Prof. Noam Pines is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Jewish Thought. His research interests include poetry and poetics; literature and theology; modernism in Hebrew, German, Yiddish and English; and animals in literature. He recently published The Infrahuman: Animal Poetics in Modern Jewish Literature. Professor Pines’ current book project, Children of Saturn: Jews and the Roots of Melancholia, examines the notion of melancholia in its relation to Jews and modern Jewish identity by uncovering a constellation in which an entire array of themes and motifs play a part. A native Hebrew speaker, Professor Pines is also fluent in English, German and Yiddish.

Rabbi Sara Rich is the Executive Director of Hillel of Buffalo. Rabbi Sara earned a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park and an M.A. in Hebrew Literature from HUC-JIR. Rabbi Sara was ordained in 2011 from the New York campus of the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion. She subsequently earned a Certificate in Experiential Jewish Education in 2015 from Yeshiva University and completed Hillel International’s Weinberg Accelerate executive training program in 2016. Prior to joining the staff in 2017, Rabbi Sara served as the Director of Education at the Hillel of Princeton University for six years. In her role, she worked with students on leadership development and community-building, and taught numerous classes at the Hillel in topics such as Jewish Biomedical Ethics and Judaism 101. Today, Rabbi Sara resides in Williamsville with her husband, Ezra, and their daughters, Miriam, Sivan and Naomi.

Rabbi Adam Rosenbaum is thrilled to be Temple Beth Tzedek’s spiritual leader. He was born in Winnipeg, Canada, and grew up in Denver, Colorado. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism from Northwestern University. He was ordained as a Conservative rabbi by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2005, where he also earned a Master of Arts degree in Bible and Semitic Languages. While at JTS he served as Student Rabbi at Degel Israel Synagogue in Watertown, NY, and as Rabbinic Intern at Temple Beth Shalom in Livingston, NJ. Upon ordination, he served as Temple Beth Shalom’s assistant rabbi for four years. He served most recently as rabbi of Synagogue Emanu-El in Charleston, SC, for 11 years. Rabbi Rosenbaum is proud of his three children: Shoshana, Jonathan, and Eliana. He feels privileged to serve his congregation and is committed to helping foster a synagogue of learning and caring.

Dean Robin Schulze is a Professor of English and Dean of Buffalo’s College of Arts and Sciences. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Yale University (1983), and her first and second Master’s degrees in Music (1986) and English (1987) and her PhD in English (1991) from the University of Michigan. She specializes in Modernist American Poetry, Textual Scholarship and Editorial Theory, and Modernist Literature and Culture. Prior to her appointment, Schulze served as Associate Dean for the Humanities, College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Delaware from 2014-2016. She came to Delaware from Penn State University where she taught for more than a decade before accepting the position of Head of the Department of English in 2007. An expert in the poet Marianne Moore, Schulze has authored four books and over 20 scholarly articles.

Michal Shmuel-Lewis is a native of Israel, was the Hebrew Language teacher at Kadimah Academy from 2001-2019 and a school counselor since 2016. At Park, she teaches Hebrew to grades K through 10 and assists with the coordination of the Park-Kadimah Scholars program. Michal studied English and education at Seminar Hakibbutzim College in Tel Aviv, Israel, receiving a BA in 1997. She was certified through the Israeli Ministry of Education, and worked with various grade levels in Israel teaching English as a New Language. She also served as a Community Service coordinator at Kugel High School in Holon. After moving to Buffalo in 2001, she studied in the School Counseling program at the University at Buffalo, receiving her MA and a school counselor certification in 2006. She is in the process of being certified as a NYS English as a New Language teacher. In 2010, she received the national Grinspoon Award for Excellence in Jewish Education. She and her husband, Shai Lewis, live in Amherst and have two daughters.

Irene Sipos earned her Master of Arts in the legendary 1970s English Department of SUNY University at Buffalo. She recently retired from SUNY Buffalo State where she taught in the English Department and the College Writing Program and was a co-founder of Buffalo State’s Rooftop Poetry Club.

Her work has appeared in Lilith Magazine, The Comstock Review, Earth’s Daughters, Buffalo Poets Against War, Burchfield Penney Newsletter, The Jewish Journal of Western New York, Artvoice,The Owl Light News, Buffalo News, as a Park Street Press broadside and in the anthology, A Celebration of Western New York Poets. Her chapette, Poem… and other Poems, is No.12 in the Buffalo Ochre Papers. She was a finalist in the 2004 Comstock Review Awards Issue and the 2015 Jesse Bryce Niles Chapbook Contest. Recently Irene published a book of poems titled Stones.

Currently, Irene works at the Writing Center at Buffalo State, is a freelance editor and tutor, and is a co-host, along with Gunilla Kester, of the Corner Poetry Series at Congregation Shir Shalom.

