Executive Director: Michelle Zuckerman
Michelle has been the PBJC Executive Director since December 2017. Before that, she had spent many years as a PBJC volunteer, serving as R
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.
Outside the synagogue, Michelle has held leadership positions in the PTCs including vice president, treasurer, and president of Cedar Hill School for many years. She has been a member of the Montville Township Board of Education since 2018 and serves as the chair of the Curriculum and Instruction committee and on the Finance committee and has also chaired the Communications committee. She is also an ambassador for the National Gaucher Foundation, an organization about which she feels
Prior to her current roles, Michelle worked in the information technology sector overseeing the installation of financial management, human resource, and purchasing systems for state and local governments and later as a director at a pharmacy benefit management organization.
Michelle earned her bachelor’s degree Cum Laude from Lafayette College in Pennsylvania where she double-majored in Computer Science and Government & Law. She also holds her master’s degree in education from Rutgers University. Michelle lives in Towaco with her husband, Evan, and is the proud mother of Lindsay and Hailey. She and her family consider PBJC to be their second home and
Interim Religious School Director: Shari Schwartz
Shari Schwartz assumed the role of our Interim Religious School director in December of 2024. Shari oversees our many successful education programs that currently serve youngsters and teens ranging in age from three through twelfth grade.
Shari was raised in Avon, CT and was a Bat Mitzvah at Beth El Temple, where her parents are still actively involved. She received her Bachelors in Psychology and Education from American University in Washington, DC and then received her Master of Social Work from Washington University in St Louis. She moved to Boston after graduation and that is where she met her husband, Lou. Shari worked as a clinical individual, group and family therapist with children 5-12 years old in a residential home and school. After a few years, she switched jobs and began her work at Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters where she interviewed Bigs and Littles, supervised match relationships and planned Chocolate Passover seders and Hanukkah parties for 300+ people. She was also a Program Coordinator of a Group Mentoring program for at risk children and was a Supervisor of social worker staff. Shari and Lou moved to Montville in January 2011 with their daughter Elissa and welcomed Addison to the family shortly thereafter. Her family has been actively involved in many areas of PBJC througout their time here.
Shari has been a "professional volunteer" for many years serving on the National Board of Alpha Epsilon Phi, President of William Mason HSA, Co-President of Lazar PTC, founding member and President of OneMontville and organizer of Montville Pride. She loved being a 5th grade Hebrew teacher in the PBJC Religious School and is excited to be be serving the PBJC community in this capacity.
Early Childhood Center Co-Director: Lisa Lerman
Lisa has been
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
She spends her summers working as director at the PBJC Day Camp where she oversees, manages and implements the eight
Early Childhood Center Co-Director: Jill Buckler
Jill Buckler has been working with children for over 30 years. Throughout her life she has dedicated her career to the social and emotional development of each child. She makes it her goal to make sure that every child receives the best care and education that they all deserve. She is presently Co-Director of the PBJC Early Childhood Center. Jill has also been our Pre-K Teacher since 2002.
For 16 years she was the Director of Pre-K and Kindergarten Girls at a North New Jersey Day Camp. She was the direct connection and contact at camp and responsible for all the children, staff and parents needs. Her number one priority was making sure children develop character, discover new abilities, stretching beyond their comfort zone and creating good values while having fun and being safe.
Jill continues to bring an endless amount of energy, creativity and excitement to the PBJC ECC and is very passionate about early childhood education. Jill resides in Rockaway with her husband and has raised two children.
Office Administrator/Clergy Assistant: Melanie Lewis
Along with our Executive Director, Melanie is the main point of contact for visitors to the office. She also serves as the Administrative Assistant to the Rabbi. Melanie's responsibilities are wide and varied. She serve as liaison for the Caring Committee and congregants needing assistance, handles daily Sisterhood Gift Shop access and transactions (including scrip sales), and helps coordinate orders of food and supplies for the synagogue. Melanie is also responsible for generating yahrzeit letters and handing yahrzeit plaques, donations, and arrangements along with many administrative duties for Bar/Bat Mitzvahs. She takes care of High Holiday ticket processing and maintains 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. 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 their son 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 loves working with the members of the PBJC congregation!
Office Administrator: Karen Herbst
Karen joined our office staff as a result of our merger with Congregation Beth Shalom. She works part time in the office to help with all general office administration. She also coordinates and edits the monthly Candlestick newsletter publication for the synaogue. We are thrilled to have Karen as part of our PBJC family.
Religious School Administrator: Robin Mangino
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.
Bookkeeper: Eric Illish
We welcomed Eric to our staff as our part-time Bookkeeper in July of 2024. Eric has 20 years of accounting, bookkeeping, controller, and financial management experience. He has a B.S. degree in Accounting from Brooklyn College and is currently also the Vice President of Finance for ITN Networks. His extensive experience, professionalism, and strong analytical and communication skills are truly an asset to PBJC.