Rabbi & Staff
Rabbi David Edleson, D.Div.
Rabbi David Edleson sees Judaism as a vibrant, flourishing way of life that balances individuality with connection, community, cultural roots, and spiritual tradition. David works to balance emerging forms of Jewish expression with the riches of traditional Jewish worship to create services that are both ancient and new, like the Jewish people.
David grew up in rural Georgia, and always felt drawn to Jewish traditions. In high school, he began studying Judaism more seriously, falling in love with the smart judicious reasoning of the rabbis as well as the audacity of the Jewish reformists and organizers. After college, he and his partner Tim spent two years in Jerusalem, where David taught Jewish student leaders from around the world at the Kiryat Moriah Education Center near Jerusalem.
While in Jerusalem, he began his rabbinic studies at the Hebrew Union College, from which he received his ordination in New York in 1990. During his years in rabbinical school, he was a founding member of TaMaR, the Reform Zionist Youth Movement, and of Hinenu, the gay rabbinical student organization that was pivotal in the successful fight for the ordination of LGBT clergy in the Reform movement.
David served 25 years as the rabbi for the Hebrew Association of the Deaf in New York and also teaches religion, ethics, and literature on the college level, and served as the first Dean of Cook Commons at Middlebury College. He received his honorary Doctor of Divinity from Hebrew Union College in 2015 and worked as the spiritual leader at the Bethlehem Hebrew Congregation in New Hampshire from 2016 until joining Temple Sinai in 2018.
Stacie Gabert | Executive Director
A member of Temple Sinai since 2009, and with two kids in our Religious School, Stacie knows the community well, shares our mission, and is a knowledgeable welcoming presence in the office. Stacie grew up in Merrimack NH and moved to this area in 1994. She has a business degree from Champlain College and nearly 20 years of experience in business administration and operations, bookkeeping, and accounting, customer service and vendor relations, and event planning. Her other areas of expertise include human resource operations, committee and board support, and marketing. Stacie is a Senior Member of the National Association for Temple Administrators (NATA)and has a Certificate in Jewish Leadership. She lives in Winooski with her two boys.
Mark Leopold | Cantorial Soloist
Mark Leopold is a native of Burlington Vermont. He has been serving as a cantorial soloist since the founding of Temple Sinai in 1966.
He is the youngest son of charter members Jules and Gertrude Leopold, both of blessed memory.
Mark has taught in the Temple Religious School and served as Chair of the Spiritual Committee and on the Board.
He also tutors B’nai Mitzvah students. Mark attended Burlington schools and the University of Vermont.
He is the father of 5 children and has 7 grandchildren, and 1 great-grandchild; he resides in Burlington with his wife, Deborah Leopold.
Aimee Loiter, Ed.M. | Education Director
A lifelong educator, Aimee began her career teaching second grade in New Orleans, Louisiana. She has served students from primary grades through graduate school as a teacher and administrator in both traditional and non-traditional education settings. Aimee holds undergraduate degrees in History, Psychology, and Women’s Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Master’s degree in Education from Harvard University. Aimee and her husband Jeff have been members of Temple Sinai since moving to Vermont in 2006. The Loiter children, Zach and Talia, completed their religious school education and celebrated their b’nei mitzvot at Temple Sinai. Fun fact: During COVID, Aimee rekindled her love of woodworking, constructing outdoor furniture and building custom storage units for her home. She is happy to report that all 10 of her fingers are present and accounted for after her most recent projects.
Danielle Levine| Executive Assistant
Danielle has been a member of the Temple Sinai community since 2015 when she moved from Middlebury, VT. She has taught in the Hebrew School and Chai School as well as volunteered at various Temple Sinai events. After years of teaching, Danielle is excited to lend her organizational skills, creativity, and enthusiasm to her new role as Executive Assistant.
Danielle grew up in Rhode Island. She journeyed to Vermont to earn her BA in English Literature from Middlebury College. She also has an MA in Teaching Science K-8 from Lesley University. She loves to learn, read, and be creative. Her crafts of choice are sewing, painting, and crocheting. She also enjoys creating in the kitchen. Danielle participated in a Birthright trip to Israel in 2010. While spending the month there, she deepened her connection to Judaism and reveled in the joys of Jewish tradition and culture. While she participated in Birthright, she also extended her trip with a session at Livnot where she did community service and hiking. Danielle is eager to grow that sense of Simchah and Tikkun Olam here with us at Temple Sinai.
Wendy Valastro | Keyboard Accompanist
Wendy has been a member of Temple Sinai since first coming to Vermont in 1982. She has directed the choir, played keyboard for services, served on the board, and been a Temple Sinai educator, teaching music and dance to the children in religious school. Currently, an elementary school music teacher, Wendy’s 38 years of teaching encompass music education and kindergarten through third grade.
In addition to her public school teaching, Wendy has been music director and cast member in shows for Lyric Theatre and Stowe Theatre Guild as well as the founder and director of a summer musical theatre camp for children called Kidshow, now in its 35th year. A graduate of the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music and the University of Michigan, she and her husband James are the parents of two delightful daughters, two cats, a dog, and a fish.
Aimee Hutton | Young Families Program Coordinator
Aimee joined Temple Sinai in 2012 when she and her family moved to Vermont from the DC area. The following year, she started and led a Tot Shabbat program at Temple Sinai. Since then, Aimee has taught in the religious school, sang in the choir, filled in as a cantorial soloist, participated in the Purim spiel: Have Yourself a Merry Little Purim, and served on the strategic planning committee. A decade after starting the Tot Shabbat program, Aimee is delighted to be leading the expanded Young Families Program to encourage the youngest members and their families to explore our vibrant Jewish community at Temple Sinai!
Aimee holds a Bachelor’s degree from Grinnell College, where she majored in Russian Language with a minor in Linguistics. She spent a semester studying in Saint Petersburg and a year after graduation working in Moscow. She met her husband and had her first daughter in the DC area but loves being a Vermonter now! Aimee and her husband, Adam, have two daughters, Becca and Cordelia as well as a dog, Pepper.
Mia Sorongon | Community Organizer/Administrative Assistant
After growing up in a Reform Synagogue in Northern Virginia, Mia came to Vermont to study at UVM. She is a Health Sciences major with minors in Integrative Health, Public Communications, and Behavioral Change Health Studies. Before coming to Vermont, Mia was involved in BBYO and was elected to the regional board of the Jewish youth organization. She enjoys spending time outdoors and staying busy helping her community. In addition to being a coxswain on the UVM rowing team, Mia is serving as the Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion of the UVM Panhellenic Council.
Pastoral Care
If you ever feel you need to talk to the rabbi for spiritual counseling or advice, please contact the Rabbi (put confidential in the subject header) or the Temple Administrator or call 802.862.5125.