Creating a civil and caring community
Pirket Avot – Ethics of our Community (2:21)
Community Relation’s values propel us to work towards building a shared society for all –chiseling away at social justice issues, combating hate and antisemitism and building solid friendships with our neighbors.
Vision
The Jewish Community Relations Council inspired by Jewish values seeks to sustain a more civil and caring community in Western New York and around the world.
Mission
As the representative body of the Buffalo Jewish community, we will:
- Build meaningful and collaborative relationships with other faith, ethnic, and cultural communities toward the goal of building a more civil society.
- Be visible and vocal in the greater community during times of crisis and on vital social issues.
- Be actively involved in key issues impacting the Jewish community. Educate and advocate on all those issues, seeking consensus based on core Jewish values.
Values
Respecting all viewpoints and with concern for social justice, we will build our collective voice based on the following core Jewish values:
Darchei Shalom
Paths of peace. Keeping peace through ongoing inter-group relations, promoting mutual respect, and fostering understanding within our community.
Tikkun Olam
Lo Ta’amod Al Dam Rey’echa
Ger Hayiti B’Eretz Nachriyah
Meet the Team
Rob Goldberg
Senior Advisor
(he/him)
Rob is the Immediate Past CEO of the Buffalo Jewish Federation. He received his bachlors of art from Brown University in Religious Studies and his MBA from Bryant University. He currently serves on the boards of Temple Beth Tzedek, Hospice and Palliative Care of Buffalo, and White Whiskers Senior Dog Sanctuary.
Rachel Beerman
Community Relations Manager
(she/her)
Rachel is a curriculum designer for Buffalo Commons Charter School, which opens in 2022 for kindergarten and first grade students. She has spent her professional life working in education from preschool all the way through college settings, and she has a special love for teaching U.S. history to middle schoolers. Rachel strongly believes in the work of community relations helps make Western New York and the world a more caring and civil place. She lives in Buffalo with her husband and two young children, and in her spare time, loves to read, go on hikes with her family and explore local historical sites.
Lauren Bloomberg
Director of Holocaust Education Resource Organization
(she/her)
Lauren joins the HERO after a long career working in Jewish Education. She received her Honors Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies, her Bachelor of Education, and a certificate in Hebrew and Judaic Studies from York University in Toronto. Lauren spent her junior year studying at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In addition, Lauren was a Lainer Intern for Jewish Education of North America. Over the past 20 years she has taught in multiple Jewish schools in Canada and the US working with children of all ages. Lauren moved to Buffalo in 2008 and lives with her husband Rich, teenagers Marlowe and Reid, and her dog Buffy.
Rabbi Alex Lazarus-Klein
Community Relations Rabbinic Advisor
(he/him)
Rabbi Alex Lazarus-Klein came to Buffalo in 2008 to serve as the rabbi of Temple Sinai, now called Congregation Shir Shalom. He brings warmth, creativity, and compassion to the role of synagogue rabbi. A trained chaplain and gifted teacher, he is actively engaged in all aspects of communal life As JCRC’s rabbinic consultant, he links the Jewish community to other faiths, speaking at intergroup events and offering planning support. He works with leaders of all faiths, to improve the quality of life in Western New York and beyond. He lives in Amherst, with his wife and three children.
Leadership Council
- Harvey Sanders, Chair
