Marc Cohen
President (he/him)
I have been a member of Congregation Kol Ami for 15 years. My husband and I raised three children in the temple—the youngest of whom just made Bar Mitzvah—and so my attachment runs deep. I am a longtime civil servant, having worked for over 20 years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Besides my current interim Board membership, I have served on the boards of other non-profit organizations. In seeking a full term on the Board, I want to be a part of this momentous time of transition in our temple. I have experience in bringing about organizational change, and in building collaboration and leadership to achieve positive outcomes. Our Kol Ami community has had an extraordinary first 30 years, and I’m excited to be a part of taking us into the future.
Matthew Adler
(he/him)
Matt has been part of the Kol Ami community for six years and a board member for one. Matt’s family joined Kol Ami when it was time to start Sunday School.
Matt is a native Angeleno and went to school at Pitzer College. He works in the insurance industry and has done so almost long enough that his first job was at Lloyds when it was just a coffee house. He currently works for AXA XL Insurance as a Large Loss Specialist. Matt is also on the board of the Westside JCC.
David Bernstein
(he / him)
I’ve been a participating member of our congregation for the last 24 years. I held a board position 22 years ago, and have rejoined in Summer 2025.
Over the years, I’ve worked on the membership and marketing committees. Updated the temple website, including sourcing a new vendor, transferring and updating every webpage. In recent years, my participation has been on the teams that created Break the Fast, 2024 and Passover Seder, 2025. My early career I held positions in TV production working at a local NBC Affiliate, on the 5, 6, and 11pm Newscast. Then held multiple positions in Home Entertainment, and Manager of Retail Development for 10+ years at multiple LA studios including Universal Studios and MGM Studios. I worked on National marketing and retail merchandise campaigns at many retailers including Wal-Mart, Target, Toys R Us, and Nordstrom. The next chapter was being a 10+ year franchisee of an amazing Ben & Jerry’s ice cream shop in downtown LA. My ownership was highlighted by a “franchisee of the year” award received in 2016. As a board member, I’m looking forward to speaking with my fellow congregation members about their ideas, and being with everyone both spiritually and socially.
B. Daniel Blatt
(he/him)
I have been a member of Congregation Kol Ami for almost seventeen years now, joining just after the High Holy Days in 2006. That was a challenging year for me, and Rabbi Denise Eger provided the comfort and counseling I then needed—while the shul provided a community of support. Through the shul, I learned about Jewish Big Brothers and have been a Big Brother to a fatherless Jewish boy for nine years. I have volunteered for nearly twenty summers as a Theater Manager at Outfest, an LGBT film festival. As Kol Ami moves to a new era with the search for a new rabbi, I hope to help our shul navigates the challenges ahead and find a path forward so that it remains a strong and vibrant community and a second home for some many Jewish Angelenos of so many diverse backgrounds.
Dr. Jane Drucker
(she/her)
I’ve been here since before the beginning. I was here when Kol Ami was just an idea, and I was here when we marched with our Sefer Torahs into our beautiful building for the very first time. I’ve seen many congregants come, and I’ve borne the pain of losing many temple friends who had become family to me. I’ve celebrated High Holy Days, Purims, Seders, and many many Shabbats. I’ve attended meetings, classes, and funerals with you. I’ve unjammed the copier, typed names into the mishebeirach and Kaddish lists, and polished silver. Over the years, I’ve served on various committees and pillars, I’ve studied and prayed and proudly marched with Kol Ami. My wife, the incomparable Leesa Freed, and I met at the sanctuary door.
By trade, I have worn many hats: teacher, learning specialist, counselor, network censor, writer, public speaker, program organizer, and I continue to maintain a small Life Transitions Coaching practice. I have held and still hold leadership positions in numerous professional and civic organizations. I believe in showing up but not showing off, treating everyone equally, and always being true to my word. And I believe in clapping to the music.
Hope Faust
(she/her)
For nearly 30 years, Kol Ami has been central to my life — the place where I met and married my beloved Carolyn, raised our daughter Sarah, and mourned my dear mother, Adair; a community that has embraced three generations of my family through worship, celebration, and remembrance. My heart is deeply woven into our congregational life. Serving on the Board during the planning and construction of our permanent home on La Brea, studying in the inaugural B’nai Mitzvah Class, and sounding the Shofar during the High Holy Days – a role especially dear to me – have all deepened my commitment to Jewish learning, tradition, and service. I’ve cherished creating innovative community events such as the Annual Break the Fast and Music of the Menorah, as well as leading initiatives like Women of Kol Ami, the Mitzvah Group, and our Membership Directory — each one strengthening the bonds that make our community vibrant, bringing us together in fun and meaningful ways. It is an honor to be elected to the Board of Trustees. As both a realtor and architect, I bring experience and skills in planning, design, promotion, and creative problem-solving. Working alongside our Board, Rabbi Reznick, and members, I look forward to helping shape an even greater spiritual home for Kol Ami to ensure a vibrant future -L’dor Vador, from generation to generation.
