Meet our Board of Directors


JEFF BRONCHICK: PRESIDENT
Jeff was one of the founding board members of the temple, initially focusing on the financial, legal, and fundraising aspects of temple operations.  Citing his excellent leadership skills and enthusiasm, the current board unanimously elected him to lead the synagogue into the next phase of growth.  Jeff and his wife Deirdre have two daughters enrolled in the religious school.  He is a principal of the investment firm Reed, Conner, and Birdwell in West Los Angeles.


JEFF DAVIS: TREASURER
Jeff was born in Los Angeles and has been a resident of Manhattan Beach since 1988.  He is a founding board member, concerned since its inception primarily with financial aspects of the temple.  Jeff has a vision of TSSB as a vibrant and respected Jewish community, with congregants that share close personal relationships.  Jeff has 3 children in the religious school.


MARC HAIMSOHN: TIKKUN OLAM
Marc joined the board this year with the belief that TSSB has the potential to play an increased role as the cultural, educational, and spiritual center for our Jewish community in the South Bay.  In his professional career, Marc has been involved in the management and leadership of several successful start-up companies that were challenged to grow in the face of limited financial and human resources.  Marc and his wife have 2 children enrolled in the religious school.


LESLIE PONCIANO: EDUCATION
Leslie has a background in education and social work. She is currently teaching courses in several Los Angeles area universities in education, child development and psychology.  Leslie’s oldest daughter is currently preparing for her Bat Mitzvah.  She has one other daughter in the religious school, and a son who is a toddler.


CAROL RISHER: RITUAL (Shabbat Services)
Carol moved to California from Washington, D.C., where she served on the boards of her synagogue and the Jewish Community Center.  Soon after arriving in the L.A. area in 2001, Carol became involved with the South Bay Jewish community, producing the South Bay Jewish Music Festival featuring local cantors.  Carol is striving to create an environment where Temple members become friends and family to one another for all life cycle events.


MIKE ROSENBERG: FUNDRAISING (Co-chair)
Mike has lived in Manhattan Beach for 20 years, and has been involved with TSSB since its inception.  He has an extensive background in business and finance (currently Chief Executive Officer of the investment banking firm of Barrington Associates) and has served on the boards and executive committees of several charitable and civic organizations, including the United Jewish Fund, Jewish Vocational Services, and West Coast Sports Associates.  Mike and his wife Ellen have 3 children in the religious school.


LINDA SCHACK KAISERMAN: RITUAL (High Holy Days)
Originally from the Chicago area, Linda has lived in Manhattan Beach for close to 20 years.  She grew up in the conservative tradition and participated in many Jewish youth activities, with especially fond memories of B’nai B’rith Girls and High Holy Day choir.  Linda is a physician specializing in adolescent medicine and has two young children in the religious school.


ANDREW SLOVES: FUNDRAISING, TIKKUN OLAM (Assist.)
Andrew has lived in the South Bay for 20 years.  He and his wife have 3 children enrolled in the religious school.   Andrew joined the board in 2007, hoping to help TSSB thrive and continue to create a unique Jewish experience in our community. He has been at Bear Stearns for the past 18 years where he is a Senior Managing Director and heads the LA fixed income sales force.


HANK SCHEINBERG: MEMBERSHIP
Hank has served on numerous boards of for-profit and nonprofit organizations, including the Boys and Girls Clubs, League in Aid of Crippled Children, Congregation Tifereth Jacob, Venice/Marina Board of Realtors, Continental Software, and the Manhattan Country Club.  Hank is pleased to serve on the board, promoting our programs, services, and activities to current and prospective members.


SCOTT WAXLER: ADULT EDUCATION

Scott is one of the founders of Temple Shalom and is continuing as a member of the Board of Directors as we grow into a full-service Reconstructionist synagogue.  Initially Scott was involved with Temple Shalom’s religious school, creating the education committee.  This year he is heading the adult education program.  Scott currently teaches drama at Manhattan Beach Middle School.  He also has professional experience in public event planning, nonprofit arts administration, and performance.  Scott’s older son is a member of the post b’nei mitzvah class, and his younger son attends the religious school.


A note from founder Lani Lapidus Zaun (Past President)

I started Temple Shalom of the South Bay with two friends working out of my garage … no, wrong story … but close.  Several years ago, a few of us started comparing our Jewish childhoods to those that our children were experiencing. With equal parts moxie and hubris, we decided to create something different in the South Bay. We each came at it from a slightly different angle. My hope was that it would somehow recreate my Jewish experience as a child and allow my sons to feel really good about their religion and confident that there would always be a safe place for them in the world. I also wanted a community where my husband, who was not raised Jewish, would feel valued and welcomed. Don’t get me wrong – I had a greater than average experience with anti-semitism in high school. Furthermore, I was never enamored of Hebrew school growing up, and that’s putting it mildly. But there was something very special about those Jewish friends that I studied with and traveled with and joined at camp in the summertime. We shared something that was difficult to define and truly never needed to be.

My early Jewish memories were of praying in the town Library. Yes, my parents were involved in starting a synagogue community (Ridgefield, New Jersey), and we rented out the library, similar to the way Temple Shalom of the South Bay is renting our church facility in Hermosa Beach. I was raised Reform and was Bat Mitzvah’ed and Confirmed. I even taught kindergarten in my town’s Hebrew school while the rest of me acted the role of a hell-bent rebellious teenager in the 1970s. I suppose it was this early Jewish childhood education coupled with my career path in Business Development in the Entertainment industry (Disney and Universal and the Internet) that prepared me to follow this wild scheme hatched in the equivalent to my garage sometime in 2004. Thank you to all who have trusted in us and joined us on this journey. It’s been amazing so far, and I cannot wait to see where it takes us.

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