Ellen has been a Temple member for over 40 years and is a past president of the Women of Washington Hebrew Congregation, and board member of WRJ where she serves as co-chair of Board Giving, and a member of the Women’s Empowerment Awards Committee and the WRJ-NA Budget Committee. In addition to her involvement with WWHC, Ellen is on the Rabbinic Transition Committee, has facilitated several Edlavitch-Tyser Family Forum workshops, including Parenting Through Divorce, and Transitioning to Retirement. She has also been a group facilitator for the 9th Grade Sexuality Retreat, a team leader for Mitzvah Day, and a group leader for WHC’s Wellness Shabbaton.  

A Licensed Certified Clinical Social Worker, Ellen has a private psychotherapy practice – Therapy for Life Transitions in Bethesda, Maryland. She previously served as the pediatric hospice social worker at JSSA, where she established a volunteer program in conjunction with WHC Confirmation class students and special needs teens who received services from JSSA. She earned a B.S. in Education from the University of Maryland and her Master’s in Social Work from Catholic University.  

Ellen is married to Bob Kelly and has three sons who became bar mitzvah and were confirmed at Washington Hebrew Congregation. Collectively, Ellen and Bob have four children, three daughters-in-law, one son-in-law, six grandchildren, and two great-granddaughters.