Clergy and Staff

Yosie Levine
Rabbi 
[O] 212-724-2700 x103
[E] ylevine@jewishcenter.org

Not long after joining our clergy in 2004, Yosie Levine became the seventh rabbi of The Jewish Center. He served as Rabbinic Intern, Assistant Rabbi and Associate Rabbi, during which time he received practical rabbinic training and mentoring from his distinguished predecessors: Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm, z”l; Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter; and Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman. Before joining the Center, he served as the educational director of the Lauder Foundation's Beit Midrash in Berlin, Germany and as the visiting scholar of Congregation Knesseth Israel in Birmingham, Alabama.

Rabbi Levine has taken a leadership role on the issue of day school affordability and has pioneered a communal model for sustaining excellent Jewish education. He is co-chair of the Manhattan Eruv and is active in numerous communal organizations including AIPAC, the Beth Din of America and UJA-Federation of New York, where he is a former Board Member.

His advocacy on behalf of Israel has made The Jewish Center a model for Israel activism both within and beyond the Religious Zionist community.

He earned a BA in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia College and received rabbinic ordination from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary where he was a Wexner Graduate Fellow. He holds a PhD in Early Modern Jewish History from Yeshiva University’s Bernard Revel Graduate School and now sits on the Dean’s Council. His work has appeared in both scholarly and popular publications. His book, Hakham Tsevi Ashkenazi and the Battlegrounds of the Early Modern Rabbinate (Littman Library, forthcoming) is the winner of the Association for Jewish Studies’ Jordan Schnitzer First Book Award.

Rabbi Levine’s wife, Rachel, is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Manhattan. They are the proud parents of Akiva, Yehoshua, Ari and Judy.

Many of Rabbi Levine's sermons are available online.

Elchanan Poupko
Summer Rabbi

Rabbi Elchanan Poupko studied at Yeshiva University, where he received his advanced rabbinic ordination (Yadin Yadin) and a master of Jewish Education from the Azrieli Graduate School of Education. Rabbi Poupko’s work has been published and translated into seven different languages and dozens of publications. His books Poupko on the Parsha, Sacred Days on the Jewish Holidays, and Chochmat Chinuch are widely available. He teaches at Bicultural Hebrew Academy in Stamford, Connecticut. 

He is married to Dr. Rachel Colman-Poupko, an assistant professor of neurology at the University of Connecticut, where she practices neurology. They live with their children in New Haven, Connecticut. 

Jonathan Green
Cantor
[E] jgreen@jewishcenter.org

Jonathan Green is delighted to have officially joined The Jewish Center clergy in 2021 after leading services part-time since 2019. 

Prior to arriving at The Jewish Center, Jonathan served for several years as the acting chazzan for Yamin Noraim at the Forest Hill Jewish Centre in Toronto, Canada. He has been trained in nusach in his hometown Toronto as well as here in New York, and has studied vocal technique at NYU Steinhardt's Vocal Performance Program. Jonathan's tefillot are known for their warmth and dynamism, and for inspiring congregants of all ages to be uplifted in song.

Jonathan has brought his spirited style to synagogues, weddings, and countless other venues across North America, including The White House. He has also performed as a soloist on a variety of recordings and is responsible for having produced and directed Jewish music videos viewed by millions worldwide, such as the well-known "Evolution of Jewish Music” video of his former group,
Y-Studs A Cappella.

Yehuda Goldberg
William Fischman Rabbinic Intern
[E] ygoldberg@jewishcenter.org

Yehuda Goldberg is pursuing semikha at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) and a graduate degree at the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies. Over the past two years he was the rabbinic intern for the Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought. He also worked for Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, president of Yeshiva University, assisting in developing an honors seminar. Yehuda graduated with a degree in philosophy as class valedictorian from Yeshiva College in 2022. He has spent his time at YU studying Talmud in Rabbi Michael Rosensweig’s shiur and two years prior to that at Yeshivat Har Etzion. Yehuda is particularly interested in Jewish thought and the intersection of theology and political philosophy. He currently resides in Washington Heights with his wife, Rena, who is in her second year of medical school.

Yonatan Kurz
Rabbinic Intern
[E] ykurz@jewicenter.org

Yonatan Kurz is a third-year rabbinical student at Yeshiva University's Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary and an M.A. candidate at the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies. He spent two years studying in Israel at Yeshivat Sha’alvim before graduating summa cum laude from Yeshiva College, majoring in Political Science and Jewish Studies with a minor in Psychology at the Schottenstein Honors Program. During his time at YU, Yonatan studied in Rabbi Michael Rosensweig’s shiur and was a Scholar at the Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought. He currently resides in Washington Heights with his wife, Leah, who is pursuing a degree in occupational therapy.

