Board
Ner Tamid is a synagogue that believes everyone has something important to contribute. We not only seek out leaders, but we develop leaders in a warm and loving environment where people love to contribute to the best of their abilities and are cherished. We form lay leadership teams around our priorities and challenges. Let us know where you can help.
Marisa
PRESIDENT
Marisa and her oldest daughter Fiona joined Ner Tamid in 2010 when they moved to San Diego from upstate New York. Since then, Ner Tamid has been a integral part of their lives. Marisa first served on the board for several years as VP, Education followed by serving as Board President from 2016-2020. In 2021, Marisa's family celebrated Fiona's bat mitzvah at Ner Tamid. Commitment to Jewish values and leadership run in the family, as Fiona, now a high school senior, is the regional chapter USY President and one of our Shul School teachers. Marisa began her current term as president February 1, 2026.
In 2024, Marisa married Claudio and gained two bonus daughters (Sophia and Sammie), in a backyard wedding was officiated by a long-time family friend and Ner Tamid congregant. They live and work in Poway and love hosting family and friends for Jewish holidays.
Her family camps at least twice a year, once in Joshua Tree National Park which has become an annual tradition with family friends. She loves to travel and was able to make the most of a recent business trip to India and achieve a lifelong goal of seeing the Taj Mahal. (It was amazing!)
She looks forward to connecting with current and prospective members in her role as president and can be reached at president@nertamidsd.org.
Rachel
Vice PRESIDENT
Born and raised in San Diego, Rachel and her family joined Ner Tamid when she was 14. During her teen years, Ner Tamid became an important part of her Jewish identity, a connection she strengthened by working at the Hebrew school throughout high school.
Rachel is a senior vice president of her family’s chain of grocery stores where she oversees marketing, brand strategy, store operations, store design and community engagement. In her spare time, she loves to travel, spend time with friends and family, and enjoys local theater and art. She’s also never met a cheese she didn’t love. If you have a spare 15 minutes, she’ll tell you all about it.
LILIANE
VP OF RITUAL
Liliane was born in Marrakech, Morocco to a Sephardic Orthodox family. After completing Pharmacy school at the University of Strasbourg, France she emigrated to Israel and lived in Jerusalem, Natanya, and Hadera for three and a half years. Liliane speaks French, Moroccan Arabic, Hebrew, and English. After marrying an American in Israel, she moved to Saint Joseph, Michigan and became a member of a conservative synagogue.
Liliane became VP of Ritual from 1996 to 2013. During that time, she also served as " Shlicha Tsibur" שליחה ציבורית. In that role, she lead services on Shabbat and festivals in the absence of the Rabbi. She also taught Hebrew school and prepared children for Bar and Bat Mitzvah.
In June 2013, she and her husband retired and moved to San Diego to join their two children and two granddaughters. They have been members of Ner Tamid and Liliane accepted the position of VP of Ritual in January, 2020.
Gary
Immediate Past PRESIDENT
Gary and his wife joined Ner Tamid in 2018 because they were looking for a temple and a community that was warm and welcoming, and where it was easy to connect with fellow Jews. They were also looking for a place where their two children would learn about their Jewish heritage and make lifelong friends. They found exactly that at Ner Tamid.
Gary is originally from Canada where he was raised in a Moroccan Sephardic, French speaking household.
His spare time revolves around sports, particularly tennis, hockey and golf. Before taking on the President role from Feb 2024-Jan 2026, Gary began on the Ner Tamid Board as the VP of Education because he believes it is a privilege to see young members embrace their Jewish identity and their thirst for knowledge.
Max
VP of Membership
Max joined Ner Tamid in 2015. Born & raised in Brooklyn, New York, he moved to San Diego over 25 years ago, via Iowa.
Many congregants helped celebrate the b’nei mitzvah of hi children Bailey and Myer in the last few years. He is a scientist at Eli Lilly and a lifecycle photographer. Max enjoys walking on the beach with the family dogs, playing poker, and cooking. Ask him about his smoked salmon that might be at the next poker and schmooze get together. As a past president who has served in many roles on the board, Max recently recommitted to lay leadership as our VP, Membership.
