, our vice chair, communications, just served as the Mid-Atlantic region vice president. 

As we continue our work to train these women and help them acquire skills needed to do their job, the words and experience of our returnees helps the process. For example, the returning women have helped our new volunteers learn how to send monthly donation reports to our affiliates, one of the job’s most important aspects. 

When asking our returnees why they decided to take these positions again, our women provided very individualized explanations. Rebecca Goldwasser said, “I stayed on because I am truly passionate about Torah Fund and fell in love with what we do for Torah Fund.  I truly believe we need to help support our future Jewish leaders of the Conservative movement.” 

Cedine Issman shared, “After becoming Metro North Torah Fund region vice president in August 2023, I realized how important is it to raise funds to support our rabbis and cantors. Also, I enjoy meeting the women in our affiliates and getting to know the other region vice presidents.” 

Barbara Kaplan commented, “After being honored to serve as the BQLI region vice president from 2018–2021, I became region president 2021–2024 and continued to take part in all Torah Fund activities. It was a natural progression for me to take the position again and continue the responsibility to help ensure Conservative/Masorti Jewish Education.” 

Marcy Melton expressed, “I remained in the Torah Fund region vice president position because I absolutely love doing it! I was not able to visit synagogues during COVID—one of the best parts of the job. I’m finally very comfortable in the position and believe I can be of help to the new region vice presidents.” 

Shelley Szwalbenest said, “I really enjoyed being Mid-Atlantic region vice president, attending and speaking at affiliate and region events with JTS and Ziegler rabbinical students and JTS cantorial student presenters. I observed these eager, involved students speak about the reasons they decided to become future Jewish leaders, and it confirmed for me that our Torah Fund work has meaning and value.” 

We look forward to working with these women—both the new ones and the returnees—for the next two years. They are learning to respond to questions, follow up on donation inquiries, plan region Torah Fund events, maintain region fundraising records, send monthly financial reports to the affiliates, communicate Torah Fund news through region Shabbat newsletters, and write and present divrei Torah. We will keep you informed on their progress as they create relationships with all the affiliate Torah Fund volunteers and help affiliates meet their Torah Fund goals.  Are YOU interested in becoming a future Torah Fund region vice president? Am Yisrael Chai. 

Learn more about the origins of the phrase Am Yisrael Chai, our Torah Fund general campaign theme this 2024–2025 year.