Dear Friends
We are delighted to announce that this year The Fire Island Synagogue will be honoring Lisa Alter and Ed Schechter in our annual Ad Journal.
Lisa and Ed served as Co-Presidents of The Fire Island Synagogue for 25 years, and, together with Lisa’s husband Joel Confino and Ed’s wife Wendi, were instrumental in the transformation of our synagogue from a small High Holiday congregation to the rich spiritual, cultural, and educational center that it is today.
Both Lisa and Ed are true Fire Islanders. Lisa’s parents first came to Fire Island before she was born, and Lisa has spent the better part of every summer of her life on the island. In turn, Lisa and Joel raised their daughters, Arielle and Jordana, as Fire Islanders and as FIS members. Indeed, each of Lisa, Arielle, and Jordana became Bat Mitzvah at FIS, and Rabbi Magid and Cantor Schechter officiated at Arielle’s wedding to Briggs Wright as well as Jordana’s wedding to Zach Bahor.
Ed has spent almost 50 summers in Ocean Bay Park, where he met his wife, Wendi. Ed’s longstanding dedication to the OBP community is evidenced by the three terms he served as President of the Ocean Bay Park Property Association, and the 20 years he served as a member of the Association’s Executive Board. Ed and Wendi held the second of their two wedding celebrations on Fire Island and renewed their vows on the 10th anniversary of their wedding in The Fire Island Synagogue.
In addition to their enormous contribution to The Fire Island Synagogue, Lisa and Ed have each built thriving professional practices. Lisa is a founding partner of Alter, Kendrick & Baron, LLP in NYC, where her practice is focused primarily in the area of mergers and acquisitions in the music and related industries. Her clients include a number of prominent major and independent music publishing companies, record labels, equity investors and financing partners in the music space, as well as a large number of bespoke songwriters, recording artists, producers, and music estates. Lisa is perennially recognized in Billboard’s “Top Music Lawyers” and “Power” lists, as well as Variety’s “Legal Impact Report,” “Dealmakers Impact Report,” “New York Women’s Impact Report,” and “New York Dealmakers Elite.” She has also been named as one of Billboard’s “Women in Music: Executives of the Year,” The Hollywood Reporter’s “New York Power Lawyers,” U.S. News & World Report’s New York City “Best Lawyer of the Year” in the practice area of Entertainment Law – Music, and Forbes “Top 200 Lawyers in the United States”.
Ed built a strong accounting practice in Stamford Connecticut, with clients throughout the tri-state area and beyond. Ed was the managing partner of Berkow, Schechter & Company which merged with the firm Presti & Naegele in 2023. Ed is a proud alumnus of Cornell University, where he served as Class President for 10 years and was a member of the Cornell Board of Class Officers. Ed is also a lifetime member of the prestigious Cornell Council.
Since their “retirement” as Co-Presidents last year, Lisa and Ed have continued to prove that “if you want something done, give it to a busy person”, through their continued active roles as Co-Presidents Emeriti and key members of the FIS Executive Board.
Please join us in honoring Lisa Alter and Ed Schechter and supporting the Fire Island Synagogue by placing a generous ad in this year’s Ad Journal. Ads may be placed by mail or online:
With warmest wishes,
Rob Stein, Co-President Marco Veissid, Co-President David Scharf, Co-President
