Alexis Slatt
President since 2023
Alexis is a corporate lawyer with over 15 years experience of providing counsel to Canadian and international businesses on corporate and securities law matters. Alexis has senior level expertise in domestic and international securities offerings, corporate governance, and securities regulatory compliance. Alexis has advised clients on a wide range of capital markets transactions, infrastructure and compliance, including boards of directors, management teams, and public and private companies. Alexis is a member of the Law Society of Ontario and the New York Bar Association. Alexis was most recently Counsel in the Corporate Department of a top Toronto law firm and previously practiced in the Securities and Capital Markets Group of a leading New York law firm. Alexis is a life-long member of Habonim, having celebrated many family simchas with the Congregation.
Alexis has been on the Board since 2017, having previously served in the roles of Corporate Secretary to the Board, Chair of the Board's Governance Committee, and Vice-President. Alexis brings her legal experience, leadership and strategic skills, and her commitment to Habonim, to her position as president.
Past Presidents
Cheryl Grammer
2020-2023
Cheryl is a former strategy consultant with over 15 years experience advising large Canadian companies on global operational strategy. She holds a Bachelor of Applied Science with Honours in Mechanical Engineering from U of T and an MBA from the Schulich School of Business. When she left the corporate world to focus on her family and philanthropic causes, she joined the board and executive of Robbins Hebrew Academy (formerly United Synagogue Day School) and went on to chair the Beth Tzedec-USDS joint Building Committee. After climbing Kilimanjaro in 2011 she founded Grads Go Global, a grassroots charity created to unite Toronto’s high school grads in raising awareness and funds for Amani Children’s Home, an organization dedicated to rescuing and educating street children in Tanzania. Between 2012-2019 Grads Go Global raised over $200,000 for Amani, and Cheryl continues to sit on the board of Friends of Amani Canada. Cheryl and her husband Mark have been long term members of Habonim, where Mark celebrated his Bar Mitzvah over 40 years ago. More recently, their sons also celebrated their Bar Mitzvahs at Habonim. Cheryl joined the Habonim Board in 2017 and the executive in 2019, and has spearheaded many of the new programming initiatives.
Joanie Smith
2017-2020 
Joanie was a long time Habonim board member, bringing a wealth of volunteer and Jewish communal experience with her, including involvement with Israel Cancer Research Fund, the Ride to Conquer Cancer, the Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning, along with chairing various school committees when her children were younger. Joanie's leadership was instrumental in the fruition and success of The New building. Joanie and her husband Steven have two adult children who attended the Habonim Jewish Heritage School and were Bar/Bat Mitzvahed by Eli.
Ted Rechtshaffen
2010-2017
Ted Rechtshaffen presents award to Habonim Cantor Esther Ghan Firestone, the first female cantor in Canada.
Ted Rechtshaffen has been a member of Habonim since 1988, joined the Board as Treasurer in 2007, . He believes that Congregation Habonim provides an ideal home to a segment of the community that is looking for an open, meaningful, accepting and down to earth environment. The music is very good too!!
Outside of Habonim, Ted is President and CEO of TriDelta Financial and TriDelta Investment Counsel, a financial planning and investment firm. In addition, he writes a column on Personal Finance in the National Post.
Ted’s wife Cathy was also Registrar of the Jewish Heritage School at Habonim. They have 3 children, Hannah, Meyer and Owen.
Ted Rechtshaffen presents award to Habonim Cantor
Esther Ghan Firestone, the first female cantor in Canada.