Max can be reached at membership@nertamidsd.org
Gerry
VP of Finance
Gerry came to San Diego in 1999 from the NY/NJ area with his wife, Karen, and two sons (now grown and married). Gerry and Karen have been members of Ner Tamid since 2016.
Gerry comes to the board of directors with a diverse background. He was the owner/operator of a regional pest control company serving Southern California for 18 years. Previously, Gerry worked as a computer business analyst and manager for Fortune 50 companies over a 20 year span. Previous to that, Gerry received his Masters in Social Work from Washington University, St. Louis, and worked in the field of addictions and family counseling for 5 years.
Gerry lived in Israel periodically during the 1970s and enjoys speaking several languages.
Gerry can be reached at: vpfinance@nertamidsd.org
Rena
Recording Secretary
Rena began attending Ner Tamid in 2019 due to the warm and welcoming atmosphere. In 2024 she accepted the position of Recording Secretary.
She was born and raised in the Los Angeles area and enjoyed being part of the large Jewish community there as well as in San Luis Obispo where she met her husband at Hillel. She moved to San Diego in 2007 with her husband. She has two children who attend Shul School. She loves the festive and intimate atmosphere at Ner Tamid, especially for her family with young children.
In her free time, she enjoys doing yoga, cooking, and enjoying the beautiful San Diego weather. If you love Sephardic charoset, don't forget to ask to get on her Passover distribution list.
Alexander
VP of Education
lucia
VP of communications
Lucía is an Argentine-born communications scholar, educator, and community organizer who has called Encinitas, CA home for over two decades. She lives there with her husband Larry and their two teenage sons, Rocco and Oberon.
She is a professor in the Department of Communication at California State University San Marcos. Lucía specializes in organizing and modernizing institutional communication processes, with a strong emphasis on clarity, inclusion, and community impact.
Lucía joined Ner Tamid seeking spiritual grounding and community—and found both in abundance. She discovered a warm, welcoming congregation that embraced her diverse family with open arms. As Vice President of Communications, she brings her passion for inclusive messaging, creative expression, and community-building to the Ner Tamid board.
In her free time, Lucía enjoys gardening, crafting, and volunteering—always looking for meaningful ways to connect people and stories.
Jason
VP of Facilities
Jerry
Member at large
Jerry Markus was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. After graduating from high school, he attended the Brandeis Collegiate Leadership Camp, where he met his future wife, Marlene. Following the month-long program, Marlene returned to Pasadena and Jerry to Albuquerque, where he completed one semester at the University of New Mexico.
Jerry soon moved to California through his service in the United States Marine Corps. After completing his initial training, he and Marlene resumed dating and were married two and a half years later at the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center (PJT&C).
After completing his military service, Jerry attended Pasadena City College, a two-year college, and later transferred to the University of Colorado, where he earned his degree. During their time in Boulder, Jerry and Marlene had two children. While there, they became actively involved in the effort to establish an organized Jewish community in Boulder. Jerry led the bylaws committee and was elected the community’s first vice president prior to his graduation.
The family then returned to Pasadena, where Jerry served as president of a B’nai B’rith chapter and later as a board member of Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center. They also had three more children. A subsequent job transfer took them to Silicon Valley, where they settled in San Jose. There, they became members of Congregation Sinai, where Jerry served on the board and completed two terms as president.
After 27 years in San Jose, Jerry and Marlene moved to the San Diego area. Their daughter Anne, a realtor in Poway, helped them find a home in Poway and encouraged them to join Congregation Ner Tamid. Given their strong family ties to Conservative Judaism, Ner Tamid became their primary community, while they also remained associate members of Temple Adat Shalom for several years.
Since joining Ner Tamid, Jerry has served multiple terms on the Board of Directors, including as Executive Vice President, and he currently serves once again as a board member.
