Professional Staff
Rabbi Billy Dreskin
Rabbi Billy Dreskin grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. His elementary education was acquired at Bond Hill Elementary School, after which he attended Cincinnati Country Day, then Crest Hills Junior High, and graduated from Walnut Hills High School. After successfully de-matriculating from six weeks at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, he attended Brandeis University where he studied music, twice receiving the Reiner Prize in Music Composition, and graduating in 1980. After two years in New York City pursuing an elusive career in musical theater, he entered Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1982. During his years at HUC-JIR, his musical, “Personals,” opened off-Broadway at the Minetta Lane Theater (It featured Jason Alexander of “Seinfeld” and was co-written by his friends David Crane and Marta Kauffman who have recently finished their stint as Executive Producers of the hit television series, “Friends.” You can actually find the show’s poster, with his name listed in the credits, still hanging in the Minetta’s lobby!). Billy is very happily married to Cantor Ellen Dreskin, and is the proud father of Katie, Jonah (z"l) and Aiden.
Cantor Jonathan Gordon
Cantor Jonathan Gordon has served as the Cantor at Woodlands Community Temple since 1998, where he contributes to the atmosphere of celebration and participation that is Woodlands’ tradition. Jonathan chants and directs the music of the service with the keyboard and acoustic guitar. Under his leadership are the many choirs and instrumental groups for both adults, teens, and younger students that meet during the year and perform regularly. He directs the Bar and Bat Mitzvah program and individually tutors each candidate.
While at Woodlands, he has created additional musical programs, including The Woodlands Coffee House for acoustic music, an annual interfaith concert to honor Martin Luther King Jr., “In Praise of Freedom,” and a community Torah reading initiative. Jonathan teaches classes in Judaica in the High School Academy, in our adult education program, as well as in the community. His monthly bulletin article is of general interest, and has been carried by local and even national Jewish publications. As a performer, Jonathan continues to sing concerts of Jewish liturgical and folk music as well as folk music of many traditions.
A native of Chicago, Jonathan, has a Bachelors of Applied Music in Voice from the Chicago Conservatory of Music, a Bachelor’s of Sacred Music and ordination with a Diploma of Chazzan from the Jewish Theological Seminary. Among these formative experiences Jonathan includes two years of service as Conscientious Objector to the war in Vietnam, studies at Antioch College, Ohio, as well as his work as reporter for a Civil Rights newspaper in Alabama and Mississippi, Jonathan studied voice with Antonia Lavanne of the Mannes School, New York, and was a guitar protegee of Dave Van Ronk, folk music legend.
Jonathan is divorced, and has a daughter, Sarah Mina Gordon, who lives in Manhattan. Before coming to Westchester, Jonathan served as Cantor of Congregation Mishkan Israel, Hamden, Ct., for 19 years. He lives in Dobbs Ferry, New York, while his heart is often in Butternut Bend, his house on the Delaware River near Callicoon, New York.
Educator Harriet Levine, RJE
Educator Harriet Levine, RJE was born and educated in Spring Valley, New York. She attended Cortland State Teachers College (SUNY Cortland) and was graduated from New York University School of Education with a Bachelor of Science in Education. For several years, she taught in public school systems in New York, Maryland, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, as her husband’s work required that the family relocate. Beginning in 1973, she entered the field of Jewish Education and subsequently taught at B’nai Joshua Beth Elohim (Glenview, IL), Temple Anshe Amunim (Pittsfield, MA), Hevreh of Southern Berkshire (Great Barrington, MA), Temple Israel (Westport, CT), and Congrega
Assistant Rabbi Mara Young
Assistant Rabbi Mara Young grew up in Westfield, NJ. She attended Tufts University in Boston where she majored in Anthropology and Judaic Studies with a minor in English. While studying at the Los Angeles campus of Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion, Mara was the rabbinic adviser at Occidental College's Hillel. Upon arriving in New York, Mara worked at the Union for Reform Judaism, Columbia-Barnard Hillel, The Jewish Home and Hospital, and Beth Israel Medical Center. Mara is the co-founder and former spiritual leader of a young minyan in Astoria, NY called the Wandering Jews of Astoria. She has served for the past two years as the rabbinic intern here at Woodlands Community Temple and she and her husband Mark are thrilled to remain part of the Woodland's community this year.
Youth Director, Ross Glinkenhouse
Ross Glickenhouse
Sh'liakh K'hilah Corey Friedlander
Corey Friedlander
