The College for Contemporary Judaism Announces Inaugural Board of Trustees

Distinguished Leaders in Law, Medicine, Business, and Jewish Community Life Join Forces to Advance New Model of Rabbinic Education

MAY 19, 2026
CONTACT: info@ccjudaism.org

CINCINNATI, OHIO— The College for Contemporary Judaism (CCJ) today announced the appointment of its inaugural Board of Trustees. They are a distinguished group of leaders in law, medicine, business and Jewish community life who share a deep commitment to strengthening the future of Liberal Judaism in America and addressing the nationwide shortage of congregational rabbis.

The announcement marks a key milestone for CCJ, which is building a new model of rabbinic education to address the critical and growing shortage of congregational rabbis, especially across the Midwest, South, and Mountain West. As of now, there is no non-Orthodox rabbinical seminary between the coasts. With board members from Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee and Georgia, CCJ is working urgently to fill that void.

"CCJ's Board of Trustees represents the very best of Jewish communal leadership,” said Rabbi Dr. Gary Zola, CCJ’s Founding President. “Each of these individuals brings a lifetime of service, wisdom, and dedication to the Jewish people. For over three years, this group has been working tirelessly behind the scenes to lay the groundwork for an institution that will educate transformative rabbis for generations to come."

Andrew Berger, CCJ’s Founding Board Chair, is Of Counsel to Katz Teller, a Cincinnati law firm, in which he has practiced corporate law for over 40 years. He is a graduate of the University of Nebraska and Cornell Law School. He served on the Boards of Trustees and as President of Isaac M. Wise Temple and of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati. He also served as a member of the Board of Governors and as Chair of Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion.

"I am honored to serve as Founding Board Chair of The College for Contemporary Judaism,” Berger said. “The need has never been greater for a vibrant, forward-thinking rabbinical school to serve the heart of America. Our Board is committed to ensuring that CCJ will have the resources and expertise needed to accomplish its mission to recruit, educate, and empower the next generation of rabbinical leaders."

Gary Greenberg retired as Principal in the Cincinnati office of Jackson Lewis, P.C. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and University of Michigan Law School, he has served as President of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, member of the Board of Governors of Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion, and member of the Board of the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority. Gary is a member of Rockdale Temple and Congregation Beth Adam in Cincinnati.

James Greenberg, M.D. is Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Co-Director of the Perinatal Institute at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. He previously served as a member of the Isaac M. Wise Temple Board of Trustees, including terms on the Board’s Executive Committee as Secretary and Treasurer.

Rabbi Micah Greenstein is the Senior Rabbi of Temple Israel in Memphis, the largest Jewish congregation in its five-state southern region. Recognized as Memphis Magazine's inaugural Memphian of the Year and one of America's Top 50 Rabbis by Newsweek/The Daily Beast, Rabbi Greenstein is an adjunct faculty member at Rhodes College and the Memphis Theological Seminary. He has served on the national board of the NAACP, the executive committee of the National Civil Rights Museum, chaired the Israel Committee of the CCAR, and serves on the International Advisory Council of the IMPJ.

Mark Kanter was formerly General Counsel of Rookwood Properties, Inc. He holds a B.A. from Connecticut College and a J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law. He has served on the boards of Isaac M. Wise Temple, Cedar Village, Jewish Family Service, the Jewish Community Center of Cincinnati, and the Board of Governors of Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion.

Jerry Kathman is founder and chairman of the board of LPK, the largest independent brand design agency in the world, and is recognized as a leading authority on the role of design in brand building. He serves on the boards of Cincinnati Public Radio, United Way of Greater Cincinnati, and the Contemporary Arts Center.

Amy Katz is a social psychologist and co-owner of Baker & Daboll, LLC, an executive coaching firm in Cincinnati. She has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati and Xavier University. A past president of Isaac M. Wise Temple, she holds an M.S.W. from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati.

B.H. Levy Jr. was raised in Savannah, Georgia's Congregation Mickve Israel, North America's oldest congregation now practicing Reform Judaism. A retired civil attorney, he served as President of Mickve Israel and as founding president of Shalom School. He is the founding president and current Board Chair of Roots of Reform Judaism and has served on the Board of Governors of Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion.

Lynn Rosenberg Mayfield is an executive search consultant in the nonprofit sector with nearly 20 years of experience placing senior executives at hospitals, academic and religious institutions, foundations, and arts organizations. She previously served as CEO of the regional hospital association in Greater Cincinnati for 23 years. She holds a B.A. from American University and an M.A. from George Washington University, and is a lifelong member of Rockdale Temple.

Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso is Senior Rabbi Emerita of Congregation Beth-El Zedeck in Indianapolis and the founding director of the Religion, Spirituality, and the Arts Initiative at the Herron School of Art and Design at Indiana University. She was the first woman ordained from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and, together with her husband Rabbi Dennis C. Sasso, became the first practicing rabbinical couple in world Jewish history. She is also the author of nationally acclaimed children's books.

Rick Seibold is the former President and Founder of Initiator, an innovation consulting firm. With experience at Procter & Gamble, AcuPOLL Research, and more than 20 years at Initiator, he has worked across hundreds of categories delivering marketplace successes for Fortune 500 and smaller companies. He holds a B.A. from Whitman College, an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago, and serves as Marketing Committee Chairman for the Dan Beard Council of Scouting America.

About CCJ: The College for Contemporary Judaism (CCJ) is building a new model of rabbinic education to address the critical shortage of congregational rabbis across the American heartland. Based in Cincinnati — the historic cradle of American Reform Judaism — CCJ will offer full scholarships and living stipends, a modular hybrid curriculum, professional fellowships, and access to world-class Judaic resources. CCJ is led by Founding President Rabbi Dr. Gary P. Zola. For more information, visit www.ccjudaism.org.

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