Our Directors

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Mark Samuel Ross was born in Newark, N.J. and lived in Irvington briefly and grew up in Mountainside. An active member of Temple Emanu-El in Westfield, Mark was also very involved in the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization’s A.Z.A. chapter in Westfield and beyond. Mark received a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from Rutgers University, in Political Science and Hebraic Studies and went on to earn a Juris Doctorate from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law of Yeshiva University in New York City. He was admitted to practice law in New Jersey in 1983 and in New York in 1989. 

While in law school Mark founded the Novat B’nai B’rith Singles Unit with the purpose of introducing young Jewish professionals to each other. The group was so successful that it married itself out of existence. It was also through Novat that Mark met his future wife, Robin Liebman. In 1983 Mark opened his own law practice in Union, N.J., where he remained until 2011 when he relocated his office to Springfield, N.J. 

Throughout college, law school and thereafter, Mark worked, for almost 20 years, in various capacities of increasing responsibility for Menorah Chapels at Millburn, the Jewish funeral home, founded by his father. In 1983 he attended the American Academy-McAllister Institute of Funeral Service in New York City where he received his diploma in Mortuary Science and where he later taught Mortuary and Business Law after becoming a licensed funeral director in New Jersey. In 1992, with his father Herbert’s retirement, Mark continued to both practice law and to work for Menorah Chapels at Millburn, In 2011 he left Menorah Chapels and then opened Ross’ Shalom Chapels with his wife, Robin.

Mark has been actively involved in the Jewish Community his entire life. He and Robin joined Temple Beth Ahm (now Temple Beth Ahm Yisrael) when they moved to Springfield, where they presently reside. Mark has served the synagogue as a trustee, a vice- president and President, as chairman of the religious affairs, legal, constitution, nominating, membership, renovation, Rabbi’s search and 2000 Israel Trip committees. He has also served as a Gabbi Rishon and currently serves as a permanent trustee of the synagogue. In 2005 Mark and Robin also participated in the March Of The Living, commemorating the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz with travel to several concentration camps in Poland and then on to Israel. 

Mark has also been an active member of B'nai B'rith since graduating college in 1979. He was the founding President of the Novat Singles Unit of B'nai B'rith, a Vice-President of the Springfield Lodge, and is the President of the BBNJ Alumni group. He also serves as President of the Tri-State Region of B'nai B'rith which includes New Jersey, part of southern New York State, and part of eastern Pennsylvania. Mark was installed as Regional President and a member of B'nai B'rith International's Board Of Governors on June 30, 2013. 

Mark has received numerous honors and awards including the following: Alumni Award, New Jersey Region United Synagogue For Conservative Judaism 2008; Man Of The Year Temple Beth Ahm Yisrael in 2001 and Springfield B’nai B’rith in 1995; B’nai B’rith International Citizenship and Civic Affairs Award 1995; B’nai B’rith International Founders Award 1981; Rutgers University Alumni Association 25 year member certificate of honor. Mark has also been listed in Who’s Who in American Law, Who’s Who in the World, and Who’s Who in America (various editions). 

Mark is a member of Chabad at Short Hills, Springfield B’nai B’rith, Knights of Pythias, International Order of Odd Fellows, American Red Mogen David For Israel, Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., the Alumni Association of the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law of Yeshiva University, the Rutgers University Alumni Association, Pi Sigma Alpha, the political science honor society, and the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity. 

Robin L. Ross was born in Newark, New Jersey, lived in Flushing, New York, briefly, and grew up in Springfield, N.J.. She was an active member of Temple Sha’arey Shalom of Springfield. Robin received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Cedar Crest College in Allentown, Pennsylvania and a Masters of Science in Biology and Business from Seton Hall University, South Orange, New Jersey. She also attended the American Academy-McAllister Institute of Funeral Service, New York City, where she received her diploma in funeral service (Magna Cum Laude) in 1997. Upon graduation and licensure as a funeral director in New Jersey, Robin became part of the professional staff at Menorah Chapels at Millburn, a local Jewish funeral home founded by her father-in-law, Herbert Ross, and then partly owned by her husband, Mark, where she worked until 2009 when she left Menorah Chapels at Millburn. In 2011 she founded Ross’ Shalom Chapels with her husband Mark.

In the funeral home Robin worked in several different positions of increasing responsibility. She had also worked at Art/Craft Monuments-Shalom Memorials in Union, New Jersey. Prior to that she served as a forensic toxicologist for the New Jersey State Medical Examiners office. 

Since she and Mark joined Temple Beth Ahm Yisrael in Springfield, Robin has been an active member of the synagogue and its Women’s League. She has served as co-chair of its youth commission, served on numerous dinner dance committees, coordinated many new and prospective member activities and participated in the synagogue’s 1st trip to Israel with Mark and their children in 2000. She has also served as the synagogues’ Women’s League dues secretary, past co-chair of its fashion show, chaired the Oneg Shabbat committee and has been a member and supporter of the Women’s League Torah Fund which supports the Jewish Theological Seminary. 

In 2005, Robin and Mark, along with their children, also participated in the March Of The Living commemorating the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz with travel to several concentration camps in Poland and then on to Israel. Robin was also a founding member of the Novat Singles Unit of B’nai B’rith, through which she met her future husband, Mark. She has also been an active member of the Parent Teacher Student Organization in Springfield. 

Robin is a member of Chabad at Short Hills, and the Sisterhood of Temple Sha’arey Shalom. She is also a Life Member of both Jewish Women International and Hadassah, both of Springfield, N.J., and is a member of the Beta Beta Beta Biology Honor Society.