"JDRC's unparalleled contacts and experience have proven tremendously valuable as New York's Town & Village (T&V) Synagogue has endeavored to serve our Jewish Deaf neighbors. We've been fortunate to have worked so closely with them in the past few years and look forward to continued fruitful collaboration for many more yet to come"
BOARD MEMBERS
Susan Cohen, President
Susan Cohen, originally from Brooklyn, New York, was born Deaf to hearing parents and raised in a Conservative Jewish household. Her siblings had the bar and bat mitzvahs that she did not have because such opportunities were not available to her as a deaf person. Inequities such as these inspired her passion to increase communication access in the wider Jewish community.
When Cohen and her husband joined a synagogue in Maryland, they founded its Deaf Access Committee and Interpreter's Fund. Their advocacy made it possible for the synagogue to provide access to Deaf and Hard of Hearing members and visitors.
Eager to begin her Jewish journey, Cohen participated in her synagogue's Adult B'nai Mitzvah program, complete with ASL interpreters. She also served on her synagogue's Program Director’s Search Committee as well as its confirmation class committee when her two daughters were completing the program.
Cohen was elected president of JDRC in February 2021. She believes that the JDRC has given her a platform to forge partnerships with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community and the wider Jewish community to increase communication access through education and advocacy.
She is an immediate past president of The Washington Society of Jewish Deaf (WSJD).
Cohen was a librarian for Montgomery County Public Libraries and coordinated the new Maryland Deaf Culture Digital Library, the first of its kind in a public library system in the state of Maryland. She retired in 2020.
Ms. Cohen has been integral in the collaborative initiative of a national ASL Shabbat Coalition which was founded in April 2020 shortly after the onset of the pandemic, when four Jewish Deaf organizations created an online ASL spiritual community.
Susan is JDRC's third president.
When Cohen and her husband joined a synagogue in Maryland, they founded its Deaf Access Committee and Interpreter's Fund. Their advocacy made it possible for the synagogue to provide access to Deaf and Hard of Hearing members and visitors.
Eager to begin her Jewish journey, Cohen participated in her synagogue's Adult B'nai Mitzvah program, complete with ASL interpreters. She also served on her synagogue's Program Director’s Search Committee as well as its confirmation class committee when her two daughters were completing the program.
Cohen was elected president of JDRC in February 2021. She believes that the JDRC has given her a platform to forge partnerships with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community and the wider Jewish community to increase communication access through education and advocacy.
She is an immediate past president of The Washington Society of Jewish Deaf (WSJD).
Cohen was a librarian for Montgomery County Public Libraries and coordinated the new Maryland Deaf Culture Digital Library, the first of its kind in a public library system in the state of Maryland. She retired in 2020.
Ms. Cohen has been integral in the collaborative initiative of a national ASL Shabbat Coalition which was founded in April 2020 shortly after the onset of the pandemic, when four Jewish Deaf organizations created an online ASL spiritual community.
Susan is JDRC's third president.
Steve Lovi, Secretary
Steve Lovi was raised in the Chicago area and grew up in a predominately Jewish neighborhood with several Deaf Jewish peers. Temple and JCC life were major cornerstones during Steve’s youth. With family support and advocacy, he received his Bar Mitzvah and Religious School confirmation through Temple Beth El. Steve also participated in High Holy holiday services at Congregation Bene Shalom for the Deaf. He was an active member of the Rochester Institute of Technology/National Technical Institute for the Deaf (RIT/NTID) Hillel group and holds a bachelor’s degree in social work.
Steve has worked in the non-profit management sector for 25+ years and served on several local, state, and national boards including eight years with the National Association of the Deaf. Currently he is an Executive Director for a small Deaf non-profit based in NYC/FL and Vice President of the Empire State Association of the Deaf (NY).
Steve has worked in the non-profit management sector for 25+ years and served on several local, state, and national boards including eight years with the National Association of the Deaf. Currently he is an Executive Director for a small Deaf non-profit based in NYC/FL and Vice President of the Empire State Association of the Deaf (NY).
