American Friends of Am Yisrael Echad/Jewish Youth United. American Friends of Am Yisrael Echad/Jewish Youth United promotes and develops programs aimed at building understanding and bridging gaps between secular and religious Jews. Howard Spilko, Andrew Ward, Michael Brooks, Dana Katz, and Anna Krasnostein provide general corporate advice. Howard serves on the organization’s advisory board of governors.

Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun. Jonathan Wagner represents Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun, one of the leading Modern Orthodox congregations in Manhattan, in litigation and other matters.

Congregation K’hal Adath Jeshurun. Avram Cahn advises Congregation K’hal Adath Jeshurun, a prominent Orthodox congregation, on general corporate and employment matters, including with respect to the Congregation’s kashrus-supervisory activities.

Congregation Ohab Zedek. Michael Mayerfeld assisted the seven hundred member Congregation Ohab Zedek with various corporate governance and employment matters. Larry Loeb, Natan Hamerman, Phillip Manela, and Ronald Greenberg also assisted the Congregation in negotiating, memorializing, and effectuating the timely termination of a tenancy in one of the Congregation’s properties that was needed for the Congregation’s ongoing operations.

Congregation Sya. Joshua Brody assisted Congregation Sya in connection with its incorporation as a nonprofit corporation and in ongoing general corporate matters.

Friends of Historic St. Peter’s. Melissa Blades and Helayne Stoopack are representing Friends of Historic St. Peter’s, an association restoring and preserving a late 1700’s church in upstate Spencertown, New York, in applying for IRC section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. Tom Moreland is a trustee of Friends.

Interfaith Neighbors. Tom Janover and Alex Kaufman advised this New York-based nonprofit corporation in connection with the winding up of its affairs and its dissolution. Lynne Feibelmann, a corporate paralegal, significantly contributed to our efforts.

JCRC of New York. The core mission of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York is to protect and enhance the quality of life of the New York Jewish community, and of all New Yorkers. To accomplish its goals, the JCRC commits a significant portion of its resources to its community-bridging programs, emphasizing the values and interests that unite all New Yorkers. Ezra Levin, the immediate past President of the JCRC, has consulted on governance matters, and serves on its Council of Advisors and on the Board of CAUSE New York, an affiliated entity.

Jewish Community Center of Manhattan. The Jewish Community Center of Manhattan is a nonprofit organization that serves the needs of the local Jewish Community. In addition to a variety of adult education classes in the arts and Jewish culture, the JCC offers an array of family programs and workshops. Erica Klein and Carole Klinger assisted the JCC with trademark matters relating to the JCC’s “Israel Non-Stop” arts program.

Magen David of Union Square. Magen David of Union Square is a newly formed synagogue on 16th Street founded with the goal of fostering the customs of Sephardic Jews in downtown Manhattan. Abe Safdie provides general corporate representation and serves as a member of the board.

Netivot Shalom, Inc. Netivot Shalom, Inc. is a synagogue in northern New Jersey. Barry Herzog served as president of the synagogue. Barry and Blake Rigel provided ongoing legal advice to the organization.

Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding. The Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding works to prevent verbal and physical violence perpetrated in the name of religion and seeks to make religion a source of dialogue and reconciliation rather than division. Bob Heller is Secretary of the Center and a member of its Board and provides corporate counsel or supervision on a variety of legal issues. Legal work this year included several governance matters and counseling in connection with employment matters.

Union for Reform Judaism. The Union for Reform Judaism (formerly the Union of American Hebrew Congregations) represents over 900 Reform Jewish congregations in North America, with over 1.5 million members. The URJ provides leadership, vision, and programmatic resources to Reform congregations and their members. Among other things, the URJ operates 11 summer camps, runs extensive youth travel and study programs in Israel, provides curricular materials and support for Reform supplementary and day schools as well as resources for adult Jewish learners, helps congregations develop outreach and membership retention programs, provides management and financial training resources for congregations and enables congregational leaders to network and share best practices. It is the patron of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, the Reform seminary and academic center of progressive Judaism in the United States and Israel, and the URJ works through the World Union for Progressive Judaism to build Reform congregations in Israel and around the world. Together with the Central Conference of American Rabbis, which represents over 1,800 Reform rabbis, the URJ works to apply the insights of Jewish tradition to major societal concerns and acts to mobilize the American Jewish community on legislative and social policy matters through the Joint Commission on Social Action and its Religious Action Center based in Washington, D.C. Bob Heller, Immediate Past Chair of the URJ, counsels the URJ on internal governance, employment, and similar legal issues, and assists on amicus briefs and other public policy matters. He is a member of the Board of Governors of HUC-JIR and serves on its Law Committee. In addition, Bob has served as a lay adviser — providing both legal and general policy counsel — to the CCAR committee charged with reviewing and revising its Ethics Guidelines and Procedures for resolving ethics complaints involving rabbis.

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