About Us | Greenwich Reform Synagogue

Greenwich Reform Synagogue is a place of belonging, respect, tolerance and inclusivity. Our community cares for one another as well as the greater Greenwich community. Greenwich Reform Synagogue is located near the border between Fairfield County, CT and Westchester County, NY and is easily accessible to people in those communities.

We believe there are many ways to connect with your Judaism in a deeply personal way, whether it be culturally, spiritually, ritually, historically, or socially. Our rich array of programming is thoughtfully designed to appeal to all our multigenerational members.

Join us for:

Joyful Friday evening Shabbat services and family dinners
Engaging educational programs for both adults and kids
Lively social events
Meaningful community service projects
And much more!

Young families please note: Our growing synagogue has many young families and a thriving religious school. Our children love to be at GRS with their “GRS friends.” On Friday nights, they run to the bimah to sing along with the Rabbi and Cantor. This is a source of pride for us all (not just the parents!) and a testament to our clergy and the truly welcoming and loving community of GRS.

You belong here. We can’t wait to meet you!

Rabbi Jordie Gerson

RabbiGerson@GRS.org

Rabbi Gerson was ordained as a Rabbi at Hebrew Union College in New York City; she also holds a Masters in Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School and a Bachelor of Arts from Bates College. Rabbi Gerson has served as a Hillel rabbi at Yale and NYU and as a Rabbi at synagogues in San Diego and Montreal. An avid writer and speaker, her work is regularly featured in The Forward, the Harvard Divinity Bulletin, MyJewishLearning.com, and The Huffington Post. She has also been a featured speaker at Harvard Divinity School, Yale Law School, Aspen Jewish Congregation, Park Avenue Christian Church, and other communities around the country. Rabbi Gerson also serves as a member of the Women’s Rabbinic Network Writer’s Circle, and teaches seminars for women clergy on how to get published, write op-eds, and use their voices. She has done numerous trips with the American Jewish World Service and spends time each year as a student at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. Favorite activities include skiing, surfing, running, rock-climbing, travel, meditation, yoga and cooking.

Rabbi Gerson is a 2020-2021 Katz Family Fellow of the LEAP fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania – a venture that brings together Rabbis and Jewish academics to use academic inquiry to enrich Jewish leadership.

Rabbi Gerson’s regular office hours are from 2:30-5 pm on Tuesdays.

To read Rabbi Gerson’s weekly comments on the Torah portion and current events, click here to subscribe on Substack.

To read Rabbi Gerson’s article in Tablet Magazine, entitited Rabbis Have to Talk about God, click here.

Cantor/Education Director Michelle Rubin

CantorRubin@GRS.org

Cantor Michelle Rubin is a beloved member of the GRS family and is both our Cantor and Religious School Director. She was invested by the Jewish Theological Seminary’s H.L. Miller Cantorial School, from which she received a Master of Sacred Music and a Diploma of Hazzan in 1999.

Before joining the clergy team at GRS, Cantor Rubin served as Cantor and Education/Youth Director at Montebello Jewish Center in Suffern, NY and as the Cantor at Temple Israel in Ridgewood, NJ. Cantor Rubin is the past president of the JTS Cantorial School Alumni Association and an active member of the Cantors Assembly Education Committee. Cantor Rubin also sings with the New Jersey Cantors Concert Ensemble and served as its Secretary.

Prior to her cantorial studies, Cantor Rubin worked in a variety of Jewish settings as a teacher and youth advisor. She received a Bachelor of Music in Opera from the Hartt School of Music and two Master of Music degrees in Vocal Performance and Vocal Pedagogy from the New England Conservatory. Cantor Rubin lives in Hartsdale, NY with her husband Jeffrey Gross and her twin children, Elliot and Kara Freedman and has two stepchildren, Mitchell and Abby Gross.

To read Cantor Rubin’s article in the Greenwich Sentinel, entitited Celebrating Religion and All People, click here.