Rus Devorah Wallen, LCSW, ACSW is an alumna of Wurzweiler School of Social Work –Yeshiva University as well as College Conservatory of Music—University of Cincinnati, and Machon Alta Women’s Institute—Safed, Israel. She is a motivational entertainer, psychotherapist and consultant social worker, community leader and accomplished musician. Displaying unusual versatility as an educator, she conducts workshops and programs on various themes ranging from emotional wellbeing and marriage enhancement to Chassidic philosophy, mindfulness, music, and religious practice.
As co-founder and clinical supervisor of SPARKS (Serving Postpartum families with Awareness, Relief, Knowledge and Support), Mrs. Wallen frequently speaks on women’s perinatal issues (postpartum depression, anxiety, etc.), focusing on giving support to families in need and training professionals to assist their clients. Most recently, she has embarked on producing music that is not only calming, but therapeutic.

Nirit Weiner was born in Israel and moved to Michigan in 1986. She attended the University of Detroit Mercy and graduated with a Bachelor Degree in world history with a minor in women’s studies. She has been working in Jewish education for the past twenty years teaching nursery through eighth grade, and developed and implemented Hebrew programs as well as special needs programs. In addition, she taught at Kadimah Academy for two years prior to the transition to the Kadimah Scholars at Park in September 2019. Nirit and her husband have five children ranging from 21 to 32 years old. They spend their free time traveling and visiting their children in five different states. Nirit frequently practices yoga and received her yoga teaching certification three years ago.

Prof. Gil Wolfe is a Professor, Irvin and Rosemary Smith Chair of Neurology and University at Buffalo Distinguished Professor in the Department of Neurology. His research interests in neuromuscular medicine are wide but have mainly focused on myasthenia gravis and other disorders of neuromuscular transmission, as well as peripheral neuropathies. Among his many volunteer roles include serving on the Buffalo Jewish Federation Board of Governors and Federation’s Partnership 2Gether Leadership Council and is currently the General Campaign Chair for Federation’s Campaign for Jewish Buffalo. 

Logan Woodard is the Director of Engagement at Hillel of Buffalo. Logan was born and raised in Syracuse, New York, where he first realized his passion for Jewish Life, Israel, and SU basketball. Before attending the University at Buffalo, Logan enlisted in the U.S. Army National Guard. Logan graduated from the University at Buffalo in February 2017 where he studied History and Judaic Studies. Logan is thrilled to have the opportunity to work at his alma mater and continue his involvement with Hillel. In his free time, you can find Logan enjoying coffee, watching HGTV, and pursuing his passion for martial arts.

Shelly Yellen is currently serving as the President of the Buffalo Jewish Federation Board of Governors. He is a consummate volunteer beginning his engagement with the Jewish community in Washington, DC through event participation at Federation, MAZON, and AIPAC. In Buffalo, Shelly has been involved in a variety of Jewish organizations including Jewish Federation Apartments, the Bureau of Jewish Education (now CJEL), and Congregation Shir Shalom. Shelly’s Federation leadership includes chairing the Annual Campaign for Jewish Buffalo and serving as Treasurer.

Shelly received a BA from University of Maryland and an MBA from American University. He began his career as a Senior Financial Analyst at the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and returned to Buffalo in the early 1990’s to work at Lancaster Steel Service Company, a multi-family Regional Steel Service Center. Shelly ultimately became President of Lancaster and sold the business in 2007 to Ryerson Steel; the largest publicly held Steel Service Center in North America at the time. After about a year with Ryerson, Shelly joined Mr. Fox Tire Company as a partner. Missing the steel industry, he started Yellen Metals LLC in 2011 and several years later sold the business to Venture Steel, a large privately held Metals Service Center. Today, he serves as Vice President for Venture Steel U.S., Inc.

Shelly met his wife Heidi when he returned to Buffalo in the 1990s. The Yellens have three children: Kayla, Noah and Ethan. “We are fortunate to have been able to raise our children surrounded by family and great friends,” Shelly added. “Heidi and I are proud to contribute to building a strong community that offers a vibrant Jewish life.”

Prof. Alexandra Zirkle is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Jewish Thought at UB. She is a scholar of modern Jewish thought, biblical hermeneutics, and Jewish-Christian relations. Her research centers biblical interpretation as a mode of critical inquiry, restores nineteenth-century figures to the canon of modern Jewish thought, and explores the ways that the interpretation of scripture is always also a mode of political speech. Professor Zirkle’s forthcoming book analyzes how German Jews wielded the constructive power of biblical exegesis to craft new forms of Judaism and stake their claims to civil emancipation. Throughout the nineteenth century, German biblical scholarship often spilled beyond the walls of the university and German intellectuals and politicians often turned to biblical exegesis to support their campaigns for or against extending civil rights to German Jews.