Meet The Team

Rai Parisat

Establishment Manager

Rai has been a valued and appreciated member of our Central Family for over 17 years and for the past decade, he has ably served as our committed caretaker. His job truly revolves around-the-clock and there have been too many instances to count when our Rai has saved the day!

He arranges and liaises with all tradespeople in regard to any maintenance issues and is a genuine handyman himself. Rai opens the doors for cleaners as early as 5am, so our main campus is glistening and glowing for any and all services and events.

When needed, Rai assists with the lighting and air conditioning as well as connecting with security personnel on a daily basis. Rai is trusted and treasured and has developed a special relationship with our whole community.

He lives on site with his wife, Sue and their son who he chose to name after our Chief Minister, Rabbi Levi Wolff. He describes his ongoing connection with The Central Synagogue as a pivotal part of his life journey. Little Levi is a delight and warmly embraced by all.

Vicky Sherman

Accounts Manager

Vicky plays a vital role within our core Central crew and has been an essential and trusted member of staff now for over thirteen years. She brings decades of financial acumen and accumulated experience to every facet of her job which encompasses financial day-to-day management.

Her business skills lend themselves to managing the large number of bookkeeping functions including accounts payable and receivable, payroll management, auditing and more and she also diligently reports directly to the Treasurer of the Board. 

Vicky is responsible, respected and ready to assist with any budget or billing enquiry. She is a true asset to our team.

To contact Vicky, please email: vicky@centralsynagogue.com.au.

Janice Woolf

Administration Officer

Janice has been a valued and treasured presence at our Central HQ for over three decades – 33 years and counting to be exact. She has worn many professional ‘hats’ along the way: from receptionist to events manager to personal assistant and is presently The Central Synagogue’s Administration Officer.

For all who visit our office, you can find Janice smiling and stationed at the Front Desk. She is there to meet and greet any and all, along with seamlessly checking off her daily general administrative responsibilities. Janice has an extensive and unparalleled knowledge of multi-generational family groups within our congregation. All are comfortable to ask her questions and she both guides and directs all enquiries with an ease her vast experience permits.

She is on-site Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday weekly.

To contact Janice please email: janice@centralsynagogue.com.au

Linda Joselyn

Media & Marketing Manager

Linda has been an integral and essential member of our Central team since 2016. Her abilities are many and varied and she ably coordinates a multitude of in-house projects simultaneously.

Her event planning skills are finely tuned and she generously guides families on how best to bring their ‘simcha vision’ to life. In addition, she is talented in the design space and her knowledge and know-how are intrinsic to the ongoing creative content received by our Central Family.

All events linked to festivals dotted along our lunar calendar – from the Second Night Seder to a communal Sukkot dinner – are impressively rolled-out with Linda at the helm, always with supportive staff by her side. She also has experience orchestrating concerts within our main campus – each one admired and appreciated by all.

Linda’s impact is vast – she is a strategic and inspired thinker and co-ordinates written projects such as our Pesach and Rosh Hashanah journals; Rabbi Wolff’s weekly eTorah; ongoing newsletters and so much more.

Linda is also The Central Synagogue’s point-person liaising with our community in regard to the sale of synagogue seats.

To contact Linda, email: linda@centralsynagogue.com.au.

Mandy Mattes

Mandy is a vibrant and integral member of our team and is the first port-of-call when Central families wish to learn more about the possibility of holding simchahs and events within our main campus.

From Bar and Bat Mitzvahs to weddings to family dinners and everything in between, Mandy has an extraordinary grasp on both the capabilities and configurations of our unique spaces to suit each vision and budget. In addition, she appreciates the possibilities and practicalities for kosher caterers on site too.

Mandy also works closely to assist with marketing tasks linked with our festivals, maximising the potential for all to participate and enjoy. She also has a great rapport with the youth director to aid with ongoing youth-related activities.

Mandy is now in her sixth year with Central Synagogue and is both essential and approachable in equal measure.

All are invited to call her on 02 9355 4000.

Marc Besser

General Manager

Bringing a wealth of experience, Marc joined the Central team in the role of General Manager in February 2023. He facilitates the day-to-day operations of our Central Office HQ in relation to both clergy and staff, in addition to the overarching management of the main campus.

Marc liaises closely with Chief Minister Rabbi Levi Wolff and the Board of Management – he coordinates and executes activities on a daily basis ably administering the business affairs of the shule. His ability to think in a holistic, broad-based way is a true asset to our Central Family, simultaneously creating a climate of both hospitality and support.

To contact Marc, please email: marc@centralsynagogue.com.au.

Rotem Reuveni

Executive Assistant to Rabbi Wolff

Rotem joined our team earlier this year in the role of Executive Assistant to our spiritual leader, Rabbi Levi Wolff. She brings both energy and experience to the day-to-day logistics management overarching the many and varied aspects of Rabbi Wolff’s busy week.

Rotem facilitates the role of an ‘interface’ between all synagogue personnel, members of our extended Central Family and Rabbi Wolff to ensure his accessibility and activities are duly diarised and run smoothly. This includes his programs, services, classes, meeting and wider communal commitments.

In addition, her creative and organisational abilities shine with her event planning. The vibrant and successful inaugural Mimouna celebration immediately post-Pesach 2023 personified her unique strengths and capabilities. Looking forward, she has a focus on engaging Young Adults in many meaningful and dynamic events.

Rotem is also savvy with Socials and is here to assist in the dissemination and delivery of The Central Synagogue news via various social media channels and platforms. She is proactive when it comes to problem solving and brings ideas and innovation to the role, always with collaboration in mind.

Email: rotem@centralsynagogue.com.au