Rabbinic Transition Committee Members

Veronica Högasten

Veronica was born and raised in the southern Swedish coastal town of Ystad.  After graduating from High School, she took time off to travel, including a stretch in Israel to visit family and explore the country. It was during this time she met her husband Robin while they were both on a Kibbutz Ulpan program in Israel.  After Ulpan, she went back to Europe, but eventually moved to Boston, where she completed a degree in communications from Suffolk University. After moving around for a few years, Veronica and Robin settled in Larchmont in 2007 and have been members of WJC since. They have 3 children: Leo (14), Alina (12) and Liv (9) – all of whom attended pre-school and Religious School at WJC.  Veronica currently works at Temple Beth-El Nursery School as a 2’s teacher. 

Jeffrey Lavine

Jeffrey Lavine has been President of Westchester Jewish Center since June 2016 and is both an Officer and Trustee.  Prior to becoming President, Jeff has served in many leadership roles at WJC, including Co-Chairing our last major capital campaign with his wife, Jennifer, and serving as the first Chair of the then newly created Family, Youth, Education Council.  He and Jennifer have been members for over 15 years.  They are the proud parents of two married children. Josh, 26, married to Rikki and Melissa, 23, married to Josh (this isn’t a typo!)  Both children went to Jewish day schools in the area.  Jeff and Jennifer have been involved in AIPAC and are past founding co-chairs of the Bronfman Center Parents Council at NYU.  Jeff and Jen met at Tufts Hillel and were married 32 years ago.  He has an MBA from Columbia Business School and a JD from Boston University School of Law.  Jeff is the principal of JNL Advisors, a commercial real estate advisory business.

Mia Mandel

Mia Mandel and her husband Ron and kids Golan (9), Leela (7), and Rafael (3) have lived in Larchmont since the fall of 2014 and have been members of WJC since the fall of 2015. Rafi is in the 3s in the ECC and Golan and Leela attend Religious School at WJC. Golan and Leela attend the Murray Ave School. Mia has been a stay at home parent since August and prior to that served as Deputy Chief Program Officer at the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, a settlement house on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Mia is an attorney and practiced health care and public interest law for 10 years before working in non- profit administration. Mia is in her third year as co-chair of the WJC Parent Association and is the co-organizer of the Purim carnival.  Mia is in her first year serving as a trustee at WJC and is a 2017 graduate of the Sulam program.

Raised in Brooklyn, Mia attended SUNY Binghamton and the Cardozo School of Law. Mia is also an alumnus of Camp Ramah in the Berkshires. 

Susie Miller

Susie Miller and David Miller, with their children Jack (8) and Margo (6) have been members of WJC for close to seven years. Both children went through the preschool and are now in the Religious School. She has and continues to serve in various volunteer roles within WJC and is finishing up her first year as a trustee. Susie works three days a week for a jewelry company that she has been with for the past twenty years.

Alynn Perl

Alynn and her family have been members of WJC for five years. She is a Trustee, a member of the ECC Committee and the FYEC, and has two children (Gabe, 2 and Nathan, 4) in the ECC and one (Zoe, 8) in the Religious School. Alynn grew up in Berkeley, California and previously worked as an attorney.

Sarene Shanus

Sarene Shanus has been a member of Westchester Jewish Center for 28 years and loves being part of the WJC community.  She has served in a variety of volunteer positions at WJC, including as President and Chairman of the Board, and is proud to say that she met (and married) her husband Harold Treiber at WJC. Sarene is a partner in a commercial real estate management and development business with her brother and also volunteers for a variety of Jewish organizations, including UJA Federation of New York, the Jewish Education Project and Hadar. Between them, Sarene and Harold have four children (with three spouses) and three grandchildren whom they love to bring to WJC.

Jack Steinberg

Jacques (Jack) Steinberg and Sharon Weinstock, along with their children Ali and Jordan, both now in college, have been members of WJC for 16 years. Having worked as a reporter and editor at The New York Times for a quarter century, Jack especially likes contributing to The WJC Review — and is a particular fan of the Renewal Service, Simple and Soulful, Rhythm and Ruach, and the post-Shabbat lunch. He recently completed four years on the Trustees and has served on various WJC communications task forces. He is also a former trustee of the JCC of Mid-Westchester. Jack left The Times in 2013 to join the management team of Say Yes to Education, a nonprofit that partners with communities with especially high concentrations of low-income students, to ensure every public high school graduate is prepared to succeed in college — and able to afford that experience.

Judy Zweig

Judy Zweig and her husband, Howard moved to Mamaroneck, 25 years ago, as empty-nesters. They are active members of the WJC although they spend winters in Scottsdale, Arizona. Their youngest daughter and family (Risa and David Seelenfreund) are also members of the WJC. In fact, their two children, Cory and Lia, are 4th generation WJC members. Two years ago, Judy and Howard started the J.O.Y. (Just Older Youth) Club for WJC members aged 70 and over. It has become a successful enterprise that provides opportunities for learning, schmoozing, bonding and fun. The J.O.Y. Club is active from June-November as many of our members are snowbirds and many in NY prefer not to drive in winter weather.