Dear Friends,
Very shortly after Dr. Anne Lidsky announced her plans to retire, we were able to form an exceptional Search Committee to find her successor. This committee was chaired by our own Ross Wolfson, whose expertise in Human Resources was indispensable. The committee had representation from our teachers, our Board of Directors, and congregants at different stages of their membership. We vetted over two dozen candidates and ultimately interviewed six. Four superb candidates were chosen to then meet our Clergy and Senior Staff, in person. A unanimous choice became clear after those meetings and was then confirmed by the Search Committee. I am very proud to announce that Matt Rissien will be our next Director of Congregational Learning.
Matt is already well known in the Jewish education arena, with many local and regional connections. He brings a fresh spirit of humility, creativity, and energy to this role, qualities we have treasured at Temple Jeremiah, for years. I look forward to you having a chance to meet Matt in the coming months. He will officially begin on June 15, 2021.
Sincerely,
Scott Levin, MD, President
Beloved Friends,
When Anne first told be me that she was planning to retire this year my jaw hit the ground, I grasped my face with both hands and felt as if I was going to vomit. I could not comprehend what she was saying to me. Months have passed, as has the nausea, Anne has calmed me down and we have hired an amazing person, Matt Rissien, to be our new Director of Congregational Learning. How fortunate we have been to have the wisdom, the joy, the spirit, and the energy of our Anne Lidsky for these past 40 years. How fortunate we are that we have found the perfect person to take the baton and continue to build on this glorious legacy. Matt truly embodies and exudes what it means to be a mensch. Anne and Matt already have a wonderful relationship and she will be an integral part of ensuring a smooth and successful transition. I so deeply appreciate Ross Wolfson and our Search Committee for the hours and hours of work and the thoughtful insight each member of the committee brought that has culminated in such a wonderful way.
Cathy and I wish you all, Chag Sameach, Happy Passover,
Paul F. Cohen, Senior Rabbi
Temple Jeremiah Community,
My name is Matt Rissien and I am so excited to be joining the Jeremiah family! Over the past two years, I have worked with Anne Lidsky through my current job at IsraelLINK. I always admired the incredible educational program and the excitement and liveliness that I witnessed in just the few times I visited on a Sunday. There is no way to replace someone as amazing as Anne Lidsky, but I am excited to continue her legacy, building off of the current success of the school at a congregation that emphasizes community, innovative programming, and quality education.
I would love to share a little about myself. My wife Brittany grew up in Buffalo Grove and we met when I first moved from Kansas in 2012. I spent seven years as the Director of Youth and Young Family Programming at Congregation Beth Shalom in Northbrook. During my time at Beth Shalom, I stressed the importance of not just being part of the staff but also an active member of the congregation; something I look forward to at Temple Jeremiah as well. During my time at Beth Shalom, with the help of my staff, I nearly doubled the attendance of our youth programs, developing teen leaders who earned numerous awards throughout the years. I was honored to have been named one of JUF’s 36 under 36 top Jewish Professionals in 2014 as well as receiving the LEAD award in 2018 for being voted the top Jewish Youth Professional in the Chicagoland area. In 2019, I took on a newly created position in Israel education as the Midwest Managing Director for StandWithUs’ middle school department, IsraelLINK. In my time at IsraelLINK, I worked on curriculum development, teacher training, management, and public speaking. During COVID, I helped pivot our curriculum, grouping schools together to learn over 5 Zoom sessions that I taught and facilitated discussing Israel and identity. The sessions with the students at Temple Jeremiah were some of the best!
Now that you know a little about my background, I cannot wait for the chance to get to know all of you! I have a strong passion for building relationships and community. My wife and I have heard such wonderful things about Temple Jeremiah and are so excited to be a part of the family. One of my first goals as Director of Congregational Learning is to meet as many congregants and families as possible. As I begin to be present in the building after June 15th, whether in person or via Zoom, please reach out and introduce yourself and say hello! It is an honor to accept this position and I cannot wait to get started on June 15th.
Thank You,
Matt Rissien