"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
Ms. Cohen, a long time resident of Maryland, originally from New York, is an immediate past president of The Washington Society of Jewish Deaf (WSJD). Prior to taking on various leadership roles for WSJD, she and her husband, Jeff founded their synagogue's Deaf Access Committee and established the shul's Interpreter Fund when they were members there. Recently retired, Susan 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. Ms. Cohen has been integral in the collaborative initiative of the 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. She was elected president of JDRC in February 2021. She is JDRC's third president.
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Rabbi Rebecca L. Dubowe joined Moses Montefiore Temple in Bloomington, IL in 2015. She was previously a rabbi at Temple Adat Elohim following her tenure at Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple in New Brunswick, N.J., where she served as Associate Rabbi for four years. A native of Los Angeles, Rabbi Dubowe was ordained by Hebrew Union College – Cincinnati, Ohio. She holds a B.A. in Jewish Studies from the University of Judaism and an M.A. in Hebrew Letters from HUC. Currently, Rabbi Dubowe serves on the board of the Women’s Rabbinic Network, the national Reform women rabbis’ organization. Previously, she served on the board of the RAIN Project, the transitional shelter for homeless families, in Camarillo. Rabbi Dubowe is deeply committed to serving the spiritual and educational needs of her congregation. Rabbi Dubowe is married to Michael Dubowe and they have two lovely daughters, Rachel and Arielle. |
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Marlene Post
Founding Board Member 
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Marlene Post is a director and founding board member of Birthright Israel. She is a past president of Hadassah, a women's Zionist organization and has been an advocate for those seeking access for most of her life. She was instrumental in setting up JDRC as a 501(c)3 non-profit national organization.
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Erica Brett Silverman |
Erica Brett Silverman was raised in Woodstock, NY and received a BS in Computer Science from Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY. The National Technical Institute for the Deaf exists on the campus of RIT and it was there that she developed an appreciation for the Deaf community and a love of sign language. Erica lived on and later served as a resident advisor for an integrated floor of hearing and hearing-impaired students while also working as a note taker and part-time interpreter. Erica is married to Jerry Silverman, past President and CEO of Jewish Federations of North America, and is a past Honorary Chair of Women's Philanthropy of Combined Jewish Philanthropy of Boston.
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Dr. Stephen F. Weiner
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Dr. Stephen F. Weiner was provost, or chief academic officer, of Gallaudet University. In this role, he provided leadership for all academic units at the university, including its pre-college, undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education programs. He also oversaw the offices responsible for enrollment management, student affairs, academic technology, the university library and archives, American Sign Language diagnostic and evaluation services, student support services, academic quality and planning, assessment, and institutional research.
A native of Brooklyn, New York, Dr. Weiner earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Gallaudet, and his doctorate from American University. He has served as administrator of two non-profit organizations and as dean of a school for deaf students. At Gallaudet, he held several administrative posts, including director of the Career Center and dean of the School of Undergraduate Studies. |
Staff
Co-Founder & Executive Director
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Naomi Brunnlehrman
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Naomi Brunnlehrman is a Co-Founder of JDRC and has been a volunteer advocate for the rights of Jews who communicate in ASL for over thirty years. She has her MA from JTS and is a pioneer in the field of Hebrew to ASL Interpreting. She has been described by many as "Chazan of the Deaf."
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