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Temple Israel of Scranton

Temple Israel of Scranton

An Egalitarian, Conservative Jewish Congregation – Be A Part of Us!

918 East Gibson Street, Scranton, PA 18510
(570) 342-0350 | Email Us

Sisterhood Shabbat

May 13, 2023, 9:30 am - 1:00 pm

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Please join us for services followed by a kiddush luncheon honoring our 2023 Phyllis Mardo Woman of Distinction, Barbara Dershowitz.

Barbara was born in Brooklyn, New York. She attended the Rabbi Harry Halpern Day School of the East Midwood Jewish Center and would have attended Yeshiva of Flatbush High School, but they would not teach Mishna to girls. So she went to Solomon Schechter High School for a while, ultimately graduating from Midwood High School at age 16 and The City University of New York Scholars Program with a BA in English at 19. She began her professional career as an English teacher at James Madison High School. When she was 21, she met Steve. They were engaged two weeks later and married the next year.

In the 42 years since, Barbara earned an MA in Education, a pre-doctoral CAGS in Organizational Leadership, a paralegal certificate, and certificates in business strategy and change management. She wrote a library of high school skill books, served as a marketing consultant to the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, founded four successful companies, became a college instructor, and was for 13 years vice president of corporate development and training for an East Coast real estate firm. During that time, she edited the National Association of Homebuilders textbook and created a training program for which SmartCEO magazine named her Chief Experience Officer of the Year.

Barbara and Steve lived in Jericho, Long Island, for 30 years, where they raised their children Adam and Lauren and were active members of Temple Beth Torah. There, Barbara served as VP of Fundraising and VP of Communications, twice winning the Solomon Schechter Gold Award for Synagogue Publications. They built a vacation home in NEPA in 1989 and moved here permanently in 2017.

Barbara now teaches in the English and Business departments of Lackawanna College and serves as a Temple Israel board member and director of our Reba and Art Douglass Religious School. She and Steve are blessed with a wonderful daughter-in-law Adena and twin grandchildren Seth and Maya, who are their greatest joys. “Temple Israel felt like home from the first,” says Barbara. “Todah rabah – Thank you very much – for this great honor.”