Clergy & Professional Staff

Michael A. White, Rabbi


Rabbi Michael A. White became Temple Sinai's fourth Senior Rabbi in July of 1997. Born and raised in Schenectady, New York, Rabbi White holds a degree in psychology from Brandeis University. His Masters in Hebrew literature and Rabbinic Ordination were awarded by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York where he was the recipient of numerous academic awards. Following his ordination Rabbi White pursued doctoral studies in religion and social ethics at the University of Southern California. Since his ordination Rabbi White has served Temple Isaiah in Lafayette, California and Temple Isaiah in Los Angeles, California.

Rabbi White is founder of the East Williston-Roslyn Community Coalition for Drug Free Youth; he is a member of the President's Advisory Board of the Nassau County Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the State University of New York-College at Old Westbury Foundation Board. Rabbi White also serves the Reform Movement in many capacities. He is the Vice-Chair of the National Joint Commission on Social Action, Chair of the Central Conference of the American Rabbis Justice and Peace Committee and is a member of the Editorial Board of the CCAR Journal where he has published articles on contemporary Jewish decision making. He also serves on the President's Advisory Council for the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Recently Rabbi White was Chair of the CCAR Ad Hoc Committee on Human Sexuality and Co-Chair of the Rabbinic Council of the Association of Reform Zionists of America.

He is married to Rebecca Katz-White, an attorney. They are the proud parents of David and Talia.

Back to top

Cantor Sergei Schwartz


Cantor Sergei Schwartz joined Temple Sinai in July 2012. He was born in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, and has been singing since the age of six. Despite the religious prohibitions and restrictions imposed on all Jews in the former Soviet Union, Jewish music was always a part of Cantor Schwartz' life. After graduation in 1990 from the Glinka College of Music in Dnepropetrovsk. with a major in Choral Conducting, he and his family immigrated to Israel, where he was immediately accepted into the Jerusalem Rubin Academy of Music. He graduated in 1995 with a Bachelor's degree in Choral Conducting.

Soon after coming to Jerusalem, Cantor Schwartz joined the Jerusalem Great Synagogue Choir where he deepened his love of cantorial music. While there, Cantor Schwartz studied cantorial art with famous Conductor and Cantor Elli Jaffe, and with world renowned Cantor Naftali Herstik, Chief Cantor of the Jerusalem Great Synagogue. In 1996 Cantor Sergei Schwartz was accepted to the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City, from which he successfully graduated with a Master of Sacred Music Degree and Ordination as Cantor in May of 2000. Upon graduation, he accepted a full-time position as cantor at Temple Beth Sholom in New City, New York.

Cantor Schwartz has been honored to serve on the Board of the American Conference of Cantors and served as the ACC liaison to the World Union for Progressive Judaism. Four years ago he joined the faculty of the School of Sacred Music at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Cantor Sergei Schwartz has appeared in concert halls across Europe, Israel, and the United States.

He is married to Cantor-Educator Elena Schwartz, and they have two sons, Ziv and Lior.

Click here listen to music from Temple Sinai.

Back to top

Cantor-Educator Elena Schwartz, Director of Education


We are so fortunate to have Cantor Elena Schwartz as our Director of Education. A talented educator and singer, she was born in Ukraine, grew up in the former Soviet Union and came to the United States by way of Israel.

In 1990, she made Aliyah to Israel, and it was there that she earned a Bachelor's Degree in Music and Education at the Rubin Academy of Music & Dance in Jerusalem. After coming to New York, she earned a Master's Degree in Jewish Education from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 2002. She also received her Cantorial training and obtained a second Master's Degree by graduating from the School of Sacred Music and was invested as a Cantor in 2006.

Cantor Schwartz has dedicated her career to sharing with her community the highest levels of Jewish Education and Cantorial Art. She comes to Temple Sinai with over thirteen years of experience in Reform Jewish Education. Previously she served as Assistant Cantor at Temple Emanu-El in Westfield, NJ and as the Cantor and Director of Torah School for Monroe Temple Beth-El, Monroe, NY. In 2012, Cantor Schwartz produced a celebratory congregational CD Prayer of the Heart. Cantor Schwartz is a member of the American Conference of Cantors, National Association of Temple Educators and Cantors Assembly.

