Our Leadership

Leadership

The presidency of The NYBR rotates among denominational affiliations. The Executive Committee has the authority to act and speak for the organization, when consistent with policy set by the Board of Governors. Officers are elected to serve two-year terms.

— Our Leadership —

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch

President

Rabbi Joseph Potasnik

Executive Vice President

Rabbi Diana Gerson

Associate Executive Vice President

About

Make a Donation

Would you like to make a donation to The New York Board of Rabbis?

Rabbi Joseph Potasnik is the Executive Vice President of The New York Board of Rabbis, the largest interdenominational rabbinic body in the world and co-founder and General Secretary of ICOR, the International Conference of Rabbis. He has served as Chaplain of the New York City Fire Department since 1999. Rabbi Potasnik maintained a high profile, helping many families cope with the disaster of September 11th, 2001.

Rabbi Potasnik is the co-host along with Reverend A.R. Bernard of “The Rev and The Rabbi” which airs every Sunday morning on WABC Talk Radio, 770 AM. Rabbi is also the religious commentator for 1010 WINS Radio. He was the host of the TV program Faith to Faith on Jewish Broadcasting Service (“JBS”), airing around the country and inviting people of all faiths to participate in meaningful conversation.

He is a member of the Board of Directors for the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Center for Thought & Culture. He is the Vice President of the Commission Of Religious Leaders NYC (CORL), and serves on the Jewish Advisory council to NYC Mayor Eric Adams, and the Jewish Advisory Council to the CUNY Chancellor.

He was appointed by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and reappointed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg to the New York City Campaign Finance Board. He also served as a member of the New York Human Rights Commission, and Chaplain of the New York Press Club. Rabbi Potasnik was awarded the Jan Karski Humanitarian Award 2014 by the Polish Consulate, named in honor of a Polish patriot, a Catholic, and hero of the Polish Resistance. He also received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2014.

Rabbi Potasnik has published numerous articles in many major newspapers and the New York Post. His new book, “Just Give Me a Minute,” which contains many of his featured commentaries on 1010Wins was released in the winter of 2019. He also authored the Forward for “The Illustrated Jewish Bible for Children.” In 2013, he was selected by the Forward Newspaper as one of the 50 most inspiring Rabbis.

Rabbi Potasnik was the spiritual and educational leader
of Congregation Mount Sinai in Brooklyn Heights. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Yeshiva College, and his Master of Science from the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Yeshiva University. In 1972, he was ordained from Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary of Yeshiva University. In addition, in 1986 he received his Juris Doctor degree from Brooklyn Law School. He is the proud father of Harrison Potasnik.

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch is the senior rabbi of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in New York City. With a fiery voice, a listening heart and a brilliant mind, Rabbi Hirsch articulates a clear vision for the survival and success of American Judaism while tending compassionately to the needs of his growing congregation.

Internationally recognized for his leadership in Jewish affairs, Rabbi Hirsch is frequently cited in the media. In 2024, The Jerusalem Post named him among “The 50 Most Influential Jews of the Year.” City & State praised him as “the borough’s most influential voice” for Manhattan’s more than 300,000 Jews and The New York Observer named him among “New York’s Most Influential Religious Leaders.” His sermons are regularly broadcast on JBS-TV and he is the host of the bi-weekly podcast “In These Times with Rabbi Ammi Hirsch.”

The son of Rabbi Richard G. Hirsch z’’l and Bella Hirsch z’’l, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch grew up in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area before moving to Israel for his high school years. From 1977 to 1980, he served as a tank commander in the Israel Defense Forces.

Rabbi Hirsch earned his LL.B Honors law degree from the London School of Economics and is a member of the New York State Bar. He received his ordination at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City, where he was granted numerous awards for academic excellence.

Prior to his arrival at Stephen Wise, he served for 12 years as executive director of the Association of Reform Zionists of America (ARZA), the Israel arm of the North American Reform movement.

Rabbi Hirsch has served on numerous boards of national and international bodies, including the Jewish Agency for Israel, the World Zionist Organization, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, and the Central Conference of American Rabbis. He is currently an officer of the New York Board of Rabbis, and a member of the Partnership of Faith, an interfaith body of New York religious leaders, and New York State Attorney General Letitia James’ Black-Jewish Clergy Roundtable.

An accomplished teacher and public speaker, Rabbi Hirsch is also the author of “The Lilac Tree: A Rabbi’s Reflections on Love, Courage, and History” and the co-author of the acclaimed “One People Two Worlds: A Reform Rabbi and an Orthodox Rabbi Explore the Issues that Divide Them.”

Rabbi Diana S. Gerson is the Associate Executive Vice President of the New York Board of Rabbis, where she has served since 2005. A major focus of her work has been to advance the NYBR’s leadership role in confronting family violence, domestic violence, sexual abuse and the exploitation of children by reaching across faith communities.

She has provided prevention education to thousands of clergy, faith actors and community leaders, whose role she considers critical to ending gender-based violence, sexual exploitation and all forms of violence against children. Rabbi Gerson received her Masters degree and Rabbinic Ordination in 2001 from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate.