Marla Towbin

Marla Towbin was born in New York and raised in South Florida. She learned all facets of catering and management at a young age in order to assist her father, Milton Towbin, in his resort and restaurant businesses.

Marla spent many years in the hospitality industry honing these skills until Hurricane Andrew, when she decided to relocate to be closer to family and took a position at the Jewish community center in Savannah, Georgia. She was named Executive Director at Congregation Agudath Achim, where for the first time, Marla’s secular business experience effectively meshed with her commitment to Jewish tradition. This unscheduled channeling of her organizational skills into Jewish communal service was “Beshert”-- a real match made in heaven! As the director, in addition to administering the day-to-day operations of the synagogue, Marla dedicated her time to listening and being a reliable resource for the members and staff. She took great pride in assessing and enhancing the quality and efficiencies of the facility and its grounds and security to match the needs of the congregation as well as the culture of the community. For Marla, working with families and facilitating the arrangements for their life-cycle events (including more than sixty-five B’nai Mitzvot in addition to naming ceremonies, funerals and weddings each year), gave depth and meaning to the “job”.

During her tenure at Temple Sholom, in Greenwich, Connecticut, Marla had the honor to host and provide security for Henry Kissinger, Hilary Clinton, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Prime Minister Ehud Barak among others. Marla is a life member of Hadassah, and a member of both the North American Association of Synagogue Executives and National Association of Temple Administrators. She has hosted many regional conventions, led seminars and adult staff training and mentoring, taught religious school kindergarten and helped forge a positive connection from her congregations to the surrounding Jewish community through creative initiatives.

Marla has worked as a kosher caterer and party planner and has the distinction of being the only member of the Towbin family that can replicate her grandmother’s honey cake and she looks forward to sharing this and many other sweet moments with Temple Israel.