SSTTE Names New Director of Youth Engagement

Maura Koenig has joined the professional staff of Scarsdale Synagogue Temples Tremont and Emanu-El (SSTTE) as its new Director of Youth Engagement, it was announced by Ellen Baken, president of this leading Westchester Reform Jewish congregation.

Ms. Koenig comes to Scarsdale Synagogue from Temple Shaaray Tefila in New York City, where she worked with that Reform Jewish congregation's Director of Informal Learning on an exchange program with Israeli teens, as well as planning for, and chaperoning at, a variety of social action and religion-oriented teen activities. A 2011 graduate of SUNY Oswego, she spent her own teen years deeply involved in temple youth group activities in Syracuse, NY, including leading a National Federation of Temple Youth trip to Israel. In her new position, Ms. Koenig succeeds Ivy Cohen, who is moving to Louisiana, where she will oversee and coordinate youth engagement efforts among several Reform synagogues in New Orleans area.

"As I begin my second year at Scarsdale Synagogue," said Rabbi Jeffrey C. Brown, "I feel blessed to be teamed with Cantor Becker on the pulpit, with Rabbi Pein newly heading our religious school, with Jody Glassman in our well-regarded Mazel Tots® early childhood program and, now, Maura to work with the kids who represent the next generation of committed Jewish adults."

Ms. Baken commented, "Our Synagogue's search teams have now completed an impressive multi-year process of adding high-energy experienced professionals to connect with our congregation and the Westchester Jewish community at all levels. We look forward to Maura spearheading our busy and exciting youth engagement initiatives, and making the new youth lounge, which we completely renovated and dedicated last March, even more of a hub for relaxed but productive times for our teens and pre-teens."

About Scarsdale Synagogue
Scarsdale Synagogue Temples Tremont and Emanu-El is a Reform Jewish congregation committed to creating, with and for its 500 member families, a covenant community of shared lives and real relationships. Founded in 1961, the Synagogue was joined by the memberships of Tremont Temple of the Bronx in 1976 and Temple Emanu-El of Southern Westchester in 2008. For further information, contact Gary Katz at [email protected] or 914-725-5175.