Board of Trustees

The UVJC would not be possible without the hard work done by our volunteers, including our Board of Trustees, who manage much of the behind-the-scenes work that helps our synagogue to run smoothly. If you have questions or suggestions, or if you wish to learn more about the operations of our Hebrew school or of the various Roth Center committees, do not hesitate to reach out to one of the members of the board below.

Roberta Berner, President

Roberta and her family moved to the area and joined the UVJC in 1998. During her first year here, she worked in the new Roth Center for the Rabbi through the Tucker Foundation/Hillel. She was part of the UVJC’s book group since its formation in 2000 and she chaired the congregation’s Caring and Chesed Committee from 2019-2023. She recently retired after a 50-year career as a writer and administrator, primarily for nonprofit organizations, including Jewish Federations in Minneapolis, MN and Columbus, OH. In the Upper Valley, she spent 20 years with Grafton County Senior Citizens Council, Inc., including almost 16 years as its Executive Director. Her husband, Richard Abel, served two terms as UVJC President.

 

Paul Etkind, Past President

Paul Etkind and his wife Sue moved to the Upper Valley, aka the Greater Grantham Metropolitan Area, in 2014 upon retiring from his career as a public health epidemiologist. They joined the UVJC shortly after moving here. Paul is active in various governance and other committees of the Eastman Community Association, and is enjoying the rich cultural, academic, outdoor activities and social resources that abound in this area. Paul joined the Board in November 2017.

Monte Blaustein, V.P.

Monte moved to Hanover in 2009 and joined UVJC at that time. He worked as an Automation / Controls Engineer at Stryker Biotech until he took five years to teach at a boarding school in Connecticut. Returning in 2019 he is now back working as an engineer. Monte is involved with the Caring and Chesed Committee and attends services when in town. Looking forward to retiring in a few years and having more time to enjoy all the wonderful activities at the Roth Center, Dartmouth, the Upper Valley and for some extended travel. For fun he plays chess, loves to cook and bake, and take part in all that the region offers.”

Deb Hoffer, V.P.

Deb Hoffer joined the UVJC when she and her family moved from MA to the Upper Valley in 2012. She has been involved with the UVJC as a member of the Rabbi Search Committee and as a happy, if infrequent, participant in the Rabbi’s psalms class, the Fiber Arts nights, and services. Deb’s children, Shira and Eli, both went through the hebrew school and celebrated their b’nai mitzvot at the UVJC, and her husband, David, is a member of the Ruach Committee and can often be seen with his guitar at various services. Deb is also a pediatrician at DHMC, and, in her spare time, enjoys cooking, baking, reading, knitting and spending time with friends and family.

Robert Greene, Treasurer

Rob Greene moved to the Upper Valley in the summer of 2014 and joined the UVJC shortly afterward. Two of his adult children, Ted and Jay, also live in the Upper Valley. His interests including singing, bicycling, and snowboarding. Rob consults nationally on health care strategy and health system quality.

 

Kathy Parsonnet, Secretary

Kathy Cadow Parsonnet joined the Board in 2017. She lives in Norwich VT with her husband Jeff, and has been part of the Upper Valley Jewish Community since moving from Boston in 1991. Their two now grown children were active in the Hebrew School and Bar Mitzvah programs. Kathy’s professional activities have been in the field of health, education, and research. For the past decade, she has worked in the field of arts and health, having developed programs and art forms conducive to therapeutic settings. Her involvement with the UVJC over the years includes regular attendance at Shabbat services, serving on the Rabbi Search Committee, teaching the 1st Grade, and two decades of singing with several of the UVJC-affiliated groups, including the High Holiday Choir and  Kol HaNashim.

Steven Bachner

Laura Harris-Hirsch

Laura Harris-Hirsch has been active in the UVJC since she moved to Lebanon many years ago.

 

 

Beth Kanell

Beth Kanell began coming to UVJC after her husband Dave’s death in 2019 and joined soon after. A writer of novels, history, poetry, feature articles, and memoir, she also edits scientific journals and facilitates for community groups. Although her father and husband were both Jewish, she is still in the ardent re-discovery stage for herself, carrying her Torah and other studies directly into her writing and her volunteer efforts. She lives in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, where she raised two sons and now tends an endless garden.

 

Fred Lerner

Fred Lerner has been a member of the UVJC for nearly forty years. He has served as Honorary Librarian of the Roth Center’s Koreman Library for two decades, and hopes to encourage the use of its resources in connection with UVJC programs and activities. Before his retirement he spent twenty-four years at the National Center for PTSD, where he created an online index to the world’s literature on posttraumatic stress disorder.

Diane Roston

Diane Roston joined the board in 2020. She is a member of the Ruach committee, was a founding organizer of the now regular Shabbat morning contemplative service, and in the past co-led tot Shabbat and children’s services. She delights in dance, including Israeli folk dance, creative writing, swimming, and hiking mountains. Her two adult children, both graduates of the UVJC Hebrew School, like to hike, too. Diane is a psychiatrist in the Upper Valley.

Lori Siegel

To be updated