BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Introducing Our Board of Directors: The Visionaries Shaping the Future of The Mussar Institute. Learn about the leaders who steer our organization toward continued excellence and success.
Executive Leadership
Kathy Jacobs, Secretary
Kathy retired from ACT, Inc, where she served as an internal change and transition consultant, assisting various departments and hands-on employees in managing technical changes and other projects. Already an enthusiastic member of TMI, she found great fulfillment in her Yesod and Manchim training and facilitating. Mussar teachings and practices have now become a central part of her life.
Annabelle Imber Tuck, President
Annabelle is the first woman elected as a justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court and the author of the order that reformed the state's public education financing. In 1994, she declared the existing system unconstitutional and gave the Arkansas General Assembly two years to establish an equitable educational system, retiring after two re-elections.
David Goldis, Treasurer
David, a Yeshiva University graduate and accountant with 35 years of experience, has managed his independent practice in Hollywood, FL for the past 30 years. He specializes in international tax services, audit representation, and business startup & planning. David is deeply involved in various non-profit and religious organizations, both locally and globally. He is proficient in English, Hebrew, and Yiddish and has studied Mussar for over 30 years.
Past Presidents
Irv Robinson, Past Co-President
Irv recently sold his plastics manufacturing business of 45 years. He has held various leadership and non-leadership roles in nonprofit organizations in the Kansas City area. Irv has been studying Mussar since 2009, facilitating courses since 2012, and serving on the TMI Board for several years.
Sandy Greenstein, Past Co-President
Sandy has over 30 years of experience in manufacturing, construction, and risk management-loss control. He resides in the picturesque Thousand Oaks, California. Sandy holds a deep belief in Mussar's path of Jewish character development and spiritual growth. As a Mussar Facilitator, he has successfully bridged the gap between his ideals and the life he leads today.
BOARD
Leslie-Anne Copes-Finke
Leslie-Anne Copes-Finke serves as the Director of the Teen Program for The Mussar Institute. At Beth El Temple Center in Belmont, MA, she is a member of the education staff and facilitates TMI's Teen Program with a group of 11th and 12th-grade teens. Leslie brings valuable expertise in leadership, team effectiveness, and fundraising, having previously worked as a consultant for Combined Jewish Philanthropies' Leadership Development Institute. Currently, she holds the position of Vice-Chair on the URJ Communities Leadership Team. Leslie is a proud mother of three children, ages 17, 20, and 23, and has also served as a past president of her synagogue community.
Steven Haas
Steve has been a student of Mussar since 2011 and has consistently studied with the same online va’ad for 11 years. After completing Manchim, he facilitated Season of Mussar I and II at his congregation, Temple Chai in Phoenix, AZ. Steve is a passionate advocate for Mussar, which has profoundly impacted his life.
He has also previously served on the board of his congregation and retired after 11 years of teaching in junior and senior high schools, in addition to a 40-year career in Human Resources at Bud Industries, Inc.
John Isenberg
John, retired after nearly 40 years of owning Western Extralite, a family business. He is deeply involved in his Jewish community and has held board positions at the Jewish Family Service, Jewish Community Foundation, Temple B’Nai Jehudah, and the Jewish Federation of Greater KC, where he served as Board Chair from 2015 to 2018. John has made 15 trips to Israel since his first visit in 1981.
In 2020, he began his Mussar journey by enrolling in the 5 Steps course. He is an ongoing student of Mussar, having participated in three va'ads and currently enrolled in one, while also being part of the Mussar Schmooze group.
John and his wife, Jenny, are lifelong Kansas City residents and have been married for 40 years. They have three children: Amy Allison, Adam, and a grandson, Max.
Ann Margolin
Ann has been involved with TMI for about ten years, taking various courses, completing Manchim, and becoming a certified facilitator. She is also a Jewish meditation teacher and has participated in the Kivvun program at the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. Ann is active in Temple Emanuel in Dallas.
Ann has served in many roles as a community volunteer in Dallas, including representing District 13 on the Dallas City Council, being the first female board chair at Parkland Hospital, and the immediate past chair of TexProtects. She also chaired the board of Girls Inc., was the founding chair of the Chiapas Project, and served on several commissions, including the Dallas Planning and Zoning Commission and the Park and Recreation Board. Ann holds a BS and MA in Communication from Northwestern and an MBA from Columbia Business School.
Robert Mass
Robert Mass is a Senior Advisor in the Compliance Division at The Goldman Sachs Group L.P. Before joining the firm, he served as an assistant district attorney in New York County, where he held positions as the deputy chief of the Investigation Division and chief of the Labor Racketeering Unit. Earlier in his career, he worked at Kramer, Levin, Nessen, and Kamin, a New York corporate law firm, and at the American Civil Liberties Union. Robert also serves as the chairman of the FCA Markets Practitioner Panel. He is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Cruz, and Harvard Law School.
Kalinka Moudrova-Rothman
Kalinka began her journey with TMI in 2004 after meeting Alan Morinis. Drawn to Mussar, she has taken over a dozen courses. Originally from Bulgaria, she converted to Judaism in 2009 and had her Bat Mitzvah in 2011. She has attended over a dozen Kallot and participated in TMI’s first trip to Israel. Kalinka volunteered as a chevruta matching coordinator and edited the Omer teachings for our Facebook page. She is a bank finance attorney with Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation in NYC. She holds an LL.B. from Sofia University and an LL.M. from Columbia Law School. With over 30 years of experience as a corporate attorney, she has also served on various boards.
Laure Stern
Laure, a graduate of Brandeis University, has dedicated her career to public service and nonprofits. She co-founded a program with Boston Mayor Kevin White's office, using theater arts to bridge diverse teen communities. After moving to LA in 1986, she tested recipes for Bon Appétit Magazine and served as an Education Commissioner for the California State PTA. She co-chaired a $42 million bond measure for the Santa Monica-Malibu School District and founded the Malibu Foundation for Youth and Families, partnering with Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Laure was a National Trustee for Boys & Girls Clubs of America's Pacific Region and received the President’s Call to Service Award from President Obama. Now retired in Ventura County, Laure lives with her husband on a citrus and avocado farm where they welcome visits with their three children and six grandchildren. A member of Temple Beth Torah, she has studied Mussar for 10 years, finding deep personal growth through its teachings.
Choose Your Mussar Path!
Discover the transformative power of Mussar with courses tailored to your journey, where you can deepen your spiritual practice and cultivate inner wisdom.