Temple Sinai of Roslyn • 425 Roslyn Road • Roslyn Heights, New York 11577
Annual Meeting of Members
Temple Sinai of Roslyn
Wednesday, May 14, 2025 • 7:00pm
Frank D’Ambrosio
Temple Sinai is my Sinai because when I decided to renew my spiritual life and convert to Judaism, Temple Sinai gave me that total sense of community and belonging. My wife Sharon and I moved to the area in 1994 and immediately joined Temple Sinai. We were blessed to meet so many wonderful friends and families. It was the focal point of our social and spiritual lives. Both of our daughters, Chelsea and Madison, participated in all the religious and children’s programs. Madison was Rabbi White’s first baby naming at TSR. The peripheral services the temple provides for all its young and senior members are breathtaking!
The temple is exceptionally blessed with the presence of amazing clerical and administrative personnel. I can honestly say Rabbi White is like a brother to me, and Rabbi Schachter is an inspiring and motivating individual. Our cantors, Sergei and Elena Schwartz, make our temple electric with their song. The temple is a very, very special place!
Professionally, I recently retired after a 42-year-career on Wall Street, where I ran two businesses in capital markets and distribution banking. I was also a scholarship Division I baseball player at Georgetown University, have an MBA from NYU, and I currently coach the JV baseball team at Manhasset High School. I’m also an avid golfer, an avid runner, and have 21 years of martial arts training. Most importantly, I spend 5-10 minutes every day being grateful for all God has bestowed upon me, my family, and my friends.
Lynne Falkowitz
Temple Sinai is my Sinai because it provides me with a sense of warmth, love, community, and purpose that every Jewish family should have. When we first moved to Roslyn ten years ago, we enrolled our oldest son in the Temple Sinai Early Childhood Center. It was at Temple Sinai where we created our first true friendships on Long Island, and discovered the tremendous sense of love and community Temple Sinai has to offer. After years of a tradition of returning to Brooklyn to celebrate the Jewish holidays at the temple my husband and I grew up in, we decided to begin a new tradition of attending services and celebrating holidays as. a family at Temple Sinaiand we love it!
I am the proud mom to three beautiful children, Ethan, Landon, and Reese, and have the most amazing husband, Gary. I have been practicing law for almost 17 years with a specialty in ERISA, employment and executive compensation, and currently, work in-house for Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company as Lead Director and Associate General Counsel. My favorite thing to do is spend time with my family and friends. In my downtime, I enjoy listening to music, traveling, cooking, and watching sports.
Alan
Flyer
Temple Sinai is my Sinai because it is an always warm, always inviting community, where members old and new can find friendship, common interests, Jewish education, and spiritual fulfillment.
As a congregant of Temple Sinai for over twenty years, I’ve experienced the joys of Nursery School, Religious School, B’nei Mitzvah (for my children as well as for my wife), teen & youth programs, lecture series, holiday celebrations and gala events. No matter how much time elapses between visits, Temple Sinai always provides me with a sense of belonging.
I am the owner of two Mathnasium Learning Centers in the community, where I have the pleasure of helping young minds learn and grow in their math skills. I have two children, both in their 20s, so my wife and I now have an empty nest. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, hiking, going to the gym, walking with my wife and dog, and traveling.
Rob Kuppersmith
Temple Sinai is my Sinai because when we decided to move to the community 12 years ago and our daughter started nursery school here, the congregation and the clergy welcomed us with open arms. It is filled with spirit, energy, and love that makes you feel at home. It speaks of what it means to be Jewish.
The programs and assistance it provides to the community at large is second to none. During the pandemic, our son became a Bar Mitzvah and to say the synagogue did an amazing job is an understatement. The support Temple Sinai gave me and my wife, Alyssa, will forever be remembered. My family has participated in the Holocaust and Jewish Resistance class twice and I can’t express how gratifying the course was for our children, Zach and Reese.
Professionally, I am an Executive Director at Cushman and Wakefield for the last 20-plus years on the Global Brokerage side of the business. I enjoy skiing and boating and spending time with my family.
Anne Niesenbaum
Temple Sinai is my Sinai because it is a place where my family and I feel welcome in good times and in times of trouble. My husband Keith and I started coming to Temple Sinai when our children were quite small and have continued through the years, even Zooming services, Minyan and classes during the Covid years. I learned Hebrew and became an adult Bat Mitzvah at Temple Sinai during the time my children were in Religious School. I studied with our Rabbis to become a Mohelet. Our family participated in Mitzvah Days and Gleanings and enjoyed celebrating the holidays with our temple family.
The clergy at Temple Sinai are inspirational and take great interest in all of their congregants. They are learned teachers of Torah and Mishnah, not to mention more current topics of Judaic learning. They are extremely receptive to our lifelong love of learning, providing many interesting and relevant classes. We were fortunate to have our first trip to Israel as part of a group led by Rabbi White, and we will treasure the memories that we made. Rabbi Schachter has enthusiastically led us through Shabbat Minyan service and bible study, and recently expanded and diversified the Shabbat morning program. Temple Sinai hosts book clubs, extraordinary guest speakers, cooking demonstrations…the list goes on and on.
I am an OB/GYN by training. I practiced 25 years, then became a hospital administrator. I am now happily retired and grandmother to four darling and energetic babies. Since retirement, I have become active in Temple Sinai’s Social Action and Caring Committees.
In my spare time, I am an avid gardener, with special interest in perennials. I also enjoy solving crossword puzzles.
