Debbie was born and raised in Boardman, Ohio and received both her BA and MA degrees at Kent State University and her Au.D. degree from Arizona School of Health Sciences. She formed and operated her own private practice, Alliance Audiology,  in Alliance, OH from 1992-2005. Debbie was very active in the Alliance area community serving as the first woman president of the Alliance Rotary Club, served on the Board of the Alliance Community Hospital, was president of the Alliance Quota Club,  the Ohio Board of Speech Pathology and Audiology, the Alliance Woman's Club Board, and also served on the Board of the Alliance Area Chamber of Commerce and the United Way. She was the Alliance area Athena Award recipient in 1994 and the American Academy of Audiology's Active Advocate of the Year in 2006. She and her husband Ted, moved to Poway in November of 2005 to join the newly formed Hearing Resource Center of Poway, affiliated now with the ENT Specialty Center, in Poway, CA. She provides over 30 years experience in clinical diagnostic audiology along with a specialization in tinnitus therapies, now on a part time basis. Debbie recently became the Director of Reimbursement for the American Academy of Audiology, the national professional organization. She also teaches online classes for the A.T. Still University program and recently was also an adjunct instructor for the George S. Osborne School of Audiology at Salus University. Her husband Ted, is president/owner of TA Creative Art & Design, and is an 18 year graphic communication design specialist and consultant serving B2B/B2C, professional, non-profit and individual clients' for all their creative concept development needs in advertising/marketing media. Debbie says, "I look forward to meeting and seeing you at Ner Tamid synagogue!"

Ruthann & I moved to Rancho Bernardo from Syracuse, N.Y. in 1987.  We joined Ner Tamid in 1990.  I was allowed to sit in on board meetings and in about 1992 was subsequently elected Treasurer, then VP Fiscal Afairs and Auditor.

In Syracuse, while a member of Temple Adath Yeshurun, I was President of the Men's Club and served on a Rabbi's Selection Committee.  I was a Board Member and Officer of The Jewish Home of Central New York serving on all 3 of it's separate corporate boards.  On leaving Syracuse I was made a life member of the overriding board.

Ron Marcus was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  He moved with his family in 1974 to San Diego.  There he became involved with BBYO/ AZA. He has a BA in Liberal Studies and an MA in Educational Technology.  He has a California teaching and a California administration credential.  He has taught in both Torah School settings and in public schools. He has a great wife, Keren Stashower; three boys Joseph (24), Scott 20) and Noah (10); and a step daughter, Melissa (33).  As VP of Education his goal is to help children have a life long connection to their Judiaism.

Corey and his family moved to the San Diego area in 2001 and joined Ner Tamid in 2007.  He was born and raised on the East Coast and went to school in Washington D.C. at The George Washington University where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting. Professionally, Corey has worked as an auditor at a Big 4 Accounting firm, and then as an accounting, financial and litigation consultant.

In addition, Corey is accredited as a certified public accountant (CPA) and a certified fraud examiner (CFE).  Corey may be reached by email at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Myla Stoke Kelly is currently serving the Ner Tamid community as the Rec ording Secretary of the Board. Myla joined Ner Tamid Synagogue in 2004.

Myla was born in San Bernardino California, and she is a third generation native Californian. She married Kenneth Wayne Kelly, thirty years ago in San Diego, and they have a son Kendrick (35) and two grandchildren, Cyrus (9) and Temple (7).

Myla earned her BA in English, with a Minor in History, and a California Secondary Teaching Credential from Point Loma Nazarene University. She earned her Masters degree from San Diego State University in Educational Technology and Librarianship, and she has a California Community College Teaching Credential. For the last 20 years, Myla has been a librarian at MiraCosta Community College. She has used her librarianship skills to assist with the revitalization of the Ner Tamid Synagogue Library.

Myla loves Torah study, crocheting, reading and travel.

Malka Shemirani was born in Tehran/Iran and immigrated to the United States in 1989.  She and her husband, Paris, moved to San Diego shortly thereafter and started a family. They now have three children, two boys and a girl.  Malka is an active volunteer with the local public school and in Ner Tamid’s Hebrew school.  She and Paris are active members of the Ner Tamid community, and have helped organize various events, from Family Shabbat Dinners, the annual Fourth of July Picnic, Family Bingo Nights, Channukah and Purim celebrations, and the semi-annual Gala.

Ron Elgart - Mens Club Coordinator
Born and raised in Southern California, Ron Elgart moved to San Diego in 1976 while in middle school.  Ron has a degree in Construction Management from Arizona State University and worked in the construction industry for several years.  Ron then became interested in finance and investment and joined Northwestern Mutual where he currently works.  Ron is a member of the North County Chamber of Commerce and is on the Board of Directors of the Rotary Club.

Gerry Burstain was born in Israel (actually in Palestine) under the British Mandate. He served 5 years in the Israeli Air Force as a fighter pilot and a pilot instructor. After his military duty, he studied Chemistry in the Technion in Israel and worked as a crop-duster pilot. In 1961, he came to the US, as a foreign student, to complete his education and received a Ph.D. degree in Chemistry from UCLA in 1967. While a student at UCLA, he married Judy Lieb, a native of LA in October 1961. After graduating from UCLA, Gerry joined Shell Oil USA and worked for over 26 years as a research Chemist, senior chemist and in R&D management in San Francisco, Detroit and Houston. In Houston, Gerry served for several years on the Board of Congregation Brith Shalom and as the President of the Club Men's in 1982-84. While residing in Houston, he also served as President of the Houston's Chapter of the Society of Plastics Engineering during 1991-93. In 1993 Gerry retired and moved with Judy from Houston to San Diego. After retiring, Gerry continued his professional activity as a consultant to the chemical industry and served as the President of the San Diego chapter of the Society of Plastics Engineering 1996-97 and the President of the North County World Affair Council during 2000-02. In the past few years, Gerry and Judy have been also very involved in the Jewish community in San Diego and in Ner Tamid synagogue. At Ner Tamid he served as the President of the Men's Club in 1997-99, and as the President of the congregation during 2002-04.

Judy & Gerry love to travel visiting their four grandchildren in Iowa and twice a year travel to Israel to visit Gerry's large family. Judy & Gerry have another son who lives in Long Beach.


Professionally, Marlene has worked for many years as a certified paralegal, specializing in personal injury and civil litigation. She is among a very small select group who has been nationally certified.