908-858-6233
Shari Rothstein, Executive Director
Shari Rothstein (she/her) joined Temple Emanu-El as Executive Director in 2024, bringing over 20 years of experience as an innovative Jewish professional leader dedicated to transformative change and building strong relationships. Shari first became part of the Temple Emanu-El family in 2014, when she served as the Associate Director of Youth Learning and Engagement.
Before returning to Temple Emanu-El, Shari was the Director of Congregational Learning at Temple Sholom of West Essex in Cedar Grove for five years. Her earlier roles include serving as the Religious School Principal at Congregation Kehilat Shalom in Belle Mead, NJ, as well as holding various teaching and volunteer positions at Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple in New Brunswick. Shari's commitment to the Jewish community includes leadership positions on several boards, including a six-year tenure on the board of Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple and three years with the Jewish Federation of Middlesex County.
Shari holds a Master of Arts in Religious Education from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, with a concentration in Israel Education from the iCenter. She also earned a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and an Associate in Science in Management from Bentley University.
Originally from Huntington, NY, Shari was an active teen at Temple Beth El. She now resides in Roseland, NJ, with her husband, Marc. They have two adult children, Emily and Adam, and a daughter-in-law, Taylor.
Shari understands the importance of belonging to a synagogue and is thrilled to be back at Temple Emanu-El, helping to ensure that membership is engaging and meaningful.
908-858-6163
Kathleen Stovall, Controller
Kathleen earned her CPA (with high distinction) at Price Waterhouse Coopers in NYC where she spent two years working on clients as diverse as General Foods, J.P. Morgan and The New York Daily News. She then spent 12 years at Morgan Stanley as a Controller for the Stock Index /Futures trading desk and later for the Investment Banking Division.
Kathleen and her family moved to Fanwood, NJ where she raised her two daughters, performed accounting & tax work for local businesses and volunteered as PTA Treasurer, PTA President, and as a Religious School Teacher. In 2009, Kathleen accepted a position as Accounting Manager at Bonnie Brae, a residential treatment center in Basking Ridge which serves as a haven for young boys in crisis. Kathleen spent four years at Bonnie Brae and made significant progress in automating the accounting systems. She also realized the immense satisfaction that results from working for an organization that enriches the lives of others.
Kathleen is thrilled to be working at Temple Emanu-El which is well known and respected in her community, just a few miles from her home.
908-858-6364
Elliot B. Karp, Director Of Philanthropy
Elliot Karp has proudly served the Jewish community in a variety of executive leadership roles for four decades; and is an experienced and accomplished professional who has devoted his career to vibrant, creative and celebratory Jewish life and living; the State of Israel and the Jewish People. He recently served as Chief Executive Officer of Hillels of Georgia the statewide association of 24 Hillels representing more than 5,000 Jewish students on college campuses across the state. Elliot has extensive experience in all aspects of fundraising and financial resource development; programming; marketing and communications; community relations; facilities management and security; strategic planning; board governance and volunteer leadership development; staff supervision; mentoring and education.
Elliot has been an active member of the Jewish and general communities where he has lived including leadership at United Way, Jewish Family Service, Hillel and his family’s congregation. Elliot was the Founder of the Nonprofit CEO Council of Southern Nevada and served on the Multi-Cultural Advisory Task Force to the Sheriff of Clark County. He is a member of the National Association of Synagogue Executives and the Association of Jewish Communal Professionals.
Elliot has a B.A. in Political Science from SUNY Stony Brook and a M.A. from the Benjamin S. Hornstein Program in Jewish Communal Service from Brandeis University. He was President of the program’s Alumni Association and is the recipient of the Bernard Reisman Professional Leadership Award. A proud Alumnus, Elliot also served as Associate Vice President of Development at Brandeis University.
He served as the President & CEO of the Jewish Federation of Las Vegas; and was the Chief Development Officer for the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati. He has held senior management positions with the Jewish Federations in Columbus, Ohio and Philadelphia. He has served as a consultant to several not-for-profits organizations including the JCC on the Palisades, JNF Australia, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, National JCC Association, National United Jewish Appeal, Hebrew Union College, World Union for Progressive Judaism, Onward Israel, the Jewish Agency for Israel and the Cancer Community Center of Cincinnati.
Elliot and his wife Sharon are the proud grandparents (Poppe & Mimi) of Micah and Sophie; children of their daughter Naomi and Rabbi Howard Tilman who live in Scotch Plains, NJ. Their son Joshua and daughter-in law, Amy, reside in Manayunk, Pa. with their grandson Miller, twin granddaughters Lexie and Whitney, and grandpuppy, Peach.
908-858-6268
Jackie Grussgott, Communications & Membership Manager
Jackie joined Temple Emanu-El in August of 2017 as the Communications and Membership Manager.
Jackie went to James Madison University where she founded a Jewish sorority and became the President of Hillel. About two weeks after graduating with her Bachelors degree, she moved to Holon, Israel and made Aliyah. During her time in Israel, she worked for two startup companies in the technology industry as their Web Marketing & Community Manager.
Jackie moved back to the United States in 2014 and became a Partner Marketing Manager for one of the world’s leading technology companies, VMware. Later, she accepted a position an ecommerce startup company in Manhattan where she founded and managed their partnership program.
Jackie is extremely excited to be part of the Temple Emanu-El family and community. She lives in Bridgewater with her husband Bryan and daughter Mia.
908-858-6348
Jill Cimafonte, Early Learning Center Director
Jill received her BS in Business Administration from Rutgers University and Master’s degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Hunter College, graduating with high honors. Before joining Temple Emanu-El, Jill was a Head Teacher at the Ring Nursery School at the Jewish Community Center of Delaware Valley in NJ. She has a NJ and NY elementary teaching certification. Throughout her career she has participated in extensive Jewish early childhood learning opportunities as both a learner and a teacher.
