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Annual Program Biographies
Rabbi David Saperstein 
Rabbi David Saperstein represents the national Reform Jewish Movement to Congress and the Administration as the Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. [The Center not only advocates on a broad range of social justice issues but provides extensive legislative and programmatic materials to synagogues, federations and Jewish community relations councils nationwide, and coordinates social action education programs that train nearly 3,000 Jewish adults, youth, rabbinic and lay leaders each year.]
Described in a Washington Post profile as the “quintessential religious lobbyist on Capitol Hill,” during his 33 year tenure as Director of the Center, he has headed several national religious coalitions and serves on the boards of numerous national organizations including the NAACP, People For the American Way[, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life]. In 1999, Rabbi Saperstein was elected as the first Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom created by a unanimous vote of Congress.
Under Rabbi Saperstein, writes J.J. Goldberg in his book, Jewish Power, the Religious Action Center “has become one of the most powerful Jewish bodies in Washington, second only to AIPAC.” In 2004 and 2006, the Wall Street Journal and the Religion News Service respectively described him as among the country’s most influential shapers of religious issues in national elections.
Also an attorney, Rabbi Saperstein teaches seminars in both First Amendment Church-State Law and in Jewish Law at Georgetown University Law School.
A prolific writer and speaker, Rabbi Saperstein has appeared on a number of television news and talk shows including Crossfire, the O’Reilly Factor, Hardball, Nightline, Oprah, Lehrer News Hour and ABC’s Sunday Morning. His articles have appeared in the Washington Post, the New York Times and the “Harvard Law Review.” His latest book is Jewish Dimensions of Social Justice: Tough Moral Choices of Our Time.
Rabbi Saperstein is part of a large rabbinic family. Two great uncles were Reform rabbis, and two great-grandfathers were Orthodox rabbis; his father Harold and uncle Sanford were well-known Reform rabbis; and his brother Marc is one of this generation's leading Jewish scholars.Rabbi Saperstein is married to Ellen Weiss, Vice President for news of National Public Radio. They have two sons, Daniel and Ari.
In his book Thunder in America, network news correspondent Bob Faw wrote of Rabbi Saperstein: "Saperstein learned from political masters...[His] energy was almost legendary -- no one around him worked longer hours, no one darted in and out of more meetings... Once he'd taken on an assignment, he'd always guide it safely home to completion."
Dr. Erica Brown 
Dr. Erica Brown is the Director for Adult Education at The Partnership for Jewish Life and Learning and the Scholar-in-Residence for The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. She is also an adjunct professor at American University and George Washington University, was a Jerusalem Fellow and is a faculty member of the Wexner Foundation. She lectures widely on subjects of Jewish interest and leadership, in addition to extensive writing in journals of education and Jewish studies. She has chapters in Jewish Legal Writings by Women, Torah of the Mothers, and Wisdom from All of My Teachers and writes a weekly internet essay on topics of Jewish interest. Erica is the author of the book, Inspired Leadership: A Jewish Perspective and Jewish Boredom (forthcoming), a National Jewish Book Award finalist and co-author of The Case for Jewish Peoplehood. She resides with her husband and four children in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Beth Cousens
As Hillel’s Director for Organizational Learning, Beth Cousens is responsible for implementing a thorough system of measurement and research to both assess and strengthen the performance of Hillels around the world and also for capturing and utilizing knowledge about great Hillel practice. A Wexner Graduate Fellow, Beth holds a PhD in the sociology of Jewish education from Brandeis University; she also holds an MA with Honors in Judaic Studies from Baltimore Hebrew University and an MSW from the University of Maryland. She spent five years as the educational planner for The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, concentrating on services to adults in their 20s and 30s, synagogue education, teen Jewish identity, and expanding participation in Jewish overnight camping. Her dissertation research is entitled, “Shifting Social Networks: Studying the Jewish Growth of Adults in Their Twenties and Thirties.” In her spare time, she bakes a lot of cookies and prays for a Washington Nationals World Series win at some point in her lifetime.
Dr. Misha Galperin
Dr. Misha Galperin is the Executive Vice President and CEO of The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington (Federation), one of North America’s largest Jewish communities. He has held this position since June, 2001.
Misha holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from New York University. He is also a graduate of the Wexner Heritage Program, a premier leadership development initiative. He speaks and writes on issues of psychological processes, Jewish life, community building and philanthropy. Misha recently co-authored the book “The Case for Jewish Peoplehood: Can We Be One” which tackles the challenges of Jewish diversity and unity in the 21st century. In addition, Misha advises foundations and philanthropists with a focus on building Jewish identity and engaging Russian-speaking Jews in the United States.
Born in Odessa in 1958, Misha emigrated to the United States in 1976. His resettlement was facilitated by Federation agencies much like the ones where he went on to build his career: The Educational Alliance (the nation’s oldest Jewish settlement house), the New York Association for New Americans (NYANA), the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services, FEGS and several Jewish community centers in Los Angeles and New York. Prior to his arrival in Washington, Misha served as the Chief Operating Officer of UJA-Federation of New York.
