Marc Sugarman
CEO
Marc worked on the stock market for 17 years, and then helped run a consultancy and family office. He is a Non-Executive Director of Brighton and Hove Albion FC, and a Trustee of Albion in the Community, Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis (OMS) and the Bloom Foundation. Brighton is a special place for Marc, and he felt that the Jewish Community deserved an outstanding facility in the city. Marc saw a chance to deliver just that at New Church Road.
Sarah Rose
Head of People & Operations
Sarah’s background is in HR and operations, and she specialises in supporting non-profits build the best foundation for their teams to thrive. She is a member of JW3’s Young Advisory Board and has voluntary experience supporting Jewish charities around the UK and beyond. After recently completing her Masters in HR, Sarah is excited to bring her expertise into practice at BNJC.
Jasmin Aziz
Head of Marketing & Communications
Jasmin’s background is in marketing, events and fundraising for charities and has extensive experience of working with Jewish Youth movements around the world. She is excited about the facilities BNJC will offer young people locally, and the opportunities it will create for young Jewish people around the UK to call Brighton their home.
Ralph Baker
Head of Finance
Ralph has recently moved over to the UK from Cape Town. He spent 12 years in Banking, followed by 26 years as the accountant for two family-owned businesses in the retail/wholesale sector. Since 2020 Ralph has been actively involved in the Cape Town Jewish Community as a financial consultant where he set up new accounting and IT systems, and is now thrilled to be able to offer his services to BNJC in Brighton.
Ashley Woolfe
Membership & Partnerships Executive
Having run his own sports management and events company for over 25 years, you will now find Ash working out on the seafront early in the morning come rain or shine. He enjoys watching Brighton & Hove Albion FC and is very excited about developing the events programme for BNJC. He lives with his partner Janice, their three children and two dogs in Hove.
Elan Brookstein
Facilities Coordinator
After recently returning from 6 months of travel around South America, which ended at a Yeshiva in Jerusalem, Elan hopes to help transform BNJC from a building site to a vibrant operation. He has an undergraduate degree in International Development, from the University of Sussex, and experience working in construction and maintenance on building sites. He has a passion for well-being and body-based therapy, and he is excited about his move to Brighton.
Ally Goldberg
Marketing & Events Officer
Ally comes from a background in events and business development, and is a passionate advocate for the Jewish community. She is excited to be helping BNJC create a Jewish hub by the seaside and using her experience to develop a diverse programme of events for the community. She also does a lot of freelance work as a writer, and many of her pieces focus on life as a Jewish person, and how Judaism can interact and intersect with other areas of people’s lives and identities.
Meet our trustees
Our board of trustees volunteer their time and expertise for BNJC, united in a shared vision to help us build a vibrant Jewish community for Brighton & Hove.
Natasha Isaac
Trustee
Natasha is a Brighton-based barrister working primarily in family law. Aside from her current role as trustee for the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance, she has also been involved in the Jewish Museum, Tzedek and Jewish Women’s Aid as well as sitting on her synagogue board. Natasha and her husband have recently moved to Brighton to be nearer their jobs and close family and have enjoyed becoming a part of the local community
Michael Davids
Trustee
Michael has over 30 years’ experience in financial services and equity markets. He is Chair of Brighton & Hove Jewish Housing Association, trustee of Helping Hands and a member of the Brighton & Hove Holocaust Education Project. Michael was born and raised in Brighton and has a long involvement in the Jewish community. His late father was Chairman of Brighton and Hove Hebrew Congregation (BHHC), and he has served many terms on their board himself.
Robert Comer
Trustee
Robert started his professional life working for HMRC as a tax inspector before joining a local accountant firm. He has since set up his own private practice in Brighton (CCI Chartered Accountants) where he heads up the tax department. Robert is proud to live in Brighton & Hove and champions the city as a wonderfully eclectic place to live. He hopes that BNJC will regenerate the local Jewish community and create an environment where the Brighton & Hove community, irrespective of faith, can meet and learn from each other.