Meet Our Leadership

Rabbi Daniel Graber is an enthusiastic educator, learner, and community builder with a passion for making Jewish tradition and texts accessible and meaningful to modern readers. He completed his rabbinical studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary (‘19), having previously completed a Masters in Jewish Education at JTS’s William Davidson School (‘14). He is a native New Yorker, growing up in Queens, and holds a BA in political science from Stony Brook University, as well as a minor in theatre.

Rabbi Graber brings experience from his time as Assistant Rabbi and Music Director of the New City Jewish Center, strengthening community through relationship building, adding musicality to services, and innovating in family programming and use of technology. He previously served as the Student Assistant Rabbi of the Oceanside Jewish Center where he trained b’nei mitzvah, enhanced adult education, and acted as ba’al koreh. Before joining us at FHJC, Rabbi Graber most recently served as the Interim Rabbi at Temple Sinai in Middletown NY.

Rabbi Graber has a love of teaching and has spent years working with teens, enhancing religious schools, and engaging adults in meaningful study in synagogues and through the Jewish Federation. Rabbi Graber is interested in Halakha (Jewish law) and Talmud, as well as fostering caring community. He enjoys singing, dancing, reading, and cooking. Rabbi Graber is blessed to be raising his son Zev and daughter Sivan.

You can reach Rabbi Graber at rabbi@fhjc.org

Hazzan Randall Levin enjoys leading the congregation in prayer and song on Shabbat, holidays and special occasions, and serves as a teacher, mentor, and resource for congregants of all ages. In addition to serving as the congregation’s music director, the Hazzan is also charged with leading FHJC’s outstanding b’nei mitvah program, tutoring many of the students himself. Prior to coming to Forest Hills, Hazzan Levin served as the Cantor at Temple Beth El in Rochester, NY and at the Highland Park Conservative Temple Congregation Anshe Emet in Highland Park, New Jersey. Hazzan Levin holds a master’s degree in Sacred Music and Liturgy from the Jewish Theological Seminary’s Miller Cantorial School and College of Jewish Music, where he was invested as a Hazzan in 2014. At the Seminary, Hazzan Levin was the recipient of numerous awards and scholarships, and pursued curricular concentrations in Jewish liturgy, worship theory and ritual practice, culminating in his thesis work, “Hazzanut as an Extension of the Rabbinic Mind.” Hazzan Levin has taught and lectured throughout the New York Metropolitan Area on a wide range of topics, including spirituality, emotion and meaning in synagogue music, public versus private prayer, the social function of synagogue song, and Hassidic influences in synagogue music.
Originally from Akron, Ohio, Hazzan Levin attended Beth El Congregation, where he sang in the Beth El Synagogue Choir under the tutelage of Hazzan Stephen Stein. Hazzan Levin received his Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Akron School of Music before completing his graduate studies at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Hazzan Levin is a past Fellowship recipient at the Aspen Music Festival, where he performed a leading role under the baton of legendary New York City Opera maestro Julius Rudel. He has appeared professionally as a soloist in stage and concert productions in the United States and Europe, in addition to teaching private voice lessons. Hazzan Levin and his wife Emily reside happily in Forest Hills with their two sons, Henry and Michael.

You can reach Hazzan Levin at rlevin@fhjc.org.

Deborah Gregor has been the Executive Director of the Forest Hills Jewish Center since 2005, prior to which she served in the same capacity at the Brandeis School in Lawrence, NY. She earned a bachelor’s of engineering degree at The Cooper Union and studied business at Adelphi University. She and her husband have two children and one grandchild.

You can reach Deborah Gregor at dgregor@fhjc.org.

Meet our Director.
Lynn Fisher began her journey at Forest Hills Jewish Center as a parent of two Nursery School aged-children. Being a parent at the school exposed her to all of the opportunities that FHJC has to offer. Lynn began substitute teaching in the Toddler program and then became an assistant teacher. After receiving her Master’s in Early Childhood Education, she took on the role of lead teacher in the Threes and then our PreK programs.

On August 1, 2017, Lynn began her role at Forest Hills Jewish Center as Director of Early Childhood Education. Taking on this new role has allowed Lynn to utilize her wealth of knowledge in teaching and apply it to administration, supervision, and program development. Lynn brought her expertise in innovative programming to bear when adding the NYCDOE Pre-K For All and 3K programs to FHJC. This has allowed the FHJC Early Childhood Program to continue to prepare our students for life after FHJC.

Lynn is the recipient of the 2014 Grinspoon-Steinhardt Award for Excellence in Jewish Education. She views all children as full of wonder, competent and resourceful, eager to learn and explore.

You can reach Lynn Fisher at lynn.fisher@fhjc.org.

Jessica Braginsky has been a professional Jewish educational leader since 2007 and before that held extensive volunteer leadership positions in the Jewish community including President of a 600 woman strong Hadassah chapter. A product of religious school herself, Jessica has been on a journey of life-long Jewish learning. She earned her Master’s degree in Jewish Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary in May, 2014, which she attended part-time as she worked as a religious school principal and raised her four sons. Besides having experience as a religious school teacher and youth group leader, in her past life Jessica was a lawyer for Legal Services working for justice for Brooklyn’s poor. Jessica finds her work most rewarding because it unites her love of and respect for children and her passion for Judaism. She lives in Port Washington with her husband and a random assortment of her 4 sons. On any given Shabbat afternoon you can find Jessica kayaking, entertaining friends and family or playing hours of family board games.

You can reach Jessica Braginsk at jbraginsky@fhjc.org.

Laurie Worthman is the voice of FHJC’s business office, helping everyone who stops in or calls. Laurie has been a part of the FHJC family since 1995
and she knows everyone and stays in touch with many members, checking up on their families and their health. Laurie and her husband Roy have a son and daughter-in-law, and one grandson.

You can reach Laurie Worthman at lworthman@fhjc.org.