Faculty

Nina Loftspring is a Cincinnati native who graduated from the then Cincinnati Reform Hebrew High School.  Nina is excited to bring her extensive experience in Jewish educational leadership, curriculum development, and Holocaust education to the Shelanu community.

Most recently, Nina served as the Director of Youth Education and Family Life for Town & Village Synagogue in New York City, where she worked with students of all ages and their families. Prior to that, Nina served as B'nai Jeshurun's Assistant Director of Education for Curriculum and Learning.

Nina earned her Masters in Religious Education from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion and her BA at Indiana University, where she triple-majored in Jewish Studies, History, and Non-Profit Management.

Nina prides herself on making students' interests central to the classroom experience, simultaneously empowering them and creating a community of engaged learners.

Nina is married to Dr. Lee Honig, a Brooklyn native whom she has kidnapped and brought with her to Cincinnati. Nina, Lee and their daughter Isla live in Hyde Park. 

Rabbi Noah Ferro has been the spiritual leader of Northern Hills Synagogue since 2018. Originally from Nashville, TN, Rabbi Ferro worked in bookstores and libraries throughout his college career, and he now finds being a rabbi a convenient excuse for continuing a longtime book addiction. Rabbi Ferro grew up in a non-Jewish household and converted to Judaism as a young adult. He says that this experience is crucial to his core beliefs about what it means to be Jewish: “Judaism creates holiness through obligation. But in today’s world, even obligation is a matter of choice: the choice to recognize it, or not to. Everything rests on the choice of the individual. We choose how we engage with Jewish ritual, thought, prayer, or text — or we choose not to. But without choice, life can have no meaning.” Rabbi Ferro is a 2017 ordinee of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, a parent and a spouse, and self-described “big nerd.”

Rabbi Zachary Goodman is originally from Dallas, Texas and was ordained in 2019 from HUC-JIR here in Cincinnati. After working in Toronto for the past few years, Zachary and his wife, Katie, recently moved back to Cincinnati with their kids Abe (almost 2) and Ira (3 months). Rabbi Goodman loves playing guitar, hiking/camping, learning, and hanging with friends and family. 

Rabbi Kahan is the Senior Rabbi at Rockdale Temple. She earned her bachelor's degree in social work at The Ohio State University, and was thrilled to return home to Cincinnati for her rabbinical education at Hebrew Union College. She served Rockdale as Rabbinic Intern during her final two years at HUC, continuing her work with the congregation’s worship, music, youth, outreach and  education programs, and of course, building relationships with Rockdale members. Rabbi Kahan was ordained from HUC in 2013, after completing her thesis focused on the use of sacred music in teaching children how to pray as Jews. Immediately following ordination, she began serving as Rockdale Temple’s Assistant Rabbi & Educator. Rabbi Kahan is a life-long lover of books and music, enjoys traveling, and can be found cheering on the Buckeyes year-round! 

Rabbi Lewis H. Kamrass is the Senior Rabbi of Isaac M. Wise Temple. He is a Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of the University of Georgia in Sociology and Psychology, with a Master of Hebrew Letters and Rabbinic Ordination from Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, as well as a D. D. degree (doctor of divinity, honoris causa). He has served for twenty-four years as Instructor in the Theology Department of Xavier University teaching undergraduates, and as adjunct faculty at Hebrew Union College teaching rabbinical students. And he has been a faculty member of Kulanu/Cincinnati Reform Jewish High School since its inception in 1983.

Rabbi Kamrass serves as a member of Board of Governors of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, and as a member of Hebrew Union College's President's Rabbinic Council and Rabbinic Board of Alumni Overseers. He has been active as well in the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the international association of Reform Rabbis, having served on its Board of Trustees and Executive Committee. He has served on the CCAR's Youth Committee, Nominating Committee and Patrilineal Descent Task Force. He was honored to be selected as one of a dozen rabbis to compose the "Statement of Principles" adopted in 1999 as the Reform rabbinate's platform of beliefs, and to have been selected for the Siddur Editorial Committee of the CCAR, charged with preparing the prayer book for the Reform Movement, published in 2007, the CCAR Machzor (High Holy Day Prayer Book) Editorial Team, and the CCAR Publication Committee.

