Our Staff

Dr. Ora Horn Prouser – Executive Vice President and Academic Dean
Ph.D., B.A., Bible, Visiting Assistant Professor, The Jewish Theological Seminary of America; B.A., Columbia University; graduate studies, Hebrew University, Jerusalem; published numerous scholarly articles.

Rabbi Jeffrey Hoffman – Rabbi-in-Residence
D.H.L. in Liturgy, Rabbi, M.A., The Jewish Theological Seminary of America; B.A., The State University of New York at Albany. Author, Karov L’Chol Korav: For All Who Call – A Manual For Enhancing the Teaching of Prayer; Editor, Siddur Tisha B’Av ‘ The Rabbinical Assembly, and author of several articles and reviews including ‘Akdamut: History, Folklore, Meaning,’ in Jewish Quarterly Review, spring 2009. Adjunct Assistant Professor at The Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Before his academic career, Rabbi Hoffman was an assistant rabbi Congregation Beth Israel in Vancouver, British Columbia for three years and rabbi of Congregation Sons of Israel in Nyack, NY for twenty years. He plays lead guitar in the rock ‘n roll band ‘Shake, Rabbis and Roll’ (www.shakerabbisandroll.com).

Rabbi Jill Hammer – Director of Spiritual Education – The Academy for Jewish Religion
Ph.D., Social Psychology, University of Connecticut; Rabbi, M.A., The Jewish Theological Seminary; B.A., Brandeis University; Co-founder of Kohenet: The Hebrew Priestess Institute; Director, Tel Shemesh, a website and community celebrating and creating Jewish earth-based traditions; Author, The Jewish Book of Days: A Companion for All Seasons (JPS 2006), a collection of legends and meditations for every day of the Jewish year, and Sisters at Sinai: New Tales of Biblical Women (JPS 2001).

Cantor Lisa Klinger-Kantor – Dean of Admissions
Hazzan, The Academy for Jewish Religion; M.A., Performance of Voice, New York University; B.A., Voice, Mannes College of Music. Cantor, Shaarei Shalom, Bellmore, NY. Extensive voice practice, teaching the art of singing to Cantors and Rabbis.

Sandra Kilstein – Dean of Students and Director of Placement
M.S.W., Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University, NY; B.A., Stern College for Women, NY.

Helene Santo  – Director of Operations
M.M., Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL; B.A., Drake University, Des Moines, IA.

Kelly Moore – Office Manager
B.A., Monroe College, Bronx, NY.