Leadership
Rabbi Robert L. Tobin

"The World Rests on Three Pillars: Torah Study, Service Worship, and Acts of Love." (Pirkei Avot, 1:2). This is a favorite saying of Rabbi Robert L. Tobin, who provides spiritual leadership to B’nai Shalom based on these principles day in, day out.
Our Rabbi, Robert Tobin, is a dynamic speaker, welcoming pastor and master teacher. He was ordained by The Jewish Theological Seminary of America in 1999. In his time as a rabbi, he has earned a reputation as a non-judgmental teacher and guide for your Jewish exploration, while leading his synagogues to experience a blend of credible tradition and joyous diversity. All are welcome, and all are equal at Bnai Shalom.
He has passion for Jewish community and the State of Israel. He has served on numerous local and national boards of directors, including Jewish Vocational Services, the UJC rabbinic cabinet, regional UJA/Federation Executive Committees, and the Northern New Jersey Rabbinical Assembly. His Israel work includes the Masorti Movement, MERCAZ/USA, The Jewish National Fund, the GMW/UJA Federation’s religious pluralism committee, and is the rabbinic teacher for the Peoplehood Project.
Rabbi Tobin holds 4 university degrees: a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University; an M.A. in Religion from Big East rival Syracuse University; a Master's of Hebrew Letters from the University of Judaism (now "American Jewish University"); and another M.A. in Judaic Studies from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.
Rabbi Tobin grew up in Rochester, New York, and has lived and studied in South Africa, Chile, France and Israel. He speaks English, Spanish, Hebrew and French. Rabbi Tobin and his wife, Lisa met at the Kane Street Synagogue in Brooklyn, NY, where they were married in 1998. Lisa also holds 3 Master's degrees as well. She is the Director of Inclusion Initiatives for the Foundation for Jewish Camp. They have 4 children, ages 10-14.
Rabbi Emeritus Stanley L. Asekoff

Rabbi Stanley Asekoff was born and raised in Boston Massachusetts and is a graduate of the Boston Latin School, the oldest public school in the country. He received his BA in psychology from Brandeis University and a Bachelor's Degree from the Hebrew College in Boston in Jewish Education. He went on to receive both his Master's Degree in Hebrew Literature and Rabbinic Ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City. He also holds an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity from JTS, awarded in 1998, and was certified as a Mesadder Gittin (Jewish Divorce Administrator) by the joint-Bet Din of the Conservative movement in 1989. Rabbi Asekoff currently serves as a member of the Joint Bet Din of the Conservative Movement.
Rabbi Asekoff has served as the Rabbi of B'nai Shalom since the summer of 1972 when he was hired as the assistant Rabbi, was elevated to Associate Rabbi and then to Senior Rabbi. During his tenure he increased the knowledge of the laiety, grew membership and attendance at holiday and Shabbat services, initiated a peer mentoring Torah Reading Academy for teens, supported the creation of an advanced adult Talmud class, and enhanced the Jewish commitment and participation of the congregation.
During the course of his Rabbinate, Rabbi Asekoff served as Secretary and then President of the Essex County Board of Rabbis and the New Jersey Region of the Rabbinical Assembly, the professional organization of Conservative Rabbis. He is a chaplain for the West Orange Police Department and played a significant role, working through the Anti-Defamation League, in training the police to recognize and deal with Bias Crimes.
He has also served on the Executive Board of the National Rabbinical Assembly and on the Board of Trustees of the United Jewish Communities of MetroWest. He is a member of the Rabbinic Cabinet of MetroWest, the Clergy Council of West Orange, the New York Board of Rabbis and the National Association of Jewish Chaplains. Rabbi Asekoff serves as a disaster chaplain certified by Disaster Chaplaincy Services of New York, and was recently appointed to the State of New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education.
Executive Committee
Board Members
Term Ending (2021)
Stephen Burkat
Ronnie Horn
Henry Kaplan
Yael Webber
Term Ending (2022)
Vicki Alvy
Vicki Caplan
Jordan Galatz
Howard Kastner
Tom Phon
Myron Spektor
Term Ending (2023)
As with any synagogue, it is the president who leads the B'nai Shalom community forward, in both good times and trying times. We at B'nai Shalom are privileged to have had a long history of motivated, dedicated, and selfless leaders. It is only due to their hard work, their love of Judaism, and their ability to foster a sense of community that we are what we are today, a warm and loving place of worship and friendship.
Below is the honor roll of our Past Presidents. Those Past Presidents with an * next to their name are of blessed memory.
Max Richman*
1944 to 1945
Lee Sherman*
1945 to 1946
Edward Goldfein*
1946 to 1947
Irving Gennet*
1947 to 1948
Macyln Goldman*
1948 to 1949
Irving Galin*
1949 to 1950
Harold Jay*
1950 to 1951
Sol Eichler*
1951 to 1952
Nathan Rothenberg
1952 to 1953
Milton J. Schwartz*
1953 to 1955
Max Bruss
1955 to 1956
Frederick Wolf
1956 to 1957
Arthur Hirsh
1957 to 1958
David Hersh
1958 to 1961
Harold Levine
1961 to 1962
Eugene Ross*
1962 to 1963
Morton Grebelsky
1963 to 1964
Milton Breitman
1964 to 1967
Alfred Goodman
1966 to 1967
Isidore Krosser
1967 to 1968

Milton Newman
1968 to 1969

Murray Gottlieb*
1969 to 1971

Walter Springer*
1971 to 1972

David Millstein*
1972 to 1973

Irving Kerzner*
1973 to 1974

Arthur Maron
1974 to 1975

Joseph Friedman
1975 to 1976

Mortimer Eber*
1976 to 1977

Melvin L. Benjamin
1977 to 1979

Lynn Sunshine Maron*
1979 to 1980

Murray Gottlieb*
1980 to 1982

Donald Legow
1982 to 1985

David Plotkin
1985 to 1987

Leonard Fisher
1987 to 1989

Irving Berkowitz*
1970 to 1990
Bellville

Howard Cohen
1989 to 1991

Max Spinrad
1991 to 1993

Paul Kurland
1993 to 1995

Mary Mandel
1995 to 1997

Barry Liben*
1997 to 1999

Bennett Schwartz
1999 to 2001

Simone Shenassa
2001 to 2003

Steve Colten
2003 to 2005

Bonnie Kessler
2005 to 2007

Seth Saltzman
2007 to 2009

Charles Kurtzer
2009 to 2011

Susan Friedman
2011 to 2013

Seth Saltzman
2011 to 2013

Noel Meltzer
2013 to 2015

Seth Cohen
2015 to 2017

Murray Fryd
2017 to 2019

Noel Meltzer
2017 to 2019

Orit Kastner
2019 to 2021

Debra Grossman
2019 to 2021
Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America

We at B'nai Shalom are proud of the men and woman who have served defending the United States. Their heroism and bravery has helped to define our great democracy. Below is the honor roll of our Veterans who served in the armed forces either from B'nai Shalom or from Congregation Ahavath Achim in Belleville. Those Veterans with an * next to their name are of blessed memory.