Our Clergy & Staff

Rabbi Ari Margolis (he, him, his)
Email: rabbimargolis@orshalomlc.com

Welcome, and thank you for taking the time to find out more about our fantastic family that we call Congregation Or Shalom. As our rabbi, it is my privilege each and every day to spend time journeying alongside so many wonderful people, learning what drives us as individuals and as a community as well as creating opportunities for meaningful connections. The warmth and energy of this community are what inspired my family to come to Vernon Hills – I want to help you find your spark that can add to the light of peace that shines at Or Shalom.

I am always looking for an opportunity to get out of the building to meet up for a cup of coffee or hot chocolate — just click here to email me and let me know some times that work for you!

More about Rabbi Margolis

Rabbi Ari Margolis came to Congregation Or Shalom in 2015. He is quick with a smile, ready to listen and primed for jumping in and supporting the Jewish journeys of each of us in our Or Shalom community. Prior to his time with us, Rabbi Margolis served Temple Beth Or in Raleigh, NC as the associate rabbi and educator, where he re-energized the religious school program, created connections, and innovated new programming.

Rabbi Margolis earned his undergraduate degree from Northwestern University in the field of chemical engineering. Though he is no longer spending his days tinkering with differential equations, he enjoys trying to engineer a sense of community, learning, and tikkun olam (healing the world) wherever possible. Ever the optimist, Rabbi Margolis also patiently awaits the time in which his beloved Cubs will enter the Promised Land of another World Series. Rabbi Margolis and his wife, Rachel, who is also a talented Jewish educator, are parents of three daughters – Laila, Adaya, and Eliora.

Connect with or follow Rabbi Margolis:

Email – rabbimargolis@orshalomlc.com

Facebook – facebook.com/rabbimargolis

Twitter – twitter.com/arimargolis

Blog – rabbimargolis.blogspot.com

 

 

Cantor Laurie Akers (she, her, hers)
Email: laurieakers@orshalomlc.com

Laurie is a Deerfield, Illinois native and is proud to serve as Congregation Or Shalom’s cantor and music director. Following graduation from the University of Michigan’s acclaimed Musical Theatre program, Laurie spent ten years performing in Broadway touring and regional productions. In addition, Laurie was honored with the title of Miss USO, in which she spent a year traveling globally to visit US Military troops as a US ambassador. Laurie is a celebrated Jewish Rock Radio artist and serves as the host of the Chicago Sings Jewish Rock Radio series, which brings together cantors and musicians from over 20 congregations in the Chicagoland area to create, share, and celebrate original Jewish music.

 

Her original song, Stand Strong, served as the anthem for the March of Our Lives rally in suburban Chicago and the RAC’s Illinois launch, and the choral version of this piece was recently premiered at Temple Emanu-El in New York City. This same piece was recently chosen to be part of Transcontinental Publication’s new social justice songbook, Chazak V’Ematz: Jewish Songs of Hope and Protest. In addition, three of her liturgical pieces were chosen to be a part of Transcontinental Publication’s new Shabbat Anthology, as well as their upcoming Nigun Anthology. Laurie was recently commissioned to compose music for some of the most esteemed congregations in the country, including Park Avenue Synagogue in New York City.

 

Laurie’s diverse musical performances include participating as a soloist alongside Keith Urban, the Illinois Holocaust Museum’s annual Kristallnacht program, The Book of Ruth at BHBE, Broadway Barks with Bernadette Peters, “Imagine More” (a celebration of influential Jewish women in New York City), and the “Israel’s Gone Platinum” celebration at the North Shore Performing Arts center. Laurie recently released her first album, The Key of We, which can be downloaded on iTunes, Apple Music and CD Baby. Laurie and her husband, Brad, have three children – Levi, Ashton, and Isaac.

 

Rabbi Sarah Rosenbaum Jones, Director of Lifelong Learning (she, her, hers)

Email: rabbisarah@orshalomlc.com

Rabbi Sarah is thrilled to be a part of the Or Shalom family! She grew up immersed in the Reform movement at synagogues in her native Southern California, NFTY SoCal, and URJ Camp Swig-Newman. She continued her Jewish journey through college at Northwestern University, earning degrees in Education and Social Policy and Jewish Studies. While in college, she taught at Am Shalom in Glencoe and became its Director of Youth Engagement upon graduation. The four years serving as a youth worker helped Rabbi Sarah realize that building Jewish community through experiential learning was her passion and calling.

 

Wherever she serves, Rabbi Sarah strives to create a culture of care and belonging that encourages families to feel comfortable, however they participate in synagogue life. We are proud that she was named one of Jewish Chicago's 36 Under 36 changemakers for good in 2023. Rabbi Sarah, her spouse Jeff, and their daughters, Adira and Liana, now live in Deerfield.  The Rosenbaum Jones family loves being part of this caring and dynamic community! Please reach out to say hi – Rabbi Sarah would love to get to know you over a cup of coffee/tea (her treat!) or on a scenic walk.

 

 

Jennifer Daniels-Lake,  Executive Director (she, her, hers or they, them, theirs)

Email: jdaniels-lake@orshalomlc.com

Jen is a non-profit professional with 10+ years of experience in non-profit business administration for cultural and educational institutions with a focus on community outreach and membership engagement. She holds a Masters of Science degree in Non-Profit Management with a concentration in Fundraising Management from Spertus Institute. She also graduated cum laude with departmental honors from Northwestern University with a bachelor's degree in Psychology. Jen was recognized as an honoree of the 36 under 36 awards by the Jewish United Fund of Chicago in 2020. She lives in Indian Creek with her spouse, Shay, two children, Roane and Eva, and their two dogs.

