Makom Leadership

Makom is organized by Rabbi Aaron Levy and a seven-member Leadership Team (Board of Directors), working collaboratively to plan and run programs, and engaging in a strategic planning process to make Makom a sustainable community and organization.

A number of other community members are involved in guiding our planning process and initiating creative programs.  If you would like to contribute to these processes, please let us know. We’d love to hear your ideas, concerns, and thoughts on Makom.

Rabbi Aaron Levy

Rabbi Aaron Levy is a leader in the revival of downtown Jewish life in Toronto, where he is the founding rabbi and executive director of Makom.

Rabbi Aaron fuses Jewish tradition and progressive values in his teaching and life. As the descendant of both Sephardic (Judeo-Spanish, by way of the Island of Rhodes) and Ashkenazic (Polish & Russian) immigrants to Turtle Island (North America), he personally embodies Jewish multiculturalism. He warmly welcomes diverse Jews and non-Jews to explore their own paths in Jewish life and community.

Rabbi Aaron highlights Judaism’s joy through musical, participatory prayer and teaches in an open-minded and intellectually engaging style.  An avid drummer, hiker, cyclist, and vegan, he lives near the old Jewish neighbourhood of Kensington Market with his family.

Rabbi Aaron brings experience living and working in a variety of cities and Jewish communities; he previously served as Madrikh Ruhani/Spiritual Leader of Associated Hebrew Schools, was the founding rabbi of Annex Shul, served as campus rabbi at three Hillels, and led wilderness backpacking trips.  He currently sits on the Downtown Jewish Community Council, Toronto Board of Rabbis, and the Rabbinic Advisory Board of Eshel, promoting LGBTQ inclusion in Orthodox and traditional Jewish communities.

Originally from Rockville, Maryland, he received BAs from Columbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary and was ordained in 2004 in the first graduating class of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah – The Open Orthodox Rabbinical School in New York City.

Rabbi Aaron is available for spiritual guidance, halakhic advice, and pastoral counseling for Makom members.  He also facilitates personally meaningful lifecycle events: baby namings, benei mitzvah (bar and bat mitzvahs), weddings, funerals, and gravestone unveilings.

Rabbi Aaron would love to hear from you. Email him at aaron@makomTO.org

Adina Gamse
Managing Director

Adina Gamse has been part of Makom since 2016, when she moved to Toronto for a postdoctoral fellowship at U of T. She joined Makom’s Board of Directors in 2017 and transitioned to full-time staff in 2020, right as the pandemic hit. She is enjoying meeting everyone in person!

Adina has a PhD in Mathematics and loves introducing non-mathematicians to the joys of her subject; she combines this with her love of Jewish learning in her Limmud sessions on Mathematics and Mishna. In her free time she enjoys trampolining and flying trapeze.

Sarah English
Director of Education

Sarah is an Ontario College of Teachers accredited teacher who completed her M.S.Ed. at Niagara University and has focused most of her teaching career on language acquisition. She benefited from being a part of vibrant synagogue life while growing up in the West End and carries her love of Jewish learning to Makom. In her free time, Sarah pursues her long-standing interest in genealogy and also enjoys reading, writing (most often at inconvenient hours of the night when inspiration strikes), and gardening with a permaculture focus. She looks forward with enthusiasm to participating in the Makom community.