Clergy and Administration
Rabbi David Kaiman
Rabbi David Kaiman has served as rabbi at Congregation B'nai Israel since June 2003. Rabbi Kaiman was ordained at The Jewish Theological Seminary, New York, NY in June of 2003 with an MA in Hebrew Letters and concentration in religious education. Rabbi Kaiman has served as a rabbi and educator at congregations in Florida, New Jersey, Wisconsin and Maryland. Rabbi Kaiman also spent several summers as an educator at Camp Ramah including two years with the Tikvah Program for Special Needs Jewish Education at Camp Ramah in New England. Prior to entering seminary, Rabbi Kaiman spent 21 years as a corporate manager in industry where he was active as a community leader for religious and secular organizations. Rabbi Kaiman also is proud to be a graduate of the University of Florida in Gainesville and a Gator. Married to Rebeca Shalom, LCSW, they have two grown sons and two wonderful daughters-in-law. They also have three adorable granddaughters and this year welcomed their first grandson.
Contact Rabbi Kaiman at rabbi@bnaigainesville.com or (352) 376-1508 x104.
Jenifer Petrescu
Executive Director
Jenifer is our Executive Director and has served in that role since 2013. However, her time at B'nai Israel began in 2003, when she worked at a teacher in our day school. Jenifer has also served on the day school committee and been an active participant at B'nai since she started here, nearly 20 years ago.
Jenifer has her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Florida, both in Political Science with a focus on Public Administration. Having grown up in California, Jenifer moved to Florida to pursue her academic studies at UF and is now an avid Gator fan but still roots on her hometown San Francisco Giants whenever she gets the chance. Jenifer and her husband Vlad have three children: Cristian (10), Stella (7) and Eloise (3). All of her children have gone through the day school, including her two youngest who are currently in 1st grade and the 2-year-old class respectively.
Contact Jenifer at Jenifer@BnaiGainesville.com or x103.
Jackie Klein
Director of Education
I am so excited to join Congregation B’nai Israel as the Education Director. My time as a Jewish Educator has always been through the lenses of how I can bring Jewish Text and tradition to life through relationship and community building. I have a passion for Jewish pluralism in all forms and helping students find their own individual connections to Judaism. I am so excited to get to know each of the Chavaya students through lots of learning and laughing over the coming months. One of the unique aspect of synagogue education is being able to see the growth of children to adulthood from birth. I’m very much looking forward to working with the day school community and bridging the gap between the little ones and Chavaya.
When not in the class room, or involved in synagogue education I enjoy being the learner myself. I have been participating in the Daf Yomi cycle and love finding others to learn Talmud with. My husband Nic and I both grew up in south Florida. We enjoy the water and nature walks (especially when there are Pokémon stops) along with our dog Driedle. We look forward to finding the best trails and restaurants in Gainesville. At home you can find us often watching anime or science fiction especially Star Trek. I and the rest of my family can’t wait to meet your family.
Contact Jackie at Jackie@BnaiGainesville.com or x122.
Ilana Gertler
B'nai Mitzvah Coodinator
Ilana is new to Gainesville but not to being involved in Jewish life. Having recently graduated from the University of Cambridge with a Master’s degree in Archaeology with a specialization in Medieval Archaeology, Ilana’s background is rooted in Jewish engagement within her community. She has served as the first full-time Director of Programming for her home congregation at Congregation Adath Jeshurun in Elkins Park, PA. She has also served as a Youth Services Educator at Beth Shalom Congregation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and at the Hillel Jewish University Center in Pittsburgh worked as the Jewish Spirituality and Learning intern.
Ilana is also no stranger to Jewish camp, having grown up going to Camp Ramah in the Poconos as the child of camp staffers. As she got older, she also became a staff member and served as the Director for the Theater Arts Program. Having participated in USY as a teen, Ilana recognizes the importance of being engaged in Jewish life from an early age and making programs engaging and fun.
Contact Ilana at Ilana@BnaiGainesville.com
Melanie Gonzalez
Financial Administrator
While not new to B’nai Israel, 
Melanie is eager to step into the Financial Administrator role here at the synagogue! Previously, Melanie was the Student Services Coordinator for the Day School for four and a half years. She absolutely loved working with the incredible teachers, an unbelievable staff, and the wonderful families in this community and is so very grateful for the friendships and skills that she gained there.
Originally from Miami, she moved to Gainesville to attend the University of Florida, and has since been here for almost 10 years, where she lives with her 2 cats. She spends as much time outside, hiking or camping, as possible. Melanie loves animals and enjoys working with Gainesville’s rescue community. She is an avid Harry Potter nerd and has memorized every Gilmore Girls episode.
B’nai Israel truly has become a second home to her, and she appreciates how warm this community has been in welcoming and teaching her. She cannot wait to get to know more of you during her time here. Please feel free to stop by and say, “Hello!”
Contact Melanie at Melanie@BnaiGainesville.com or x105.
Nicole Kauranen
Administrative & Communications Specialist
Nicole is our Administrative & Communications Specialist and comes to B'Nai Israel with a wealth of experience. She has previously worked in HR with local tech companies and office management with a long-established petroleum wholesale company. Additionally, she has experience in sales and customer service. While new to B'Nai Israel, Nicole is not new to Gainesville and has made it her home for the past 14 years. She lives with her husband, with whom she shares many adventures, and her sweet ginger cat Jacob.
Nicole enjoys the outdoors and loves all the natural beauty of Florida. She spends much of her free time, hiking, camping, kayaking, practicing yoga, and swimming in one of the springs or a beach. Originally from Pennsylvania, she is an avid Pittsburgh sports fan! She considers herself a foodie and loves to cook for others. Nicole is an active volunteer with Lasagna Love, a global nonprofit that delivers home-cooked meals to people.
Contact Nicole at Nicole@BnaiGainesville.com or x100.
Vinny Picataggio
Head of Maintenance
Vinny joined the B'nai Israel staff in 2021 after moving from South Florida, where he worked at Temple Beth El in the maintenance department. Vinny and his wife Mary Ann have 5 children collectively and 4 grandchildren. Vinny has been a tremendous asset to B'nai Israel and we are happy to have him as part of our team. He loves country music and the mountains of the Northeast.
Contact Vinny at vinny@bnaigainesville.com.