Staff

Michelle has been the PBJC Executive Director since December 2017. Before that, she had spent many years as a PBJC volunteer, serving as religious school chair, nursery school chair, B’nai Mitzvah coordinator and numerous other positions in the synagogue including Sisterhood president. Michelle has been one of the driving forces of many successful fundraisers and programs in the synagogue. She is also very proud to have become an adult Bat Mitzvah at PBJC in 2014.

As our Executive Director, Michelle is responsible for the day-to-day management of the synagogue, staff and assets. She maintains our office policies and oversees our relationships with vendors, landlords, banks, insurers and business partners. She also oversees and monitors member programs, services and activities, as well as building rental. Michelle manages the calendar of all events scheduled for the building and provides marketing, social media and graphic design support as needed to promote PBJC events. She works collaboratively with various committees for events coordination, including planning, logistics, and scheduling, as well as with our fundraising chairs to secure sponsorships, grants, and annual giving campaigns. Additional responsibilities include creating our weekly electronic newsletter and maintaining our electronic announcement boards. Michelle truly is the “face” of PBJC. Her knowledge, experience, inter-personal skills and enthusiasm make her a true asset to our community.

Lisa has been co-director of the PBJC Early Childhood Center since July 2016. She graduated from Muhlenberg College where she earned a dual degree in business administration and social science.

Her many years working at the PBJC ECC helped to prepare her for her current job and responsibilities as Co-Director.

Her various roles at the PBJC ECC have included: teaching the Introduction to Preschool class, implementing and teaching the science enrichment program for the 4-year-old class, being an assistant teacher in both the 3 and 4 year old classes, additionally, she has performed administrative tasks throughout the school years.

She spends her summers working as director at the PBJC Day Camp where she oversees, manages and implements the eight week themed summer fun program. Lisa lives in Montville with her husband and three children. She is dedicated to the well being and early education of the children at the PBJC Early Childhood Center.

Along with our Executive Director, Sandy and Melanie are the main points of contact for visitors to the office. They also serve as the Administrative Assistant to the Rabbi. Sandy and Melanie's responsibilities are wide and varied. They serve as liaisons for the Caring Committee and congregants needing assistance, handle daily Sisterhood Gift Shop access and transactions (including scrip sales), and help coordinate orders of food and supplies for the synagogue. Sandy and Melanie are also responsible for generating yahrzeit letters and handing yahrzeit plaques, donations, and arrangements along with many administrative duties for Bar/Bat Mitzvahs. They takes care of High Holiday ticket processing and maintain the Book of Remembrance database. Scheduling clergy appointments and handling clergy correspondence are other important responsibilities, and there are many more.

Melanie and her husband Keith have been members of PBJC since 2015 and recently enjoyed celebrating their son Logan's Bar Mitzvah. This is not Melanie’s first role at PBJC. She began working in the PBJC ECC Giggle Zone day care in 2016 and became a co-teacher in the Preschool 2’s class in 2021. In addition to her experience at PBJC, Melanie worked at 79th Street Pharmacy in Manhattan where she served as both the marketing coordinator and a customer service representative. Her responsibilities included helping customers obtain all of their pharmaceutical and healthcare needs, arranging sales events, and handling promotions and marketing for the pharmacy. Early in her career, Melanie worked in programming, public relations, and advertising. She started her own gift basket company for which she designed, created, marketed and sold gourmet gift baskets to corporate clients.

Melanie lives in Montville with Keith and Logan, and their two dogs, Oliver and Yossi. She enjoys spending time with her family, walking her dogs, bowling, playing table tennis and mahjong. She is proud to say she once completed the New York City Marathon. Melanie is honored to be working as an Office Administrator at PBJC. She is looking forward to working with the members of the PBJC congregation. 

Robin is honored to serve as office administrator for the Religious School for the past eight years. In addition to her many administrative responsibilities, she enjoys working with wonderful teachers, having the opportunity to watch a great group of students in action, meeting dedicated parents, and assisting director, Mary Sheydwasser, whom she loves and admires. Robin's responsibilties include handling registration, coordinating junior congregation credits, attendance, correspondence and communication, and all general administrative duties for the Religious School.

Prior to this role, Robin worked in the PBJC main office. She came as a two-day temp, after some graduate work, and has stayed at the synagogue for 12 years! The top-notch staff, devoted clergy and congregants, and the warm and inviting atmosphere at PBJC is the reason.

In her past lives, Robin lived and worked in Manhattan in various roles at Channel Thirteen, including Associate Director of Promotion and Events. After moving back to New Jersey with her family, she was involved with volunteer activities and helped run her mother’s popular fashion boutique, “Tiger’s Eye." Robin graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communication with a dual degree in journalism and psychology.