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Synagogue Directory
The following staff may be reached by calling (614) 237-2747 and entering the appropriate extension number, or by email listed below each name.
Rabbi Melissa Crespy, ext. 13
rabbicrespy@agudasachim.org (rabbicrespy@agudasachim.org)
Rabbi Melissa Crespy is the senior rabbi of Congregation Agudas Achim in Bexley Ohio.; Rabbi Crespy became the spiritual leader of Agudas Achim in the summer of 2009 and is the first woman to serve as the Conservative congregation rabbi in its 129-year history.
Rabbi Crespy was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) in 1991. The Rabbi earned prizes in Bible, History, Rabbinics, Professional Skills and Liturgy. As a rabbinical student, she served as research assistant to Rabbinical School Dean Rabbi Gordon Tucker for four years. During the summer of 1988, she served as chaplain at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
After ordination Rabbi Crespy served as Assistant Rabbi at the Park Avenue Synagogue in New York City for two years, where she taught Talmud and Introduction to Judaism to adults, and also ran a welcoming Learner's/Havurah Service.
She then served as Rabbi at New York's Conservative Synagogue of Fifth Avenue for four years. Her passions there continued to be in adult teaching and creating a Friday evening Learner's Service. She also deeply enjoyed her interfaith work as a member of the Greenwich Village Ministerium, and as a member of the Board of Governors of the Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and Housing.
Her next three years were spent in Port Chester, New York, where she enjoyed introducing a comprehensive adult education program to the congregation, including new celebrations of Tu B'shevat, Shavuot and Simchat Torah.
Before entering the rabbinate, Rabbi Crespy worked as a credit analyst for
Manufacturers Hanover Trust. She is a graduate of McGill University, with a degree in French Literature and Modern Languages, and earned an MBA in Finance and International Business from New York University.
Rabbi Crespy is married to Larry Kaufman, and they are the proud parents of Avi and Netanya. The family resides in Bexley, Ohio.
Carol Cohen, Preschool Director, ext. 28
ccohen@agudasachim.org
Carol Cohen joined the Agudas Achim Team in 2003 with a proposal to start the Agudas Achim Preschool program. She has been the Preschool Director and Lead Teacher for us since the program began in the fall of 2004. Carol graduated from the Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education. She has over 19 years of experience in teaching young children.
Carol resides in Bexley with her husband Scott and their two boys, Jacob and Evan.
Mlevine@agudasachim.org (Mlevine@agudasachim.org)
Rabbi Mitch Levine, Educator-in-Residence at Congregation Agudas Achim, grew up in a Conservative congregation in Raleigh, North Carolina. After graduating from Kenyon College, he returned home for a year to teach Religious School, organize Hillel activities, attend graduate school in Judaic Studies (UNC) and visit Israel. After subsequently attending the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College for two years, Rabbi Levine spent five years living and learning in Israel, where he earned his ordination from the Chief Rabbinate of the State of Israel and Yeshivat HaMivtar. Rabbi Levine brings a wide range of diverse educational leadership experiences to the Agudas Achim community.
In addition to serving as a congregational rabbi for over a decade in a role that emphasized adult education, he taught several elementary and middle school grades in a variety of school and informal educational settings. Rabbi Levine’s school administration experience includes serving as a Director of Judaic Studies (Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island) and as a Head of School (Columbus Jewish Day School). Rabbi Levine is passionate about educating kids and supporting their growth as they become committed Jewish adults; he finds inspiration in the adage that for every two Jews, one may expect to find three opinions.
Naomi Kurland, Academy Administrator, ext. 17
nkurland@agudasachim.org (nkurland@agudasachim.org)
Naomi Kurland has been the Agudas Achim Academy Administrator since July 2007. Naomi was born and raised in Chicago, where she received her B.A. in Sociology from Roosevelt University. Since her Bat Mitzvah, she has served several Jewish communities as a tutor, teacher, administrative assistant, and day campdirector. Prior to moving to Columbus, she worked in Human Resources at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
Naomi is married to Ruvane Kurland, and they have a son, Lyric Samson.
jrussell@agudasachim.org (jrussell@agudasachim.org)
Jennifer was hired as Rabbi Crespy’s assistant in August 2009. She has over 10 years of experience working in Jewish institutions in Columbus and metropolitan Detroit.
Jennifer grew up in the Detroit area and received her B.A. in Ancient Studies from Michigan State University and her M.S. Ed. in Museum Education from Bank Street College in New York City.
She lives in Columbus with her husband James and a menagerie of pets.
Bshkolnik@agudasachim.org (Bshkolnik@agudasachim.org)
Bobbie Shkolnik joined the Congregation Agudas Achim staff July 2010 as Membership/Volunteer Coordinator. She has been a member of the synagogue for 25 years.
Following her childhood years of growing up in Marion, Ohio (yes, there is a synagogue there!) Bobbie moved to Columbus to attend The Ohio State University, graduating with a B.A. in Anthropology.
Since then, Bobbie has made Columbus her home, working in the Jewish communal field for more than 18 years in Marketing and Public Relations; Event Planning; and Coordinating Volunteers.
Outside of work, Bobbie serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for National Council of Jewish Women, Columbus Section and is a past president. She also serves as a Commissioner for the national organization.
Bobbie and her husband Steve reside in Columbus with their dog, Raffi, and turtle, Rocky.
Ariel is Agudas Achim's new environmental scholar-in-residence. Ariel hails from the O-H-I-O and is so excited to bring all of the awesome knowledge she learned while farming at Adamah, a Jewish farming program, back to her community. If Ariel could be a vegetable, she would be a yellow pepper. If you want to find out why, email her at akohane@agudasachim.org (akohane@agudasachim.org) and she'll tell you!
Dallas Tyree, Maintenance Supervisor, ext. 10