Dena W. grew up at Temple Emanu-El. Her family joined when she was seven years old. “I always looked forward to Sunday school where I received a strong Jewish foundation and made wonderful friends.” Dena graduated from the religious school and was confirmed at the temple.
Dena found community at Temple Emanu-El. She and her mother were among the first to volunteer for the Sunday Lunch Program when it began in the 1980s. As a young adult, Dena was very involved with the Emanu-El League and helped organize programming for young professionals.
“The clergy have always been there for my family. They have been a part of our lives during sickness, sorrow and joy,” she said. In 2007, Dena married her husband, Larry. Dr. David M. Posner z”l, Senior Rabbi Emeritus, officiated at their wedding. “Planning my wedding ceremony with Rabbi Posner will always be a special memory. He cared so deeply.” Larry knew how important Temple Emanu-El was to Dena and became a member as well.
In 2022, Dena joined the Temple Emanu-El Nursery School staff as the Assistant Director. The opportunity to join the staff was more than just a professional milestone. “It felt like coming home,” Dena said. When Dena tells nursery school families that they are at the beginning of a lifelong relationship with the temple, she speaks from experience. Her childhood relationship with Joanne Sobel, the wife of Senior Rabbi Emeritus Dr. Ronald B. Sobel, inspired her to become an educator. Many of her friends had raved about their experiences studying under Joanne as students at The Browning School. “I wanted to have that same impact,” Dena said.
For Dena’s mother, Iris, watching her daughter thrive as a member of the nursery school staff has been deeply rewarding. “I am so happy that from the very beginning Dena had that sense of Jewish identity, and it has now carried into her professional life,” Iris said.
