Our Staff

Kenny Berkowitz

Administrative Coordinator

kenny.berkowitz@tikkunvor.org or info@tikkunvor.org and 607-256-1471

Before becoming Tikkun v’Or’s Administrative Coordinator,

Kenny had a long career as a communicator and administrator at Cornell University, where he edited publications for Cornell Law School and the College of Human Ecology, trained and supervised hundreds of student employees, coordinated planning and logistics for alumni events on campus and around the globe.

Kenny has been teaching JLE’s Vav-Zayin class for the past 12 years, along with co-leading JLE’s experiential Days in the Woods for students and families, and leading youth services for Yom Kippur. He has written extensively for Cornell, Ithaca College, the State University of New York, and the Ithaca Times, which he edited for 12 years; his writings for the stage and concert hall have been performed in Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Ithaca, and New York City. Kenny will continue teaching at TvO and working as an administrator at Ithaca Area United Jewish Community (IAUJC).

Jennie Lavine

Director of JLE (Jewish Learning Experiences) and Community Engagement

jennie.lavine@tikkunvor.org

Before her position at Tikkun v’Or as Director of JLE and Community Engagement, Jennie served as the Director of Youth Education and Community Engagement at a synagogue in New Orleans. Since moving back to Ithaca, she has become increasingly involved with TvO. Since 2022, Jennie created a program called Tikkun v’Orchestra, taught the Saturday morning Family JLE class and subbed for most of the JLE teachers. She led TvO’s programming for young children for High Holiday family services, Hanukkah sing-alongs, Shabbat in the Park, and Havdalah in PJs. Jennie is also a shaliach tzibbur (service leader), and has collaborated leading services with Reform, Renewal, Conservative and Reconstructionist congregations. She has taught adult classes in Hebrew, yoga, meditation and music. She also dives deep into Jewish musical traditions and niggunim, and has performed and recorded of klezmer music for a couple of decades.

Michael Margolin

Service leader and BMitzvah Coordinator
michael.margolin@tikkunvor.org

Michael is a white, Ashkenazi Jew and a descendant of Yiddishkeit survivors of Jewish oppression in Eastern Europe. He follows in the footsteps of his parents who were both teachers as he enters his fifth year as the BMitzvah teacher at TVO. As a Jewish educator, he has incorporated his passions for nature-based spirituality, Jewish ritual crafting, and justice centered learning into the curriculum.

Michael believes that Jewish safety, liberation and wellbeing is realized in solidarity with the safety, liberation and wellbeing of other peoples, including oppressed groups in the US and the Palestinian people in West Asia.

When not teaching, leading services at TVO or doing carpentry, Michael enjoys tending the land with his partner and dog in their home in Ithaca.

Sally Ezra

Bookkeeper
sally.ezra@tikkkunvor.org