Jan began work at OZ as the Accounting Manager in January of 2008 and was promoted to Interim Executive Director one year later.  Born and raised in Washington State, Jan earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Washington State University in Pullman and an MBA from the Seattle campus of the University of Puget Sound.  She and her husband, Tim, and their 15-year-old daughter, Sarah, moved to Burlington in 2003 when Tim accepted a psychology professorship at the University of Vermont.  Jan has worked for more than 20 years in the financial field, in both the non-profit and private sectors.  Most recently, Jan completed an 11-year tenure as the controller of a Tucson, Arizona-based mortgage lender, having served the last five years working remotely from Burlington.  While enjoying her time at her last job, Jan was ready to rejoin the non-profit world in a position that would allow her to put both her financial and people skills to good use.  In particular, Jan is excited about working with the diverse individuals who make up our congregation.

Raul has been with the synagogue over 20 years. Prior to his work at OZ he owned his own bus touring business in Guatemala. As the Facilities Manager for the synagogue, Raul's responsibilities range from daily maintenance of the facility and grounds, serving on the House Committee, managing the kitchen, and serving on the Capital Campaign Construction oversight committee to managing the coordination of life cycle events and holiday events. He also delights in the children of Ohavi Zedek and makes time during Hebrew School hours to help with snacks, play or the invariable need for bandaids or a caring listener. The b'nai mitzvot often mentions him during their speeches with great appreciation for his care and wisdom. He lives with his wife Kathy Guevara in Hinesburg. They have three daughters, one son in law and one granddaughter, Katrina, Suzie, Maria, Drew and little Isabella.

Anouk Mackenzie comes to us most recently from the San Francisco Bay Area, where she had been working for nonprofits such as The Watershed Project and The Regeneration Project in various administrative capacities.    Originally from the UK, Anouk brings to us a multitude of valuable skills, including grant and media writing, editing, and proficiencies in publishing, database management, and web management applications.  She is also working on her MFA in Creative Writing, with a focus on poetry, at The Vermont School of Fine Arts.   We are fortunate to have her warmth and capability in our front office, where she is taking on The Voice and Hebrew School administration in addition to the wide variety of administrative tasks.   Anouk is becoming a very valuable part of the OZ professional team, and we’re very happy to have her here. 

Kate Hanson is a longtime Vermonter who comes to OZ after working for Recycle North for seven years, most recently as their Financial Director.   In her capacity as the part-time bookkeeper for OZ, Kate is utilizing all her skills in payroll, accounts receivable and payable and organizational administration to insure that our transactions with our members and staff are accurate, carefully organized and always treated with confidentiality.  In addition to her proficiency at our financial tasks, Kate also has a degree in graphic design, and as a dedicated OZ team player she has frequently been called upon to help on projects that have nothing to do with her bookkeeping expertise.   Since she joined OZ in March of this year, Kate has come a long way in learning the intricacies of synagogue bookkeeping, and we have come to depend on her dedication and care. 

Molly Ritvo is OZ’s new Membership and Outreach Coordinator. Molly grew up in nearby Montpelier, where she attended and taught at Beth Jacob Synagogue. Molly graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University in 2005 with a BA in English and Judaic Studies and also recently completed her MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College. While living in Boston, Molly worked as a reporter and editor at The Jewish Advocate and as an editorial assistant at JVibe, a magazine for Jewish teens. She has also worked as a writing tutor for high school and college students. Molly moved to Burlington in December and is delighted to have discovered OZ.  She is grateful for how warm OZ’s members are and she is really looking forward to getting to know as many people as she can. Please say hello to her the next time you come to the office.

Miriam Sturgis is the Youth Director at Ohavi Zedek Synagogue as well as the advisor for the Bogrim group. Miriam has been leading Young Judaea groups at OZ for the last nine years. She loves the opportunity to help educate our youth about Judaism, Israel and Tikkun Olam. When not leading YJ, Miriam works as a family physician at the Georgia Health Center. She lives in Essex, is married to Gary and is the mother of Talia, Rebecca and Ariela. Call her if you want to help with YJ or have any questions about the Bogrim club or other YJ programs, such as summer camps or Israel programs. 879-0463.

Fran Pomerantz is the Assistant Youth Director at Ohavi Zedek Synagogue. Her degree is in Botany and Environmental Studies from UVM. She lives in Richmond with her husband Keith Kasper. Her children are Alex, Shaina and Hannah, who have all been involved in Young Judaea. Fran has also served on the Young Judaea Board. She's very involved in her children's education. She's been an at home mom for years and is a substitute teacher for the Richmond schools. 434-3443.