Lesley Bogad, President –Lesley Bogad is the proud, single parent of Micah J, a JCDSRI graduate. For the past 20 years, she has made a career in teacher education at Rhode Island College where she is professor of Educational Studies, affiliated faculty in Gender and Women’s Studies, and the Director of the Youth Development program. Her academic work focuses on schooling for social justice and building community. Lesley is a California native, a hobby potter, and a Jewish day school alum. Her superpowers include making beautiful tables in Google Docs, helping teachers and students find their “why,” and quoting Hamilton lyrics.
Robyn Furman – Robyn has been connected to the school since the days it began as Solomon Schechter Day School. She is the parent of four Alperin Schechter Day School alumni. Previously, Robyn worked in early childhood and elementary education. Now she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, five of whom attend JCDSRI and two who recently graduated!
Stephen Gamm – Stephen is a retired orthodontist and longtime supporter of Jewish education and community service. He earned a B.A. from Brandeis University (1959) and both his D.M.D. (1963) and C.A.G.S. in Orthodontics (1967) from Harvard University.
Dr. Gamm maintained a private orthodontic practice from 1967 to 2005 and served as an Associate Clinical Professor of Orthodontics at Boston University and Harvard University. He also worked as a consultant on orthodontic malpractice cases from 1976 to 2022.
He has been active in numerous professional and community organizations, including leadership roles with the Southeastern District Dental Society, Temple Israel in Sharon, Massachusetts, and the Lochstead Homeowners Association. Dr. Gamm also served nine years on the Board of the Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island, including on its Governance Committee.
Kenny Hersh – Kenny returns to the JCDSRI Board after a long hiatus. He previously served on the Board of Alperin Schechter Day School, two years as Treasurer. Kenny’s three children graduated from ASDS and all are sending, or going to send, their children to Jewish Day School as well. Kenny and his wife, Leah are the proud grandparents to 10 grandchildren, 3 of whom attend JCDSRI.
Shoshana Jacob, Immediate Past President – Shosh is the proud parent of 2 JCDSRI alumni. Shosh and her husband, Josh, moved to Providence to be closer to the JCDSRI community. She grew up in Providence and attended the Alperin Schecter Day School (now JCDSRI) for 9 years. Shosh loved this school and attributes her love of Judaism and fondness for Jewish day schools to JCDSRI. She is thrilled that her children get to attend the same school (albeit more innovative) that she attended. Shosh is a Jewish Communal Professional and has worked at many synagogues doing various things from teaching in religious schools, to being a youth director, and even a young family outreach coordinator. She is currently the Program Director and B’nei Mitzvah Coordinator at Temple Emanu-El in Providence.
Daniel Karlin – Daniel is a proud alumnus of JCDSRI. He went on to graduate from Classical High School and Duke University, where he was a member of the football team and active in Jewish life through both Hillel and Chabad.
Daniel currently lives in Manhattan, where he works in banking at Citi and is an active member of the downtown Jewish community. In his free time, he enjoys sports, whether it’s playing golf and basketball or spending an afternoon at the ballpark.
Lynne Klasko-Foster – Lynne is the mother of two current JCDSRI students, Evan and Juliet Foster. Lynne moved to Providence in 2019 to complete a Fellowship at Brown University in Health Equity research. She chose to remain in the area because she found it to be an ideal environment for raising children and building community. Watching her children grow and connect with their Jewish identity at JCDSRI has been a rewarding experience, and she is honored to support the school as a member of the Board. In her free time, Lynne enjoys the beach, mahjong, skiing, and running.
Lauri Lee is a Realtor with Residential Properties Ltd, who moved to Providence from the DC area in 2008. Prior to becoming a real estate agent, Lauri spent 28+ years working in education, including a few years with JCDSRI in various roles (Development, Admissions, Marketing, even Photography). She has an undergraduate degree in Anthropology & Fine Arts (with a concentration in Contemporary African Art) from Amherst College and a Masters in Education from the University of Maryland. She serves on the Board of the Community Libraries of Providence, the Development Committee of the RI Center for the Book, and as a wildlife transporter for the Wildlife Rehabilitators Association of RI. She also holds alumni leadership roles at both of her alma maters, Holton-Arms School and Amherst College. Lauri lives on the East Side with her husband Terry, their Golden Mountain Dog Fergus, and their rescue cat Cosette. Her two grown children live in Boston and Denver, and she is the proud grandma (“Lalee”) of two adorable granddaughters.
