Rabbi Treu is a spiritual leader who has served in a variety of roles at legacy institutions of American Jewish life. Since ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2008, she has served at JTS as a Rabbinic Fellow and National Director of Torah Fund, worked on the senior team of the National Ramah Commission as Director of Strategic Advancement and Reshet Ramah, and served as the Rabbi and Director of the Center for Jewish Living and David H. Sonabend Center for Israel at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan.

Rabbi Treu has served on the board of Big Tent Judaism, working to build Jewish communities welcoming to all kinds of Jewish families, as well as on the Women’s Committee of the Rabbinical Assembly, and is an alumna of the Clergy Training Program of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.

In 2005 she co-authored, with Dov Peretz Elkins, The Bible’s Top 50 Ideas, and she has written a number of articles and op-eds. An avid knitter and yoga enthusiast, she lives in South Orange with her husband and three children. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Rabbi Treu served as the Interim Rabbi to Congregation Agudas Achim in Columbus, Ohio, where she brought her love of teaching, writing and Torah to nurture the community.

Photo by Joy Yagid

Eliana Kissner received cantorial ordination in May 2021 from the H.L. Miller Cantorial School at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Cantor Kissner grew up in South Orange and was mentored by Cantor Perry Fine in her childhood. She had a circuitous path to the cantorate with stops along the way at the Drisha Institute in NYC where she studied Jewish texts and made music full-time as well as in California where she became the lead singer of Safra, Jewish Middle Eastern Ensemble and co-founder of the Muslim-Jewish Arts Fellowship. After California, she headed to Jerusalem and spent a lot of cherished time in Musrara and Nachlaot, where she studied and performed Jewish and secular music of the Middle East with amazing teachers and friends (and co-wrote some original music too: “Painted Wood”). After California, and Jerusalem, she came back to NYC where she worked as a ritual leader and educator at Lab/Shul, New Shul, B'nai Jeshurun, and as a summer chaplain at New York Presbyterian. 

And now, she's come full circle and is back in SOMA!

As a cantor, she fosters musical-spiritual experiences that promote healing, the pursuit of justice, and the rediscovery and renewal of Jewish tradition. She lives in South Orange with her spouse, Noah, and their two children.

Executive Director

Michelle joined the Oheb team in December 2022, after working for 10 years as Director of Operations at Glen Rock Jewish Center.  She oversees the day-to-day operations at Oheb, with the goal of making it a place where everyone feels comfortable and appreciated (like Cheers!).  She loves the warmth of our congregation and the commitment and dedication our members bring to the community.

Michelle studied English Literature at SUNY Binghamton, earned a master’s in library science at Pratt Institute, and worked for several years as a college reference librarian. She is mom to two young adults and one sweet Beagle mix named Olive, a frequent attendee at folk music concerts, loves to cook and do the Sunday crossword.

Her door is always open, and she extends an invitation for anyone to drop in to share conversation and tea.

Education Director

Gavin has been working at Oheb Shalom since 2018 when he began serving as the Director of the best religious school around. He loves to help students find their connection to Jewish life! In his free time he thinks about going on grand adventures, but usually finds himself at home with his wife Beth and sons Elliot and Isaac, and that is usually better anyway.