Staff/Leadership

Michelle has been a temple member since 1997 and has served the TI community in numerous volunteer roles as Chaverim chair, VP of Membership, Executive Vice President and Temple President in 2013-2015.  In 2015, Michelle joined the professional staff at TI becoming the Temple Administrator.  She has over 30 years of non-profit experience with social action/social justice organizations in Boston and has a Master’s degree in Management of Human Services from the Heller School at Brandeis University.  Michelle is a member of the Massachusetts Association of Synagogue and Temple Administrators and the North American Association of Synagogue Executives.  She resides in Holliston with her husband, Adam and son Joshua.

Aaton Marans (he/him/his) is a lifelong Jewish learner and educator. He grew up in the Conservative Movement and attended Solomon Schechter and Camp Ramah. He is also an alum of Yeshivat Ma’ale Gilboa, Hillel on Campus, and Avodah: The Jewish Service Corps. Before relocating to Massachusetts in 2022, Aaron worked at multiple synagogues in New York City. Most recently, he worked as a full time Lead Educator at Congregation Beth Elohim in Brooklyn. When not working at TI, Aaron teaches High School English in Worcester Public Schools.  Aaron lives in Worcester with his wife Allie, a PhD student at Clark University.

Faye Tonkonogy is the Director of Early Childhood Education. Faye has a spirited commitment
and endless enthusiasm to work with young children and their families and to foster deep and
meaningful relationships within the TI community and the Judy Gordon Early Learning Center.
These relationships are the foundation for developing a love of learning and serve to motivate
Faye’s passion to welcome, honor, connect, and educate families in a Jewish setting.
Faye has a degree in Early Childhood education from Wheelock College and has professionally
worked in a variety of educational settings, both Judaic and secular, with young children and
their families. Before coming to Temple Israel, Faye was a kindergarten teacher in the
Framingham Public Schools. Faye is the proud mother of three amazing daughters. She is so
grateful for the opportunity to work and be part of such a wonderful and warm synagogue and
often thinks of Temple Israel as her second home.

Michelle Nelson is a lifelong member of Temple Israel of Natick.  She currently serves as your Youth Programming Coordinator, organizing informal learning opportunities for students in grades K-12, and teaches in our Ida and Charles Gilvarg Religious School.