Rabbi Rebecca L. Dubowe
A native of Los Angeles, California, Rabbi Rebecca L. Dubowe was ordained by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and has served several synagogues in different cities, including Thousand Oaks, CA, Hollywood, CA, and New Brunswick, NJ. Currently, she is the rabbi for Moses Montefiore Congregation in Bloomington, IL. Since her arrival during the summer of 2015, Rabbi Dubowe has played an active role as the spokesperson on behalf of the small but vibrant Jewish community in Bloomington. She serves as the co-chair of the Faith and Outreach committee associated with the Not In Our Town organization, a grassroots movement focused on stopping hate, addressing bullying, and building safe, inclusive communities for all.
In addition, Rabbi Dubowe co-founded the McLean County Interfaith Alliance, which promotes interfaith dialogue and fellowship within the greater Bloomington Normal faith communities. In 2016, Rabbi Dubowe was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Delaware Valley University, PA, and in 2018, she received an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. An avid learner of theology, Rabbi Dubowe’s most recent essay was included in Because My Soul Longs for You: Integrating Theology into our Lives, a book recently published by CCAR Press (Central Conference of American Rabbis).
Besides serving the rabbinate full- time, Rabbi Dubowe also offers her time to the greater Jewish Deaf Community, including teaching the first-ever Introduction to Judaism in ASL in partnership between the Union of Reform Judaism and the Jewish Deaf Resource Center. This community has a special place in Rabbi Dubowe’s life as she is the first female Deaf rabbi ordained in the world. Rabbi Dubowe has spoken at numerous synagogues throughout the country, written various articles, and led webinars on the importance of inclusion within the Jewish community.
In addition, Rabbi Dubowe co-founded the McLean County Interfaith Alliance, which promotes interfaith dialogue and fellowship within the greater Bloomington Normal faith communities. In 2016, Rabbi Dubowe was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Delaware Valley University, PA, and in 2018, she received an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. An avid learner of theology, Rabbi Dubowe’s most recent essay was included in Because My Soul Longs for You: Integrating Theology into our Lives, a book recently published by CCAR Press (Central Conference of American Rabbis).
Besides serving the rabbinate full- time, Rabbi Dubowe also offers her time to the greater Jewish Deaf Community, including teaching the first-ever Introduction to Judaism in ASL in partnership between the Union of Reform Judaism and the Jewish Deaf Resource Center. This community has a special place in Rabbi Dubowe’s life as she is the first female Deaf rabbi ordained in the world. Rabbi Dubowe has spoken at numerous synagogues throughout the country, written various articles, and led webinars on the importance of inclusion within the Jewish community.
Naomi Brunnlehrman
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Steve Weiner
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Native of Lexington, MA, the town where the first shot was ‘heard’ around the world, ignited the American Revolution on April 19, 1775, it is with certainty that Steve will be standing on the Battle Green April of 2025 to help celebrate its 250 year anniversary.
Steve is a 4th grade teacher at PS 347, his first year in NYC, after devoting 25 years teaching middle and high school at America’s oldest public day school for the Deaf, the Horace Mann School (HMS). During Steve’s tenure with HMS, he proudly took on the role as the head basketball coach for HMS. Prior to pursuing graduate studies at Boston University, Steve was employed in the business sector for 8 years, following his undergraduate years at the University of Massachusetts’ flagship campus in Amherst. In the business world, with different companies, Steve took on the role as a bank teller in the heart of Copley Square where he survived several bank robberies, worked in sales throughout New Jersey, served as a Compensation Support Analyst and Annuity Specialist for a large financial institution. Steve is an avid rower, since his participation on the varsity crew team in college. While earning a silver medal at the New England Invitational Regatta in 1989 is something to be proud of, the highlight of his 35+ rowing years was competing at the Head of the Charles in 2022. Steve also enjoys performing magic where he has entertained thousands since 1981, a year before his Bar Mitzvah. Steve is happy to be onboard JCRC where he looks forward to helping make magic happen. |
EJ Cohen
EJ Cohen has been an ASL interpreter for more than 40 years. Her love of Judaism and music allows her to combine those passions with ASL. She's traveled throughout the USA and England, interpreting and teaching about visual prayer. EJ was known as Debbie Friedman’s (z”l) interpreter at concerts and conferences and has worked with Jewish musicians worldwide. She is an avid learner and attends several Jewish education conferences a year. (NewCAJE, Limmud, Shabbat Shira, Hava Nashira, etc.)