Jill is a founding member of the Early Childhood Educators of Reform Judaism (ECE-RJ), an affiliate of the Union for Reform Judaism, where she served on its Executive Board for 7 years and continues to assume various roles where needed in the organization. She recently travelled to Israel to learn and study with her colleagues. Jill is also a member of the National Association for the Education of the Young Child (NAEYC) of which she has successfully guided the school multiple times through its national accreditation process. Jill is also an active member of local early childhood organizations as well.
As Early Childhood Director, Jill has led the program through an ongoing transformative process, continually striving to incorporate best practices in Jewish early childhood education while meeting the changing needs of the community.
Jill is the proud mother of 3 boys: Zachary, Jeremy, and Lucas. In her spare time, she enjoys outdoor activities including hiking and biking.
908-232-6770
Cantorial Intern Ilana Mulcachy
Ilana Mulcahy is thrilled to begin working in her new role as Cantorial Intern at Temple Emanu-El! Ilana is a rising fourth-year cantorial student at the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music at HUC-JIR. Ilana has served as Student Cantor at Temple Israel in Ottawa, Canada for the past two years, making monthly visits. She is also a participant in the Weitzman-JDC Fellowship, which aims to prepare future cantors and rabbis for community engagement with global Jewry.
Prior to beginning the cantorial program at HUC, Ilana earned her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education at Rutgers University. She worked as a public school elementary music teacher before shifting gears and working in Human Resources. She later earned her MBA from Montclair State University before finally deciding to follow her lifelong dream of becoming a cantor. Ilana also has an extensive background as a song leader and Jewish educator, in both summer camps and religious school. Ilana brings her background in education, her management and organizational skills, and her passion for Judaism and Jewish music to her work and studies.
Rabbi Charles Kroloff, Emeritus
Rabbi Kroloff served as Senior Rabbi of Temple Emanu-El for 36 years, from 1966 until his retirement in 2002. He and his wife, Dr. Terry Kroloff, still reside in Westfield. On his retirement, the new educational wing of the Temple was named The Rabbi Charles A. Kroloff Center for Jewish Learning. He is the past president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the largest rabbinic organization in the world.
Rabbi Kroloff currently is Vice President for Special Projects of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City. He remains active in the Westfield area, through leadership in Temple Emanu-El’s I Have A Dream program in Plainfield and the Westfield Foundation as past president, speaking at area synagogues, and providing rabbinic life cycle services.
Rabbi Kroloff earned his B.A. magna cum laude at Yale University and rabbinic ordination at Hebrew Union College, Cincinnati. Before coming to Westfield, he was Assistant Rabbi at Temple Israel, Boston, and Rabbi of Community Reform Temple, Westbury, NY. A past president of ARZA, the Association of Reform Zionists of America, he was a member of the governing boards of the Jewish Agency, Hebrew Union College, and the Union for Reform Judaism. He was a founder of the Interfaith Council for the Homeless of Union County and, following retirement, Interim Rabbi at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, New York City.
Cantor Martha Novick, Emerita
Cantor Novick received a Bachelor of Science in Music Performance and a Master of Arts in Music Education from New York University. She also received a Bachelor of Sacred Music from Hebrew Union College, School of Sacred Music, where she was invested as Cantor in May of l983.
Cantor Novick has performed leading roles in opera for the Metropolitan Opera Association, the National Shakespeare Theatre, CBS and PBS Television, NYC Radio, The Center for New Music in New York, and the Liederkranz Opera Workshop. She has been soloist with the Jerusalem Symphony, The Brooklyn Philharmonia, Musica Hebraica, Sela and the Hebrew Arts Chorale. Cantor Novick has served on the Board of the American Conference of Cantors, the Commission on Synagogue Music, the Advisory Board and Review Board of Transcontinental Music Publishing, and currently serves as Vice President of the American Society for Jewish Music.
Cantor Novick had the distinction of being the first female Cantor to perform in a traditional Cantorial Concert in a major concert hall in New York. She made a CD of Yiddish Art Songs Music for the Miliken Foundation Archives of Twentieth Century American Jewish Composers, and a CD of High Holiday Music for Transcontinental Music Publishing.
Cantor Novick is a member of the faculty at The Hebrew Union College, School of Sacred Music and The Jewish Theological Seminary of America, Miller Cantorial School.
908-858-6401
Emily Halpern, Acting Director Of Youth Learning & Engagement (YLE)
Emily Halpern is a dedicated professional in the field of Jewish Education, born and raised in Rockaway, New Jersey. She pursued her academic passions at Monmouth University, where she majored in English and minored in Psychology. Throughout her college journey, Emily’s commitment to fostering a strong sense of community within the Jewish faith led her to work as a youth group leader and teacher at local reform synagogues. Her love for URJ Camp Harlam was evident, spending an impressive 17 summers there, transitioning from camper to staff member, leadership team member, and eventually a Shared Professional.
Emily’s career in Jewish education continued to flourish as she became an Assistant Director in the Religious School at Temple Sinai in Washington, DC. However, it was at Temple Emanu-El where she found her true calling, in various essential roles such as youth group leader, teacher, grade coordinator, B’nai Mitzvah coordinator, and Assistant Director of Youth and Community Engagement. Her passion for empowering young minds and fostering a love for Jewish learning and traditions has culminated in her current role as the Director of Youth Learning and Engagement at Temple Emanu-El.
Never one to stop learning and growing, Emily recently completed the Executive Master’s Program at Hebrew Union College, earning a Master of Arts in Religious Education. With her vast experience, unwavering dedication, and a heart full of passion for her work, Emily Halpern continues to inspire and enrich the lives of countless individuals within the Jewish community.