Meet our Office Staff - Lincoln Square Synagogue

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Meet Our Staff

Tamar Fix, Executive Director

Melanie Vesely, Membership Experience Coordinator

Julie Rosenthal, Social Media Manager & Committee Event Coordinator

Devora Movtady, Business Manager

Ariella and Mendel Lazaros,
Youth Directors

Shiffy Friedman , Yoetzet Halacha

Meet our Director of Security

Meet our Facility Staff

Tamar Fix, Executive Director

Tamar joined Lincoln Square Synagogue as Executive Director in July of 2016. Tamar appreciates the eclectic nature of Synagogue and community center work as it offers the opportunity and excitement of being in a constant state of learning and growth. One of her greatest joys is connecting with people on a multi-generational level and she feels gratified in working at Lincoln Square Synagogue and getting to know the members. Tamar brings her strong interpersonal and administrative skills to LSS as well as her personal commitment to Modern Orthodox Jewish life, tradition and community. Though her goals as ED are lofty, chief among them is to become an honorable link in LSS's humble and historical 1964 beginnings. It is truly an honor to be part of such a venerable institution. Tamar received her B.S. from Queens College and earned her M.A. from Hofstra University in Marriage & Family Therapy. Tamar completed the third cohort of UJA and Columbia University's Executive Leadership Program. In addition to her Synagogue & Jewish communal work, Tamar is a published author whose writing has appeared in both book form and periodicals. Fluent in Hebrew & raised steeped in both Israeli and American culture, Tamar is equally at home in each. Tamar currently resides in Queens, NY with her son Nate. You can email Tamar at tamar@lss.org or reach her by calling (212) 874-6100 ext 101

Melanie Vesely, Membership Experience Coordinator

Born and raised in Sydney Australia, Melanie has a passion for working within the Jewish community. She grew up attending a Jewish Day school and volunteered in Israel for a year prior to starting University. Melanie received a Bachelor of Social Work with Honors from the University of New South Wales in 2019, and wrote a thesis on supporting the bereaved in a trauma environment. Melanie has experience working within the Jewish community, both domestically and internationally. She is excited to start a new chapter working at LSS and helping members have the best possible experience. Her role will be both administrative and will also focus on Membership Experience- have a question or idea you'd like to discuss? or want to send Melanie a warm welcome? feel free to email her at melanie@lss.org and let's show her some LSS love.

Julie Rosenthal, Social Media Manager & Committee Event Coordinator

Julie, a Long Island native, is a graduate of the University of Miami where she majored in Creative Advertising and minored in Art and Marketing. While there, Julie was an active member at Hillel where she held several interactive internships and worked closely with the student body and leadership of the Jewish community. She spent a semester in Prague, Czech Republic where she studied Jewish History and had the opportunity to travel to many countries and visited various Jewish historic sites. Julie’s interests include traveling, photography and meeting new people. You can reach Julie at julie@lss.org or by calling 212-874-6100 ext. 105

Devora Movtady, Business Manager

Devora has been a part of the Lincoln Square Synagogue team since November 2013.You can reach Devora at devora@lss.org or by calling 212-874-6100 ext 106

Shiffy Friedman, Yoetzet Halacha

Shiffy has been serving as a Yoetzet Halacha in Manhattan since 2017 and is excited to now join the LSS family. She graduated from Nishmat’s Miriam Glaubach Center’s U.S. Yoatzot Halakha Fellows Program in 2015. She has been counseling women in the area of women's health and halakha, both through her role as Yoetzet Halakha in Westchester County and through teaching brides and couples before marriage. Shiffy has taught at SAR Academy and currently teaches at Ma'ayanot Yeshiva High School. She received her B.A. in Judaic Studies from Stern College and a dual M.A. in Education and Jewish Studies from New York University. Prior to that, she spent a year studying in Israel at the Stella K. Abraham Beit Midrash for Women in Migdal Oz. She and her husband, Rabbi Noam Friedman, live with their two children, Avital and Adir, in Morningside Heights, where they serve as the OU-JLIC couple at Columbia/Barnard Hillel.

Shiffy can be reached at nycyoetzet@gmail.com or by calling 646-598-1080

Click here to visit the Yoetzet Halacha Facebook page

Ariella and Mendel Lazaros, Youth & Teen Directors

Ariella and Mendel have lived in Manhattan for over six years and on the Upper West Side for the last three. They are both graduates of Yeshiva University and carry a combined 10+ years of experience in developing fun and engaging youth programs for Jewish children. Ariella and Mendel have run Youth Programming and Teen Clubs for Pesach in the Bahamas, Cancun, Mexico, and San Diego, California. Together, they are loving parents to an 18 month old daughter.

Mendel is a graduate of Yeshiva University, Accounting (14’). Mendel is a recipient of the Comcast Leaders and Achievers Scholarship and received the Meyer E. Shatz Memorial Award for outstanding achievement in Judaics Studies at YU. When he’s not co-directing the youth department, Mendel works for Smartling, a cloud-based technology business, using data to improve translation outcomes. Mendel has helped organizations such as The Boston School’s Fund to grow the number of school seats available so that every child can attend a great school.

Ariella is a graduate of Yeshiva University, Sociology (14’) and minor in Early Childhood Education. Ariella was the assistant director for the Playmakers JCC Camp in Cleveland, OH for three years and worked as TA, Special Education for the Park Synagogue School. Ariella has taught fourth grade at the 92nd street Y Hebrew School and Montessori based preparatory curriculum at the Goddard School of Manhattan. When she’s not co-directing the youth department, Ariella teaches 6th grade students of Chabad Hebrew School, and 3rd-grade students of Kivun, an after school Jewish educational experience for students of Harlem Hebrew Charter School.

Ariella and Mendel can be reached at youth@lss.org