EJ holds a masters degree in Jewish Education from Leo Baeck College in London and a masters degree in Deaf Education from Western Maryland College. She has been teaching Sunday school for more than 55 years and has been principal of religious schools in Concord NH and London, as well as music director of synagogues in Bridgeport, CT, and music director at Jewish day camps in Stepney and Norwalk, CT. A former teacher of the Deaf in CT and CA, EJ has also worked in universities in NH, CA, and throughout the UK, teaching and interpreting. She has taught 11 Deaf children to become B'nai Mitzvah and is now working with KODA kids (Deaf and hearing) whose parents she taught!
EJ is a nationally certified RID interpreter and has also completed Level 2 status in British Sign Language (BSL), active in the Jewish Deaf Association (JDA) in the UK. She has been a strong supporter of the JDRC since its inception and is thrilled to be on the Board. EJ makes her home in Concord, NH, with her feline, Butch CATsidy.
EJ holds a masters degree in Jewish Education from Leo Baeck College in London and a masters degree in Deaf Education from Western Maryland College. She has been teaching Sunday school for more than 55 years and has been principal of religious schools in Concord NH and London, as well as music director of synagogues in Bridgeport, CT, and music director at Jewish day camps in Stepney and Norwalk, CT. A former teacher of the Deaf in CT and CA, EJ has also worked in universities in NH, CA, and throughout the UK, teaching and interpreting. She has taught 11 Deaf children to become B'nai Mitzvah and is now working with KODA kids (Deaf and hearing) whose parents she taught!
EJ is a nationally certified RID interpreter and has also completed Level 2 status in British Sign Language (BSL), active in the Jewish Deaf Association (JDA) in the UK. She has been a strong supporter of the JDRC since its inception and is thrilled to be on the Board. EJ makes her home in Concord, NH, with her feline, Butch CATsidy.
STAFF
Rachel Bass - Office Coordinator
Rachel Bass, born in Staten Island, NY, was raised in a Reform Jewish household on Long Island, NY. She currently resides in Washington, DC.
Throughout her formative years, she was taught the importance of Jewish values such as Tzedek (pursuit of justice), Tikkun Olam (repairing the world), and Derekh Eretz (treating others with respect and dignity). These values always resonate with her.
As a Jewish Deaf individual with disabilities, she has a deep passion for advocacy, policy work, and outreach for individuals who are Deaf and other people with disabilities. She has extensive experience addressing the needs of people who are part of the DeafBlind, DeafPlus, LGBTQA+, and other intersectional communities.
Rachel has participated on boards and committees for diverse communities and their intersectionalities, focusing on improving access to communication, removing physical barriers, and providing access to numerous resources and services. She was invited to speak on various panels at schools, universities, and the White House, where she discussed her experiences and the challenges of growing up Deaf and with disabilities. Rachel participated in internships and fellowships at several national-level and non-profit organizations, including the Jewish Federations of North America and the National Council on Independent Living, which focused on disability policy, advocacy, and outreach. Her work made it possible for her to bring her voice to Capitol Hill to discuss policies and issues that impacted people with disabilities on individual and systemic levels.
She believes in giving back to the world and our communities and that we can make a difference, one step at a time.
Rachel graduated from Gallaudet University, receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 2014 and her Master’s in Social Work in 2019.
Throughout her formative years, she was taught the importance of Jewish values such as Tzedek (pursuit of justice), Tikkun Olam (repairing the world), and Derekh Eretz (treating others with respect and dignity). These values always resonate with her.
As a Jewish Deaf individual with disabilities, she has a deep passion for advocacy, policy work, and outreach for individuals who are Deaf and other people with disabilities. She has extensive experience addressing the needs of people who are part of the DeafBlind, DeafPlus, LGBTQA+, and other intersectional communities.
Rachel has participated on boards and committees for diverse communities and their intersectionalities, focusing on improving access to communication, removing physical barriers, and providing access to numerous resources and services. She was invited to speak on various panels at schools, universities, and the White House, where she discussed her experiences and the challenges of growing up Deaf and with disabilities. Rachel participated in internships and fellowships at several national-level and non-profit organizations, including the Jewish Federations of North America and the National Council on Independent Living, which focused on disability policy, advocacy, and outreach. Her work made it possible for her to bring her voice to Capitol Hill to discuss policies and issues that impacted people with disabilities on individual and systemic levels.
She believes in giving back to the world and our communities and that we can make a difference, one step at a time.
Rachel graduated from Gallaudet University, receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 2014 and her Master’s in Social Work in 2019.
