Upon the founding of our institute, we extended an invitation to a group of professional and lay leaders in Judaism and health who became the Founding Kalsman Partners. The Founding Partners’ efforts include touching people’s lives through congregations, social service agencies, educational institutions and innovative organizations. The intention and result of their influence is to actualize the work of Jews around the globe–to increase healing in the world. The original core was brought together for retreat at the Brandeis Bardin Institute (BBI) in March 2001 to help shape the mission and direction of the Kalsman Institute while reformulating and rethinking the Jewish community’s impact and work in illness and wellness.

The Founding Partners have helped the small staff of the Kalsman Institute extend throughout North America and Israel to a network that now includes over 3,000 professional and lay leaders impacting our communities through work in Judaism, health and healing.

 
Founding Partner Name Position Organization
Jay Abarbanel, PhD Staff Consultant; Kalsman Steering Committee Member Kalsman Institute
Jean Abarbanel, BA Past Kalsman Steering Committee Member Kalsman Institute
Marla Abraham, MAJCS, MSW Senior Vice-president for Endowment Planning and Premier Philanthropy; Kalsman Steering Committee Member Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles
Naomi Ackerman Theater Artist  
Richard F. Address, Rabbi, DMin Senior Rabbi; Consultant; Kalsman Steering Committee Member Mkor Shalom
Jewish Sacred Aging (Founder)
Ruth Alpers, Rabbi Staff Chaplain and ACPE Supervisor Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Dept. of Pastoral Care
Gregg Alpert, MAJCS National Director HUC-JIR, eLearning Department
Yehoyada Amir, Rabbi, PhD Director, Israel Rabbinic Program HUC-JIR, Jerusalem
Ronald Andiman, MD Neurologist Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Camille Shira Angel, Rabbi Rabbi Congregation Sha'ar Zahav
Bill Aron Photographer; Kalsman Steering Committee Member Bill Aron Photography
Adrienne Asch, PhD, MS Edward and Robin Milstein Professor of Bioethics Yeshiva University, Wurzweiler School of Social Work
Judy Axonovitz, LCSW Director, Skirball Cultural Center Program USC School of Social Work
Michael Barenbaum, Rabbi Rabbi Emeritus Congregation Rodef Shalom
Pearl Barlev, Rabbi, MAHL Rabbi, Jewish Chaplain; Rabbi; Kalsman Steering Committee Member UCLA Health System
Santa Ynez Valley Jewish Community
David Behrman Publisher Behrman House Publishing
Alan Berg, Rabbi Rabbi  
Bill Berk, Rabbi Rabbi  
Aliza Berk, Rabbi Director, Jewish Healing Center at Jewish Family Service in San Diego Jewish Family Services
Jeff Bernhardt, MAJCS, MSW Community of Caring Director Temple Aliyah
Seth L. Bernstein, Rabbi Rabbi Emeritus Temple Sinai of Worcester
Herman J. Blumberg, Rabbi Rabbi Emeritus Temple Shir Tikva
Wendy Bocarsky, RN RN Congregation Kol Haneshama
Rosalie Will Boxt, Cantor Cantor Temple Emanuel of Maryland
Peter Braun Consultant, Former President/CEO Alzheimer's Association
Barbara Breitman, MSW, LCSW Assistant Professor of Pastoral Care; Psychotherapist and Spiritual Director Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
Lev Shomea
Anne Brener, Rabbi, LCSW, MA, MJCS, MSW Director of Spiritual Development; Bereavement Counselor, Psychotherapist and Spiritual Director; Kalsman Steering Committee Member Academy for Jewish Religion, CA
Lisa Honig Buksbaum    
Marcia Burnam    
Nina Beth Cardin, Rabbi Rabbi JCC of Greater Baltimore
Susan Caro, Cantor President; Cantor; Chaplain; Kalsman Steering Committee Member American Conference of Cantors
Wilshire Boulevard Temple
Kaiser Permanente Hospice and Palliative Care
Fran Chalin, MSW, MAJCS Cantor Soloist Emerita Beth Chayim Chadashim
