laurie kestelman, executive director

Laurie Kestelman has been serving our congregation since 2008, first as Interim Executive Director and then as Capital Campaign Coordinator and Director of Member Services. She has been working for Jewish organizations in Milwaukee for over 20 years. In fact her professional Jewish communal work began with the congregation as Group Services Coordinator. In that role, she organized havurot and self-help groups, synagogue and community programs, and helped connect congregants to community agencies and services. Originally from New York, Laurie has had stops along the way in New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Buffalo. Before being drawn into Jewish communal work she worked for the Girl Scouts, specializing in volunteer leadership training and programming.

Laurie holds a Bachelor of Science degree in education from Temple University in Philadelphia and a Masters degree from Temple in Educational Psychology. She also is an artist who works and teaches fiber arts and jewelry design. Laurie and husband Bruce have a grown daughter, Amy, who is a successful product of the congregation’s religious school.