Congregation Rodeph Sholom is proud to announce the recipients of this year’s Meyer W. Nathans Service Award: Janet Cohen, Peter Ehrenberg, and Gayle Meyer. These extraordinary volunteers are being honored for their outstanding dedication to CRS and, in particular, their leadership behind our beloved Backpack Buddies program.
The Meyer W. Nathans Service Award is presented annually to recognize individuals whose selfless service exemplifies the spirit of community for which “Mike” Nathans was so well known. Our 2025 honorees have each demonstrated an exceptional commitment to building a stronger, more compassionate community through years of devoted leadership and volunteerism.
We will celebrate Janet, Peter, and Gayle during our Volunteer Shabbat service on Friday, May 16. Join us as we honor all those who help shape and sustain our sacred community.
Meet this year’s recipients:
Janet Cohen
Janet Cohen has been part of the CRS community since 2003, when her daughters enrolled in the 2s program at RSS. Since then, Janet has been a deeply engaged member of the community. She played a vital role in restarting Backpack Buddies during the pandemic, helping to expand the number of delivery partners, increase the number of children served, and grow the program into a year-round effort. She has served as a CRS trustee since 2022 and is an active member of both the Budget Committee and the Social Action Committee. Outside of CRS, Janet is a trustee of the Park School of Baltimore (2020–present), serving on the Executive, Finance, Investment, Strategic Planning, and Campus Sustainability Committees. Her husband, Dan Kramarsky, serves on the CRS Education Committee. The Cohen-Kramarsky family dog, Nacho, would love to lend a paw to Backpack Buddies—but for now, he’s cheering on the program from home.
Peter Ehrenberg
Peter is the Chairman of the CRS Board of Trustees, a position that he has held since June 2023. Peter and his wife Camille have been members of the Synagogue for approximately 30 years. Their two daughters celebrated their Bnai’ Mitzvah at CRS, and both Peter and Camille participated in Adult Bnai Mitzvah classes a few years apart. Peter is a Past President of CRS (2020-2023), was a Vice President of CRS (2016-2020) and has been a member of the Board of Trustees since 2013. Peter previously served as the chair of CRS’ Social Action Committee and, together with Camille, was a member of the task force that initially established Backpack Buddies.
Gayle Meyer
Gayle Meyer (she/her) was born in South Africa and immigrated with her family to the suburbs of Philadelphia. She studied English Literature at Princeton and moved to New York City, leading Bravo’s digital marketing team through major growth and earning an Emmy. Gayle and her husband Andy met in New York and joined CRS as a family when their children started in the 3s program at RSS. Gayle was drawn to family-centered volunteer opportunities at CRS and the JCC, proud to now be co-leading and expanding Backpack Buddies across CRS. She also supports housing-insecure neighbors through Open Hearts and welcomes new New Yorkers via District 3 Open Arms.
