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 Team
Irv Robinson, 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, 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.
Annabelle Imber Tuck, Secretary
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.
BOARD
Daniel Beaupain
Daniel practices as a legal guardian and trustee, following decades of active work as a management consultant. He holds multiple roles, serving as a gabbai, teacher, and board member at the Liberal Jewish Congregation of Amsterdam. Notably, Daniel is one of two Mussar facilitators and leaders based outside the U.S., and he supports or facilitates three Mussar va’adim in the Netherlands and one in Germany. Since 2005, he has been actively participating in a multinational va’ad, and he serves as the principal teacher of the Mussar Institute Europe since its establishment. Additionally, Daniel has translated "Everyday Holiness" into Dutch.
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.
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.
George Gabanyi
George is a long-time Mussar practitioner and facilitator for The Mussar Institute. He is a business executive in Sao Paolo, Brazil.
Sandra Lief Garrett
Sandy works as a program and resource development consultant for nonprofit organizations. She transitioned into this role after a four-decade career in leadership positions within the public and nonprofit sectors, where her focus was on assisting women, children, new immigrants, and refugees in achieving success. Sandy has been studying and practicing Mussar since 2011 and became a board member in 2012.
Steven Haas
Steve is rejoining the TMI Board of Directors. He 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, now retired from his almost 40-year ownership of Western Extralite, his family business, is deeply involved in his Jewish community. His extensive contributions include 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's connection with Israel is also notable, having made 15 trips to the country since his first visit in 1981.
In July 2020, John 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 residents of Kansas City and have been married for 40 years. They have three children: Amy Allison, Adam, and a grandson, Max.
Kathy Jacobs
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.
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