Kenneth M. Chasen, Rabbi Rabbi; Kalsman Steering Committee Member Leo Baeck Temple
Mari Chernow, Rabbi Rabbi Temple Chai
Paul J. Citrin, Rabbi    
Thomas Cole, PhD Professor and Director of the McGovern Center for Health, Humanities, and the Human Spirit University of Texas Health Science Center
Rachel Cowan, Rabbi Senior Fellow Institute for Jewish Spirituality
Philip Cushman, PhD Psychologist  
Georgianne Cutter, LCSW Private Counselor and Consultant with Middle and High School Students  
Na'ama Dafni-Kellen Rabbinical Trainee Kamatz
Mark Diamond, Rabbi Executive Vice President Board of Rabbis of Southern California
Stephanie Dickstein, Rabbi, LMSW Spiritual Care Coordinator Shira Ruskay Center/ JBFCS
Elliot Dorff, Rabbi Rector, Sol & Anne Dorff Distinguished Service Prof. In Philosophy, Co-Chair Bioethics Dept. Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, American Jewish University
Leslie M. Eber, MD Clinical Professor of Medicine David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Lisa Ann Edwards, Rabbi Rabbi Beth Chayim Chadashim
Amy Eilberg, Rabbi Rabbi, Educator, Spiritual Director  
Arnold M. Eisen, PhD Chancellor and President Jewish Theological Seminary
Barbie Engelman, MFT Mentoring Specialist Jewish Big Brothers and Sisters
Rachel Ettun Therapist HUC-JIR, Jerusalem
Ed Feinstein, Rabbi Senior Rabbi Valley Beth Shalom
Barney Feinstein, MD Physician  
Elizabeth Feldman, MD Medical Coordinator, Sheriff's Alternative Programs Cermak Health Services of Cook County
Bruce Feldstein, MD Chaplain, Director and Founder The Jewish Chaplaincy at Stanford University Medical Center
Natan Fenner, Rabbi   Bay Area Jewish Healing Center
Nancy Flam, Rabbi Co-Director of Programs Institute for Jewish Spirituality
Karen L. Fox, Rabbi, MFT, DDiv Rabbi Wilshire Boulevard Temple
Karen Frank, RN Project SHIN Nurse MetroWest Jewish Health & Healing Center
Anne Freedman Associate Director Jewish Family Service
David L. Freeman, MD Physician and Author  
Dayle Friedman, Rabbi, MAJCS, MSW Founder Growing Older: Spiritual Resources for Individuals, Professionals, and Communities
Debbie Friedman, z"l American Jewish Composer, Singer, and Recording Artist DebbieFriedman.com
Victor Fuchs, MA, PhD Henry J. Kaiser, Jr., Professor of Economics and of Health Research and Policy, Emeritus; FSI Senior Fellow; CHP/PCOR Core Faculty Member Stanford School of Medicine
Nancy Fuchs Kreimer, Rabbi, PhD Rabbi, Director, Department of Multifaith Studies and Initiatives; Associate Professor of Religious Studies Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
Beryl Geber, PhD Associate Executive Vice President, Policy Development Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles
Gail Gaisin Glicksman, Rabbi, PhD Rabbi Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
H. Rafael Goldstein, Rabbi, BCC Director of Pastoral Care Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York
Dynamics of Hope Consulting
Michael Goldstein, PhD Faculty Associate, UCLA Center for Health Policy Research; UCLA Interim Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate Division; Professor, Community Health Sciences and Sociology UCLA Department of Sociology and School of Public Health - Department of Community Health Sciences
Donald Goor, Rabbi    
Harvey Gordon, MD Clinical Professor of Urology and Medical Ethics Baylor College of Medicine
Michael Gotlieb, Rabbi Rabbi Kehillat Ma'arav
Dagmar Grefe, Rev., PhD Manager, Spiritual Care Services and ACPE Supervisor Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Carol Hausman, PhD Coordinator Washington Jewish Healing Network
Alan Henkin, Rabbi, PhD Rabbi, Placement Director, Kalsman Steering Committee Member CCAR
Jaclyn M. Herzlinger, RN Congregational Nurse Temple Sha-arey Shalom
Lawrence Hoffman, Rabbi Professor of Liturgy, Worship, and Ritual HUC-JIR, New York
