Staff and Board - Or Shalom Jewish Community

Rabbi Faryn Borella
Rabbi
rabbifaryn@orshalomsf.org

Rabbi Faryn (she/her) has served as a Jewish educator, ritual leader, and community organizer for the past 10 years, working with people aged 2–102 to rediscover the radical, liberatory roots within Jewish tradition and enact them for personal and collective liberation in our times. With an interest in the intersection of art, prayer, and social justice, Faryn has curated multimedia art shows exploring themes of Jewish liberation, taught graduate courses on Jewish Liberation Theology and Decolonial Pilgrimage, facilitated outdoor nature-based Jewish programming for kids and teens, and served as a chaplain in prisons, hospitals and continuing care retirement communities. In addition to her work with Or Shalom, she is currently a Social Practice Fellow with LABA Bay, A Jewish arts fellowship.

Faryn graduated from Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in May 2023. As a resident and lover of the Bay Area for many years, she is glad to be back in the Jewish home that first inspired her enchantment with Judaism.

Schedule a one-on-one with Rabbi Faryn by clicking here!

Lillian Markind
Executive Director lillian @orshalomsf.org

Lillian Markind (she/her), Or Shalom’s Administrator from 2017–2021, is back as Executive Director, bringing a deep understanding of the community along with fresh energy and vision. With a lifelong passion for education and community building, she served for eight years as a Trustee for the Brisbane School District, advocating for strong public schools, student and staff success, and major facilities improvements.

Originally from New Jersey, Lillian has lived in Los Angeles, Pittsburgh PA, New York City, rural Wisconsin, and San Francisco, gaining diverse experiences and appreciation for each place. Now an empty-nester with kids at UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara, she enjoys life in the Bay Area with her husband, Mike, and their beloved dog, Frieda. She is excited to reconnect with the Or Shalom community and help guide it into its next chapter.

Zachary Libow
Membership Coordinator zachary @orshalomsf.org

Zachary Libow (he/him/his) holds a dual B.A. in History and Philosophy from California State University, Long Beach, and an M.A. in International Peace & Conflict Resolution from American University. Zachary brings his expertise in organization, strategy, and creative problem-solving to his work with Or Shalom.

Mira Stern
Head of Youth & Family Education
mira@orshalomsf.org

Hi! I’m Mira Stern—a queer, white Jewish mama, a fourth-generation San Franciscan, and a lifelong educator. After 15 years working in K–12 schools as a classroom teacher (10th grade World History!) and a program manager, I launched my own consulting practice focused on liberation education and advising. I work with tech companies, organizations, and school systems to develop equity strategies that have long-term impact, all rooted in racial justice and community building.

I’m a Jewish ritualist and love drawing from ancestral practices and weaving them together with body-based, pleasure-centered approaches to create spaces of belonging, healing, and collective liberation. I lead retreats, workshops, and online courses—all with the goal of cultivating real human connection, vulnerability, and room for each of us to step into our highest selves.

When I’m not chasing after my fiery, bold toddler on some epic Bay Area adventure, you can find me on my mat in hot yoga or pilates, tending to my 24 fruit trees in East Oakland, hosting delicious Shabbat dinners (Martha Jewart is my alter ego!), or planning my next getaway on this wild and beautiful planet.
I’m so excited to step into this role and bring my whole self—educator, parent, ritualist, and community curator—to the work ahead. I’m especially eager to build out robust programming that centers deep embodiment of Jewish magic and ritual for young people and families, helping instill the incredible medicine we’ve inherited—and the tools to reshape it for the chaos and beauty of right now. I’m also deeply honored to help build a teen program that roots our next generation in social justice, community interconnectedness, and fierce self-love.

Rabbi Me'irah Ilinsky, MSW Director of the School of Jewish Living Arts rabbimeirah @orshalomsf.org

Rabbi Me'irah Iliinsky (that is: i-L-i-i-n-s-k-y...three I’s and one L) graduated from Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 2007. She currently leads services for Rhoda Goldman Plaza and teaches Parshat-ha-Shavua at the JCCSF. She is a sometimes teacher for Kavod v Nichum, an organization promoting traditional Jewish practice at the end of life.

In 2023, Rabbi Me'irah established Or Shalom's The School of Jewish Living Arts (SJLA).

She has introduced adult learning and hands on arts projects such as learning how to sew your own tallit, or make your own kiddush cup out of clay.

Rabbi Me'irah has also donated many of her paintings that now proudly hang in our home at 333 Cortland.

As an artist, she hopes to open sacred texts to more people through her paintings. One of her proudest moments is when her Tree of Life is Weeping painting, commemorating the October 27 Pittsburgh massacre, was donated to the Jewish Community of Pittsburgh. Her own path as an adult from being an uneducated Jew to Rabbi included much support along the way. She wants to share that support now with YOU! She has two grown sons, Noah and Alexis. Her cats Leiba and Eden keep her busy. Explore Rabbi Me'irah's website here: www.versesilluminated.com

Board of Directors

The Board meets monthly to make the decisions that guide our community. The Executive Committee is comprised of the President, Vice President, Immediate Past President, Secretary, and Treasurer. To place an item on the Board's agenda, contact a member of the Executive Committee.

FY: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2025

Staff Attending Board Meetings
Rabbi Faryn Borella

Lillian Markind

Officers (Executive Committee)

Lisa Garbus
President

Rachelle Resnick
Secretary

Debbie Benrubi
Vice President & Tikkun Olam Committee Chair

Noah Butter
Treasurer & Finance Committee Chair

Board Members

Leslie Roffman
Membership/ Belonging & Equity Committee Co-Chair

Stephen Gerard
Facilities Committee Chair

Tala Hartsough
Religious School Committee Chair

Joel Rubinstein
Minhag Committee Representative

Stacey Leyton
Personnel Committee Chair

Sue Schechter
Chesed Committee Co-Chair

Elizabeth 'Eala' Gross
Member-at-Large

Angelique von Halle
Member-at-Large

OPEN
Fundraising Committee Chair

Our Staff and Board

Board of Directors

Officers (Executive Committee)

Board Members

Or Shalom Jewish Community