Committee, Club, and Havurot Chairs and Group Coordinators

Nadine is thrilled with Machar’s growth and aims to make Machar the home for many more Secular Humanistic Jews in the Washington, DC, area. She was raised in a conservative Jewish synagogue, but, finding them less than meaningful, ceased participating in Jewish services and activities until her husband found Machar decades later. She and her family—husband David Baron and son Jacob Baron—have been Machar members since 1998. Jacob graduated from Machar’s Jewish Cultural School and presented a B Mitzvah program on “Jewish Composers” (memorably playing Berlin’s “White Christmas” and other, less surprising selections, including from Leonard Bernstein’s “Kaddish”). In her non-Machar life, Nadine is an immigration lawyer and head of the immigration program at Maryland’s Office of the Public Defender. She also is co-author of an immigration law treatise published by West (Thomson-Reuters) and a frequent lecturer on immigration law to lawyer groups across the United States.

Nadine has coordinated planning of the High Holidays, Passover, and other celebrations for Machar.

Joy Markowitz is Chair of the New Members Committee

Rabbi Kridel is Chair of the Liturgy Committee

Marlene Cohen and Harriet Peck are Co-Chairs of WITs (Wimmin’ in Transition)

Alberto Grosmark and Mark Mauer coordinate the Nature Lovers Club outings

Renée Weitzner is chair of the Mishpachah Committee.

Originally from Hewlett, Long Island, NY, Renée has lived in Washington, DC, for most of her adult life. She received her B.A. from The American University and an M.A. from New York University. In 2007, she received a M.Ed. in the Teaching of Reading from Trinity Washington University. For many years, she was a teacher of special education, working primarily with children with emotional disorders and learning disabilities, at a variety of private and charter schools, in Washington, DC. She currently tutors children who have learning issues, a practice she has maintained for over 20 years. Previously, she has served as teacher and principal of Machar’s Sunday School. She and her husband, Peter G. Wolfe, have two lovely daughters, Amy and Nancy Wolfe, both of whom attended JCS. Nancy celebrated her B Mitzvah in 1998.

Joana Pratt and Joy Markowitz are Co-Directors of Machar's Choir

Barry Dancis is the manager of the Machar member database.

Marina Broitman serves as volunteer coordinator and co-coordinator of food and refreshment for Sunday services, school and adult education events.