The Gavel is passed…Temple B’nai Abraham Welcomes New President

Julie A. Silbermann, a Livingston resident, has been elected President of Temple B’nai Abraham in Livingston. Mrs. Silbermann, the synagogue’s twenty-ninth president in its 168th year history, officially began her term of office on March 1, 2021. She succeeds Jeffrey A. Klein, also a resident of Livingston. Jeffrey assumed the presidency after the untimely passing of temple president Dr. Bruce H. Greene.

Julie previously served as president of Temple B’nai Abraham from 2013-2017. Prior to becoming
president, Julie served as a B’nai Abraham Vice-President and held several vital temple leadership positions, including Board of Education Chair and PTA President.

Julie married into a “TBA” family, as her husband Max Silbermann is a long-time, multi-generational B’nai Abraham member with family ties reaching back to Rabbi Joachim Prinz’s
congregation in Berlin, where Max’s father and grandparents worshipped. Elaborating on the depth of her connection and commitment to this congregation, Julie noted, “When Max and I moved to New Jersey from New York City, we drew a circle around the Temple and said that was where we would look for a house based on a carpool radius to the Temple. Our children, Matthew and Karen went through Temple B’nai Abraham early childhood education program, day camp, Primary School, Religious School and both becoming B’nai Mitzvah at our synagogue. They were both married by TBA clergy and our two grandsons are the 5th generation in our TBA family.”

The 2021-2022 Officers who join Julie in leadership roles are Vice Presidents Isabella Fiske, Jay Kooper, David Silber, and Kenneth Starr; Treasurer Bennett Wasserman; Secretary Tara
Heyderman; Assistant Treasurer Carey Gertler; Assistant Secretary Deborah Jacob; and Immediate Past President Jeffrey A. Klein.

In addition to her various Temple B’nai Abraham responsibilities, Julie currently also serves on the Initiative for Children’s Health Sub-Committee at New York―Presbyterian Weill
Cornell Medicine, the Dean’s Council at New York―Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medicine, and the Steering Committee for the St. Barnabas Medical Center Campaign. Previously held volunteer positions include The Pingry School Board of Trustees, The Pingry School Parents’ Association, the Bucknell University Parents’ Board, and the Northern NJ Cabinet for the Campaign for Bucknell University. Her husband Max is also an active participant in synagogue life
including serving as a committee chair as well as a community leader for youth sports in Livingston.

In her speech to the congregation at its annual meeting, Julie spoke of her commitment to TBA’s past tenets and her vision for the future. Julie remarked, “We now need to look ahead to what our new normal will be at TBA. We hope and pray for our reopening to be soon so we can begin to worship together, learn together, play together, and just be together. I know we all have TBA in our hearts and we all want the best for our Temple family.” She added, “I will do my best to serve effectively, always keeping our beautiful Temple, the congregants, and our best interests at hand. Please know that I will always serve to the best of my ability and I will certainly serve very proudly every day. Thank you again for this amazing opportunity.”