President – Jaimee Mitzmacher
Jaimee is an elementary and special educator, with a master’s in educational administration. Originally from Philadelphia, she has called Ottawa home for the past nine years. At KBI, Jaimee has served in volunteer leadership roles including Youth Chair and Secretary before becoming President. She is passionate about good governance, communication, and building a welcoming and connected community.
Jaimee and her husband, Jon, have two daughters, Eliana and Maytal, both studying at Queen’s University. Outside of KBI, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, hosting, and playing Mahjong with KBI friends after Kiddush on Shabbat afternoons.
Vice President – Sheldon Wiseman
Sheldon was born in Smiths Falls, Ontario, to a family that emphasized education, music, and community service. His grandfather introduced him to opera, and his father to Gershwin.
He attended Queen’s University, where he received a B.A. in History and Politics.
While at Queen’s, he was active in student government and drama. He then attended the University of Toronto Law School, where he earned a J.D. While attending law school, he was active in student government and provincial politics. He was the first Jewish Don appointed in the men’s residences at Victoria College (United Church), a term he held for four years while articling and attending the Bar Admission program.
In 1969, Sheldon married his late wife, Trudy, and moved to Ottawa, where he joined Soloway Wright and ultimately became a partner. In the early 1980s, he became involved in film and TV production. He set up and ran an animation studio that, over the next 40 years, produced more than 650 episodes broadcast in more than 135 countries. He travelled worldwide for his production work, including to Asia, Europe, Israel, the UK, and the US.
Throughout this time, he was also active in federal politics as an organizer, riding president, and campaign manager.
Sheldon has three children and five grandchildren.
Treasurer – David Lyman
Having grown up at the shul and having had the pleasure of seeing his children grow up at KBI, David has had the honour of volunteering with KBI for many years as a service leader, Torah layner, and Committee and Board member.
David is a partner with Dickie & Lyman, Lawyers LLP, a boutique firm serving the needs of residential landlords. David and his wife Jackie are the proud parents of two children, Rachel and Zev, and are committed to keeping KBI and the Ottawa community a wonderful place to live a Jewish life
Secretary – Janice Pleet
Janice is a native Ottawan whose worklife has involved diverse responsibilities, from data mining, to performance reporting, to the production and distribution of research reports, to investigating the implications of the Access to Information Act. She brings that breadth of experience to the KBI Board on which she currently serves as Secretary, and is a member of the Governance Committee.
In her free time, Janice can be found jetting off to Europe to watch her son Jonah Spungin perform in opera productions, or enjoying her dogs, or playing Mahjong, or baking treats or challot for friends and members of our KBI congregation. For three years after October 7th, Janice committed to baking challot for those who attended KBI Kabbalat Shabbats. The attendees are still talking about those challot, and asking when they might make a return.
Immediate Past President – Jeremy Rudin
Jeremy Rudin has been a member of KBI—or one of its predecessor congregations—for more than 30 years. He currently serves on the Board as Immediate Past President and Chair of the Nominations Committee. He hopes to continue contributing to building a synagogue where everyone feels that they belong.
Jeremy retired from a long career as a senior public servant in 2021 and now works as an advisor in financial services. He and his wife, Nina, live in McKellar Park, and their daughter, Shira, attends the University of Ottawa.
Ralph Anzarouth
Ralph Anzarouth serves as Chair of the Ritual Committee at our shul, where he actively helps strengthen the congregation’s religious life and traditions. He has been involved in synagogue leadership and community initiatives for many years. Ralph began his career in high-tech telecommunications before moving into manufacturing and business leadership, most recently serving as Managing Director of a nylon manufacturing company in Arnprior.
Ralph and his wife, Sally, have two children, Emily and David. Emily makes her home in Toronto, while David serves as Director of KBI’s Ottawa Torah Talmud (OTT) school. Ralph brings an appreciation for Jewish tradition and a commitment to a vibrant, welcoming community.
Tina Azarin
Rooted in a rich Persian Jewish heritage, Tina Ahava Azarin brings an entrepreneurial spirit, a global perspective, and a deep commitment to Jewish life to the KBI Board. Her passion for community is reflected in her involvement in synagogue life, Jewish organizations, philanthropy, and volunteerism. With a strong connection to Israel and a commitment to Jewish continuity and community security, Tina believes in honouring our traditions while helping shape a vibrant, welcoming, and connected Jewish future for generations to come.
A longtime Ottawa business owner and avid traveller, Tina and her husband, Farbod, are proud parents of two adult children.
Jeff Greenberg
Jeff Greenberg has been a realtor with Royal LePage since 1991 and is committed to building community and fostering a sense of belonging. He serves on the Pride Committee and chairs the Membership Committee, demonstrating his dedication to inclusion, engagement, and community service. A proud ally of the 2SLGBTQI+ community, Jeff also actively supports and fundraises for various organizations.
Jeff and his wife, Leanne, are proud parents of two daughters, Abigail and Elizabeth.
Arryn Ketter Mills
Arryn Ketter Mills is a public servant whose career has focused on policy, governance, and national security. A member of KBI since 2021, she has found herself involved in rather more committees and synagogue projects than she expected and has particularly enjoyed getting to know the people at KBI.
Arryn lives with her wife, Annie, their two Bedlington terriers, Violette and Percy, and Eugene, the lone feline representative. She loves reading and travelling and is a devoted supporter of Liverpool FC—an enduring source of joy but considerably more “oy” than seems reasonable.
Gillian Koh
Gillian is passionate about the environment, and especially Canada’s beautiful forests. Her career has focused on sustainability and includes work in the non-profit and government sectors. She has called Ottawa home for nearly 20 years.
She first became more involved at KBI when she participated in the Sulam for Emerging Leaders program. She is currently in her second term on the board of directors. Gillian also chairs the Ottawa Talmud Torah (OTT) committee and serves on the membership committee.
She and her husband, Randy, have two young children. Her kids attend OTT on Sundays. Gillian and her family love travelling, especially to places that hold Chinese and/or Jewish culture and history.
Adina Libin
Emma Mallach
Emma has deep personal and family roots in Ottawa’s Jewish community. She currently serves as a board member and Youth Committee Chair at KBI. She has also served as co-chair of the Emerging Generation Division of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa and founded the local PJ Library Book Club through the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, still going strong ten years later.
She’s regularly seen on the dance floor, at the gym, or in the pool at the Soloway JCC, trying to keep up with her two kids.
Judah Silverman
Olga Strelchenko
Olga is a risk and governance professional with an engineering background, applied mathematics training, and a Ph.D. in Computer Science. Originally from Kyiv, Ukraine, she has called this side of the big, beautiful ocean home since 1995, living in Syracuse, Baltimore, Toronto, and, since 2015, Ottawa. She has served on the Board of Directors since 2021, focusing primarily on personnel, investment, and finance.
Olga and her husband, Joel Sachs, have two daughters: Anya, who is studying Engineering Physics at Queen’s University, and Sasha, who is studying Geophysics at the University of Victoria. Since the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine, Olga and Joel have welcomed a new member into their household, Olga’s cousin, Kseniia, who is pursuing a degree in Linguistics at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Olga is an avid reader of practically any subject. She also loves cooking, hosting and movement, including riding horses and dabbling in ballet.