Administrative Staff
Executive Director, Yolanda Potasinski: ypotasinski@cbst.org x811
Director of Development, Ann Targownik: atargownik@cbst.org x814
Director of Finance & Operations, Assaf Astrinsky: aastrinsky@cbst.org x812
Religious Services Coordinator, Patrice Ruel: pruel@cbst.org x813
Limmud Coordinator, Julie Seltzer: jseltzer@cbst.org x842
Assistant to Rabbi Kleinbaum, Tasha Calhoun: tcalhoun@cbst.org x875
Development Associate, Ruth Kleinman: rkleinman@cbst.org x816
Development Assistant, Jennifer Kleinbaum: development@cbst.org x816
Development Assistant, Candice Orr: assistant@cbst.org x818
Assistant to Executive Director, Chaz Macrina: cmacrina@cbst.org x810
Programs/Communications Manager, Nancy Nisselbaum: nnisselbaum@cbst.org x876
Limmud b'Shabbat Teachers
Ty Citerman, Limmud Teacher, Song Leader
Maya Orli Cohen, Limmud Teacher
Nora Isacoff, Limmud Teacher
Jennifer Kleinbaum, Limmud Teacher
Miya Rotstein, Limmud Teacher
Leah Singerman, Limmud Teacher
Earnest Vener, Limmud Teacher
About the Staff
Yolanda Potasinski, Executive Director
Yolanda Potasinski joined the staff at CBST as its Executive Director, in January of 2013. She previously served as President of CBST for five years, during a critical period, while CBST substantially increased its staff and budget, and began to professionalize its board. From 2003 to 2012, Yolanda served as the Executive Director of Habonim - a Conservative synagogue on the Upper West Side. Yolanda is a native of Caracas, Venezuela, where her family found refuge after World War II. Bi-lingual and fluent in both Spanish and English, Yolanda has a passion for building community between people of all walks of life. During her 17-year career in banking administration, Yolanda was an active member and volunteer at CBST. She obtained a certificate at the NYU George Heyman, Jr. Center of Philanthropy and Fundraising. Yolanda has a background that includes both extensive training and hands-on experience in organizational development, fundraising and programming. Yolanda also served as President and VP of Metro-Ase, the NY professional organization for synagogue directors. She resides in NYC with her son and daughter.
Ann Targownik, Director of Development
Contact Ann to chat about your connection to and support for the CBST sacred community and mission. Ann joined the CBST staff in July 2013, bringing a depth of successful professional and lay leadership experience. She served for five years as Director of Development at Shaaray Tefila, NYC, three years as Executive Director of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, NYC, five years as Executive Director of The Jewish Center of the Hamptons in East Hampton, NY and four years as president of Temple Israel Reform C
ongregation of Staten Island. She was a member of the Union for Reform Judaism, Greater NY Council's Leadership Development Committee and is a member of the National Association for Temple Administration, Reform Synagogue Development Professionals, was an officer of Metropolitan Association of Synagogue Executives, and is a member of ATID (Advancing Temple Institutional Development). She is author of, and has been quoted in, numerous articles on membership and fundraising and was a workshop presenter on annual giving at URJ National Biennial Conventions. Ann holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Pratt Institute's School of Architecture, Brooklyn, NY and has taught History and Architectural Design at the College of Staten Island. She founded and was principal of the award-winning architectural and interior design firm, Designers' Partnership. She and her husband reside in Manhattan.
Assaf Astrinsky, Director of Finance & Operations
Assaf Astrinsky, a longtime member of CBST, joined the staff in May 2013 shortly after returning from 9 years living in Israel. In Israel, Assaf served as the Director of the World Council of Jewish Communal Service (WCJCS) after completing his MBA in Not-for-Profit Management & Jewish Leadership at the Interdisciplinary Center, in Herzliya. Prior to moving to Israel, Assaf was the Director of Finance & Administration at the Center for Jewish History and the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, in New York. He also served as Business Manager at the Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra.
Patrice Ruel, Religious Services Coordinator
Born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, Patrice moved to New York in 2010 in pursuit of his Master’s Degree at Dowling College, Oakdale, NY. He soon began attending services at CBST, and fell in love with both the services and community. But before joining the staff, he would first work at Air France, and family owned business, Patriel C.A., dedicated to customs brokerage. Seeking sunnier skies, he made a move to South Florida, where he accepted a position as the Religious Services Director at a local congregation. His return to New York brought him back to CBST, but this time as a permanent member of its staff. His passion, as well as his sense of commitment and responsibility and his indelible warmth and unmistakable charm, solidify him as one of our most endeared.