Misha's approach to organizational and leadership development, programming, and fund-raising have made his a national voice of change and innovation throughout the organized Jewish community.
David E. Edell
David E. Edell, President and Co-Founder of DRG Executive Search Consultants, views his work as a natural extension of his successful career in nonprofit management, leadership development, fundraising and consulting. Since 1987, he has worked successfully to build a national firm that is committed to recruiting nonprofit executives who possess the experience and leadership qualities necessary to help nonprofit organizations manage change and achieve their goals.
In addition to directing DRG, Mr. Edell’s own portfolio reflects DRG’s growth areas which include the recruiting of CEOs, senior managers and development specialists, for organizations in the fields of human services, public policy, education, healthcare, philanthropic foundations and Jewish community organizations,
Mr. Edell lectures and writes often on hiring trends, recruitment and retention strategies, organization change, leadership and management, He has advised many agencies and professional associations on issues related to executive transition and executive development and is often sought out by media to discuss topics affecting the nonprofit sector.
A graduate of Boston University, with an M.S.W. from the University of Maryland’s School of Social Work and Community Planning, Mr. Edell spent twelve years in several senior executive positions at the UJA-Federation of New York before founding DRG.
Cara L. Unowsky
Cara L. Unowsky, 30, is Senior Project Manager of Strategic Planning for the Jewish Home and Hospital Lifecare System, the largest nonprofit long-term health care provider in New York State. With her strong work ethic, intellectual curiosity and commitment to perform at the highest professional level, Cara oversees several major initiatives at the organizations Bronx and Manhattan campuses. They include the Intergenerational Youth Program and the Geriatric Career Development Program, which reach out to students at risk of not completing high school with training, academic support and counseling to prepare them for future careers and leadership posts in healthcare. She is also involved in senior housing and other outreach programs. Cara is also Project Manager for the $250 million rebuilding project of the Manhattan Nursing home campus, and oversees many areas of strategic planning. She is a graduate of The Pennsylvania State University (B.A., Phi Beta Kappa, 1999) and Brandeis University (M.A., Near Eastern and Judaic Studies; M.A., Jewish Communal Service, 2003), and is a 2009 candidate for an Executive M.B.A. degree at Baruch College. Cara was also selected to be a Ralph Goldman Fellow in 2003-2004 and worked in Eastern Europe and the FSU.
Linda Klonsky
Linda Klonsky, principal of LK & Associates, is an organization development consultant with over 15 years of experience. She is a Johns Hopkins Fellow in Change Management and has also completed the Leadership Educators Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Organizational Systems at Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, CA. In addition, Linda was awarded the Certificate of Achievement in Organization Development by the National Training Lab (NTL) Institute in Applied Behavioral Science. Linda is a qualified practitioner of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and certified as an Open Space facilitator. She has a M.A. in OD from Fielding Graduate University, a M.Ed. from Towson State University and a B.A. from Yeshiva University.
As a consultant, Linda conducts organizational assessments, facilitates strategic planning and designs leadership training, team building and board retreats. Additionally, Linda is an adjunct faculty member at Hebrew Union College in New York City where she teaches Leadership and Change.
Prior to opening her consulting practice, Linda was the Director of Consulting for Synagogue 3000, a national non-profit consulting to synagogues across the US and Canada. Previously, Linda was employed by the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and the Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore Community Federations in which strategic planning and community organizing were key components of her work.
Linda lives with her husband in Silver Spring, MD.
Michael Salberg 
Since July 2006, Michael Salberg has been Associate National Director and Director of International Affairs of the Anti-Defamation League. Michael served as ADL’s General Counsel from the time he joined ADL in 2003 until July 2006. In addition to his duties as General Counsel, Michael also served as Deputy Chief Operating Officer until December 2005 and then as Special Assistant to the National Director.
Prior to joining ADL, Michael practiced law for more than 28 years and was a partner in the New York City law firm Graubard Miller. He was deeply involved in the work of ADL for many years as a volunteer. He received his J.D. in 1976 from New York Law School and a B.A. in 1973 from the University of Cincinnati.
In August 2001, Michael represented ADL at the World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa, where he experienced firsthand the overwhelming indifference of the international community to what has, once again in our history, become the all too familiar demonization of Israel and the Jewish people throughout many parts of the world. Since joining the staff, Michael has represented ADL at numerous international conferences on anti-Semitism and has participated in the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs Global Forum to Combat Anti-Semitism. Last month he attended the London Conference on Combating Anti-Semitism which brought together 125 parliamentarians from more than 40 countries and a group of more than 50 Jewish organizational professionals from around the world to address the need for greater attention to the alarming increase in anti-Semitism worldwide.
