Rabbi Jeff is the Founding Director of Camp JRF and Noar Hadash. In over 41 years as a rabbi, he has served congregations in Plantation, FL, Philadelphia and State College, PA, directed Hillel at Penn State and has also run summer camps, youth programs, family retreats and family trips to Israel. He received his BA from Penn state and his Masters in Education from Temple University and is a 1976 graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (RRC).

At RRC Rabbi Jeff has taught courses for Rabbi as Educator, Merging Formal and Informal Jewish Learning and Transformative Text Experiences. Jeff is currently on the faculty of the JCCA as a mentor for the Lekhu Lakhem camp director program.

Jeff is a recipient of the Ira Eisenstein Lifetime Achievement Award from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association and The Keter Shem Tov from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. Jeff is married to Rabbi Sarah Messinger where together they have founded Congregation Shireinu where they use their experiential skills in creative prayer and programs. They have three children; Ari, Miriam and Rachel.