Carol Rotenberg
Temple Sinai is my Sinai for spiritual and religious enlightenment, educational enrichment, and social pleasure. Interacting with a diverse group of active congregants who par ticipate in a wide range of synagogue programming, provides me and my husband, Jim, with the opportunity to continue our own growth and learning process.
The thought-provoking sermons of our rabbis at Shabbat services coupled with the beautiful music provided by our cantors make Friday evenings a must-attend for us as we welcome in the Sabbath with both our fellow members who are regulars, and those celebrating a special event, sharing in their simcha as an extended family.
I have enjoyed Co-Chairing our Peoplehood Series, which showcases interesting speakers from our community, as well as abroad, emphasizing our shared values, traditions, and cultural background. As a member of our volunteer choir, I enjoy the camaraderie of our singing group.
Professionally, I hold a B.S. degree and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, an M.S. degree and an Executive Graduate Certificate in Business Administration. My work-life balance includes a long-time career as an executive with ConEdison with extensive experience in dealing with electric, gas and steam systems, while also serving as a volunteer in Hadassah where I currently hold the portfolio of National Chair of Major Gifts.
My greatest pride though, resides with my family - my husband Jim, my twin sons, daughters-in-law and five grandchildren, who give me enormous pleasure.
Lastly, I would like to thank my fellow temple members for putting their trust in me to represent them on the Board of Trustees, as we continue to grow and prosper in the coming years ahead.
Rachel Shapiro
Temple Sinai is my Sinai because it feels like home. I joined the temple shortly after moving to Long Island, 15 years ago. My Sinai journey began when our eldest daughter, Sidney, was in the twos program at the nursery school. We quickly became members of the temple and sent our second daughter, Quinn, to the nursery school as well. I was an active participant in some of the volunteer programming on the Social Action Committee including Mitzvah Day, helping to create a small vegetable garden for the nursery school.
My children and I would always attend the Sharing Shabbat services and all of the other events the nursery school offered to the youngest members of the community. While I was a nursery school parent, I helped to organize a prom dress collection for an annual prom boutique. I was lucky enough to attend this event for several years, where we helped hundreds of young girls in need with dresses for their proms, graduations and other special milestones.
In May of 2023, Sidney became a Bat Mitzvah with Rabbi Schachter officiating. Sidney continues to be an active part of the synagogue and the community where she is involved in the SORTY program and she interns at the Early Childhood Center. In the fall of 2027, Quinn will have her Bat Mitzvah within the warm walls of Temple Sinai as well.
Professionally, I have been working as a Teaching Assistant in the Roslyn Public Schools for the past three years. Prior to starting my family, I was a first and second grade teacher in the East Village of Manhattan. As someone who lives and works in the community it’s always fun getting to see some of my past and current students in the halls of the temple during holidays and other temple events.
As a child growing up in Florida, my synagogue was a huge part of my life and my family’s social life. We attended services, Purim carnivals, fashion shows, galas, and much more. I have always loved that sense of belonging to something greater than myself, and I have that feeling when I am at Temple Sinai. I am truly grateful to be a part of the board, working alongside our outstanding clergy and congregants.
Tammy Szerencsy
Temple Sinai is my Sinai because by attending any event (virtually or in-person), I know my family and I will feel welcomed and loved.
My husband Michael and I joined Temple Sinai before we even moved to New York. We were living in Boca Raton, Florida, considering a move back up north to Iive near family. We attended a service at Temple Sinai and immediately felt at home. We joined the temple, and had B’nei Mitzvah dates for our children before even finding a house! This was one of the best decisions we ever made.
Right away, I knew I wanted to be involved at the temple. Since three out of my four children are enrolled in the Religious School, I got involved as a member of the Religious School Committee. We try to attend as many events as our busy lives allow, and everyone we have met has been so friendly and the positivity is contagious. When I was asked to get involved in leadership of the Friend of a Friend (FOF) women’s group, naturally, I said yes. Spending more time at a place where I feel comfortable and welcomed, especially during the pandemic, has been a major comfort to us all. The continuity of Sinai’s programming for myself and my family has been priceless. My family has been blessed to be part of the Holocaust and Jewish Resistance Program, led by Abbie and Richard Laskey; it has been incredibly enlightening. I am so grateful for this program, which has given my children the opportunity to hear first-hand accounts from actual survivors, as they never got to meet their great-grandparents who were also survivors. Having the opportunity to get to know how the wonderful clergy, staff, and friends who I already consider my “Sinai Family,” helped our transition into the community. I look forward to many more rewarding Sinai experiences.
I love spending my spare time with my husband, four children, two dogs, extended family, and friends. I also love theatre, traveling, reading, swimming, and playing tennis.
Amy Zuflacht
Temple Sinai is my Sinai because we feel like family here. My oldest son started Religious School here five years ago and we were welcomed with open arms. Last year we had his Bar Mitzvah and I can’t say enough how l lucky he was to work with Cantors Elena and Sergei Schwartz as well as Rabbis Schachter and White.
My youngest has now been at the temple for three years. As an educator, I was thrilled to learn about the wonderful Religious School curriculum, which taught not only about Hebrew but also Jewish customs and holidays. My children also loved the social aspect of the Religious School. In my five years at Sinai, it has always been a pleasure to attend many services and events. I have volunteered for events as well and am amazed by the collaboration, thoughtfulness, and helpfulness of the Sinai community.
I am the proud mom to Bryce and Chase and the wife of Jared Zuflacht. Prior to moving to Long Island I was an Assistant Principal at the Lycee Francais de New York for 15 years. For pleasure, I enjoy traveling with my family, spending time with friends, and volunteering at the boys’ school as well as the temple.
