Members

Debbie Berkowitz has been a member of Temple Chai for over 20 years. She has served on multiple committees including The Membership Engagement Team, 2024 gala co-chair, Rabbi search committee, and Rabbi transition committee. Her family has participated in family retreats, religious school, bar/bat mitzvah celebrations, confirmation, youth group, and many more Temple Chai experiences. Debbie and her husband Gary enjoy their “date night” Shabbat services and are proud to call Temple Chai their spiritual and religious community.  Debbie is a speech language pathologist by trade and enjoys her other community volunteer work with New Song Center for Grieving Children,

Betsy Zangara is the CFO of Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona. Previously, she served as a Partner at Connor Group and BDO and spent nine years in the audit practice at Deloitte. In addition to her accounting degree, Betsy has a master’s degree in social work, focusing on non-profit organizations. Betsy has also spent time in Jewish education, starting as a madricha at Temple Chai in middle school, serving as a Hebrew school teacher during college in St. Louis, and then becoming the Hebrew School Principal, NFTY Advisor, and then the Director of Education at Central Reform Congregation in St.

Meaghan is a civil rights lawyer at the Arizona Center for Disability Law (ACDL), where she is the Managing Attorney for the healthcare team. Through her work at ACDL, Meaghan targets systemic issues affecting Arizonans with disabilities in healthcare, voting, and employment matters. A long-time mental health and disability advocate, Meaghan is the former Chair of The Centers for Habilitation, the largest non-profit supporting developmentally and intellectually disabled Arizonans. She serves on the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners, the local Ryan White Planning Council, and the Phoenix Mayor’s Commission on Disability Issues. Meaghan is also involved with NCJW Arizona

David Weiner has followed in his father’s footsteps in operating their Insurance Agency that focuses on Employee Benefits along with Life and Health Insurance with offices in the Chicago area since 1959. After moving to Phoenix in 1983 he became involved with the Jewish Federation where he served in many roles and was Co-Chair from 20017-2020. In addition to this David Chaired the Phoenix Chapter of AIPAC in the late 90’s and served on AIPAC’s National Board and later Chaired the Jewish Community Foundation.  David just rotated off the  Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency for Israel in Jerusalem

Rabbi Emily Segal is passionate about engagement and building relationships. She is a dynamic and skilled teacher who makes each person feel seen and known. A vocal advocate, Rabbi Segal is a justice leader who puts our values into action. An author and national leader, she is an important and rising voice in the Jewish world. Rabbi Segal grew up in a small, tight-knit Jewish community in Virginia, nurtured by one of the first woman rabbis, and she is the proud product of an interfaith home. Seeing her father grow in love for Judaism and passion for Jewish learning and

Rabbi Koppell was recognized as “Outstanding Young Leader of the Year” for the City of Mesa, Arizona in 1994.  She was the recipient of the City of Mesa Martin Luther King Celebration’s “Spirit of Unity” award and received the “Celebration of Success” award from Impact for Enterprising Women. The Arizona Cactus Pine Girl Scout Council awarded Rabbi Koppell its “World of People” award.  She has served as Grand Marshal for the City of Mesa Veteran’s Day Parade and was Mesa’s “Woman of the Year” in 2004.  In 2007 she was invited to the White House to offer the opening prayer

Cantor Sharona Feller's innovations began with Temple Chai's development from a tiny congregation of some 180 families. Her involvement ranged from teaching b'nai mitzvah students to creating Bat Chai, the temple's women's study program, to leading its adult and children's choirs to organizing its Thanksgiving ecumenical service. Two of her greatest accomplishments as Temple Chai's first Cantor were the development of the temple's family school and its retreat programs as well as collaborating with Rabbi Berk to create the temple's Kabbalat Shabbat service. (Temple Chai was one of the first Reform congregations in North America to eliminate the late Friday night

Wendy Cohen brings more than 30 years of experience in strategic planning, fiscal management, and organizational and programmatic assessment. She has spent her career focused on building stronger communities.  Most recently Wendy worked as the senior director of services for Duet: Partners In Health & Aging. Prior to joining Duet, she served as executive director of Experience Matters and interim executive director for the Phoenix Girls Chorus. For over 20 years Wendy served as a vice president at the American Gastroenterological Association where she focused on health policy issue, strategic planning, consensus building and business development. She holds a bachelor’s degree

Amanda Campbell joined the Temple Chai senior staff as Principal of Administration and Curriculum just over 4 years ago and she has been a part of the teaching staff for almost 20 years. Prior to her current position, she spent years teaching Hebrew and Judaica here at Temple Chai. During that time, Amanda developed curriculum, served as grade-level cooridantor, ran programs for children and parents, and served on many committees involved in programming, child-development, and teacher-training. While working in Judaic education, Amanda also taught high school and middle school English in the Paradise Valley school district.​ Amanda grew up at