Rabbi Alan Shavit-Lonstein is originally from South Africa, and immigrated with
his family tothe United States as a young child. He grew up in Minneapolis and attended college in Saint Louis at Washington University. He has lived in Israel where he attended Machon Pardes, an egalitarian yeshiva, and was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2000. Before coming to Temple of Aaron, he was the rabbi of the Tri-City Jewish Center, a conservative congregation in the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa. He has been a rabbi of the Temple of Aaron since 2002. Email Rabbi Shavit-Lonstein or call 651-698-8874 ext 111 at any time.

Rabbi Jeremy Fine

Rabbi Fine joined the Congregation in the Summer of 2012 after finishing Rabbinic School at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City. Rabbi Jeremy Fine was born and raised in Chicago Illinois. After graduating from the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana Rabbi Fine began a Masters in Jewish Education which he completed in 2011. Rabbi Fine was ordained from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2012. During his time at JTS he spent two years in Israel studying at the Conservative Yeshiva and the Machon Schechter Institute. While at JTS, Rabbi Fine received the William H. Lebeau Book Award and the Rabbi Morris Silverman Award in Liturgy. He is also working towards a certificate in fundraising from New York University. Rabbi Fine served as the student Rabbi at Congregation Sons of Israel in Amsterdam NY and the Rabbinic Assistant and Director of Congregational Learning at Beth El Synagogue Center in New Rochelle NY.

Rabbi fine writes regularly for many online outlets including the JewishJournal.com, OyChicago.com, and TCJewFolk.com. He is also the creator of a nationally recognized Jewish sports blog www.TheGreatRabbino.com. In 2009 he married his amazing wife Jessica and they have a beautiful daughter Annie. Rabbi Fine is dedicated to bringing Jewish meaning into everyone’s life and working towards making Judaism accessible for people of all ages. To get in touch with Rabbi Fine click here or call him at 651-698-8874 ext 112.

Ken Agranoff

Ken Agranoff has served as our Executive Director on two separateoccasions. He began in 1984 and left in the summer of 1990. His priorities were formalizing office procedures, installing a formal performance review system, addition of office computers, regular sharing of financial operating results, and helping ease the transition from the retirement of Rabbi Raskas to new clergy. Ken returned to the synagogue in 1993 and has continually served the membership since that Spring. The synagogue has enlarged its endowments, completed a major remodeling, selected professional money managers for tis special funds, purchased the Talmud Torah building, expanded the Roseville cemetery, intensified its energy efficiency strategies, and helped with a variety of searches for key personnel.

A life-long resident of St Paul, he married Tracey Cass at Temple of Aaron in 1993 and they have two children who have completed nearly all of oureducational programs, Samantha and Jessica. Ken celebrated his bar mitzvah and confirmation at the synagogue. He earned degrees in business and law at the University of Minnesota. Tracey ran our school art program for 18 years and is currently a valued full-time employee at the St Paul JCC guiding family educational programs.

The future holds new challenges as our membership evolves and asks the synagogue to do some new things while relying on us to retain some of the old traditions that have made Temple of Aaron distinctive for over 100 years of operation. Ken was pleased with the hard work completed by the Strategic Planning Committee and the current challenge is to convert the discussed concepts into practical action plans to improve the synagogue experience for a larger percentage of our members. Email Ken Agranoff or call 651-698-8874 ext. 106 with any questions.

Joshua Fineblum

Joshua joined Temple of Aaron in July 2010 as our Director of Education. Josh has been active in synagogue life since growing up in the house of a Rabbi. After going to Ramah Poconos in 1990 he helped reignite the USY chapter and became very active in the greater Jewish community. While attending the University of Maryland he worked at a synagogue that later hired him as their Youth Director. After 6 years as a Youth Director in Rockville, MD and Baltimore he returned to school back home in Philadelphia at Gratz College. While there he received a master's degree in Jewish Communal Service and a certificate in Non-Profit Management while acting as the Youth Director, B'nai Mitzvah tutor, Junior Congregation leader, and many other hats at Beth El in Cherry Hil/Voorhees in New Jersey.

Upon finishing studies at Gratz he went to work for Kellman Brown Academy, a Solomon Shechter Jewish Day School, in Voorhees, New Jersey as their Director of Programming and Development. As a Hebrew school teacher, Junior Congregation coordinator and leader, B'nai Mitzvah tutor, USY advisor, Youth Director, Assistant Hebrew High School Director, Confirmation Coordinator, and Director of Programming and Development, he has watched and helped many children grow and connect to Judaism. He and his wife Andrea, who hails from the Twin Cites, live with their dog Rocky in Minneapolis. They are happy to be a part of the Temple of Aaron family and Joshua is proud to have taken on the new title here as the Director of Education & Community Life in hopes of inspiring people to become a greater part of the community. Click here or call to speak to Joshua, 651-698-8874 ext 103, at any time.

