Adult Education Instructors

Francesca Cantarini was born in the country and lives in the city. When she isn't teaching in Mt. Airy, she prefers to be on the road finding everything delicious and photographing whatever catches her eye. She enjoys exploring her internal world through Soul Collage® and is a trained facilitator.

Wendy Galson (Psychologist) and Susan Windle (Poet) have been life partners for 49 years, and are the parents of two grown sons. They delight in sharing and supporting each other’s spiritual growth, and teaching what they learn to others. Most recently, after three years of intensive study of the Song of Songs (Shir HaShirim), they have received Smicha (Ordination) from Rabbi Shefa Gold, with their chosen titles as Ohavot (Lovers). They are charged with conveying the wisdom of The Song, which puts love at the very center of our lives. Ohevet Susan and Ohevet Wendy share a daily practice of chanting and meditating through the eight chapters of Shir HaShirim.

Elissa Goldberg, Elise Kraemer, Keely Newman, and Moon Smith have been members of Mishkan for a combined total of 90 years, and have been playing Mah Jongg for a combined total of 13 years. That is a lot of “Mah Jongg”s, “Oh Dang”s, “But I’m so close!”s, “Here’s your 25 cents,”s, and “Crack,” “Bam,” “Dot!” We look forward to teaching and learning as the winds and the jokers move us. It’s never too late to have fun!

Lynne Iser is an activist committed to empowering those in the second half of life. She is a leader within Elders Action Network, a community of elders inspiring, educating, and supporting each other to actively address the critical issues of our time to create a more thriving and just future. In addition to organizing, she teaches the Deep Ecology work of Joanna Macy, leading workshops and retreats. She was the founding Executive Director of the Spiritual Eldering Institute, working closely with Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi.

Steve Jones is an environmental educator and ecological practitioner. He serves on the board of Wissahickon Restoration Volunteers, a community-based ecological restoration program. He also manages the native plant nursery for LandHealth Institute, a Philadelphia environmental non-profit. Steve is the President of the Philadelphia Botanical Club. One of his interests is the integration experiences of the natural world and Jewish spirituality.

Rabbinic Intern Sai Koros was inspired to become a student rabbi through their work as Congregational Manager, Lay-Cantor, and Religious School Teacher. Since then, Koros has served as a Climate Torah and Spiritual Adaptation Fellow at Dayenu: A Jewish Call to Climate Action; a teacher at Rodeph Shalom’s Torah Queeries; a teacher at Beth David Reform Congregation’s Women’s Beit Midrash; and a life cycle officiator and guide.

Koros enjoys making all types of art and music and loves spending time with their cat, friends, family, and partner in their hometown of Philadelphia. They believe that intergenerational connection, creative expression, and deep learning can build a more just and empathetic world.

Mordechai Liebling is the Vice-Chair of the Board of Faith in Action, the largest faith-based community organizing network in the U.S. He retired from working at POWER Interfaith in January 2025. Before that, he founded and directed the Social Justice Organizing Program at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College for ten years. Previously, he served as the executive vice president of Jewish Funds for Justice (now Bend the Arc); and was the executive director of the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation for 12 years. He leads workshops and retreats on Race, Antisemitism and Christian hegemony, and on the Work That Reconnects developed by Joanna Macy. He was a co-founder of T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights; he serves on the boards of the Faith and Politics Institute and The Shalom Center. He is married to Lynne Iser, and they have five adult children, as well as four grandchildren.

Daniel Ricken is a collaborative leader, educator, recruiter and project manager. He is actively involved with the National Association for Temple Administration and currently serves on both the Nominating Committee and the Education Committee. Ricken earned his doctoral degree from Bowling Green State University and his undergraduate degree from Lafayette College. He worked for over a decade as a director and stage manager in professional and educational theatre both in the United States and abroad. Prior to coming to Mishkan, he worked as the Admissions Manager at the New York Film Academy. Ricken has taught undergraduate classes and led graduate students through on-campus governance and focus group representation for the international Association for Theatre in Higher Education. Ricken and his husband live in Philadelphia. He is an active runner, reader, and theatregoer.

Rabbi Shawn Zevit is in his 13th year serving as lead rabbi at Mishkan Shalom and is committed to the integration of meaningful spiritual living, life-long learning. and acts of caring and social justice. He has spent decades consulting to and supporting congregations, organizations, social justice and sustainability initiatives in the Jewish and larger world. Rabbi Zevit has a background in theatre, film and Playback in Toronto and Philadelphia. He is co-founding director of the Davennen Leader's Training Institute; and is the Director for the ALEPH Hashpa'ah (Spiritual Direction) training program, He is also a liturgical recording and performing artist and is one of the founders of the progressive Jewish men’s organization Menschwork. He is the author of Offerings of the Heart: Money and Values in Faith Community and numerous publications for spiritual life. Rabbi Zevit is a graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and has personal ordination from Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi z”l and ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal.