Virginia Bayer Hirt
President

Virginia, a native of New York City, has a long family history at The Jewish Center. Her great-grandfather, William Fischman, was the founding president. Virginia has served as an Officer for the last five years and co-chair of the Strategic Planning / Implementation Committee prior to that.  Her interests include: energy independence, democracy and security in the Middle East, Jewish education and synagogue life. Virginia worked in commercial banking and has worked as a volunteer in the not for profit world often with start up organizations. She worked on events and fundraising at The Big Apple Circus for fifteen years from the time of its founding in 1977. She serves on the Commission for Identity and Renewal at UJA Federation and is a Board member of the Jewish Funders Network. She has been actively involved in The Abraham Joshua Heschel School since its founding in 1983 and has served in a myriad of capacities including its president. She is also one of the founders of SAFE - Securing America's Future Energy which works to reduce America's dependence on oil.

Joseph Gottlieb
First Vice President

Joseph has been a member of The Jewish Center for much of his life. He was born and raised on the Upper West Side, where he currently lives with his wife Ruby, and their two sons, Benjy and Aaron. For much of the past twenty five years he has been actively involved in The Center, serving on various committees and volunteering in many different ways, most recently as Gabbai. Joseph has gotten to know many of The Center's members, and has developed a deep appreciation for the diversity of backgrounds, interests and talents represented. He looks forward to working with The Jewish Center's professional and lay leadership, and building on the accomplishments of previous administrations.

Marvin Fortgang
Vice President

Marvin is a native of the Upper West Side and has been a member of The Jewish Center since 1976. He has been a member of the Board of Trustees for the past fifteen years and has served on various Jewish Center committees. He is a graduate of New York University and New York University School of Law and is a partner in the law firm of Warshaw Burstein Cohen Schlesinger & Kuh, LLP. Marvin and his wife Brauna are the parents of Andy and his wife Lauren, who are in the restaurant business in Portland, Oregon, and Rachel, a graduate student at the City University of New York.

Rachel Ringler
Vice President

Rachel Ringler serves on the Board of The Jewish Center’s Sisterhood and on the synagogue’s administrative committee. Under the auspices of the Sisterhood, she has planned and organized several popular, interactive classes for the shul’s membership. Rachel long worked in the field of public relations, representing an array of small and large businesses and not-for-profit organizations. She has been a volunteer at her children’s Jewish day school, The Abraham Joshua Heschel School, for nearly 20 years. For the past three years, Rachel has worked as an access docent and educator at The Jewish Museum of New York where she tours school groups and gives “verbal imaging tours” to museum visitors with visual impairment. Rachel is married to Yossi Siegel and is the mother of Alana, Sam and Talia. The family has been members of The Jewish Center since 1991.

Avi Schwartz
Vice President

Avi began davening at The Jewish Center's Young Leadership minyan in 1998, just days after he moved to the Upper West Side. In 2002, Avi was nominated co-gabbai of the Young Leadership minyan and served in that position for 3 years. Avi served on several committees including the Young Leadership Committee, Membership Committee and the Strategic Planning Committee. Avi was nominated to the Administrative Committee and became an Officer of The Center in 2005. Avi currently serves as the chair of the Facilities Committee and oversees the work of the House and Safety Committees. Avi holds a BS in mechanical engineering, an MBA in operations management and is a Senior Manager at Deloitte and Touche, a professional services firm. Avi also serves as Treasurer and sits on the Board of Directors for Hillel at Binghamton, his alma mater.

Andrew Kaplan
Assistant Vice President

Mark Segall
Assistant Vice President/ Assistant Treasurer

Adina Wagman
Treasurer

Adina has been Assistant Treasurer of The JC since November 2004. She joined The Jewish Center in 1993 and has served enthusiastically on a number of committees including the Young Leadership, Hospitality and Membership committees. Adina is a founding member of JC Connections and is a matchmaker on www.sawyouatsinai.com. Adina practiced tax law for several years in NYC. She is married to Philip Wagman, also a tax lawyer. Adina and Philip are the proud parents of Sarah and Daniel who love coming to shul each week.

Andrew Borodach
Secretary

Andrew joined The Jewish Center in 2004 when he returned to the Upper West Side after a four year absence from New York.  He has been a member of the Administrative Committee since 2007, around the same time that he became gabbai of the main minyan at The Jewish Center.  Andrew graduated from Brown University with a BA in History and Medieval Studies and from Harvard University Law School.  Andrew is an Associate General Counsel in the Mergers and Acquisitions/Restructuring legal group at AIG, which he joined in 2005.  Prior to that, he spent several years as an associate at the law firm of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, including a three-year stint in London.  Andrew also serves on the Board of Directors of the Etzion Foundation, the U.S. charitable foundation associated with Yeshivat Har Etzion in Israel.