Board of Directors
Avi Spector | Board President works in a family business in manufacturing and has been on the DJCS Board for 7 years in Fundraising, Vice President, Oneg Shabbat committee and attending outreach programs in the MNJCC. Avi lives downtown and is passionate about progressive egalitarian inclusive Judaism with experience in various professional and philanthropic support in Jewish camps including Camp Shalom. He has volunteered in Israel and one of his highlights is working with Magen David Adom as a paramedic. Avi participates in Jewish softball leagues and thoroughly loves sports.
Suzanne Keppler | Past President has been a DJCS parent with one daughter in the school since 2006.She has served as President, Vice-president, and Treasurer of the Garrison Creek Community Daycare Centre (a non-profit, school-based centre) and Treasurer of the Garrison Flats Community Garden. Suzanne currently works as a manager of financial reporting for the Canada Media Fund, a private non-profit funding agency. She holds an MA in Philosophy and a B.Ed. from the University of Toronto and a BA in Judaic Studies from the State University of New York at Albany.
Zachary Dloomy, CPA | Vice President has been a member of the DJCS board since 2018, assisting with forecasting and financial reporting. He is currently a senior financial analyst at Vela Software Group, having previously worked as an auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. He holds a Master of Management & Professional Accounting from the University of Toronto and a BSc from Western University.
Brian Smith | Board Treasurer is a retired management consultant. He has an MBA from the University of Chicago in marketing and a BA from McGill in History. He has worked in retail and real estate with both Canadian and multinational corporations. He has served on several corporate and non profit boards. He is married and has three children and three grandchildren. He has been involved with the DJCS for over 10 years and is devoted to the school and what it stands for.
Matthew Shulman | Board Secretary brings the experience and skills gained in leadership roles over many years in education, non-profit and Jewish organizations. He is the Executive Director of Peel-Halton-Dufferin Adult Learning Network, a registered charity that champions the importance of literacy and lifelong learning. He also serves as a Director for ABC Life Literacy Canada and is a Team Captain in the Inter-Synagogue Baseball League. Matthew is the proud father of two DJCS students.
Jackie Goodman | Board Member brings 20 years of experience in student and academic services spanning the K-16 continuum. She is currently a manager at the University of Toronto Mississauga campus. She holds a Master's of Education degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Bucknell University. As a scholar of education, she has dedicated her professional career to enhancing the learning experience of students through a social justice lens, with a particular focus on access, transition, and retention of underserved student populations. She is also actively engaged in the teaching and learning community, regularly attending and presenting at workshops and conferences both nationally and internationally. She is a proud parent of two DJCS students and enjoys traveling with her family.
Barbara Silverstein | Board Member is a freelance writer, certified nutritionist and registered social worker. She is the co-founder of the Natural Balance Weight Loss Centre, where she does professional coaching in weight management. Barbara has a passion for writing and is a regular contributor to The Canadian Jewish News. Her articles have appeared in The Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, Homemakers Magazine and numerous community publications. She has worked as a copy editor for many clients including The Canadian Jewish News. She was a social worker at Kinark Child and Family Services and at The Jewish Home for the Aged at Baycrest. She is a past coordinator of the Hebrew Heritage Program at Withrow Avenue Junior Public School. She also taught art and Jewish studies at Temple Emanu-El Beth Shalom religious school in Montreal. Barbara has a BA from McGill University, a BAA in Journalism from Ryerson University, an MSW from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work (Yeshiva University) and a certificate in applied nutrition from the Institute of Holistic Nutrition. She is a member of the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers.
Randi Sokolsky | Board Member has worked for over 17 years in the non-profit sector, primarily in the areas of strategic development, fundraising and marketing, on behalf of Toronto's Jewish and Native Canadian communities, as well as a number of Israeli-based NGO's. She is currently involved in the pre-production stage of a full-lengthdocumentary about Jewish resistance in the Holocaust and WWII, entitled Butterflies in the Storm, as co-producer and development coordinator.
Naomi Azrieli | Honorary Member is the Chair of the Board of Trustees and has served as Executive Director of the Azrieli Foundation since 2002. In this capacity, she has established the Azrieli Foundation as a force for creative and effective philanthropy in a number of fields, and as one of the premier charitable organizations in Canada. She has created and launched several programs, including the Azrieli Institute for Educational Empowerment, the Azrieli Fellows Program and the Holocaust Survivor Memoirs Publishing Program. She serves as a Senior Editor for the Azrieli Series of Holocaust Survivor Memoirs, and has edited and written introductions for several of the volumes published in the series. Dr. Azrieli holds a D.Phil. in History from the University of Oxford (UK), and has written and lectured on European diplomacy in the 19th and 20th centuries, on the economic aspects of totalitarian regimes, on Soviet foreign policy during and just following World War II, and on the origins of the Cold War.