Meet JCAM's Staff Members

JCAM is proud of its hard-working staff of professionals. The day-to-day work of managing more than 100 cemeteries calls for skill, expertise, patience and dedication - and that describes our staff. Stan Kaplan, one of JCAM's founders, and long time staff members Miriam Drukman and Jay Trilling have been with the organization for a combined twenty-nine years! Judith Caplan's commitment to JCAM has continued to make an impact since 1998. Lisa Berenson, our newly appointed Director of Development, has been affiliated with JCAM since 2002. We are also proud of our part-timers: Barry Ostrow and Ellen Schreiber.

Stan Kaplan,
Executive Director

Stan is both a seasoned business executive as well as an accomplished fundraiser for non-profit organizations in Massachusetts and elsewhere. He brings fifteen (15) years of extensive cemetery management experience to JCAM having served as President, Vice-President, and Treasurer from 1983-2000. He is also the Founder of the Beit Olam Cemetery in Wayland, Massachusetts that began servicing the diverse Metro-West Jewish community since 1999. Stan is the proud recipient of the 1998 The Charlotte Bloomberg Award. "For outstanding innovative service and resourcefulness in developing a program that brings a special vitality to the Jewish community." He is also the recipient of the 2000 Synagogue Council of Massachusetts, Ka’l Israel Award: “For outstanding service in strengthening our community and promoting the unity of the Jewish People. Stan resides in Sudbury Massachusetts with his wife Diane, and is the father of two very special daughters, Heather and Emily.

 

Miriam Drukman,
Director of Administration

The JCAM office is Miriam's realm as she oversees each and every detail of cemetery management. Miriam's years of experience are invaluable as she guides the process of grave sale purchases, manages individual cemetery records and maps, oversees the growing database of burial records, monitors contracts, accounts payable and receivable, and issues. She guides JCAM through its yearly calendar, approaching the seasonal issues and events with skill and confidence. Miriam's extensive knowledge of both the Jewish community and of Jewish tradition make her a valuable resource for families, funeral directors and co-workers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jay Trilling,
Director of Field Services

Jay's position consists of managing JCAM's 100+ cemeteries, in fifteen regional locations (zones) and supervising seven independent contractors, as well as interacting with police, utility companies, and all vendors who perform services on JCAM cemeteries. From lawn maintenance to lawn chemicals, from painting fences to building demolition, from monument questions to gravestone rubbings, Jay manages to do it all, as he divides his time between the office and the cemeteries. He also handles all cemetery complaints, inquiries on grave purchases and, when he is out in the field, he assists cemetery visitors finding locations and answering questions. Jay is on call "24/7" for funeral directors and contractors, as problems arise and he serves as a consultant to other cemetery chairpersons, who value his knowledge and expertise as much as JCAM does.

 

 

 

 

Judith Caplan,
Director of Records & Documentation

Judith represented The Synagogue Council on the JCAM Board and has worked at JCAM since September 1998. Judith is generally the friendly voice that answers our telephone. She works with funeral directors on interment authorizations and with vendors on the issuance of monument permits. Judith also serves as a support person to Jay Trilling; fielding cemetery complaints and acting as liaison for caretakers, vendors, and monument dealers. Judith is also the person to contact if you are planning or scheduling an unveiling. Genealogical searches are her specialty and she gets inquiries from around the world. Fortunately for JCAM, Judith is also extremely capable of taking on special projects as needed. Her knowledge of and her affiliation within the synagogue community add to her many assets and talents.

 

 

 

Lisa Berenson,
Director of Development

Lisa came to JCAM with more than 25 years of business expertise. Her creative ability in writing and her organizational skills has made her instrumental in the coordination and dissemination of many of JCAM's publications and materials to raise awareness and support of the JCAM Charitable Foundation, Inc. Lisa is currently serving as the Project Coordinator for the Mystic River Jewish Communities Project and is responsible for various fundraising efforts and new program strategies. Additionally, she leads the JCAM Charitable Foundation's cemetery education module: "Cemeteries Are For The Living," geared to teaching b'nai mitzvot children, their parents and other community groups the importance of Jewish burial customs, the meanings of Jewish headstone iconography, and promoting the understanding of Jewish continuity. Lisa is also responsible for the production of JCAM’s Guide to Jewish Cemeteries; acting as liaison between various printers, graphic design firms, and the local community. Lisa is proud of the work of JCAM and is excited to be integral part of our team.

Barry Ostrow,
Operations Manager

Barry came to JCAM with over 30 years of solid management experience. He has worked in the field of real estate, retail accounting, and holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration. Barry's main position at JCAM is performing cost analysis for contractors, vendors and service providers for JCAM; bringing in the highest quality services at the most competitive price. He also serves as assistant to our Director of Field Services in the area of grave sales, inventorying of cemeteries, and the updating of JCAM's extensive database. Barry also handles the many genealogy search requests that come into our office daily as well as any special projects requiring his area of expertise.  We are privileged to have Barry on our team!

Ellen Schreiber,
Bookkeeper

Ellen is our very capable and friendly part-time bookkeeper. Ellen has extensive experience in all aspects of bookkeeping and we are happy to welcome her to our team.