A Team of Dedicated and Talented Professionals
Monica Saff, Executive Director
Monica grew up in New Jersey and lived in Colorado for 10 years before settling in the Baltimore area about 22 years ago. She spent many years as a stay-at-home mom and returned to the workforce in 2010. For eight years, Monica worked at Har Sinai Congregation in various roles, including Director of Communications and Temple Administrator. She also served as Executive Director of B’nai Shalom of Olney and Administrator at Bolton Street Synagogue.
Monica has a BA in English. She is a graduate of the Darrell D. Friedman Institute’s L’Atid Leadership Program. She is a member of NAASE (North American Association of Synagogue Executives) and a Senior Member of NATA (The National Association for Temple Administration). She served on the Editorial Board for the NATA Journal. Monica considers it a privilege to do meaningful work in the synagogue setting and to be part of a team that is inspired by Jewish values and a sense of community.
More than anything, she loves spending time with her three kids, Sam, Sophie, and Rachael, with her stepsons, Alex and Robert, and with her husband, Jeff.
Direct Line: (240) 450-3486 Email: MSaff@OhrKodesh.org
Joanie Smeltz, Director of the Ohr Kodesh Early Childhood Center
Joanie has been the Director of the Ohr Kodesh Early Childhood Center since 1991. She received a B.S degree from West Chester University in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. Joanie lives with her husband Bruce in Columbia, Maryland. She has three married children and is the very proud and joyful grandmother (“GJ” Grandma Joanie) of six grandsons. The Ohr Kodesh Early Childhood Center (OKECC) in 2008, under Joanie’s leadership, was chosen as one of 12 pilot schools in the country to be awarded a three-year-grant to elevate the quality of Jewish Early Childhood Education.
Direct Line: (240) 450-3488 Email: JSmeltz@OhrKodesh.org
Rabbi Batya Glazer, Director of Lifelong Learning
Batya Glazer was ordained as a Conservative rabbi at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in 1998 where she also studied at the Davidson School of Jewish Education. She has decades of experience in Jewish education at all levels and in both formal and informal settings. She identifies her first experience as a Jewish educator was as an eight-year-old consultant for her mother who taught 3rd graders in Hebrew school. Working in Jewish Community Relations Councils, Batya built relationships through designing and leading educational programming, dialogue, and coalition-building. She is committed to listening deeply and developing an understanding of the concerns and the cultural context of diverse communities and working closely with lay leaders to bring together representatives and diverse perspectives of the Jewish community. Rabbi Glazer has a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University, a Master of Hebrew Letters degree from The University of Judaism, and a Master’s degree and Rabbinic Ordination from The Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Batya is the proud mother of Elana, Noah, and Meirav.
Direct Line: (240) 450-0676 Email: RabbiGlazer@OhrKodesh.org
Wilhelmina Gottschalk, Education Director
Wilhelmina Gottschalk has worked at Ohr Kodesh in a variety of roles since 2014, including four years spent as the pedagogical coordinator for the OKC Early Childhood Center (ECC). She has a master’s degree in Jewish Education from the Davidson School of the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. Wilhelmina believes that religious school, when combined with Jewish home celebrations and summer camp, creates a strong foundation of learning and connection. At the Alvin Browdy Religious School, she strives to create a community of curious and passionate learners.
Direct Line: (240) 450-3487 Email: WGottschalk@OhrKodesh.org
Dennis Concepcion, Facility and Technology Manager
Dennis joined Ohr Kodesh in November 2011. Among his immediate priorities are furthering efforts to upgrade our website and database, streamlining many of our routine event planning and helping to move forward a number of facility improvements.
Dennis has had 14 years of experience in event management and customer services. His career included the successful delivery of a variety of events for organizations like the American Healthcare Institute and American Society of Appraisers. He also served as the Client Services Manager for a leading national provider of fundraising/membership database software and support services for the not-for-profit community.
Direct Line: (240) 450-0672 Email: DConcepcion@OhrKodesh.org
Hagit Leibowitz, Administrative Assistant
Hagit Leibowitz is a passionate Jewish educator and professional, with over 18 years of experience working in full and part-time positions at synagogues around the DMV. She has taught Hebrew language, Jewish history, Jewish culture/holidays/prayers, Israeli history, and Jewish ethics. For the last 10 years, she has taught and led programming at Beth El Hebrew School. Additionally, she has extensive experience in administrative work in the non-profit and healthcare industry. For six years, she managed cases of individuals with developmental disabilities at CSAAC, and has most recently worked as an administrator at Children’s National Hospital. Originally from Israel, she practiced law in Tel Aviv for a decade before moving to the US. She lives in Silver Spring with her husband and has two loving kids currently in college. In her free time, she enjoys reading, practicing piano, spending time with her family, and thinking up new crafts and cooking projects to lead for her Hebrew school students!
Direct Line: (240) 450-0676 Email: HLeibowitz@ohrkodesh.org
Molly Zatman, Communications Manager
Molly is a recent graduate of the University of Maryland, where she received a B.A. in journalism with focuses in investigative journalism and features writing. In her free time, Molly enjoys completing the New York Times crossword, painting in acrylics and oils, and expanding her music taste.
Email: MZatman@OhrKodesh.org
Melanie Winick, Administrative Assistant for Education
A native of the area, Melanie Winick is the Administrative Assistant for Education at Ohr Kodesh Congregation. In her childhood, she was a part of almost every youth program that OKC offered. Melanie attended the ECC as a toddler, graduated from and taught at the religious school, and was on the Board for Ohr Kodesh’s USY chapter. After graduating from Towson University with a B.S. in Mass Communications in the spring of 2022, she is back to work at the synagogue. Melanie is a very positive person and possesses great organizational, research and communication skills. In her free time, she enjoys finding new restaurants to visit and researching new recipes to cook.
Email: MWinick@OhrKodesh.org
Mia Kaufman, Young Children Engagement Specialist
Mia Kaufman is excited to come back to the Ohr Kodesh team as the Young Children Engagement Specialist. In the past, she taught seventh grade at ABRS and has helped with High Holiday youth services. She grew up in Baltimore County and currently resides in Washington, DC. During the week, she is a special education teacher in Montgomery County. In her free time, she enjoys long-distance running, playing board games, hiking, and trying out new recipes for Shabbat.
Meirav Steinlauf, Teen Engagement Associate
Meirav Steinlauf joined the OKC community in 2023 as the leader of Next Dor Minyan; a 6th grade teacher in the Alvin Browdy Religious School; a substitute for the Early Childhood Center; and as a facilitator for children’s programming. With a bachelor’s in Religious Studies from Temple University, Meirav has been a Jewish educator in Hebrew schools and camps since 2013. She loves art, theater, and makeup, and is the proud cat-mom to Delilah!
Laila Akselrad, Shaliach (Israel Emmisary)
Laila was born in La Plata, Argentina, but her family moved to Spain soon after, where they lived for 10 years. When she was 12, Laila’s family made aliyah and lived in Kfar Saba. In 2019, she enlisted in the Israeli army and served as a commanding officer in the first phase of training for air force troops, a role in which she taught the soldiers values and love for the country. Her passions are education, dance, and exploring the world and different cultures. She is excited to bring her fields of knowledge to this wonderful community.
Email: laila@moedcommunity.org