Jim Hornstein, MD Family Medicine  
Sally Kaplan Planning Executive for End of Life Care UJA Federation, New York
Samuel Karff, Rabbi Rabbi Emeritus Congregation Beth Israel
Stuart Kelman, Rabbi Dean Gamliel Institute
Evan Kent, Cantor    
Susie Kessler Makom Meditation and Adult Support Program Director Jewish Community Center in Manhattan
Paul Kipnes , Rabbi Rabbi Congregation Or Ami
Jeffrey Klepper, Cantor Cantor Jeff Klepper's Website & Blog
Temple Sinai of Sharon MA
Peter S. Knobel, Rabbi Rabbi Beth Emet, The Free Synagogue
Lisa Kodmur, MPH Program Manager LA Care Health Plan
Carol Koransky Executive Vice President and Executive Director Valley Alliance The Jewish Federation - Valley Alliance
Jonathan Kupetz, Rabbi Rabbi Temple Beth Israel
David Lazar, Rabbi Rabbi RIKMA
Barbara Lehman Graphic Designer  
Maya Leibovich, Rabbi Rabbi Kehilat Mevasseret Zion
Adriane Leveen, MSW, PhD Assistant Professor of Hebrew Bible Studies HUC-JIR, New York
Daniel E. Levin, Rabbi Rabbi Temple Beth El of Boca Raton
Jeff Levin, PhD, MPH University Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health Baylor University
Alexandra Levine, MD Chief Medical Officer City of Hope National Medical Center
John Levy Managing Partner Shalom Equity Fund
Carol Levy Senior Vice President, Sylvia Weisz Women's Campaign The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles
Richard Litvak, Rabbi Rabbi Temple Beth El
Sheldon Marder, Rabbi Chaplain Jewish Home
Judith Margolis Artist/Writer; Art Editor www.judithmargolis.com
www.brightideabooks.com
Nashim: Journal of Jewish Women's Studies and Gender Issues
Stuart M. Matlins Publisher and Founder Jewish Lights Publishing
Nan Brostoff McCullough Volunteer Coordinator Wilshire Boulevard Temple
Edythe Mencher, Rabbi, LCSW Rabbi, Specialist: Caring Community/Family Concerns URJ
Sander Mendelson, MD Physician Washington Hospital Center
Rita Menitoff, MS    
Dale Mintz, MPA, CHES Director, National Dept. Women's Health Hadassah
James Mirel, Rabbi Rabbi Temple B'nai Torah
Doug Mishkin, JD Partner Patton Boggs
Steven Moskowitz, Rabbi Rabbi Temple Israel of Long Beach
Janet I. Offel, Rabbi Rabbinic Director - West; Kalsman Steering Committee Member Congregation Network, Union for Reform Judaism
Kerry Olitzky, PhD Executive Director Jewish Outreach Institute
Joseph Ozarowski, Rabbi, DMin, BCC Rabbi, Chaplain Jewish Healing Network of Chicago
Stephen S. Pearce, Rabbi, PhD Senior Rabbi Congregation Emanu-El of San Francisco
Cheryl Peretz, Rabbi Rabbi, Associate Dean Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, American Jewish University
Chris Ponnet, Father TCUC Executive Director LAC USC Medical Center Department of Spiritual Care
Michele F. Prince, LCSW, MAJCS Executive Director; Founder Our House Grief Support Center
The Jewish Bereavement Project
Rachel Naomi Remen, MD Physician and Author UCSF School of Medicine
Commonweal Cancer Help Program
Gil Rosen Kalsman Steering Committee Member Kalsman Institute
Harriet Rosen Kalsman Steering Committee Member Kalsman Institute
Susan J. Rosenthal, LCSW Manhattan Coordinator, Connect To Care National Center for Jewish Healing, JBFCS
Selma Schimmel CEO, Founder Vital Options International
Judy Schindler, Rabbi Rabbi Temple Beth El
Karen Schnell, Reverend ACPE Supervisor and Chaplain and Director of Spiritual Care UCLA Health System, Dept. of Spiritual Care
David I. Schulman, JD Supervising Attorney; Kalsman Steering Committee Member City Attorney's Office/ AIDS/HIV Discrimination Unit
Rami Shapiro, Rabbi Rabbi and Author  
Len Sharzer, Rabbi, MD Rabbi, Fellow of the Louis Finkelstein Institute for Religious and Social Studies Jewish Theological Seminary
Gila Silverman, MPH Doctoral Candidate School of Anthropology, University of Arizona
Sharona Silverman Director Deutsch Family Shalom Center, Temple Chai