Tasha Calhoun, Assistant to Rabbi Kleinbaum
Contact Tasha to schedule an appointment with Rabbi Kleinbaum for your general ritual questions, or to schedule a simcha. Born in Manhattan and raised in both Manhattan and the Bronx, she now lives in New Jersey. Tasha is the longtime Assistant to Rabbi Kleinbaum. She has been a CBST staff member, since November 1994, when she divided her time between CBST and a professional internship with a documentary film production company. Prior to joining the CBST staff, Tasha was an honor student at the University of Rochester and at Hunter College. She is the author and illustrator of the children’s book, "Avery’s Tooth and Treasure." When she is not at CBST, Tasha can be found raising her two beautiful children, Ethan and Avery, and working on her next children's book.
Chaz Macrina, Assistant to the Executive Director
Chaz joins CBST as the Assistant to Yolanda Potasinski. He has an eclectic background have worked exclusively in many areas of the non-profit world, such areas as: the arts, education, and social & community services including six years as the Assistant to the Director of Mental Health & Social Services, at the LBGT Center in New York City. His other passions are art, theatre, film, photography, writing, and religious studies including Kabbalah. Chaz grew up in Philadelphia and lives in Manhattan.
About the Educational Staff
Ty Citerman is a Brooklyn, NY-based guitarist, composer and music educator with eclectic interests that span the spectrum of jazz, rock, contemporary classical music, secular and spiritual. He has been leading songs in Jewish synagogues and community settings for nearly twenty years, including CBST since 2011. He has also worn a lay-cantorial-kippa at the JCC in Manhattan, the Village Temple, Kolot Chayeinu and the Jewish Community Project.
Nora Isacoff is excited to join the Limud staff and combine two of her greatest passions: teaching 
and CBST! Nora has a PhD in cognitive psychology focusing on language development, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in literacy education. At CBST, Nora serves as Vice Chair of Aleinu (20s/30s group) and sings in the chorus. Outside CBST, she works with children with special learning needs in her own practice, and is a research scientist at NYU, where she consults on education policy. Nora spends much of her free time playing with her dog, Sophie, in Prospect Park. Nora can be reached at nisacoff@cbst.org.
Jennifer Kleinbaum is honored to teach Kitah Yarok (Green) in addition to working as Development Assistant for CBST. She brings education and administrative experience from her service as the Executive Director of Tenafly Nature Center in NJ. She has worked with the Audubon Society of Florida and the Long Island Aquarium building organizational capacity and developing programs for fledgling environmental institutions. She has a certificate in Fundraising (NYU) and degrees in Educational Technology (MS/LIU) and Marine Biology (BS/Cornell). Jennifer is committed to the CBST mission and since her first service as a teenager, is drawn to our community emanating love for one another. Jennifer can be reached at jkleinbaum@cbst.org.
Miya Rotstein grew up in Montreal in a tri-lingual home and graduated from McGill University with a degree in Cultural Studies. She has been developing creative arts based Jewish curricula, teaching Hebrew language, Jewish studies and Torah/ Haftorah preparation to both children and adults in NYC for over 15 years. Miya also works as an artist and personal chef and has been active at CBST since 1999. Miya can be reached at mrotstein@cbst.org
Leah Singerman is thrilled to join CBST's Limmud community as a teacher this year. Leah has a passion for education and for using growth mindset to empower students to set and work toward their own personally enriching goals. Leah hails from Austin, Texas, and lived in Los Angeles and Boston before making her way to New York. She looks forward to working with Limmud students to explore their own Jewish identities and how those identities can be shaped by tradition as well as current affairs and ways of living. Leah works in education research at NYU Langone Health and lives in Manhattan. Leah can be reached at lsingerman@cbst.org.
Earnest Vener (they/them pronouns) is a first year rabbinical student at the Jewish Theological Seminary. They recently completed their MA at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley where they focused on Talmud studies. While living in Berkeley Earnest developed and ran Wilderness Torah's youth program B'hootz, a religious school in the Oakland redwoods. Earnest is excited to learn and grow with the youth of CBST! Earnest can be reached at evener@cbst.org
