Heritage Florida Jewish News - Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice

The Rosen JCC has named Joel Berger as the executive director effective Nov. 14, 2016. Berger will be responsible for overseeing all operations of the Rosen JCC, including developing and executing strategic plans to grow JCC membership, programs, funding and facilities.

Bonnie Rayman, who was the Rosen JCC's first executive director, resigned July 22 to move back to South Florida for a job opportunity and to be close to her family. Assistant Director Eric Lightman took over as interim executive director while the search process was underway.

"Working with the Rosen JCC's executive search committee, we vetted many candidates and felt Joel was the perfect fit for the executive director role due to his solid business acumen and proven track record working with Jewish organizations," said Jeff Imber, board president. "Joel has turned around multiple underperforming operations, orchestrated growth in membership and surpassed fundraising and program goals, all major initiatives for the Rosen JCC to focus on to take us into the future."

Berger comes to the Rosen JCC with a strong background in Jewish communal work in South Florida where he worked for the past 30 years. Most recently, Berger served three years as executive director at Temple Israel of Greater Miami and previously he served six years as executive director of Beth David Congregation in Miami, where he led the synagogue's successful 2012 centennial campaign. Prior roles include working as executive director at University of Miami Hillel and Beth Torah Benny Rok Campus.

An alumnus of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Berger holds an MBA in marketing and finance and a BS in management/management information decision systems.

 Berger is married to Gloria Gorman Berger, and together they have two children, Stephanie,16, and Lauren, 12.