Our Trustees
Beverly Cohen
Co-chair
Beverly moved to Brighton from Nova Scotia in 1974. She moved from Brighton to Hemel Hempstead in December 2012, just in time for the birth of her beautiful granddaughter. She has been a member of SAMS since 2013. Beverly started doing little things to help at SAMS as a way of saying thanks for the generous warm welcome she received, and as a way of making new friends. Over the years, Beverly has made more and more friends at SAMS, and has become more and more involved with its activities, helping at Sunflowers, organising rotas, attending Hebrew and Torah classes, and generally having a wonderful time. One thing led to another and in 2017 she became a Trustee. Five years later (in May 2022), she became Co-Chair.
Michelle Perlmutter
Co-chair
Michelle joined SAMS in 2015 when she and her two sons moved from Essex to Hertfordshire with her (then) fiance (now husband). It was Rabbi Adam who officiated at their wedding. Michelle's younger son had his barmitzvah at SAMS in 2016.
Michelle says, “I have always thought that SAMS was a very special community - a community that is welcoming and understanding to the needs of it's members". Michelle joined the Trustee board to be further involved with the long term development of the synagogue and community. Prior to becoming Co-chair, Michelle has been active within the membership committee, the grant application group and on-going initiative around the involvement of volunteers within our community.
Moira Hart
Secretary
Moira joined SAMS shortly after it was formed in 1990 and has been an active member of the community ever since, taking on a variety of roles and responsibilities. As the Secretary of SAMS, Moira hopes to bring her experience of governance to the table to ensure that SAMS is run in the smartest and most professional way possible. Moira is also actively involved in the work of Masorti Judaism UK.
Moira has recently become involved in Holocaust education and regularly gives talks with her husband, Peter, on the experiences of her mother-in-law, Kitty Hart-Moxon. Moira is delighted to be able to continue to be involved with SAMS and loves to entertain and cook for family and friends. Much to her own surprise, she has lately become a keen cyclist.
Lionel Taylor
Treasurer
Lionel and his family joined SAMS in 1998. He is originally from Manchester (a true but frustrated red) and grew up in Habonim, the Jewish youth movement, eventually making Aliya in 1982. Since returning to the UK, he has settled in Potters Bar. His younger daughter was Bat Mitzvah at SAMS in 2004, around the time when Lionel first took on the role of Treasurer. He has been active behind the scenes as part of the Finance Committee in the intervening years, before agreeing to take on the role of Treasurer again in 2024. Outside of SAMS, Lionel works as an international trade finance advisor and educator to banks and others which takes him across the world and, now his daughters are grown up, splits his affection between Alfie and Henry his two miniature schnauzer best friends.
Ben Roukin
Trustee
Ben has been a member of SAMS since 2015 and began managing the IT/technical elements of SAMS soon after that. He also oversees Cheder and is the Noam parent representative. As a trustee, Ben is looking forward to playing an active part in the community and meeting more members. His day job is in procurement and project management. In his free time, Ben is kept busy by his family in St Albans, including 3 children and 2 dogs.
Charlotte Schlosberg
Trustee
Charlotte is from London, spent 7 years living on the island of Ibiza, where there was a Jewish community but no shul and joined SAMS in time for her eldest son’s Bar Mitzvah in 2018. Her day job is interior design and property development with husband Dylan, along with raising their 3 children. She is a JAMI Ambassador and is responsible for the food bank collection basket in the SAMS foyer and organises regular collections to support local women’s refuges. She was involved in the work that led to the launch of MemberShare, SAMS innovative funding model and is also helping to review how SAMS communicates with members. Her approach to being a Trustee is one of openness, accessibility and flexibility.
Ben Shapiro
Trustee
Ben grew up in London and prior to moving to St Albans lived in and ran a Jewish community centre called Moishe House for three years.
He is now a software engineer but previously worked for an interfaith charity for seven years.
Ben and his wife Larissa felt immediately welcomed by the SAMS community and Rabbi Adam married them in summer 2022. He wants to support SAMS to continue to be such a welcoming and vibrant place.
In his free time he plays hockey and volunteers at the community pantry.
Simon Samuels
Trustee
Simon and his family joined SAMS in 1994, soon after their eldest daughter was born. Whilst never seeing himself as somebody who would be involved with leadership of (any) synagogue, SAMS progressively drew him in and over the past decade he has been a Trustee and Co-Chair, prior to taking on the role of Treasurer. He says: “Having been drawn in by my desire to feel part of this great community, it’s been a real privilege to see it blossom and prosper since the community was started by our founding families in 1990.” Other than synagogue stuff, Simon is interested in sports, skiing, cycling, politics, and finance, but has no interest in DIY!
Jonny Freedman
Trustee
Jonny joined SAMS 34 years ago, and has served SAMS in many capacities, including as Trustee and Chair.
Apart from his GP work, Jonny is mostly to be found leading services at SAMS, singing with his choir or digging his allotment – and not forgetting family time and a love of good theatre and travel.