Clergy & Staff
Clergy & Staff
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Rabbi Daniel N. Geffen
Rabbi Geffen was named Rabbi of Temple Adas Israel in the summer of 2014. He was ordained by The Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in New York in May, 2014 and holds Masters Degrees in both Hebrew Literature and Jewish Education. During his time at HUC-JIR, Rabbi Geffen earned several awards, including those for Modern Hebrew, Halakhic Literature, Rabbinics and was twice awarded the “Amitz Lev” Prize for Spirit, Character and Strength of Heart. He earned his undergraduate degree in History from The University of Wisconsin, Madison. He was born and raised in New York City, where he attended the Abraham Joshua Heschel School and, later, the Fieldston School.
Prior to assuming his position at Temple Adas Israel, Rabbi Geffen served as the Rabbinic Intern for Woodlands Community Temple in White Plains, NY and Jewish Home Lifecare of Manhattan. He was also the Schusterman Rabbinic Resident at Temple Shaaray Tefila in New York City and the Administrative Education Intern at Leo Baeck Temple in Los Angeles.
Rabbi Geffen lives in North Haven with his beloved wife Lu (Temple Adas Israel Director of Community Engagement), their daughter Eva, son Emet and dog, Stuart.
Student Cantor: Will Brockman
Will Brockman (he/him) is a second year cantorial student in the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Will earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in 2018, and upon graduation, he was awarded the Outstanding Achievement in Studio Award from The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute. In 2023, Will earned a Master of Arts in Performance Studies from the University of Toronto's Centre for Drama, Theatre, and Performance Studies, where he researched modern Israeli music. Will is currently enrolled in the Weitzman-JDC Fellowship, which seeks to foster a sense of connection between American rabbinic and cantorial students and the global Jewish community. Will is passionate about creating meaningful Jewish experiences through music and looks forward to create such experiences with the Temple Adas Israel community.
Rabbi Leon Morris: Rabbi Emeritus
Rabbi Morris was rabbi of Temple Adas Israel in Sag Harbor, NY for 15 years, four of which were as its first resident rabbi. Together with his wife, Dasee Berkowitz, he transformed Temple Adas Israel into a year-round vibrant congregation with more than one hundred new families.
A leading educator in the field of adult Jewish study, Rabbi Morris is the president of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. He was the founding director of Skirball Center for Adult Jewish Learning (now the Streicker Center) at Temple Emanu-El in Manhattan. Ordained from Hebrew Union College in 1997 where he was a Wexner Graduate Fellow, Leon writes frequently and is a contributor to Israeli and American Jewish publications. He was one of four editors of Mishkan HaNefesh, the new American Reform High Holiday prayer book published in 2015.
In June 2014, Rabbi Morris and his family made aliyah to Israel, where he currently resides in Jerusalem.
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Shelley Lichtenstein: Executive Director and Educational Director
Since joining our staff in 2015, Shelley has led our Hebrew School program. She also teaches B’nei Mitzvah preparation and adult Hebrew courses. She has helped implement and coordinate the popular summer program, Shabbat by the Bay. Shelley is also responsible for many creative Temple Holiday programs and adult education courses. Shelley brings decades of experience and expertise in creative learning to our synagogue.
A native South African who immigrated to Israel with her family when she was twelve years old, Shelley served in the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) at 18 spending part of her army service on a kibbutz along the Lebanese border.
After the army Shelley began her formal training in education in Tel Aviv. In 1984, she received a B.A. in Education from Southampton College and then earned her M.Ed. in Educational Administration and Supervision from the University of Memphis.
In 1999 she returned with her family to East Hampton where she was the Director of Education and Programming at the Jewish Center of the Hamptons for seven years.
Shelley continues to actively participate in continuing education. She is currently a member of the Jewish Education Project Virtual Network for Part Time Educators and the proud mother of three adult children.
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