She is married to Cantor Sergei Schwartz. They have two children, Ziv and Lior.

Click here to listen to music from Temple Sinai.

Back to top

Rabbi Ilana Schachter


Rabbi Schachter brings a wealth of rabbinic experience to the Temple Sinai community, most recently as Director of Community Building at Temple Shaaray Tefila in Manhattan. She has also served as Hillel Rabbi at both Loyola Marymount University and the University of Pennsylvania.

Rabbi Schachter received her Bachelor’s degree in Comparative Literature and Judaic Studies with Honors from Brown University. She earned a Master’s in Hebrew Literature as well as rabbinic ordination at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, where she was awarded fellowships in global justice, executive training, interdenominational learning, and professional development. She served as Rabbinic Intern at major Los Angeles area congregations and is the author of numerous articles on Jewish life and learning. Most recently, Rabbi Schachter was selected to participate in the exclusive Clergy Leadership Incubator, a two-year program that focuses on visionary leadership and innovative practice. The CLI program integrates the best thinking and practice in the field of synagogue transformation with the organizational tool kit developed by adaptive leadership, a discipline developed at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Temple Sinai is particularly inspired by Rabbi Schachter's warmth, intellect, energy, engaging teacher and humor.

Rabbi Schachter resides in Roslyn with her husband, John Feuerstein and their children, Jacob and Aviva.

Back to top

Lee Mirrer, Executive Director

Lee Mirrer is honored to be serving the congregational family of Temple Sinai in the role of Executive Director. She is passionate about inspiring members of all generations to live as actively engaged participants in our Jewish community. Lee is devoted to partnering with Temple Sinai members, clergy, lay leaders, and professional staff to provide meaningful experiences that continue to distinguish our synagogue.

Lee brings a wealth of private sector executive experience to her role. Her transformational leadership approach is centered on championing mission-driven, high-performance teams that thrive on providing uniquely responsive experiences and building connected communities. Lee believes that the strength of our synagogue lies in the innovative ways in which we cultivate Jewish community and fortify Jewish identity beginning with our youngest children.

Lee graduated from St. John’s University with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. In her spare time, she serves as a coach and mentor to next-generation transformational leaders. Lee lives in East Islip and is a proud mom to her daughter Haley.

Back to top
 

Dina Kwasnicki, Director of Youth & Teen Engagement

Dina Kwasnicki joins the Temple Sinai family after previously serving Congregation Rodeph Sholom on the Upper West Side as Associate Director of Youth & Teen Engagement for about 8 years. She is passionate about the intersection of contemporary popular culture, Judaism and the foundations of Jewishness. Dina is currently pursuing Rabbinic ordination part-time at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, holds a Master’s in Modern Jewish Studies from The Jewish Theological Seminary and a Bachelor’s degree in Judaic Studies from The George Washington University. She is particularly passionate about contemporary Jewish identity and how Millennial and Gen Z Jews are engaging in and developing their own unique understanding of what it means to be Jewish [yes, that does mean she's on tiktok too!].

Dina is perhaps best known for her Pop Culture Parsha Study experience, "Cup of Joe & The 5 Books of Mo(ses)", as well as an innovative formal curriculum focused on Jewish identity formation through areas of teen interest including rap music, pop culture, sports, and food. It is for these programs that she was awarded the Robert S. Sherman Young Pioneers Award in 2020 from the Jewish Education Project. 

Back to top

Adrianne Rubin, Director of Membership & Engagement

Adrianne brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her role as Director of Membership & Engagement at Temple Sinai. She has spent her entire working life engaging audiences in various capacities: through university-level teaching and administration and through museum and exhibitions work.

Adrianne’s studies at the University of Oxford (Doctor of Philosophy, History of Art) as well as her tenure as Director of Exhibitions at the Museum of Biblical Art, position her uniquely to design top notch cultural and educational programming at Temple Sinai.  Her warm and caring personality is perfectly suited to engaging both current and prospective members.

A Long Island native, Adrianne lives in Port Washington with her husband, Noah, and her son, Zach.

Back to top