Michael is deeply committed to strengthening ADL’s role as a global advocate for Israel and as
a leader in the protection of Jewish communities around the world in the fight against anti-Semitism and hate. He also leads ADL’s initiatives with the Latino/Hispanic community here in the U.S.
Michael Hoffman
Michael Hoffman is the Vice President of Community Planning and Allocations at THE ASSOCIATED: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore. In this role, Michael is responsible for directing a $45 million annual allocations process; managing the ongoing relationship between THE ASSOCIATED and its beneficiary agencies, as well as providing for the on-going evaluation of programs and services provided by ASSOCIATED agencies. Prior to coming to Baltimore, Michael worked at United Jewish Communities in New York where he served as the National Associate Director of Young Leadership and the National Assistant Director of Major Gifts.
Michael currently serves as Assistant Treasurer for the Jewish Communal Service Association. He is a graduate of the Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University and is an alumnus of Project OTZMA, a ten month volunteer program in Israel. Michael and his wife Naomi are the proud parents of their 6 year old Mollie and 3 year old son, Jonah.
Mark Charendoff 
Mark Charendoff is the President of the Jewish Funders Network (JFN), where he works with a number of Jewish organizations and foundations. Prior to JFN, Mark was the Vice President of the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies where he helped to establish the Birthright Israel program, and he previously served as Director of Jewish Educational Services for the JCC Association of North America. He currently serves on the boards of BBYO, the New York Jewish Week, the Jewish Communal Service Association of North America, and on the advisory board of the Washington Institute for Leadership and Values. Mark has been named one of the top 50 influential rabbis in North America. Most recently, Mark and JFN have been supportive of those family foundations who were severely affected by the Madoff scandal, offering comfort and solutions during a difficult time.
Mara Liasson 
Mara Liasson is the national political correspondent for NPR. Her reports can be heard regularly on NPR's award-winning newsmagazines All Things Considered and Morning Edition. Liasson provides extensive coverage of politics and policy from Washington, DC — focusing on the White House and Congress — and also reports on political trends beyond the Beltway.
Each election year, Liasson provides key coverage of the candidates and issues in both presidential and congressional races. During her tenure she has covered five presidential elections — in 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008. Prior to her current assignment, Liasson was NPR's White House correspondent for all eight years of the Clinton administration. She has won the White House Correspondents Association's Merriman Smith Award for daily news coverage in 1994, 1995, and again in 1997. From 1989-1992 Liasson was NPR's congressional correspondent.
Liasson joined NPR in 1985 as a general assignment reporter and newscaster. From September 1988 to June 1989 she took a leave of absence from NPR to attend Columbia University in New York as a recipient of a Knight-Bagehot Fellowship in Economics and Business Journalism.
Prior to joining NPR, Liasson was a freelance radio and television reporter in San Francisco. She was also managing editor and anchor of California Edition, a California Public Radio nightly news program, and a print journalist for The Vineyard Gazette in Martha's Vineyard, Mass.
Liasson is a graduate of Brown University where she earned a bachelor's degree in American history.
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Deborah Grayson Riegel, MSW, ACC, is a coach, trainer and speaker who helps Jewish organizations and individuals achieve personal and professional success without the tsuris.
Deborah’s energetic workshops and speaking programs are in high demand with North American Jewish organizations, Fortune 500 companies, national and local government agencies, and small start-ups, and her one-on-one coaching has propelled Jewish professionals across industries and interests to get farther, faster.
Deborah was the Director of Education and Training for the Mandel Center for Leadership Excellence at United Jewish Communities (UJC), where she developed innovative training programs for Federation professionals and lay-leaders, and co-authored an award-winning interactive solicitation training website. Deborah also worked at the Jewish Association for Services for the Aged (JASA) as the Director of the only program in North America that trains senior citizens to be lobbyists. In addition, Deborah was a key player in the development of New York’s Makor/Steinhardt Center for young Jewish professionals.
Deborah is on the faculty for both the Wexner Heritage Program and Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical school. A popular conference speaker for both the American Society of Training and Development and Training Magazine’s Conference and Expo, Deborah was awarded membership into the National Speakers Association in 2005. She is also a member of the Association of Jewish Community Organization Professionals, the Jewish Communal Service Association, and a credentialed member of the International Coach Federation. Deborah is a graduate of Coach U. and is a Certified DiSC® Practitioner.
Deborah’s expertise in developing training and coaching for professionals and lay leaders in the Jewish communal world was highlighted when she authored “Corporate Universities in the Non-Profit Sector”, a chapter in the book The Next Generation of Corporate Universities (Allen, Ed, Wiley 2007).
Deborah earned a B.A. in Psychology at the University of Michigan, and her M.S.W. at Columbia University, supporting her expensive school habit by performing improvisational and stand-up comedy.
She and her husband Michael are the proud parents of twins, Jacob and Sophie, who inspire her to choose naches over tsuris everyday.