 

 

Marcia Cohen, Educator Emerita (she, her, hers)
Email: mcohen@orshalomlc.com

Marcia Cohen was awarded the Education Emerita title upon her retirement in 2021, following 20 years as Or Shalom’s Director of Education. During her tenure as Director, she was passionate about meeting the needs of each student, teaching family school, and running the annual Congregational retreat at OSRUI camp (which is now called the Marcia Cohen Congregational Retreat). Marcia still enjoys working with Or Shalom learners of all ages, currently working as a B’nai Mitzvah tutor as well as teaching Adult Hebrew classes.

 

 

 

Shari April, Operations Associate (she, her, hers)

Email: sapril@orshalomlc.com

Shari earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Illinois State University and is an American Bar Association Certified Paralegal. She has 40 years of experience as a paralegal, an administrative assistant, and in customer service. Shari has experience in many fields and works well in diverse professional environments. She was also B’nai Mitzvah here at Or Shalom.  She lives in Vernon Hills with her husband, Steven, and son, Jeremy.

 

 

 

Gia Heritsch, Executive Assistant (she, her, hers)

Email: gheritsch@orshalomlc.com

Gia earned a bachelor’s degree from Loyola University Chicago in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience with a minor in Spanish language and literature. For the past four years, she has worked in different administrative positions – namely, managing a Covid-19 testing site at the height of the pandemic – and continues to be passionate about the impact of her work. She lives in Deerfield with her two roommates, Kaylie and Leah, and their two cats. While she isn’t working, she enjoys spending time with her family & friends and playing volleyball.

 

 

 

Rianna Feil, Education Coordinator J² (she, her, hers)

Email: rfeil@orshalomlc.com

As a previous student and member of Congregation Or Shalom, Rianna is overjoyed to be coming back to her roots to serve as Education Coordinator. Her previous fellowship at The Institute of Southern Jewish Life and background in education has prepared her to take on this new role. With the love and support of her husband, Patrick Feil, and their two dogs, Tank and Ryder, she’s excited to embark on this chapter at Or Shalom.

 

 

 

Claire Katz-Mariani, Engagement & Communications Coordinator (they, them, theirs, or any)

Email: ckatz-mariani@orshalomlc.com

Claire Katz-Mariani is a proud Jewish professional, public health advocate, and theatre artist based in the Chicago area. They hold a Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in Health Behavior & Promotion from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. As an undergraduate, they founded the student group LGBTJew in partnership with Illini Hillel. Claire then went on to co-found New Wave Theatre Company in 2023 with the mission to empower local emerging artists through professional development opportunities and resource provision. They now act as New Wave’s Managing Director. A lifelong member of Or Shalom, Claire is honored to support the congregation’s community-oriented programming and social justice initiatives in a professional capacity.

 

 

Nancy Trudell, Program and Engagement Specialist (she, her, hers)

Email: ntrudell@orshalomlc.com

Nancy Trudell is excited to be returning to Or Shalom as Program and Engagement Specialist. Nancy has continued to be an active member of the Or Shalom community during her time away from her staff role. Her background includes working in the camping industry as a director for 30 years, as well as working for several nonprofit organizations. Nancy lives in Highland Park with her husband of 34 years, Mitch, along with their 10-year-old labradoodle, Stanley. They have two grown children, Jeremy (28) and Haley (25). Nancy enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, gardening, jigsaw puzzling, and working out in her spare time.

 

 

Lyudmila Lakisova, Pianist (she, her, hers)

Highly sought after Chicago-based chamber musician, piano collaborator, and pedagogue Lyudmila Lakisova has performed in many well-known venues, such as Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, Harris Theater in Downtown Chicago, Bennett Gordon Hall at Ravinia, and Carnegie Hall in New York, as well as internationally in Belarus, Russia, Germany, China, and Italy, and toured extensively in England with violinist Drostan Hall and in Africa and Asia with Trio Chicago & Friends. She has given performances in the Steinway Society Concert series and Stradivari Society, and was featured on WFMT with Kerry Frumkin and in the Myra Hess Concert Series at the Cultural Center Downtown Chicago. Lyudmila has been a featured soloist and ensemble performer with many orchestras in the Chicago area, including the North Shore Chamber Orchestra, Wheaton Symphony, West Suburban Symphony, Camerata Chicago, and the Landolfi Piano Trio.

 

In addition to her successful solo and chamber career, Lyudmila has become well known in Chicago music circles as a collaborative pianist, accompanist, and chamber coach. She has collaborated with conductors Drostan Hall, Alexander Platt, pianist Irina Lupines, singer Don Caasch, and violinists Yossif Ivanof, Olga Kaler, Julian Rachlin, Kristof Barati, among others.

 

Lyudmila is also a chamber music coach at Midwest Young Artists Conservatory, pianist for the Chicago Master Singers, piano faculty at the New Music School, part-time pianist at Northwestern University, accompanist for Chicago Music Pathway Initiative, and an accompanist at New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois.

 

Born in Minsk, Belarus, Lyudmila received her master’s degree in Piano Performance, Pedagogy, and Chamber Music, and later a doctoral degree in Collaborative Piano from Belorussian State Conservatory of Music. Before her move to the United Sates, she was also a recital pianist and accompanist for the Belorussian State Philharmonic Chamber Choir and performed with the Belorussian State Symphony.