Our Professional Staff

Mary Lawrence brings more than 30 years’ experience in executive leadership, entrepreneurism and publishing to Kehillah. She has held CEO roles in different nonprofits, including Big Brothers Big Sisters, La Leche League International, and Cornucopia Cancer Support Center. Mary loves writing, gardening, reading historical novels, and most of all, spending time with her three children and six grandsons. One of her favorite sayings is “Don’t wait for people to be friendly; show them how.”

Stephanie joined Kehillah in 2008. She was often the first person to greet members and visitors. While she is now focused on the business side of operations, she still has time to greet everyone with a smile!
Prior to Kehillah she was a franchise business consultant with experience in financial management, marketing, and customer relations.
Stephanie lives in Durham with her family.

Abe, our Education Coordinator, joined Kehillah in 2023 and brings with him a wealth of experience in Jewish education and community building. With a strong background in his home synagogue’s religious school, Abe has been involved in various aspects of Jewish education from teaching Hebrew, to leading music class and services, to administrative involvement, as well as often shadowing the rabbis during their day-to-day tasks. His dedication to Jewish education and creativity is also evident through his leadership as the president of the University of Georgia Hillel during his time there.

In addition to his work in Jewish education, Abe has also worked previously in healthcare community building, where he got the chance to envision and actualize community culture, create a myriad of events and engagement opportunities, and build strong, long-lasting relationships through thoughtful communication.

Abe lives in Carrboro with his fiance, dog, and two cats.

Sherrie rejoined Kehillah in July 2022 as our office manager.