Adam M. Greenwald
(he/him)
Adam M. Greenwald, MBA , is a fundraising professional with more than 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, specializing in annual and major giving, donor relations, campaign management, and strategic communication. He holds an MBA from Arizona State University, a DEI Certificate from Cornell, a Certificate in Fundraising from NYU, and a BA in Psychology and Art History from Brandeis University. He also completed advanced training in major gifts and serves on his alma mater’s alumni board. A proud father, grandson of a Holocaust survivor, and social justice advocate, Adam enjoys exploring Southern California with his fiancé, spending time with his kids, and cheering on the Dodgers.
Kegan Jones
(he/him)
I started attending Kol Ami, along with my fiance Rachel, in early 2022 shortly after moving to the neighborhood, and it quickly became a huge part of my life.
I serve as a member of the Open Yad Leadership Council, occasionally provide music at events and Shabbat services, help organize our Transgender/Nonbinary group, and had the immense privilege of serving on the Rabbinic Search Committee and helping to find Rabbi Lindy Reznick and bring her into the Kol Ami family.
During high school and college, I served on the Trevor Project’s Youth Advisory Council, the North Shore Alliance of GLBTQ Youth (NAGLY) Outreach & Education Team, and worked with the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition as a part of their Suicide Prevention Working Group. In my professional life, I work in VFX and Video Games as a Lead Technical Animator. I am profoundly honored to be a part of this Board and look forward to being a part of Kol Ami’s continued growth as it evolves into this new chapter of its history.
Martha Rosett
(she/her)
As a longtime member of Kol Ami, Martha Rosett is inspired by this community of LGBTQIA Jews and allies. She participated in, planned, and volunteered at various Kol Ami events. She has co-chaired two congregational retreats and a Shabbaton, participated in WOKA and the Women’s Circle events, and, most recently, have assisted in preparing for the Cabaret and Gala. Martha’s participation in the Jewish community began in nursery school, and she remained active in her reform congregation’s youth programs and choir through high school. This experience supported and strengthened her Jewish identity and commitment to Tikkun Olam. In San Francisco, she was active in lay leadership at Congregation Sha’ar Zahav, one of the original gay congregations. She also helped raise funds and awareness to send panels of the Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt to Israel for the first AIDS educational tour in that region. Martha’s professional life has included practicing law for 25 years, with many years as counsel for the California Department of Real Estate. After retiring from State service, she earned a master’s degree in psychology and currently work as an associate marriage and family therapist.
Philip Starr, Psy.D.
(he/him)
I was one of the original founding members of Congregation Kol Ami and served as a Member of the Board in the Board’s first term. Kol Ami has been a very meaningful part of my life and is where my husband and daughter were converted to Judaism, where my daughter had her bat mitzvah, and where recently a Memorial Service was held for my late husband. I know the importance of continued support and inclusion that Kol Ami provides its congregants and the greater community. My goal as Board Member is to support efforts to keep Kol Ami as a vibrant congregation, with amazing clergy and services. I fully support a transparent and fiscally responsible Board. I understand the Board will have a challenging job in this time of transition, I am committed to doing my share to sustain Congregation Kol Ami.
Michael Sugar
(he/him)
I would be honored to continue to serve on the Board of Trustees of Congregation Kol Ami. I have been a Kol Ami member for over 20 years. I believe the connection between our faith and what’s happening in the world and how we are called to contribute to making a better, more just world is the core of my Jewishness and my ongoing connection and commitment to Kol Ami. I have learned so much as a member of this community and l look forward to an ongoing opportunity to collaborate and learn together. I have worked for many years as an activist for social justice causes and have served as a board member on several organizations and committees in Los Angeles and nationally. I’ve been a lecturer on HIV/AIDS as part of the curriculum for USC Health Sciences programs for thirty years. Professionally, I enjoyed a long career in the entertainment industry, as a production manager at Warner Bros and previously at 20th Century Fox, The Walt Disney Studios, and ABC-TV.