William E. Rapfogel 
William E. Rapfogel has been Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty since 1992. Met Council provides nearly 100,000 needy people with a various array of social services.
Mr. Rapfogel served as Executive Director of the Institute for Public Affairs of the Orthodox Union; Executive Director of the American Jewish Congress Metropolitan Region and spent several years as Assistant New York City Comptroller and three years in the Administration of Mayor Edward I. Koch.
Mr. Rapfogel resides in Manhattan with his wife, Judy and their son Marc. Their son Michael is married to the former Ora Spiler, they have a daughter, Emma. Their son Jonathan and his wife P’nina have two daughters, Chaya Sarah and Esther Malka; and two sons, Yecheskel and Akiva.
Ron Kampeas 
Ron Kampeas is JTA’s Washington bureau chief, coordinating the news service’s capital coverage analyzing political developments affecting the Jewish world. He previously worked for more than a decade for The Associated Press, in Jerusalem, New York, London and, most recently, Washington. He has also reported from Northern Ireland, Afghanistan, Bosnia and West Africa. While living in Israel, he also worked for the Jerusalem Post and several Jewish organizations.
William C. Daroff 
In November 2008, William Daroff was named by the Forward Newspaper as being among the fifty most influential Jews in America. As the Vice President for Public Policy and Director of the Washington Office of United Jewish Communities, he is a leading advocate for the American Jewish community’s agenda in the nation’s capitol. As the chief lobbyist and principle spokesperson on public policy and international affairs for the 157 Jewish federations and 400 independent communities represented by UJC, Daroff ensures that the voice of Jewish federations is a prominent force on Capitol Hill and in the Executive Branch.
Daroff guides the Jewish community’s advocacy efforts on the federation system’s key domestic policy issues, principally on health and human services, such as Medicare and Medicaid, long-term care, and policies affecting older Americans, as well as homeland security programs and strengthening the capacity of the not-for-profit sector.
In addition to his focus on domestic policy, Daroff is a key player in foreign policy circles – advising policy-makers and elected officials on Jewish communal concerns, principally those related to the US-Israel relationship, the Middle East conflict, vulnerable Jewish communities across the world, and the fight to combat states that promote terror. He currently serves on the Iran Working Group of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. Additionally, President George W. Bush appointed Daroff to serve on the Honorary Delegation to accompany him to Jerusalem for the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the State of Israel in May, 2008.
In September 2007, President Bush appointed Daroff to be a member of the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad, which is charged with the oversight of the protection of properties in Europe associated with the heritage of U.S. citizens, including Jewish cemeteries, synagogues, and memorials.
Prior to joining UJC, Daroff served as Deputy Executive Director of the Republican Jewish Coalition.
Daroff received his Bachelor Degree (summa cum laude) in Political Science & History, Masters Degree in Political Science, and Juris Doctorate from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. He currently lives in suburban Washington, DC, with his wife, Heidi Krizer Daroff, and their two children. The couple met in Krakow, Poland, while studying at Jagiellonian University, from which they both received certificates in the history of Eastern European Jewry and the Holocaust.
Marc Blattner 
Marc Blattner currently serves as the Chief Resource Development and Strategy Officer at the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia with responsibilities overseeing all financial resource development activities and policy, strategy and funding.
Prior to coming to Philadelphia, Marc served as the Chief Operating Officer for the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta with primary responsibilities overseeing financial resource development and outreach. In addition, Marc worked at THE ASSOCIATED: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore for ten years, ultimately serving as the Vice-President for Campaign for the final five years.
Marc attended Emory University where he received a B.A. in Near Eastern Studies and a B.A. in Judaic Studies. He then went to Baltimore and was a student in the Baltimore Institute for Jewish Communal service. Marc graduated in 1994 with a MSW from the University of Maryland School of Social Work and a M.A. in Jewish Studies from Baltimore Hebrew University. Marc was a participant in the National UJC Mandel Executive Development Program, a past recipient of the prestigious UJC Vivian Rabineau Award for Professional Excellence in Financial Resource Development, and prior to graduate school, selected as a FEREP Fellow.
Marc is married to his beautiful wife, Sarah, and they have a daughter, Aliyah, who is 7, and a 6 year old son, Shai. Both attend the Perelman Jewish Day School.
Avi West 
Avi West is the Director of the Shulamith Riech Elster Resource Center of the Partnership for Jewish Life and Learning in Washington, DC. Working closely with educators in both formal and informal settings, Avi works to bring excellence in Judaic content and pedagogy to area programs. He is a faculty member of the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School, which is sponsored by the Partnership.
Avi previously held the position of Executive Director for the Board of Jewish Education of Greater Washington after serving as both an educational consultant and then Associate Director there.
Avi received a B.A. in Comparative Literature from Columbia University in New York City, and a Bachelor’s degree of Hebrew Letters and an M.A. in Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City. He completed a program on educational administration at New York University as a fellow of the American Association of Jewish Education (now JESNA). He received his Hebrew Teachers License from its National Board of License.
