The National Council of Young Israel (NCYI) today announced that Rabbi Pesach Lerner has decided not to return from his six-month working sabbatical to resume his role as Executive Vice President of the organization. Rabbi Lerner, who has served in this role for more than twenty years, has been named Executive Vice President, Emeritus and will serve as an advisor to the National Council of Young Israel. In his new role, Rabbi Lerner will be able to pursue other personal and professional interests and will focus his efforts and energy on a number of critical and pressing issues facing the larger Jewish community and the State of Israel. Rabbi Bini Maryles, Associate Executive Director and Senior Director of Branch Services of Young Israel, will continue to be responsible for the operations and activities emanating from Young Israel.

During his twenty year tenure, Rabbi Lerner was best known for taking the organization beyond the synagogue and bringing its interests, services and assets to the broader Jewish community. In addition to creating practical training for Rabbis, executives and lay leaders, Rabbi Lerner has also been at the forefront of numerous key Jewish issues and causes over the years, including the ongoing effort to free Jonathan Pollard, and ensuring the safety and security of the land of Israel and its citizens.

Eli Dworetsky, President of the National Council of Young Israel, stated that “during his over two decades of service to Young Israel, Rabbi Lerner has left his mark on the National Council of Young Israel and the larger Jewish community. His interest in getting leadership to think outside the box on a myriad of communal issues has taken Young Israel to new and exciting places and we thank him for doing so.”

Rabbi Maryles, who received his ordination from RIETS and holds an undergraduate degree in accounting and a Masters in Education, has brought his many years of communal and business experience to the position. In the short amount of time that he has been at Young Israel, Rabbi Maryles has cultivated and strengthened relationships with leadership in the many different Young Israel branches around the country and has spent many days and nights on the road visiting with them.

Both Dworetsky and Maryles emphasized that the focus of the work of Young Israel’s professional staff will continue to be on the success and growth, both physically and spiritually, of its over 140 branch synagogues.

“Over the last number of months, and in keeping with the plans I outlined in my inaugural letter to the branch leadership, we have renewed our emphasis on being receptive and attentive to the needs and concerns of our branch synagogues,” said Dworetsky. “Rabbi Maryles and his staff have made the concerted effort to bolster both our rabbinic and lay leadership through a commitment to excellence in the services provided. Our next phase in this process will be elections for Officer and Board positions, which will take place in the next couple of months.”

For the past 100 years, the National Council of Young Israel has ably served the broader Jewish community. With more than 25,000 member families, and approximately 140 branch synagogues, the NCYI is a central agency, which provides religious, educational, Zionistic, social and communal programming for all its member synagogues and their affiliated families.

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