Sinai Staff
Get to know us
Rabbi Andrew Vogel - Senior Rabbi
Rabbi Andrew Vogel has served Temple Sinai as our rabbi since 2004.
Rabbi Vogel was ordained as a rabbi from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York in 1998. He has served as the chair of the Boston Area Reform Rabbis (BARR), a member of the board of trustees of Mayyim Hayyim Community Mikveh, a member of CJP’s Commission on Jewish Life and Learning, and is co-chair of the rabbinic cabinet for Boston’s J Street chapter. He is also an active member of the Brookline Clergy Association.
Before coming to Temple Sinai, Rabbi Vogel also served Temple Kol Emeth in Marietta, GA, and then as associate rabbi at Temple Shir Tikva in Wayland, MA. Rabbi Vogel earned a B.A. from Brandeis University, and studied at other institutions of higher learning, including The Hebrew University in Jerusalem and Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. During his student years, Rabbi Vogel was the Family Educator at Central Synagogue in Manhattan and student rabbi at Temple Israel in Laconia, New Hampshire, and held a rabbinic internship at the Center for Leadership and Learning (CLAL).
Contact Rabbi Vogel by phone 617-277-5888, ext. 2 or by email
Rabbi Talia Stein - Associate Rabbi
Rabbi Talia Stein joined Temple Sinai in July 2019 as our student rabbi and transitioned to Assistant Rabbi in July 2020, after her ordination from Hebrew College Rabbinical School. Now Associate Rabbi, her primary responsibilities focus on building and deepening engagement with current and potential members, supporting and guiding the work of Tzedek@Sinai, community organizing, and our social justice efforts at large, and participating in the leadership of Shabbat and holiday prayer and rituals.
After completing her Master’s in Public Policy at the University of Maryland, Rabbi Stein worked as a community organizer in Chicago. She then served as the Director of Jewish Student Life at the University of Washington in Seattle, and led their highly successful work in building engagement among not only students but faculty and professionals in the Seattle area. As a rabbinic student, she continued to expand and deepen her social justice capabilities, completing fellowships with T’ruah: the Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, both domestically and in Israel. Before joining us at Temple Sinai, she supported the development of a new social justice lay team at Temple Beth Shalom in Needham.
Contact Rabbi Stein by phone at 617-277-5888, ext. 6 or by email.
Jen Zak - Director of Education
Jen Zak is the Director of Education of Sinai Brookline. She is currently a graduate student in the Executive Master’s Program in Jewish Educational Leadership at the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion. She also earned her JD with pro bono distinction. Prior to joining Temple Sinai, Jen taught at Temple Beth Sholom in Arizona. She is excited to be part of the Temple Sinai community, continuing to develop our strong programs and explore creative avenues for innovation in our school. In her free time, Jen loves spending time with her two children and enjoys music (she plays flute and piano). She loves Judaism and the way it inspires her to be a lifelong learner.
Contact Jen by phone at 617-277-5883, or by email.
Rabbi Emeritus Frank M. Waldorf started at Temple Sinai in 1974, teaching Torah in synagogue services, in adult education, and in the religious school. He was ordained on the Cincinnati Campus of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1964. For four years he was an Army Chaplain including three years in Frankfurt, Germany. He came to Temple Sinai, looking for a smaller congregation where he could really get to know the congregants on an individual basis; and it would be very hard to find one member or even the occasional visitor to the synagogue who could honestly say that Rabbi Waldorf didn’t make the effort to get to know them. Rabbi Waldorf retired in 2004, but he is still engaged in the Sinai community as Rabbi Emeritus.
Contact Rabbi Waldorf by email.
Craig Sumberg, the Temple’s Interim Executive Director, joined the temple staff in April 2023 upon the retirement of long-time Executive Director Linda Katz. Craig is responsible for day-to-day operations of the Temple, overseeing the facility and financial management. He also handles Temple communications, including editing and writing the weekly electronic newsletter. Craig has broad experience in the Jewish communal world, having worked at the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona, the Sixth & I Synagogue in Washington, DC, PANIM: The Institute for Jewish Leadership and Values, and the National Jewish Coalition for Literacy. Craig’s primary executive experience was in the world of performing arts, where he served as Executive Director of the Fox Tucson Theatre Foundation.
Contact Craig by phone at 617-277-5888, ext. 5, or by email.
Sam Tygiel Sinai Brookline’s Rabbinic Intern is a student in Hebrew College’s rabbinic program. A talented musician and singer, Sam serves as our vocalist for some of our Shabbat, High Holy Day, and holiday services, our Shirah/Music Teacher in our Religious School, and the leader of our monthly Tot Shabbat services. Sam comes to Temple Sinai after serving at several other congregations in the Boston area and was musician in-residence at the Rising Song Jewish Music Residency in Philadelphia
Paul Kelly is the Temple’s Administrative Assistant. He provides support for Rabbi Vogel, the Board, and Temple members.
Contact Paul Kelly in the Temple office by phone at 617-277-5888, ext 3, or by email.
Kathy Arnstein is the Office Assistant. She schedules oneg Shabbats and provides administrative support for various Temple programs.
Contact Kathy Arnstein by email.
Isaiah Hopper is the Administrative Assistant for Temple Sinai’s Religious School. He manages the administrative tasks involved in the day-to-day operations of our school and youth programming.
Contact Isaiah by email
Mario Calderon has served Temple Sinai as Custodian for more than 35 years.
Ron Luce, our weekend custodian, joined Temple Sinai’s staff in 2009.