Howard Silverman, MD, MS Clinical Professor, Departments of Family and Community Medicine and Basic Medical Services; Kalsman Steering Committee Member University of Arizona College of Medicine . Phoenix
Rebecca Sirbu, Rabbi Rabbi Rabbis Without Borders
Eleanor Smith, Rabbi Rabbi Northshore University Healthsystems
Marjorie Sokoll, BSW, MEd Director Jewish Healing Connections, Jewish Family & Children's Service
Barbara Speyer, Rabbi Rabbi, Chaplain VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
Marcia Cohn Spiegel, MAJCS Author and Jewish Communal Professional Spiegel Seminar on Family Values, HUC-JIR, Los Angeles
Donna Spruijt-Metz, PhD Associate Professor of Research USC Institute of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Regina Stein Director of Jewish Education Hadassah
Ellie Steinman, Rabbi, MAJE Executive Director California Faith for Equality
Shira Stern, Rabbi Rabbi, Founding Director The Center for Pastoral Care and Counseling
Ronald Sunderland, Reverend, EdD Executive Director Interfaith Care Partner
Liliana S. Tal Directora de Limud, Nucleo de Healing e Bikur Cholim Comunidade Shalom
David Teutsch, Rabbi, PhD Director, Levin-Lieber Program in Jewish Ethics and the Center for Jewish Ethics Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
Linda Thal, EdD Co-Director Yedidyah Center for Jewish Spiritual Direction
Allan J. Tobin, PhD Senior Scientific Advisor; Kalsman Steering Committee Member CHDI Foundation
Lawrence Troster, Rabbi Director GreenFaith Fellowship Program
Susan Warshaw, Rabbi Rabbi Temple Bat Yam
Pamela Wax, Rabbi Spiritual Care Coordinator New York-Westchester Jewish Communal Services
Sally Weber, LCSW Consultant, Visiting HUC/LA Professor; Kalsman Steering Committee Member  
Robert Weinberg, PhD Director, Experiment in Congregational Education Rhea Hirsch School of Education, HUC-JIR
Simkha Y. Weintraub, Rabbi, LCSW Rabbinic Director National Center for Jewish Healing, JBFCS
Mimi Weisel, Rabbi Chaplain and Community Rabbi, San Francisco Bay Area California Pacific Medical Center
Kenneth Weiss, Rabbi Rabbi Emeritus Temple Mount Sinai
Eric Weiss, Rabbi Executive Director Bay Area Jewish Healing Center
Ruchama Weiss, PhD Director, Blaustein Center, and Teacher at Mezorim, Sugiyot Chaim, and Israel Rabbinical Program Hebrew Union College, Jerusalem
Nancy Wiener, Rabbi, DMin Clinical Director of the Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Center for Pastoral Counseling; Dr. Paul and Trudy Steinberg Distinguished Professor of Human Relations Hebrew Union College, New York
Betty Wilson Director of Community Services City of Los Angeles Department on Disability
Steven Windmueller, PhD Rabbi Alfred Gottschalk Chair in Jewish Communal Service Hebrew Union College, Los Angeles
Albert J. Winn, MFA Photographer Albert J. Winn Photography
Michelle Wolf, MAJCS, MPA Director, Foundation & Government Relations American Diabeties Association
Paul Root Wolpe, PhD Director and Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Bioethics Emory University Center for Ethics
Sandee Yarlott, Reverend Former Director of the Spiritual Care Department UCLA Medical Center
Herbert A. Yoskowitz, Rabbi Rabbi Adat Shalom Synagogue
Rachel Yoskowitz, BSN, MPH Director, Health & Healing Initiatives Jewish Family Service of Metropolitan Detroit
Elaine Zecher, Rabbi Rabbi Temple Israel
Les J. Zendle, MD Volunteer Physician and Medical Director Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine, Indio California
David Zinner Executive Director Kavod v'Nichum
Marshall S. Zolla, Esq. Certified Family Law Specialist Law Offices of Marshall Zolla
Laurie Zoloth, PhD Professor of Medical Ethics and Humanities, Feinberg School of Medicine and Bio Ethics Northwestern University Program in Medical Ethics and Humanities