To watch Cantor Rubin and her daughter Kara’s beautiful rendition of Hashkiveinu by Craig Taubman/I Dreamed A Dream from Les Miserables, sung at the GRS Broadway Shabbat, click here.

Vera Giannaris, GRS Temple Administrator

Vera@GRS.org

Born and raised in New York City, Vera never ventured far from her NYC roots.
With a degree in Archaeology from Columbia, her field work led her to begin a career at
the American Museum of Natural History where she could help others fund their
research, eventually becoming Senior Associate Director of Government Relations and
Strategic Project Development. She assisted Museum leadership by increasing the
Museum’s visibility through its exhibition and educational programming while helping
strengthen relationships with government officials and agencies to maintain and increase
operating and capital support. Additionally, she coordinated various intern and volunteer
programs through their education department. As Vera’s children became her focal point,
she moved her family to Connecticut. Before joining the GRS team, she also supported
her family’s businesses in the restaurant and food worlds by running marketing and social
media campaigns. She continues to be active in fundraising efforts for schools in
Greenwich and the Hellenic School in Rye.

Gabriela Marcus, Director, JCC-GRS Preschool at GRS

Gabriela is an accomplished educator who recently completed her master’s degree in Curriculum Instruction with a specialization in Literacy. She brings with her an impressive 25 years of experience in the field of education, making her exceptionally well-prepared to lead our preschool program.

In addition to her professional background, Gabriela is an active member of our community. She and her family reside in Greenwich, and all three of her children are proud graduates of the JCC Sara Walker Nursery School. Gabriela has been an active volunteer at the JCC , Temple Sinai, and the Greenwich Public Schools for many years. You can reach her at 203-489-3084 or by emailing gmarcus@stamfordjcc.org.

2024/2025 GRS Board of Trustees

President

Susan Elkin

Officers

Executive Vice President, Ron Zate
Executive Vice President, Sandy Soule
Vice President, Ken Greenberg
Treasurer, Helen Stark
Secretary, Michael Ellis
Vice President, Rebecca Steinfeld

Trustees

Nancy Laist
Allison Larow
Ashley Crohn
Lisa Lipshutz
Wendy Schreiber
Jean Claude Saltiel
Michael Schaftel
Richard Katz
Steve Peters
Andrew Loebelson
Carol Spinner

Our beautiful facility is available to host your next party, life cycle event or non-profit fundraiser. Reservations should be made 3-6 months in advance. Priority is given to GRS members. Contact Executive Director Lisa Neufeldt at (203) 629-0018 for further details.

“The world rests upon three things, Torah, avodah, and gemilut hasadim.” (Pirkei Avot 1:2)

The study of Torah, worship, and acts of loving kindness are at the core of Judaism and of Greenwich Reform. Our Reform Jewish congregation is connected by love, friendship, tradition, and community, welcoming all who wish to participate. Our congregation is a spiritual home where all are accepted, valued, and nurtured, whether raised in the Jewish faith or not. We embrace ethical behavior in all aspects of life. We are dedicated to the study and interpretation of Reform Judaism in our ever-changing world.

We reach out to help those in need, following the ancient Jewish tradition of Tikkum Olam (repairing the world). We are committed to our community, people in need throughout the world, and to the land and people of Israel.

Greenwich Reform Synagogue was founded in 1976 and is the only member of the Union for Reform Judaism in Greenwich. The congregation first met at Diamond Hill Methodist Church in Cos Cob, then was welcomed by St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Riverside. In 1992, the congregation moved into its own building at 257 Stanwich Road in Greenwich, and in 2017, completed the construction of its own brand-new home at 92 Orchard Street in Cos Cob. Our beautiful facility provides an enhanced venue for our lovely services and topnotch programs and school.

Click the links below to see videos of the building construction process:

This on-going cooperation with local churches and schools has given GRS a unique perspective on the needs and preferences of the Greenwich community, particularly those of interfaith families. Our members have always come from a wide variety of religious backgrounds, both Jewish and Christian, and all dimensions of congregational life.

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