Avi and his wife live in Silver Spring, Maryland and have two children and three grandchildren in Israel.
Vicki Agron 
With nearly four decades of experience as both a national leader and a senior Development professional, Vicki Agron has opened her own consulting firm specializing in strategic fundraising. Less than one month later, her client list included local, national and international Jewish organizations.
A former executive with United Jewish Appeal and its successor organization, United Jewish Communities, Vicki has worked with Federations and communities throughout the world for the past 25 years. In her last post as Senior Vice President for Development, she had oversight and strategic planning responsibilities for the Annual and Special Campaigns, Planned Giving and Endowments and Supplemental giving. Together, these efforts result in more than $3 billion being raised through Federations each year.
Ms. Agron has cultivated relationships and worked with volunteer leaders around the world. An innovative thinker, she has created and developed a wide range of initiatives to attract and engage philanthropists. She has led study and fundraising missions, traveling to Israel more than 100 times as well as traveling on more than 50 visits to meet with Jews throughout the Former Soviet Union, Europe, South America and Africa. Her expertise on American Jewish demographics and psychographics, particularly as related to philanthropy, has earned her an international reputation as an effective educator, trainer, fundraiser, speaker and strategist.
Prior to her professional experience, Vicki served in a variety of local and national leadership positions including as Chair of the UJA National Women’s Young Leadership Cabinet.
Vicki and her husband, Joel Friedman, live in New York and Miami. They have five children and six grandchildren. . .so far.
Lisa B. Eisen 
Lisa B. Eisen is National Director of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation in Washington, DC. She spearheads the Foundation's efforts to strengthen Jewish identity and Jewish community by providing financial and technical assistance to initiatives around the world that deepen commitment to Jewish peoplehood, promote Jewish service and tikkun olam and enhance understanding of and connection to Israel.
Founding Chair of the Israel on Campus Coalition, Lisa also chairs the boards of the new Jewish service organization, Repair the World, and the iCenter, which focuses on innovative Israel education. She serves on the national boards of BBYO, Project Interchange Seminars in Israel and the Jewish Funders Network, and she is a member of the Panim National Advisory Board.
Lisa previously served for nine years as Executive Director of Project Interchange, an institute of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) dedicated to educating American leaders about Israel through firsthand experience. She has also held positions as AJC’s Washington Area Assistant Director, as Legislative Assistant to U.S. Representative Bart Gordon, and as an intern at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. She graduated with a B.A. in History magna cum laude from Yale University and earned her Master of Arts degree with honors in Israeli and Middle Eastern Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Lisa and her husband Mitch have three children, Ariella, Tamar and Jonah. She enjoys Ashtanga yoga, running, hiking and international travel.
Seth Bloom 
Seth Bloom has enjoyed nearly 25 years of experience working with nonprofit organizations in a professional as well as volunteer capacity. Prior to establishing Bloom Consulting, Seth was a consultant with the firm of Waters, Pelton, Ostroff and Associates where he focused on fundraising projects and business development. As a former professional with the Jewish Federations of Central New Jersey, Delaware and Greater Philadelphia he served in various capacities including Associate Director, Campaign Director, Major Gifts Officer, and Planned Giving Associate. Seth is a past President of Albert Einstein Academy and a former President of the Jewish Communal Professionals Association. Seth has been an officer and currently serves on the Board of the Brandywine Chapter Association of Fundraising Professionals. Seth is a member of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce and Partners for Sacred Place. In 2002, Seth was featured in Delaware Today as one of the 40 Delawareans under the age of 40 to watch and in 2006 Seth was awarded the 2006 Fundraising Executive of the Year Award at the annual National Philanthropy Day conference.
Peretz Hirshbein 
Peretz Hirshbein is an Early Childhood Jewish Educator from Ann Arbor, MI. Originally trained as an historian, Hirshbein turned to Jewish early education ten years ago, and has been a classroom teacher, a Judaic specialist, and is now the Assistant Director of the early childhood program at the Jewish Community Center in Ann Arbor. He holds an MS in Education and served as a member of the early childhood planning committee for the last three CAJE conferences. As Jewish communal professionals seem destined to wear too many hats, Hirshbein serves as a lay leader on the boards of the Hebrew Day School of Ann Arbor and Ann Arbor’s conservative synagogue, Beth Israel Congregation. Peretz lives in Ann Arbor, MI with his wife Laura and children Abigail, 10 and Daniel, 7 who attend the Hebrew Day School of Ann Arbor.
Mik Moore 
Mik Moore is the Chief Communications Officer for Jewish Funds for Justice (JFSJ) and Editor for Jspot, JFSJ's popular blog. Mr. Moore has fourteen years of experience working in communications, politics, and the Jewish community.
