Board Members
Darkhei Noam is led entirely by a group of lay leaders including its co-chairs, board members, gabbaim, laining and davening coordinators. We strive to make Darkhei Noam a warm and inclusive spiritual home and encourage everyone to introduce themselves to our lay leaders at Kiddush on Shabbat.
DARKHEI NOAM BOARD OF DIRECTORS (6/2025)
Isaac Altman* (Co-chair)
Wendy Amsellem
Alistair Gatoff* (Treasurer)
Michael Grunfeld
Marcel Kahan
Michelle Kraus
Nehama Libman
Ayelet Lobel
Aaron Marks
Shulamit Puder
Sharon Samet* (Co-chair)
Mikey Stein
Naomi Steinberger
Chaim Trachtman
Paul Wachtel*
* Executive Committee
Get to know our Darkhei Noam Board of Directors:
Isaac Altman(Co-chair) has been a member of Darkhei Noam since 2021, and has served on the Board of Directors since 2024. Prior to becoming co-chair in June 2025, he co-chaired the Pride Committee and the Young Professionals Committee in addition to being a regular Davener and Gabbai. Isaac is an attorney with the Mental Hygiene Legal Service in the Bronx, representing individuals with psychiatric illnesses and developmental disabilities. He is originally from Teaneck and lives in Morningside Heights with his husband Bennett.
Rabba Wendy Amsellem is a long-time member of Darkkhei Noam and joined the Board in 2020. She teaches Talmud and Halakha at Maharat, is the Director of the Beit Midrash Program, and is the Editor of Yehivat Maharat’s Keren Journal. She is the former Director of the Dr. Beth Samuels Drisha High School Program, was the Rosh Kollel of the Drisha July Kollel, and is an alumna of the Drisha Scholars Circle. She has been a Wexner Graduate Fellow and a Mandel Jerusalem Fellow.
Alistair Gatoff (Treasurer) is a long time member of Darkhei Noam, who joined the Board and took on responsibilities as Treasurer in 2023. He also leins and serves as gabbai from time to time. He has worked at Berlitz Corporation since 1992 where he heads up Taxation and Pensions functions. He is married to Lisa Radetsky and has three married daughters, all of whom live on the Upper West Side and are members of Darkhei Noam.
Michelle Kraus has been a member of Darkhei Noam since 2015, joined the Board in 2020, and is serving as the chair of the Bikkur Cholim committee. Michelle is a social worker who provides advocacy services for children and adults with disabilities in a public interest law firm.
Michael Grunfeld has attended Darkhei Noam for many years and joined the Board in 2024. He works as a lawyer at Pomerantz, primarily in the field of securities litigation.
Ayelet (Yelli) Lobel has been a member of Darkhei Noam since 2019. She became the women’s davening coordinator in 2022, and joined the board in 2023. When she is not avidly recruiting new daveners, Yelli works at Goldman Sachs as an algorithmic trader. She is married to Ari Allen, and has a wonderful baby daughter.
Marcel Kahan and family are longtime members of Darkhei Noam. His daughters grew up and became bat mitzvah at DN. His wife Andrea Fastenberg has been a long-serving and dedicated member of our B'nai Mitzvah committee. Marcel has given divrei torah and was an active participant in the Space Committee when DN's lease with BJ was ending. The work of that committee resulted in our current home at MCS. Marcel is a law professor ay NYU.
Nehama Libman has been a member of Darkhei Noam since 2014, and is a regular participant as a leiner and a davener. She teaches elementary school Judaic Studies, and also coaches teachers and leads professional development on Tanakh instruction.
Aaron Marks has been a member of Darkhei Noam since 2021 and served as Gabbai Coordinator from 2023-2025. He is a Senior Software Engineer at Google and is originally from Boston. He met his wife Racheli Weil at Darkhei Noam.
Shulamit Puder joined the Darkhei Noam community in 2015. She and her family are regulars on Shabbat (and groups!) at DN, where she enjoys leining haftorah. She helped organize bake sales to benefit Leket Israel and co-chaired the Spring 2025 Family Luncheon.Shula and her husband, Tzachie Puder, are parents to Vered and Yael. She is chief of staff to New York City Council Member Gale A. Brewer.
Sharon Samet (Co-chair) has been a member of Darkhei Noam since 2013 when she moved to the UWS. She is a member of the hospitality and shiva committees. Sharon is a social worker who spent most of her career researching the relationships between substance abuse to other psychiatric disorders. She currently teaches in a social work graduate program. Sharon is married to Yaakov Stern, and they have three children and several grandchildren.
Rabbi Mikey Stein joined the Board in 2020. He is a faculty member at the Abraham Joshua Heschel High School and received ordination from YCT. He and his wife, Shevy Baskin, are parents of Ezra and Asher.
Naomi Steinberger has been a board member since 2020. She has been a member since the inception of Darkhei Noam. Naomi is co-chair of the mix and match lunches/dinners, is a member of the scholars in residence committee and the COVID-19 planning committee. Naomi is Director of Library Services at The Library of The Jewish Theological Seminary. She is married to Chaim, who served on the board and was co-chair in 2009-2011. They have two grown children and two grandchildren.
Chaim Trachtman is a pediatric nephrologist with a faculty appointment at the University of Michigan. He is a consultant for clinical trial designs and implementation. He is the editor of the book, Women and Men in Communal Prayer: Halakhic Perspectives (KTAV,JOFA) and contributes to Lehrhaus and Times of Israel. He is a member of the board of Yeshivat Maharat. He is married to the president of AMIT and has five children who have given him six fantastic grandchildren.
Paul Wachtel joined the Board in 2018 and served as Treasurer before becoming co-chair. He recently retired after spending 50 years on the faculty of the Stern School of Business at New York University and now devotes his time to synagogue architecture, history and administration among other things. He is married to Claire, has two grown children and four grandchildren.