GAIL HEYMAN
Gail Heyman is a tireless advocate for disabilities within the Atlanta Jewish community. Gail is the Co-founder and President of the Fragile X Association of Georgia and has served on the task force of Jewish Abilities Atlanta (JAA) since its inception. She is involved with programs at MJCCA, Camp Barney Mednitz and ADL. In addition, she is currently the chair of the NCOV at UC Davis MIND Institute. Gail is also a JScreen ambassador. Gail frequently speaks at conferences, facilitates sensitivity workshops, and helps families and professionals understand the value of including individuals with developmental disabilities in a caring community. Gail has received many awards for her valuable work in the community. In addition to her personal awards and achievements, with her family, the Heymans have received the National Daily Point of Light Award for their impact. Gail is a registered dental hygienist who recently retired from Goldstein, Garber and Salama in Atlanta. She lives with her husband of 49 years, Lyons, and is very proud of their three adult children, Jared, Scott and Carly.
MATAN KOCH
Matan A. Koch serves as Senior Policy Advisor at RespectAbility, and was a successful midtown Manhattan litigator before turning to inclusion full time. He is considered one of the nation’s leading Jewish inclusion experts, and is a longtime national leader in disability advocacy. The proudest moment in his advocacy was his appointment to the National Council on Disability by President Obama, a position to which he was confirmed by the US Senate for a term ending in 2014. Koch is a graduate of Yale College and Harvard Law School and is a strong believer of the power of people with disabilities in the workforce, having himself benefited from vocational rehabilitation. A subject matter expert, he has spoken and taught at law firms, corporations and many nonprofit organizations. Koch has consulted with Matan for many years and recently joined its advisor council.
ANSHE EMETH MEMORIAL TEMPLE (New Brunswick, NJ)
Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple in New Brunswick, NJ, was established in 1859 as the fourth Jewish congregation in New Jersey. Over 40 years ago, under the leadership of Rabbi Bennett Miller, Kadimah, a critical program that enabled many students to learn, celebrate life-cycle moments, and be fully engaged in the life of the congregation and community. The community values the opportunity to ensure that every member is given the opportunity to learn, study, experience Judaism, Jewish life, and Jewish tradition. This vital work continues and is fully integrated into the fabric of Anshe Emeth, under the leadership of current Senior Rabbi, Philip Bazeley.
RABBI BENNET F. MILLER, Emeritus
Rabbi Bennett Miller, since his ordination from HUC-JIR in 1974, has been associated with Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple in New Brunswick, NJ, becoming Senior Rabbi in 1977 and Rabbi Emeritus in 2018. Rabbi Miller, from the beginning of his career, prioritized access to quality Jewish education for children with special needs at Anshe Emeth. The creation of the Kadimah program for students with special needs is clearly “one of the gems” in the crown of his many accomplishments.
Rabbi Miller served in multiple leadership roles including as National Chair of ARZA (Association of Reform Zionists of America) from 2012 until 2016 and again from 2018 until 2022. He has represented the Reform Movement by serving on the Boards of the national institutions of Zionism (the Jewish Agency for Israel - JAFI), JNF Israel, and the World Zionist Organization. He is past Chair of the National Rabbinic Cabinet of Jewish Federations of North America. He earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1988. In 1999, he was awarded a Doctor of Divinity Degree from HUC-JIR. Rabbi Miller and his wife Joan are residents of Monroe Township, New Jersey. They are the parents of two daughters, Rabbi Ellie Miller of Morristown, NJ and Carrie Miller Nussbaum of Short Hills, NJ and proud grandparents of Sam, Max, Meg, Jack, Gabe and Ben.
RABBI PHILIP BAZELEY
Rabbi Philip Bazeley has served at Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple since 2012 when he was ordained from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR), first as the Assistant Rabbi and, in 2018, was installed as the Senior Rabbi. A top priority of Rabbi Bazeley’s rabbinate has always been educating the community and ensuring that everyone has equal access to high level education. Prior to rabbinical school, he taught Special Education English and Social Studies at Edward R. Murrow High School in Brooklyn, NY. Rabbi Bazeley has served as a Clinical Faculty Mentor at HUC-JIR’s New York School of Education, was awarded the title: Reform Jewish Educator (R.J.E.) from the National Association of Temple Educators for the work that he has done at AEMT. He has been honored with the Union for Reform Judaism’s Eisendrath Bearer of Light Award for his participation in America’s Journey for Justice, where he marched with the NAACP as well as other members of the CCAR from Selma, Alabama to Washington D.C. Rabbi Bazeley serves as a member of the Core Leadership Team of The Religious Action Center- New Jersey (RAC-NJ) and on the local board of American Jewish Committee of New Jersey (AJC-NJ). Rabbi Bazeley and his wife Alyson live in Highland Park, NJ with their sons, Gavin and Matthew.