At JFSJ he oversees media relations, advances a national progressive Jewish public policy agenda, and engages the Jewish netroots. Mr. Moore’s writing has been featured in numerous publications, including The Jewish Week, CommonQuest, Sh'ma, and The Reconstructionist. Mr. Moore serves on the board of The Jewish Week and is board chair of the Jewish Student Press Service.
In the fall of 2008, Mr. Moore took a leave from JFSJ to found and direct the Jewish Council for Education and Research and run its two projects, JewVote.org and The Great Schlep. In 2008, The Forward newspaper named him to the Forward 50, its annual list of influential American Jews. Ha'aretz recognized his work in its list of "36 Jews who have shaped the 2008 U.S. election."
Mr. Moore studied at Hebrew University of Jerusalem and earned a B.A. in History from Vassar College, specializing in race relations in the United States during the Progressive Era. He holds a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.
Before joining JFSJ in 2005, Mr. Moore worked for SEIU Local 32BJ and on several electoral campaigns, including candidates for Mayor, the State Senate, and Congress. He also did policy work for a variety of elected officials and non-profit organizations in New York City. Before he entered the political arena, Mr. Moore served as Executive Director of the Jewish Student Press Service and Editor of its monthly magazine for college students, New Voices.
Ted Comet 
Throughout his long career, Ted Comet’s primary concerns have been meeting the needs of Israel and world Jewry and fostering a strong sense of Klal Yisrael, of global responsibility, among American Jewish leadership. He has been involved in Jewish Communal affairs since the end of World War II, when he served in France as a student volunteer in a program to rehabilitate Jewish war orphans sponsored by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.
In 1990 Ted joined the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), the major overseas arm of American Jewry for providing rescue, relief and reconstruction services to Jews in need world-wide, becoming its Associate Executive Vice-President. Ted is now Honorary Executive Vice-President of JDC.
Since 1997 Ted has been the Executive Vice-President of the World Council of Jewish Communal Service, an international association of Jewish communal professionals which, through Quadrennial gatherings in Jerusalem, Regional Conferences and
publications, fosters interchange, enhances skills and strengthens the capacity of professionals to deal with the growing challenges facing Jewish communities.
From 1968 - 1990, Ted worked for the Council of Jewish Federations where he wore multiple hats as Director of International Affairs, Director of Human Resource Development, Director of the annual CJF General Assembly, he helped make it the central gathering of American Jewish leadership, and the first Director of Project Otzma. Ted served as National Director of the newly formed American Zionist Youth Foundation from 1956-1968 – years critical to the establishment and cultivation of a strong bond between American Jews and Israel. Under his leadership, the Foundation became the central sponsor of Israel programs for American Jewish youth. He was also Founder/Chairman of the Salute to Israel Parade along Fifth Avenue and produced Israel Folk dance festivals at Carnegie Hall and the World's Fair.
Ted became very active in the struggle to free Soviet Jewry. He served as Volunteer Coordinator of the Conference on Soviet Jewry, and in 1963 mobilized the first large-scale public demonstration of solidarity. In 1972 he led the first mission of Federation leaders to the Soviet Union. Ted is also deeply connected to the Holocaust. His wife is a survivor. He represented JDC at the Holocaust Museum in Washington at its first Conference on DP camps, where he delivered a paper entitled "Life Reborn in the Displaced Persons Camps -- An Untold Story of Courage". He also delivered a paper entitled "Rescuing Children in France" at an OSE Conference.
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Ted is a graduate of Yeshiva University. His wife, Shoshana, is a retired psychotherapist and artist. They have two children, a daughter in Boston with a Social Work degree and a son who is a Clinical Psychologist in Jerusalem. They have six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Steven J. Rod 
Steven J. Rod has held the position of vice-president of professional development services for JCC Association since July 1995. Previously, he was the director of executive development and director of training for the JCC Association from 1988 through 1995. Steven has served as the executive director of the Omaha JCC and assistant executive director of the Minneapolis JCC. He also held program positions at the Rochester, NY and Metrowest, NJ JCCs. From 1986 to 1988 he served as Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of Omaha, prior to joining the JCC Association staff.
In his current capacity, he is concerned with all matters dealing with professional personnel in the Jewish Community Center field. This includes recruitment and placement of quality professionals; methods of staff retention; changes in personnel practice; study and publication of trends, educational requirements, and staff development and training. He serves as an executive coach and mentor, and works closely with many JCC Presidents and Executive Directors. He is the Director of JCC Association’s annual Executive Seminars, a five-day learning experience for JCC executives.
Marci Mayer Eisen 
Marci Mayer Eisen is Manager of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis’ Professional Excellence Project and staff for JProStl focusing on enhancing staff training, staff leadership development, and professional collaborations throughout the St. Louis Jewish community. Marci previously worked for 24 years at the JCC and 2 ½ years at the JCRC. She has a BS in Human Development from Penn State, a MSW from Wurzweiler/Yeshiva University and is completing a Certificate in Non-Profit Management from the University of Missouri St. Louis. Marci is a graduate of the Coro Women in Leadership Program and Focus St Louis’ Leadership St. Louis. She has received the Jewish Federation of St. Louis Fred A. Goldstein Professional Award and the National JCC Association Yakir Professional Award.