Susan Leach DeBlasio – Susan is a life-long member of Temple Emanu-El and community admirer of JCDSRI. She is President of the Classical High School Alumni Association, a past president of URI Hillel and Jewish Seniors Agency, a former Vice Chair of The Miriam Hospital, a former Vice Chair and Secretary of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, and past chair of the Rhode Island Foundation Professional Advisory Council. A past president of both the Rhode Island Bar Association and the Rhode Island Bar Foundation, Susan practices corporate, health care, and construction law in Providence and Boston and is a frequent presenter on the topics of business law, practice management, and legal ethics. She graduated Wheaton College, phi beta kappa, and Boston University School of Law, and has an MBA from Providence College.
Susan loves the beach, the outdoors, life in Providence with her husband, an eye surgeon, and spending time with her daughter and her family, especially being Bubbe to Leo (current JCDSRI student), Eli and Max (future JCDSRI students)!
Rachel Mersky Woda, Secretary – Rachel Mersky Woda has spent the past 30 years working with a wide variety of non-profit organizations at the local, regional and national level. She has experience with all aspects of communal service including fundraising and development, strategic planning, and leadership development, while spending significant time in areas of experiential Jewish education. Rachel is currently the Director of Youth and Family Engagement at Temple Beth-El and lives on the East Side of Providence with her husband, Craig and their sons, Jordan and Elias who are both JCDSRI alumni.
Mara Ostro – Mara’s three children all attended and graduated from JCDSRI . She is a speech pathologist and a graduate of Jewish day school herself. She previously served as JCDSRI Board President and the Chair of the Head of School Support Committee.
Hanina Rosenstein – Hanina is the proud mother of Meira (JCDSRI student!) and Briah (future JCDSRI student). She and her husband, Avi, love living in his hometown of Providence. They are both committed to being active participants in building vibrant, local Jewish life. During her working hours, Hanina is a program manager for UCLA Health.
Judy Rosenstein – Judy grew up in Providence and after college settled here with her husband, Jay. Judy is the parent of three Providence area day school alumni – two from PHDS and one from JCDSRI/ASDS. She is the grandmother of five granddaughters all of whom have graduated, attend (or will be soon attending) Jewish day schools, two at JCDSRI. Judy is a former board or officer of JCDSRI, the JCC, Jewish Alliance and others and is active on multiple committees throughout the Jewish community She is retired as Benny’s Toy Princess and now is a Baby Cuddler at Women and Infants Hospital.
Adriane Schoen – Adriane grew up in New Jersey and moved to Rhode Island with her husband in 2008. They now live in East Greenwich with their three sons. Together, they own a small animal veterinary hospital, which Adriane manages.
All three of their sons attended JCDSRI for elementary school, an experience that played a significant role in strengthening their Jewish identities and deepening their connection to the local Jewish community.
Adriane has long been active in Jewish communal life. She previously served as Secretary at Temple Torat Yisrael and Treasurer of the Community Beit Midrash of Rhode Island. She currently serves as an Officer of the Board at Temple Emanuel. Adriane is honored to be on the board of JCDSRI and looks forward to supporting the school’s mission and contributing meaningfully to its continued growth.
Jessica Schuster, Vice-President – Jessica is the proud parent of Ava, Sadie and Charlie all of whom attend JCDSRI. Jessica moved from New York City to Providence for graduate school and has been here ever since! She received her PhD in Applied Mathematics from Brown University and is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, where she uses computational biology to study the genetics of reproductive disorders. In her free time, she loves going to the beach with her family, cooking, and party planning.
Sommer Thomas, Treasurer – Sommer grew up in the greater Boston area and has been living in Rhode Island for over 15 years. She shares a home in North Providence with her husband, Boris Nakhlis, and three children, Aria (JCDSRI 2026 graduate), Sommer Iman and Mayah (future JCDSRI students).