Staff Page

Andrew Getraer

Executive Director

Andrew Getraer was born in Geneva, Switzerland and grew up in Queens, Westchester, and Greens Farms, CT. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College and the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. He met his amazing wife Jean at Dartmouth and Hillel was an important part of their journey together. They live in Highland Park with their five children, Sandy, Alec, Benjy, Lindsay, and Sarah and their dog Colby. Arnold Schwarzenegger once sent him a Christmas tree in the mail.

email: Andrew@rutgershillel.org

Rabbi Esther Reed

Senior Associate Director

Rabbi Esther Reed grew up in East Brunswick, NJ. A graduate of Bryn Mawr College, she received both her master’s degree in Jewish Women’s Studies and Rabbinic Ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. She is a Conservative rabbi and lives in Highland Park with her husband, Mordy Schwartz, and three sons: Isaac, Sammy and Jonah.

email: RabbiReed@rutgershillel.org

Rabbi Victor Appell

Reform Community Rabbi & Senior Jewish Educator

Rabbi Victor Appell, a native New Yorker, received his master’s in Hebrew Literature from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion, from which he also received his Rabbinic Ordination. He lives in Metuchen with his husband, Colin Hogan, and their two sons, Avi and Lev. Prior to entering the rabbinate, Rabbi Appell worked in the apparel industry.

email: RabbiVictor@RutgersHillel.org

Rabbi Tzvi Wohlgelernter

OU-JLIC Educator

Tzvi Wohlgelernter grew up in Toronto. He studied in Yeshivat Sha’alvim for two years. After which he served in the Nachal Brigade of the IDF. Then after marrying Tali, he went on to receive a BA in psychology from the Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois. He has semicha (rabbinic ordination) from Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh and Rabbi Zalman Nechemia Goldberg, and is on his way to receiving semicha from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. Tzvi is also a certified psychotherapist from the Family Institute of Jerusalem. Over the last year and half Tzvi has served as the Interim Rabbi for Beit Knesset Ohel Ari in Ra’anana. He enjoys hockey and jamming with his guitar.

email: RabbiTzvi@RutgersHillel.org

Tali Wohlgelernter

OU-JLIC Educator

Tali Wohlgelernter grew up in Chicago. She studied at Sha’alvim for women for a year and a half. From there Tali received her BA in Judaic studies from the Anne Blitstein Teachers Institue. After moving to Israel in 2010, Tali began working as a photographer and make-up artist. Over the last 3 years Tali has been teaching in a gap year program for post high school girls, called Midreshet Torat Chessed. Additionally Tali is a certified teacher of family purity from Tzohar. The Wohlgelernters have 4 beautiful daughters, Dodi, Sophie, Atara and Sara Rena.

email: Tali@RutgersHillel.org

Adva Ripple Solomon

Jewish Agency Israel Fellow

Adva Ripple Solomon grew up in Israel and served in Ministry of Defense and the Israeli Navy. Adva holds LLB in Law and BA in Government from IDC Herzliya, and now in the process of obtaining her Masters in Counter-Terrorism and Homeland Security. She has worked in the Diamond Bourse, in fashion, a law firm and was a manager in two businesses specializing in an after school activities for kids. When Adva was in high-school she helped found Krembo Wings, a youth movement for Children with and without disabilities. She was a coordinator and volunteer for 5 years at Hillel IDC, and has been working and involved with AEPi Israel since its early days to this day. She love sports especially soccer, hockey, and surfing.

email: adva@RutgersHillel.org

Ryan Siegel

IACT Coordinator for Birthright Israel

Ryan lives in Staten Island and is a graduate of Brooklyn College Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Political Science. He has been to Israel eight times in the last four years, including as staff for five birthright trips. He loves to talk about politics and law. One day he hopes to be a lawyer. He loves to travel and hopes to visit every continent in the future.

email: ryan@rutgershillel.org

Trent Works

Springboard Fellow

Trent is originally from Newark, Delaware and a graduate of the University of Delaware with a degree in History. As an undergraduate student he served as a student leader at the University of Delaware Hillel. In the future, Trent plans on attending rabbinical school as well as traveling to as many art museums as possible.

email: trent@rutgershillel.org

Emily Cobert

JTS Rabbinic Intern

Emily Cobert is in her fourth year of rabbinical school at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Prior to rabbinical school, she received her Masters in Jewish Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary. She loves Torah study and she hopes to help others find their own voice within Torah by creating a warm and welcoming learning environment. Emily hopes to achieve this through her training in pastoral care as she continues her studies in the Certificate program in Pastoral Care and Counseling this year. She lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

email: emcobert@jtsa.edu

Barbara Josephs Cohen

Senior Development Officer

Barbara Josephs Cohen has been at Rutgers Hillel since 2003 when she orchestrated the year-long “Israel Inspires” Initiative. She lives in West Orange with her husband, Michael, whom she met when they were both freshmen at Tufts University. They are the proud parents of Jonathan and Matthew and grandparents to adorable Gavi.

email: BarbaraC@rutgershillel.org

Rachel Podhorcer

Office Administrator

Rachel Podhorcer grew up in Swampscott, MA and is a graduate of Brandeis University, where she received her BA in Music Performance. She is a violinist and is passionate about music education. Rachel lives in Highland Park with her husband, Ari, a Rutgers Hillel alum. Rachel loves to travel, read good books, and go to museums.

email: rachel@rutgershillel.org

Madlenne Lalush

Facility Manager

Madlenne grew up in Akko, Israel, and fulfilled her love of the sea by serving in the Israeli Navy. She studied accounting and worked as an accountant at Leumi Bank, Discount Bank, and in the stock market. Madlenne also has 30 years of experience in building management and catering businesses. She has two beautiful kids: Shai has a heating and air conditioning company and Shelley is in nursing school. Madlenne also has a new granddaughter, Kelley. Madlenne has many talents, including interior design and jewelry design.

email: madlenne@rutgershillel.org