Rafi Jacobs
Rabbinic Intern
[E] rjacobs@jewishcenter.org

Rafi Jacobs is currently completing his fourth year of Semicha at RIETS studying under Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz and Rabbi Eliakim Koenigsburg. Rafi is also completing his J.D Degree at New York University School of Law, where he serves as the President of the Law Students Against Antisemitism student group and also works as a JIGSAW Legal Fellow for the Brandeis Center, which is a prominent organization that seeks to root out antisemitism and hate using the law. Rafi also is participating in the AIPAC Leffel Israel Fellowship, which is a fellowship geared towards ensuring that rabbinic leaders can effectively engage their congregations in Israel advocacy. Rafi is passionate and committed to teaching Torah and making Hashem’s Torah accessible and engaging to all of Klal Yisroel. Rafi published a Sefer on the Parsha titled “ספר מאחורי רפאל”, which is available for purchase on Amazon.
Rafi’s wife Tali was the Valedictorian of the Sy Syms School for Business and is currently a Data Analyst at Prudential. Rafi and Tali are the proud parents of their (almost) 2 year old son Gavi.

Izzy Selter
Youth Director
[E] izzy@jewishcenter.org

Izzy Selter, originally from Wesley Hills, holds a BBA in Strategy and Entrepreneurship from Stern College for Women/Sy-Syms School of Business. She is currently working for the OU as an associate for NCSY Summer Programs. Izzy has served as the Youth Director for Kehillas Bais Yehuda of Wesley Hills, as counselor and ultimately head counselor at the NJY Camps at Camp Nesher, and as a student advisor and program coordinator for both Stern College for Women and Sha'alvim for Women in Jerusalem. Not only did Izzy coordinate and execute group activities, she also acted as the liaison between students and administrators. Her greatest pride comes from the long-lasting relationships that she has built over the years with youth of all ages. Izzy arrives at the Jewish Center with great enthusiasm and looks forward to energizing the Youth Department while getting to know your children!

Akiva Cooper

Teen Coordinator

Akiva Cooper is in his second year at RIETS and is a software engineer at the Bank of New York Mellon. Previously, he spent almost two years studying Talmud at Yeshivat Har Etzion, and three years in Rabbi Michael Rosensweig’s shiur as a college undergraduate. He graduated from YU with a bachelor’s degree in computer science as part of the Schottenstein Honors Program. Akiva has experience teaching elementary and high school students in Torah and science topics: He was a group lead for the START Science initiative in Washington Heights elementary schools, where he presented on and led workshops in physics, chemistry and biology. He was also a madrich on NCSY Kollel for staff children and is the MTA Debate team coach. He participates in Rabbi Mark Wildes’ MJE outreach program and aspires to continue contributing to thriving Jewish communities in meaningful and substantive ways.

Tali Etra

Program Coordinator

[O] 212-724-2700 x110

[E] tali@jewishcenter.org

Tali began her career as a Financial Analyst but took a break to raise her children. While doing so, she took charge of enhancing large-scale fundraising initiatives for her community and children's school. With a strong background in events and programming, she brings valuable expertise to our organization. Tali holds a Master's degree in International Affairs from Columbia University. She lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan trying to stay a step ahead of her two teenage sons.

Saba Lawrence
Administrative Assistant
[O] 212-724-2700 x100
[E] saba@jewishcenter.org                                                                                                                             
Born and raised in Pakistan, Saba comes to The JC with years of experience as Administrative Assistant at Manhattan Pentecostal Church. She received her Bachelors Degree in Arts and Education and taught junior high school for many years before coming to New York. 

Polina Berdich
Controller
[O] 212-724-2700 x101
[E] pberdich@jewishcenter.org                                                                                                     

Polina Berdich has been working as the Controller of The Jewish Center since August of 2005. Polina received her master’s degree from Odessa University and her bachelor’s degree from Touro College in New York. Born in Ukraine, Polina immigrated to America many years ago with 15 years of experience in accounting. In New York City, she has worked as the Controller of Congregation Habonim for over five years and as a Full Charge Bookkeeper for Calleo Development Co. prior to that. She and her family currently reside in Brooklyn.

Ellin Mitchell Cooper
Yoetzet Halacha
[C] (646) 598-1080
[E] nycyoetzet@gmail.com

Ellin (Mitchell) Cooper, the Manhattan Yoetzet Halacha, graduated from Nishmat’s Miriam Glaubach Center’s U.S. Yoetzot Halacha Fellows Program in 2021. She received her B.A. in Physics from Barnard College and is a graduate of GPATS (Graduate Program in Advanced Talmudic Studies for Women) at Yeshiva University. She was born on the Upper West Side and now resides there with husband Jeremy and son Ariel. Ellin can be reached at  nycyoetzet@gmail.com and via phone at 646-598-1080.