Partnership for Congregational Rabbinic Search

PCRS

The Partnership for Congregational Rabbinic Search is the decision-making body for rabbinic pulpit placement in the Conservative movement. It consists of members from the Jewish Theological Seminary, the Rabbinical Assembly, the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, and the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies.

	Rabbi Jeffrey Abraham (co-chair) Jeffrey Abraham is the Senior Rabbi at Congregation B’nai Amoona in St. Louis, MO where he has served since 2020. He has also served as Senior Rabbi at Congregation Agudas Achim in San Antonio, Texas and Congregation Sons of Israel in Nyack, New York. Abraham is the first member of the clergy to be awarded San Antonio Business Journal’s prestigious recognition “40 Under 40.” He served on the Executive Council of our RA from 2017-2023 and has served on the Joint Placement Commission, now PCRS since 2019. He also was the co-chair for the initial committee in working to strengthen ties between our RA and USCJ, and was on the Strategic Planning Committee for our RA. Abraham has received dozens of awards for his work in revitalizing and growing his synagogues. He was also a contestant on The American Bible Challenge game show with Jeff Foxworthy.
	Rabbi Ari Averbach Ari Averbach (Ziegler 2015) was the rabbinic intern at Valley Beth Shalom in Encino, Assistant Rabbi at Congregation Beth Shalom of Northbrook, IL, and now serves as senior rabbi of Temple Etz Chaim in Thousand Oaks, CA. He is on the board of the Schulweis Institute and the Clinical Ethics Advisory Committee at Los Robles Hospital.
	Jeri Fishman Jeri Fishman was elected to the USCJ Board in 2024, after serving as the chair-elect and chair from 2021-2025 of the USCJ Central District Council. She is a past president of the congregation and the Sisterhood at Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield, Michigan. She currently serves on the board of Jewish Family Service as well as the Board of Directors of Shaarey Zedek, its cemetery and Sisterhood, where she is also an active member of several committees. Jeri was also elected in 2025 as Board Chair of DBG Detroit, which is an after school education program for children in the city of Detroit. Jeri is a retired caseworker and Court Assigned Probation Agent of the Michagan Department of Corrections. In her spare time she enjoys working out, photography, traveling and the arts. Jeri is the proud mother of two children, Eric and Rachel. She lives in Southfield, Michigan with her husband, Steve Fishman.
	Mindy Gordon (staff) Mindy Gordon is in her 12th year as the Synagogue Consultant for the Central District of USCJ. She is a product of the Conservative Movement and a lifelong member of N.S.S. Beth El in Highland Park, IL. She was an active USYer, went on USY Israel Pilgrimage and was a camper, staff member and Board member at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin. Gordon is a a graduate of Tufts University and The University of Chicago Law School and attended The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She also took part in the Wexner Heritage Program from 2006-2008.
	Rabbi Susan Leider Susan Leider was the first woman to be a senior rabbi at a Northern California Conservative congregation, (Congregation Kol Shofar) and the first woman to be Associate Rabbi at Temple Beth Am, Los Angeles. She was ordained by the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies. Now working as an independent rabbi, she has multiple RA roles: an Executive Council member, a Career Coach, a Mishpahah facilitator and a participant in the Racial Justice and Progressive Zionists Groups. A contributing writer to exploringjudaism.org, she is also a part of the Roots Clergy Council, a network of Palestinians and Israelis living in the West Bank. A graduate of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality Clergy Leadership Program, she leads virtual daily meditations.
	Brian Levey Brian Levey was a long time Board Member and Executive Vice President at Congregation Beth El in Yardley, PA and led three rabbinic searches over his 20-year tenure there. Professionally, Levey worked in high tech as an executive in sales, marketing, and new business development roles. Currently, he volunteers as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for foster children in Mercer County, NJ.
	Marcy Lidman Marcy has been part of five rabbinic searches at Temple Emunah in Lexington, Massachusetts, her spiritual home and in absentia family for 35 years. She is a past congregational President and continues to serve in many capacities, including Haftarah coordinator, Darshan mentor for b'mitzvah students, and Sunday night minyan leader. She is mostly retired from a career in organizational and leadership development in a non-profit healthcare systerm. Marcy is now focused on volunteer work within her congregation as well as at Mayyim Hayyim open Mikveh and Educational Center, the local community Hevra Kadisha, facilitating conversation groups for new English speakers, and supporting food local insecurity. She plays Pickleball weekly on Sunday morning in the Kosher Dills league.
	Emily Neyor (staff) Ms. Neyor has been with the Rabbinical Assembly since 2014. She received a B.S. in Psychology and B.A. in Sociology from the University of Florida. She went on to Brooklyn Law School, where she received her J.D. in 2013, was admitted to the New York and New Jersey Bars, and practiced civil defense litigation before joining the RA Staff. Her extensive experience in both conflict resolition, negotiation, counseling, and contract recview made her a great choice for the Career Center. She completed a 120-hour course called Facilitating Career Development, run through the National Career Development Association, and received a Certified Career Services Provider (CCSP) credential. She was also a fitness instructor for 13 years and loves Orangetheory.
	Rabbi Cheryl Peretz Since 2001, Cheryl Peretz has served as one of the deans of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, teaching, counseling, advising and programming. For more than 20 years, she has worked with rabbis and organizations on issues of placement and leadership development. As a teacher, she trains rabbis in Jewish law and in practical rabbinics. In addition to her work at AJU, Peretz has served as a pulpit rabbi in the Los Angeles area. She has been a High Holiday guest rabbi in multiple cities. She has also published articles in several books and publications. Peretz is a 1988 graduate of the double degree program between Barnard College and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.
	Margie Pomerantz (co-chair) Margie Pomerantz is a long time USCJ Board Member where she has served as a Vice President, International Secretary, Chair of the Human Resources Committee, Joint Steering Committee and has been involved with many RA/USCJ alignment projects. She is a former president of her synagogue, Congregation Beth David in Saratoga, CA. Professionally, Pomerantz worked in high tech in many functions including Human Resources, training, professional services and consulting.
	Rabbi Stephanie Ruskay Stephanie Ruskay is the Associate Dean of the JTS Rabbinical School. She has made her career in the Jewish social justice sector. She served in leadership positions at American Jewish World Service, Auburn Theological Seminary, AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps, and JOIN for Justice. She directs field education and entrepreneurial endeavors and is focused on raising the scope and profile of social justice work and community organizing skills in the role of the contemporary rabbi.
	Rabbi Michael Safra Michael Safra is the Senior Rabbi of B'nai Israel in Rockville, Maryland. He received his BA in history and Judaic studies from the Univerity of Michigan, and holds a Master's Degree in Bible from the Graduate School at JTS. Committed to the Jewish community as a whole, Rabbi Safra is a past president of the Rabbinical Assembly Washington/Baltimore region. He serves or has served on the boards of the Den Collective, Jewish Coalition Against Domestic Abuse (JCADA), Makom (formerly Jewish Foundation for Group Homes), Camp Ramah in New England, and the National Rabbinic Cabinet of Israel Bonds.