Mark Gulner

Mark rejoined the Temple of Aaron family as a professional in the Summer of 2012 as he took on the New role of Director of Informal Education & Marketing. Mark is the son of Ernie and Martha Gulner and grew up at the Temple of Aaron with his twin brother Scott. He spent several years at the Temple of Aaron as the youth director while attending the University of Minnesota to complete his BS in English Literature. After gaining experience working here as the Youth Director at Temple of Aaron, EMTZA/SWUSY Region USY hired Mark to be part of their team. For the past 5 years Mark has excelled as the Regional Youth Director for EMTZA Region of USY. Mark propelled growth of EMTZA and he looks forward to him continuing this model of teen development at the Temple of Aaron. Mark is a member of the JYDA (Jewish Youth Director Association) and hopes to take a leadership role within that organization in the near future. Mark has a passion for Jewish education and the Temple of Aaron family. He is excited to be an integral part of our professional team and email Mark or call him at 651-698-8874 ext 115 at any time.

Shelley Diamond

Shelley Diamond has been the Business Manager for the Temple of Aaron since April of 1990. She is directly involved with the detailed administration of the financial activities for the synagogue. She oversees office personnel andtechnology including computer networking issues, upgrading of software, and office equipment. She also functions as Human Resource Manager which involves her in the hiring and training of office personnel. Shelley has lived in Minnetonka, MN since 1986. She lives in Minnetonka with her husband Al Diamond who grew up in St. Paul on St. Clair Avenue. They have two grown children, Jeff and Sheree. Jeff is married, lives in Chicago and is an Air Traffic Controller. Sheree lives in St. Louis Park and is a Health Educator at the Melrose Institute. Born in Bronx, New York, Shelley grew up in Queens. Attended Queens College where she earned a BA degree. She had a variety of corporate positions prior to her working for the Temple which included human resources and accounting. Email Shelley Diamond or call (651)698-8874 ext 110 with any questions.

Kim Thomey

Kim Thomey has worked as the Office Administrator for Temple of Aaronsince January 1999. Kim works in three primary areas: Yahrzeit system, Bookkeeping support, and Executive Director support. She is also the main voice that greetsyou when call the Temple. Kim grew up in Omaha, Nebraska. She is a graduate of Creighton University located in Omaha where she earned a BA degree. She started her professional career at the Omaha Jewish Community Center as Youth Director for K-8. She moved to Minnesota and completed 10 years as administrative assistant for the regional office of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. She has worked her entire adult life in the Jewish community and at the same time is very active in her Catholic parish, Nativity. Kim and her husband, Chris, live in Highland Park and have two children, Charlie who is a sophomore at UND and Maddie who is in 8^th grade at Nativity. Click here to contact Kim or call 651-698-8874 ext. 100 with any questions.

Susie Haim

Susie Haim works as the Administrative Assistant for the Education and Youth. Susie is an active Temple of Aaron member, parent, past teacher in our school, and education department support staff, Susie brings familiarity, strong organizational and communication skills, and a solid understanding of our education department, youth programming, and community. She continues to be a great piece of the puzzle in ensuring that programming on every level of the synagogue is taken care of down to detail. Susie resides in Minneapolis with her husband and two children who are also active here at Temple of Aaron in the Education and Youth Departments. To contact Susie click here or call 651-698-8874 ext. 104.

Susan Tervola

Susan Tervola began working as the Clergy Assistant in July 2012. Susan grew up in St. Paul and has a long family history at the Temple of Aaron. After graduating from the University of Kansas with a degree in Psychology in 2003, she moved to Milwaukee where she worked in the corporate world for 3 years. Soon after she was married in 2007 she returned to the Twin Cities to be closer to family as she prepared to start her own family. Her son was born in August 2010 and she looks forward to him having the same positive experiences at the Temple of Aaron that she did. She is proud to be a contributing part of a team that cares about helping the congregation and community at large. Feel free to email Susan Tervola or call her at 651-698-8874 ext 107.

Bill Jorke

Bill joined Temple of Aaron as our Building Supervisor in March of 1996. Bill has worked in the building maintenance field since he was 9 years old starting with his father, they repaired the family home, and his grandparents four-plex on Portland Avenue in St Paul. Bill was employed for 10 years in the nursing home maintenance field. Bill Jorke was born and raised in St. Paul and graduated from Highland Park Senior High School. As his family grew, Bill, his wife Tricia, and their 6 sons, moved to Prescott, WI. found an affordable, large house. They liked the fact that the school classroom sizes were about 15 children per class, and the small town feel. He enjoys the range of duties that this building supervisor position holds: planning, meeting with families for special events, cleaning, maintenance, and the many event set ups that happen inside and outside the synagogue walls, working with the rabbis, cantor, and all the support staff, that “make it happen.” Bill enjoys the gratification that comes from a job well done.

He appreciates the years he has spent with us, and looks forward to helping people and keeping our building beautiful and you celebrations flawless in the future. Email Bill Jorke or call (651)698-8874.