Matt Rissien

Director of Congregational Learning
matt@templejeremiah.org

Matt grew up in Overland Park, KS and moved to the Chicagoland area in 2012. He joins the Temple Jeremiah team with over 6 years of experience as Director of Young and Young Family Engagement at Congregation Beth Shalom in Northbrook, two years as the Midwest Managing Director at IsraelLINK/StandWithUs and many Hebrew school teaching opportunities around the Chicagoland area. He also has a Masters in Jewish Professional Studies from the Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership.

After graduating from the University of Kansas (Go Jayhawks), Matt spent a year working at a Jewish boarding school in Greensboro, NC called the American Hebrew Academy. Following that year, he moved to Chicago where he met his wife Brittany just a week after moving! Brittany being a middle school teacher, they both continue to share a love for education and a passion for Judaism and Tikkun Olam.

Since moving to Chicago in 2012, Matt has been honored with multiple awards from the community. He was honored to have been named one of JUF’s 36 under 36 top Jewish Professionals in 2014 as well as the LEAD award recipient in 2018 for being voted the top Jewish Youth Professional in the Chicagoland area. Matt also sits on the national board for JTEEN (Jewish Teen Engagement Network), the Israel Committee for JUF’s Young Leadership Division and the Midwest Israel Bonds New Leadership committee.

Matt joins the Temple Jeremiah team with an excitement to interact with the students and to ensure that everyone of all ages loves being a part of the Temple Jeremiah community. Please feel free to reach out to Matt with any questions about our school, education programs or just to say hello!

Fern Kamen, FTA

Executive Director Emerita 
ferniemae@gmail.com

Fern Kamen has been the Executive Director Emerita for several years. Fern came to Jeremiah in 1980 as Executive Director and oversaw the rapid growth of our community. During her time as Executive Director, she oversaw numerous programs and projects including two capital campaigns and complete renovation of our building which made all of our spaces accessible.

Fern Kamen served two terms as president of the National Association for Temple Administration (NATA) and also served as an executive board member of NATA. Fern is a past national board member of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) and past president of the Chicago Association of Temple Administrators (CATA). In addition, she chaired the Leadership Service Awards and Consulting Service, a joint venture of NATA and the URJ.

Anne M. Lidsky, Ph.D., RJE

Director of Congregational Learning Emerita
anne@templejeremiah.org

Anne received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Northeastern Illinois State University and her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Northwestern University. She taught in Chicago for several years and was a religious and Hebrew teacher for twelve years at Temple Emanuel and Am Shalom. Anne was principal at Temple Beth Israel and Director of Counseling at Solomon Schechter Day School in Skokie.

Anne and her husband, Jerry, lived in Israel for three years, 1972 – 75 and remain ardent supporters of Israel, loving the people and the land. Whenever possible, Anne travels back to Israel, either with family or as staff on teen trips.

Since Anne joined Temple Jeremiah, she has been active in the Chicago area Jewish community, creating meaningful, caring relationships that not only have enriched her life, but have enriched our Center for Learning at Temple Jeremiah. She is currently serving on the Rabbinic, Educator, Cantor Advisory committee for OSRUI, and has been on the camp faculty since 1981. In 1990, Anne received her Reform Jewish Education certification, the highest degree of recognition that an education director can receive at the national level under the auspices of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ).

She was chosen as one of the 1998 recipients of the Covenant Foundation Award designed to honor outstanding Jewish educators. The Covenant Foundation Award is the most prestigious award that a Jewish educator can receive in the United States or Canada.

Anne and Jerry live in Northbrook and have two married daughters/sons-in-law and five beloved grandchildren.