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 Elie Weinstock

President

Rabbi Joseph Potasnik

Executive Vice President

Rabbi Diana Gerson

Associate Executive Vice President

About

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Rabbi Joseph Potasnik is the Executive Vice President of The New York Board of Rabbis, the largest interdenominational rabbinic body in the world. Since 1972, he has been the spiritual and educational leader of Congregation Mount Sinai in Brooklyn Heights, New York. He is presently Rabbi Emeritus. 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 11^th, 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, at 7:30 am. Rabbi is the religious commentator for 1010 WINS Radio, succeeding the late Rabbi Marc Tannenbaum. 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 also a member of the Board of Directors for the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Center for Thought & Culture.

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 local Brooklyn newspapers, assorted Jewish 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 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 31-year-old Harrison Potasnik.

Rabbi Elie Weinstock is Senior Rabbi of the Jewish Center of Atlantic Beach on Long Island. Previously, he was Rabbi of Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun (KJ) on the Upper East Side of Manhattan for 17 years and a member of the Judaic Studies faculty at the Ramaz School. A graduate of Yeshiva University, he received his Rabbinic ordination from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary and a masters in Jewish Philosophy from the Bernard Revel Graduate school.

Rabbi Weinstock is a Senior Rabbinic Fellow of the Shalom Hartman Institute, having completed its three-year Rabbinic Leadership Initiative. He is active in UJA-Federation of New York, where he was an inaugural participant in its Rabbinic Fellowship for Visionary Leaders. A past member of the Executive Committee of the Rabbinical Council of America, he is a member of AIPAC’s National Council.

Rabbi Weinstock is married to Dr. Naama Weinstock, a dentist practicing in NYC. They are the proud parents of Meira, Yona, Aviva, and Yakira.

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 at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.