Governors

Rabbi Laura Duhan-Kaplan, Ph.D. is an award-winning educator with almost four decades of experience as a professor and administrator. Currently she is Professor of Jewish Studies and Director of Inter-Religious Studies at the Vancouver School of Theology. She is also Rabbi Emerita of Or Shalom Synagogue in Vancouver, Professor Emerita of Philosophy at UNC Charlotte, and a member of the Interfaith Amigos. Rabbi Laura has received numerous awards for her teaching of philosophy and religion, including the prestigious Carnegie Foundation U.S. Professor of the Year Award (2001) and the American Academy of Religion Katie Geneva Cannon Award for Excellence in Teaching (2022). She has published academic articles, co-edited anthologies, and spiritual books, including Mouth of the Donkey: Re-imagining Biblical Animals (Cascade, 2001), winner of a Readers’ Favorite award. Rabbi Laura holds a Ph.D. in philosophy and education (Claremont Graduate University, 1991), along with master’s degrees in both fields. She received rabbinic ordination from ALEPH (2005), a graduate diploma in spiritual direction from VST (2010), and a 500-hour/2-year certificate in Ayurvedic yoga from the New Life Center (1984). She has served on the ALEPH Vaad, ALEPH board, and OHALAH program committee. Rabbi Laura lives with her husband Charles in Vancouver Canada on Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh territory. Together they enjoy hiking, befriending urban wildlife, caring for companion animals, co-leading musical events and prayer services, participating in Jewish and interfaith communal life, and spending time with their two grown children.

Hazzan Devorah Tucker Fick was ordained as both a Hazzan and Mashpi’ah by the AOP in 2023, and continues to pursue Rabbinic Smicha and an M.A. in Jewish Studies at The Academy for Jewish Religion, New York. She is an active member of both the Michigan Board of Rabbis and Michigan Board of Cantors, as well as a founding member of the Reform Cantors and Cantorial Soloists of Canada. Devorah grew up the daughter of a Baptist minister, an upbringing which has led to deep commitment in interfaith work in her community, where she serves as a member of the Interfaith Group of Windsor and Essex County in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and as a current and active member of the Board of Directors of Iona College, the interfaith college at the University of Windsor. Before answering the call to serve the Jewish People, Devorah was an officer in the United States Air Force for seven years, commanding troops in Texas, Georgia, and Iraq. She was also a Professor of Aerospace Studies for two years at Michigan State University. Currently Devorah is the Spiritual Leader (Kol Bo) of a vibrant, warm, growing community: Congregation Beth El in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, where she serves with wonder and gratitude that God has led her to this holy work in a kahal filled with love and joy for Judaism and one another. Devorah is married to Jim, and they are parents to 4 teenagers/young adults: Ethan, Ryan, Ellie, and Sophianna.  

Rabbi Dan Goldblatt is grateful to have received ordination from Reb Zalman, z”tl, through the ALEPH Ordination Program. Rabbi Dan has been the spiritual leader of Beth Chaim Congregation in Danville, CA, for three decades. He served on the Board of ALEPH for many years and he is a Past President of OHALAH: the Association of Rabbis and Cantors for Jewish Renewal. Dan served as Chair of the Rabbinic Association’s Ethics Committee for ten years and was the lead author of its Ethics Policy. He is also the co-founder of AriYael Jewish Healing Center focused on a rooted Jewish approach to embodied healing, grief, end-of-life work and other sacred transitions. Dan has been very active in local interfaith work and has created and led organizations including A Just Harvest (in support of California migrant farm workers), I-SRV (the Interfaith of the San Ramon Valley), and San Ramon Valley Cares (an organization in support of a confederation of indigenous tribes in the Ecuadorian Amazon battling Chevron Corporation).

Reb Cantor Lisa Levine is a well-known composer, author, chaplain, poet and recording artist who has spent her professional career writing and sharing her worship music as a Reform Cantor serving congregations from Dallas to Des Moines to Washington D.C. She earned her BA from University of California, Irvine and studied at Hebrew University and the Ruben Academy of Music in Jerusalem. She received her Cantorial Ordination and master’s degree in music from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in NYC and Honorary Doctorate from HUC in 2014. Lisa is a 500-hour registered yoga teacher and author of “Yoga Shalom” a groundbreaking prayer embodiment book published by URJ Press. Lisa received Ordination as Rabbinic Pastor through Aleph Alliance for Jewish Renewal in 2018 and serves as a Jewish Service Social Agency Chaplain in Montgomery County MD where she resides. She is currently the part-time Hazzan of Temple Beth Israel; York PA. Reb Lisa serves on the Board of Ezra Uganda Assistance as well as the Rabbinic Pastors Association. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, tennis, hiking and walking her dogs!

Rabbi Jeremy Parnes was born in London England in 1952 and has spent the last 47 years of his life in Canada and the last 39 years as a resident of Regina Saskatchewan. He has enjoyed three career choices. Originally, he specialized in community development and working primarily for a non-profit housing association in Inner-City London England. Subsequently, he has been involved in sales management and training in ethical sales. Twenty-three years ago he became the spiritual leader of the Beth Jacob Synagogue and in January 2012 received Smicha from ALEPH Ordination Program both as a Renewal Rabbi and Mashpia Ruchani and Spiritual Director. He is a member of the Regina Multi-faith Forum and has been active on the boards of Habitat for Humanity, Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada and the Inner-City Community Partnership. He currently serves as chair of Regina Prison Chaplains Advisory Committee and has served as chair on several City of Regina committees relating to low cost and social housing and undertook a visioning and future development project on behalf of the residents of North Central Regina, an inner-city community in crisis. He is currently serving as Chair of the Board of ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal. He and his life-partner Chris have a blended family of four wonderful children and seven beautiful grandchildren.

Rabbi Jeff Roth, D.Min., M.S.W., is the founder and Director of The Awakened Heart Project for Contemplative Judaism. He has led over 200 meditation retreats over the last 20 years. He was the co-founder of Elat Chayyim, the Jewish Spiritual Retreat Center, where he served as Executive Director and Spiritual Director for 13 years. He is the author of Jewish Meditation Practices for Everyday Life. He is currently on the faculty of the Jewish Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training program. He was ordained by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi as well as by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. Rabbi Roth served for eight years as the Executive Director of B’nai Or which became P’nai Or before its transformation into ALEPH. He is currently serving as an ALEPH Board member. He lives with his partner Rabbi Joanna Katz in the Hudson River Valley.