Jay Spector 
Jay Spector is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the JEVS Human Services (JEVS). As President and Chief Executive Officer, Spector works with the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia and federal, state and local public-private partners to bring a wide range of counseling, vocational, rehabilitation and in-home care programs to the greater Philadelphia community. JEVS helps individuals from all walks of life, including those with physical, intellectual and emotional challenges and those facing adverse socio-economic conditions, such as the unemployed and underemployed. Clients include the elderly and at-risk youth. JEVS continues the tradition on which it was founded by offering targeted services to those most at-risk in the Jewish community. JEVS is a nonprofit, nonsectarian social service agency with a total budget of $72 million, operating more than 25 programs, providing services to 16,000 individuals annually.
Jay is President of the Association of Jewish Federation Executives and Sherifam Aid. He is the Past President of the Jewish Communal Service Association (JCSA) of North America, a Past President of the Association of Jewish Vocational Professionals (AJVSP) and a Past Vice President of the International Association of Jewish Vocational Services (IAJVS). He is currently a Board member on the Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Philadelphia. He serves in a variety of leadership roles in numerous other community activities.
Jay received the IAJVS Benjamin Loewenstein Award for Outstanding Professional of the Year and he received the IAJVS Bernie Rosenthal Award for Outstanding Leadership. He holds both a Bachelor’s degree in Social Science and a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Pennsylvania State University.
Maxyne Finkelstein 
Maxyne Finkelstein assumed the position of CEO of the Jewish Agency for Israel*, North America, (JAFINA) in the summer of 2006. In this position she is based in New York and is responsible for the services, programs, financial resource development and representation of the organization in the United States and Canada.
Previously she served as the Executive Vice President (Chief Professional) of UIA Federations Canada from June 1999 to June 2006. UIA Federations Canada is the organization representing the national and Israel based interest of the Federations and Regional Jewish Communities in Canada. She came to this position from Montreal where she served as a senior executive of Federation CJA.
Jeff Berkowitz
Jeff Berkowitz is the Research Director for the Republican National Committee. His extensive public affairs background includes serving as Deputy Communications Director and Research Director for the Rudy Giuliani Presidential Committee and as Associate Director for Research in The White House Office of Scheduling. While at The White House, he also served as the President’s Liaison to the American Jewish Community, coordinating the first-ever koshering of The White House kitchen, the designation of May as Jewish American Heritage Month, and range of other community outreach efforts regarding critical policy issues. During the 2004 Presidential cycle, Jeff was the Senior Defense and Foreign Policy Analyst for the RNC and Bush-Cheney 2004, leading extensive research efforts on defense, foreign policy, homeland security, intelligence and veterans’ affairs. He also has considerable foreign policy experience, having served as Communications Director for the Center for U.S. Global Engagement and as an advisor on international information programs to the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. Jeff is a graduate of American University’s School of International Service and a member of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity.
Ronald Halber 
Since 2001, Ronald Halber has served as the executive director of the JCRC. Prior, he served in other capacities at the JCRC since 1997, including as Associate Director. Under his leadership, the JCRC developed a wide range of strategic initiatives; secured tens of millions of dollars for Jewish agencies; passed numerous piece of state-wide and local legislation of concern to the Jewish community; developed creative new pro-Israel initiatives; and strengthened relationships with other faith and minority groups. He is the recipient of the 2006 Ted B. Farber Professional Excellence Award and the 2001 Professional of the Year Award from the Association of Community Government Affairs Directors. Prior to his tenure at the JCRC, Ron was the Political Coordinator for the Montgomery County Democratic Party; was the Community Liaison for former NY State Senator Martin Solomon and served on the staff of several political campaigns, including U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. He holds a Master’s Degree from Georgetown University and Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Albany in New York.
Cindy Goldstein 
Cindy Goldstein is the Executive Director of the Darrell D. Friedman Institute for Professional Development at the Weinberg Center. She has been working with DFI and professional development for 11 years and has a passion for offering opportunities for professionals to increase their skills and Jewish knowledge so that they will succeed in their careers and remain in this meaningful field. Prior to coming to Baltimore, she served as the Executive Director of the CT Valley Region of United Synagogue for Conservative Judaism, following Lyn Light Geller! Cindy began her career in the Jewish Community with a dual degree in Jewish Studies and Social Work from JTS and Columbia, with her first jobs at the Federation and subsequently the JCC in West Hartford, CT.
