Jo Ann Windman never planned to run a big shul for decades.
“My mother [Betty Meyers] was Rabbi Murray Saltzman’s secretary,” says Windman, alluding to the late spiritual leader who guided Baltimore Hebrew Congregation from 1978 to 1996. “They needed someone to enter data into the computer, so she asked me to work part-time.”
That was back in 1988, and Windman has never left BHC.
When the executive director’s assistant became ill, she moved into that role. And in 2005 — after working for BHC executive directors Sanford Cohen, Marty Mandelberg and Charles Neustadt – the Baltimore-born Windman was hired for that position.
“I was surprised when the board offered me the position,” she says. “I’m a high school graduate. I don’t have a college degree. But I work hard. It was important to me to succeed. I’m passionate about what I do and what I’ve done in this job.”
But after two decades of keeping the place running, she’s retiring from BHC. Windman was honored with a celebration dinner by the congregation on Friday night, Apr. 25, for her decades of service.
“I’m here all day,” she says. “I go home and have dinner with my husband [Harry], the phone rings, he rolls his eyes, and then either I have to go back to BHC for something or go to my desk and keep working until 10 or 11 at night.”
Overseeing BHC’s facilities and the operation of the congregation, as well as managing the administrative staff, isn’t a nine-to-five job, she says.
And there are those in-the-moment situations that frequently come up when running a shul, such as calling plow operators to clear the parking lot of snow.
“Then, we just call everybody on the housekeeping staff that can help, and we get out there early the next morning and shovel and salt the walkways,” she says.
Windman believes that having the proper staff is crucial “for getting the work done, but also for maintaining a good work environment — and that translates into a good congregational environment.”
BHC’s building at 7401 Park Heights Avenue is now75 years old, “so there’s always work to be done,” Windman says. “There are things we’ve known for years – decades — that the building needed, but we didn’t have the money to take care of all of them then, and now they’re kicking us in the butt!”
That’s why Windman and others were scrambling to place garbage cans under the leaks in the shul’s main hallway ceiling at 9 the night before erev Yom Kippur when the pipes burst. She called the plumbers and labored tirelessly to get the carpeting dry before the start of services for the Day of Atonement.
“She lives and breathes BHC,” says Gary Aiken, a former congregational board president. “She’s the guiding force that keeps the lay leadership and clergy moving forward, staying on schedule. It seemed like she never has a day off.”
Jillian Manko, BHC’s director of engagement, calls Windman “everyone’s bubbe, from new and generational members to veteran and new staff. When I was giving birth, my older children stayed with Jo Ann. There’s just nobody like her.”
Like most institutions, BHC has changed a great deal over the decades.
“We are more diverse, a lot of interfaith families,” says Windman, who lives in Randallstown and has two children and two grandchildren. “And like most other Reform and Conservative congregations, we’re much smaller, not the 1,800 families we were in the 1960s.”
Windman says one aspect of the job that’s been particularly meaningful to her is helping people dealing with details regarding the death of a loved one.
“When a loved one dies, people aren’t at their best,” she says. “They’re sad, confused. They don’t know what to do. So I can help them through those steps. Meeting families at the cemeteries, walking the grounds — even though I’ve had two knee replacements — helping families through those challenging times and also families that want to make advance arrangements. Being there and helping is very gratifying.”
So gratifying, in fact, that when Windman arranged the terms of her retirement, she agreed to continue managing BHC’s cemeteries.
Windman admits that she is looking forward to retirement and having more time to herself. But she’ll also miss certain parts of the job.
“It’s really important to me to be that friendly face at the door greeting and welcoming people, connecting with members and guests,” she says. “BHC’s in a huge, sometimes confusing building, and if you’re a visitor, you can feel really lost. So if I don’t recognize a face, I can hook them up right then with a member of the congregation that’s coming in at that moment.”
Last March, Scott Katz took over as BHC’s executive director, while Windman remains in the office as “senior advisor” until June 30. “I’m hoping to make it as easy as possible for Scott to come in and take over,” she says.
When asked about her legacy at BHC, Windman says she particularly hopes she made a difference with the congregation’s rank-and-file.
“Being there when they needed me, being a listening ear, being able to help them — a lot of members reach out to me before they reach out to clergy,” she says. “They know I can guide them to what they need. I’m proudest of the connections I’ve made with congregants.”
Jonathan Shorr is a local freelance writer.
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