Rabbi Ari Averbach
Hazzan Noam Fields-Meyer Gould
Chaplain Benny Sommerfeld
Rabbi Emeritus Richard Spiegel
Executive Director Cindy Goldberg
Early Childhood Education Director Debbie Blumenthal
Religious School Director Joyce Bronstein
Early Childhood Education Asst. Director Keri Loventhal
Office Manager Shane Silverstein
ECE Administrative Assistant Jessica Jacoby
RS Administrative Assistant Sarah Karamas
Clergy Assistant Jill Rosenberg
Musical Director Mariano Dugatkin
President Felicia Toporoff
Vice President Dan Lubetkin
Immediate Past President Eric Feigenbaum
Treasurer Arnie Blitstein
Secretary Brianna Abrams Trustee, Bingo Michael Roberts
Trustee, Building and Grounds Steve Plotkin
Trustee, Early Childhood Education Josh Atlas Trustee, Endowment Jeff Landau
Trustee, Financial Consideration Neal Arons
Trustee, Inclusion Paula Lefko
Trustee, Membership, Sarica Klein
Trustee, Personnel & Legal Affairs Josh Hopstone Trustee, Programming Evan Robichaud
Trustee, Religion and Worship Cheryl Math
Trustee, Religious Education Adya Riss Trustee, Security Paul Dryman
Trustee, Social Action Pam Friedman
Trustee, Ways & Means Donald Zimring
President, Men’s Club Mark Goldstein
President, Women of TEC Phyllis Dankberg & Elissa
Past
Past
Past
Rabbi Ari Averbach
rabbiaverbach@templeetzchaim.org
Noam Fields-Meyer Gould, Hazzan Noam@templeetzchaim.org
Felicia Toporo , President ftoporoff@templeetzchaim.org
Benny Sommerfeld, Chaplain benny@templeetzchaim.org
Debbie Blumenthal, Early Education Director
debbieb@templeetzchaim.org
We are thrilled to announce that our school has been selected as one of 10 early childhood centers to participate in the new BJE/JFEDLA Infant/Toddler Initiative. Our Assistant ECE Director, Keri Loventhal, attended the launch of this incredible professional development opportunity at a kickoff event on September 17, 2025. The initiative isa collaboration between Jewish Federation Los Angeles (JFEDLA) and Builders of Jewish Education (BJE)in partnership with Child Development Institute (CDI)—a leader in early child development and care for over 25 years. CDI will provide our infant and toddler teachers with specialized training and personalized support throughout the 2025-2026 school year. Our school will receive up to 50 hours of individualized coaching from CDI professionals who will work directly in our classrooms, observing interactions, modeling responsive caregiving practices, and providing real-time feedback during daily routines and activities. This hands-on approach means your child's teachers will deepen their understanding of infant and toddler development, strengthen their ability to respond to each child's unique needs, and enhance classroom dynamics to create even more nurturing learning environments. Additionally, our entire early childhood staff will benefit from a specialized on-site workshop to learn more about the needs of our youngest learners. We are honored to be part of this initiative, thankful to BJE and JFEDLA,and excited about the positive impact it will have on the quality of care and education we provide to your little ones during these crucial early years.
Warmly,
Debbie Blumenthal Early Childhood Education Director
Phyllis
Dankberg & Elissa Lazarus, Co-President, Women of TEC
Mark Goldstein, President, Men’s Club
Katya Schwartz November 8
Shalom! I’m Katya. I’m in 7th grade at Bridges Charter School. I love dancing, singing, aerial silks, swimming, gymnastics, crocheting, reading punch needling, sewing, Legos, science, slime, violin, and hanging upside down from the monkey bars. I would like to thank Rabbi Averbach and Hazzan Noam for letting me help in services whenever I attended to help me feel more prepared for this big day. Thank you to all of my religious school teachers for all of the helpful preparation they did for me. Lastly, I want to thank my parents and grandparents for all of the love and support they have provided me. Thank you to everyone for coming to support me on this big accomplishment. I’m so proud and excited to be a Bat Mitzvah!
Ian Raskin November 15
My name is lan Raskin, and I am a student at A.E. Wright Middle School. I began my Jewish education at Shomrei Torah’s preschool. I moved to TEC and started Camp Ramah when I was in 4th grade. I love science, outdoor adventures with Boy Scouts, exploring the world, solving complicated puzzles, and spending time playing video games with friends and my brother. I would like to thank Rabbi Averbach, my tutor Betty Zonshine, and my religious school teachers who have helped me prepare for my bar mitzvah. And an extra big thank you to Joyce Bronstein, not just for all of her amazing work but also for jumping in to help save my bar mitzvah party when the venue cancelled at the last minute. As I become a Bar Mitzvah, I look forward to celebrating with family, friends, and my community.
Elliot Morris November 29
Hi, my name is Elliot Morris, and I’m an eighth grader at Los Cerritos Middle School. I’ve been part of Temple Etz Chaim since second grade, and I’ve learned so much over the years from all the amazing teachers and sta . Outside of school and Confirmation, I love playing soccer, making art, hanging out with my dogs and cat, and spending time with my family and friends. I want to thank Rabbi Averbach, Joyce Bronstein, my awesome tutor Betty Zonshine, and everyone at TEC who has helped me along my Bar Mitzvah journey. A huge thank you as well to my parents and brothers for always supporting me. I’m so excited to celebrate this big milestone with the people who mean the most to me!