Rabbi Sandford Kopnick is the rabbi of The Valley Temple. He has served Valley since 2001. He is a member of the faculty of GUCI and serves on the camp board. He has taught workshops at the last 10 NFTY Conventions, and served as the NFTY-OV advisor when he was in rabbinic school.

Rabbi Moshe Smolkin is the senior rabbi at Adath Israel Congregation. He grew up in Texas and New Mexico and holds a B.A. from Brandeis and a M.A.T. in Mathematics Education from Tufts. He enjoyed teaching high school math in Boston, before attending the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at American Jewish University in Los Angeles. While in rabbinical school, he interned as an interfaith chaplain, studied in Jerusalem, and served at Mishkon Tephilo in Venice, California. Rabbi Smolkin was ordained in 2009, having twice received awards for his excellence in Talmud. He then served for 10 years as the rabbi at Ohavay Zion Synagogue in Lexington, Kentucky. In addition to his love of learning Torah, Talmud, and Jewish Mysticism, Rabbi Smolkin enjoys studying other religions and learning languages - Greek is his current interest. He also has a life-long love of music, as well as many years of study in martial arts. Rabbi Smolkin has been known to indulge in Marvel movies, sushi, and a good cupcake.

Jacob Kraus-Preminger (he/him) is the campaign manager at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. He is a 2015 graduate of Macalester College. He lives in Cincinnati with his wife and daughter. 

Rabbi Kruas is an Associate Professor at University of Cincinnati and the head of the Hebrew Department. Rabbi Kraus studies the history of biblical interpretation and Judaism in Greek and Roman antiquity.

Lowell Lustig is beginning his seventh-year teaching and advising a moot court team which argues a contemporary issue in Jewish Law as part of the international Maimonides Moot Court Competition under the auspices of the Hadar Institute.  In March 2021, the Cincinnati team placed 1^st in the Cardozo Division in international competition.

Lowell earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hunter College of the City University of New York, where he graduated with honors in History and Adolescent Education. He also holds a Juris Doctor degree from Capital University Law School in Columbus, OH. Lowell studied Archaeology and Talmudic Thought at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and learned at the Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, IL in his mid-twenties.  Lowell is a puppeteer and created Saturday Torah Live, which has been part of Shabbat morning services at Beber Camp in Mukwonago, WI and Perlman Camp in Lake Como, PA for many years. A former Director of Development and Public Affairs at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, he has also served as Director of Illinois Council BBYO and Syracuse University Hillel.  Lowell currently serves as Director of Philanthropy for the three medical school campuses of the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Hannah Rozenson is excited to teach at Shelanu this year! She graduated from Miami University in 2018 with degrees in psychology and health administration. Currently, Hannah is pursuing her master’s degree in health administration. Growing up, she spent her summers at GUCI and worked 5 summers on staff! In her free time, Hannah enjoys hanging out with family and friends, binging a good show, and cuddling with her dog, Mya.

Caroline Winstel-McLeod is returning for her second year to Shelanu. Caroline is a nationally ranked adaptive climber who holds a Doctorate in Education from NKU. When not working within the Jewish community, Caroline enjoys rock climbing, photography, cycling and music

Chavarim M'Israel

Shaked Vatavu (17) is from Ganey Tikva, Israel. She majored in English Diplomacy and Social Science in high school. Shaked enjoys ballet and contemporary dance, traveling, hiking and playing the piano.

Shiri Avisar (18) is from Netanya, Israel. Her majors in high school were physics, human resources, and diplomacy. Shiri enjoys at-home workouts, reading, watching tv series, going out with friends, and traveling.

Both Shaked and Shiri were active in the Israeli Scouts. There, they learned many skills such as leadership, collaboration, and communication which they will be putting to good use here.  Shaked and Shiri will be spending their year at a variety of institutions in the community, including Rockwern Academy, temples and synagogues, youth groups, and secular schools.