Amy Gross 
Amy Gross is a Program Director at the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, focusing on education and children, family and youth issues. She manages a grant portfolio exceeding $13 million a year, funding non-profits in Maryland, DC, Israel and the Former Soviet Union. In her tenure at the Foundation, she has also worked in the areas of food insecurity in the United States and Israel, as well as workforce development, homelessness, and older adult services in the US. Prior to her current role, she served as the Director of Community Initiatives at The Associated Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore, assisting in planning new community services in Jewish education, Jewish identity and affiliation programming, social justice, older adult services and leadership development. She was also responsible for staffing the fund distribution process for over $16 million a year to agencies working in Baltimore, Israel and the Former Soviet Union. Before coming to Baltimore, Amy served as the Director of Community Relations and the Director of Leadership Development at the Jewish Federation of Rhode Island. Amy has a Masters in Social Work and certificate in Jewish Communal Service from the University of Michigan, and a BS in Public Relations from University of Florida.
In addition to her professional role, Amy has held several positions in the local and national Jewish Communal Service Associations, currently co-chairing a professional mentoring committee in Baltimore. She is a member of The Associated’s Commission on Social Justice and the Jewish Volunteer Connection’s Education Committee. Amy is a board member of Art with a Heart, previously serving as its Vice President and Secretary.
Lisa Colton 
Lisa Colton holds a B.A. from Stanford University, and studied in Israel for 2 years at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, Livnot U'lehibanot and the Yakar Learning Community, among others. Lisa’s work experience includes teaching and curriculum development, Jewish education and communal development, and extensive experience in design and publication of community directed media. Lisa's interest, involvement and dedication to the Jewish community led her to found Darim Online. She has a deeply held passion for Jewish education and community building, and has personally contributed to many Jewish education efforts in Seattle, San Francisco, Israel, Virginia and Vermont. In addition to her work with Darim, Lisa has served as a board members and president of the board of the University of Vermont Hillel, and is the recipient of the Hillel "Exemplar of Excellence" Award and the Jewish Communal Service Association of North America's "Young Professionals" Award.
Andrea Hendler 
Andrea Hendler, M.A., M.P.S., is currently consulting to nonprofit organizations on leadership development, nonprofit capacity building, and support for social innovation. She was recently selected by the Mandel Leadership Institute as a member of the 2009-2010 Jerusalem Fellow’s class and will be spending “next year in Jerusalem” focusing on issues of Jewish leadership education.
She most recently served for six and a half years as the Director of the Muehlstein Institute for Jewish Professional Leadership, an innovative professional development and training initiative for emerging professional leadership in Jewish communal service.
Immediately prior to joining UJA-Federation of New York in August of 2002, Andrea was the Executive Director of Project Interchange, an Israel-focused community relations/advocacy organization affiliated with the American Jewish Committee, in Washington, D.C.
Before her tenure in D.C., Andrea had served as the Director of the Global Volunteer Programs and the Africa/Asia Desk Director at the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee for two years and as the North American Director of Project OTZMA at the Council of Jewish Federation (now United Jewish Communities) for four years.
Nancy R. Kutler
Nancy Kutler is Vice President of The Center for Funds & Foundations at The Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore. In this position, she provides professional support to over 300 families that have developed supporting g foundations or donor advised funds at the Baltimore federation. In her prior positions with the federation, Nancy has served as Associate Director for Community Planning and Budgeting and Director of Grants and Special Initiatives. She is a graduate of the Darrell D Friedman Institute for Professional Development (formerly the Baltimore Institute for Jewish Communal Service), holding an M.A. in Jewish Studies from Baltimore Hebrew University and an MSW from the University of Maryland School of Social Work and Community Planning.
Naava L. Frank
Naava L. Frank, Ed.D. established Knowledge Communities, a community benefit organization (501C3) to help foundations and non-profits build their capacity to launch and support the growth of communities of practice (CoP). CoPs use systematic knowledge sharing to focus on improving professional practice. Naava has a unique combination of expertise in Education, communities of practice (CoP), organizational consulting and start-up of non-profit organizations. She works with her clients to educate sponsors and members, design learning activities and coordinate or mentor ongoing community development. She has used her expert facilitation skills to design numerous conference sessions on knowledge sharing for a wide variety of non-profit organizations. In all of her work she is passionate about fostering collegial sharing for professional growth. Naava holds an Ed.D. from Harvard Graduate School of Education and a B.A. from Barnard College/Columbia University. She lives in Cambridge, MA with her husband and two children.
Roland Roth
Roland Roth is honored to be the Director of Education and Programming at Congregation Beth Shalom in Wilmington, DE. Roland, a former public school teacher in New York City, studied at the Jewish Theological Seminary’s Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education and completed his MA at Gratz College in Philadelphia. His primary professional duty is the running of a Hebrew School that has seen 400% growth in four years. In addition he has organized an annual state-wide Jewish educator’s conference called the “Back to School Special” and serves as de-facto President of DJELO: Delaware Jewish Education Leadership Organization.
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