Leadership and Staff

I have been a member of Congregation Kol Ami for almost 20 years. My husband and I raised three children at the temple—and so our attachment to it runs deep. I am a longtime civil servant, having worked over 25 years for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. I have served on the boards of other non-profit organizations as well, seeking to leverage my understanding of organizational dynamics and leadership to benefit community organizations that are important to me. I value building relationships and using those to collaborate on achieving results. Our Kol Ami community has had an extraordinary 30 plus years, and I look forward to working with the Board, the Rabbi, and the congregation to further position us to meet the needs of our community now and into the future.

 

Michael is a proud, openly gay Zionist Jew and a returning Kol Ami member since September 2024. He’s grateful to have found a spiritual and welcoming home in the congregation and is committed to helping others feel the same sense of belonging. Michael is an active participant in services, holidays, Torah study, Mitzvah Corps, MOKA, and more. Professionally, he’s the Operations Manager of a start-up software company, wearing many hats from HR to accounting. In his free time, he enjoys running, music, theater, hiking, and exploring the city—and treats himself to pizza once a year on his birthday.

 

 

Dr. Jane Drucker (she/her)
I’ve been here since before the beginning.  I was here when Kol Ami was just an idea, and I was here when we marched with our Sefer Torahs into our beautiful building for the very first time.  I’ve seen many congregants come, and I’ve borne the pain of losing many temple friends who had become family to me. 

I would be honored to continue to serve on the Board of Trustees of Congregation Kol Ami. I have been a Kol Ami member for over 20 years. I believe the connection between our faith and what’s happening in the world and how we are called to contribute to making a better, more just world is the core of my Jewishness and my ongoing connection and commitment to Kol Ami. I have learned so much as a member of this community and l look forward to an ongoing opportunity to collaborate and learn together. I have worked for many years as an activist for social justice causes and have served as a board member on several organizations and committees in Los Angeles and nationally. I’ve been a lecturer on HIV/AIDS as part of the curriculum for USC Health Sciences programs for thirty years. Professionally, I enjoyed a long career in the entertainment industry, as a production manager at Warner Bros and previously at 20th Century Fox, The Walt Disney Studios, and ABC-TV.

 

I am honored to be Co-President of our congregation. Kol Ami has been a special place for my boyfriend Evin Rolens and me for the past five years. I serve on the synagogue’s executive committee and the Open Yad Project leadership council. This coming year is a tremendous opportunity for us to imagine the next 30 years of Kol Ami, building upon the strong community and foundation that Rabbi Eger has built. There is a strong need for a place that celebrates LGBTQ+ Jewish life and is a safe place for Jews of Color, interfaith couples, and people who are exploring or have chosen Judaism. I have enjoyed getting to know many temple members and learning about what Kol Ami means to them, and I feel inspired to help co-create the next chapter of our community. We can’t do this alone, so I hope you’ll consider volunteering in some way over the next year. Outside of Kol Ami, you can find me catching a show at the Hollywood Bowl or Pantages, volunteering for The Trevor Project, or playing with my dog Chompers. I recently graduated with my Master of Public Administration degree from USC.