Our team

Elana Rivel

Chief Executive Officer

Elana Rivel

Chief Executive Officer

Elana Rivel is an experienced leader of nonprofit Jewish educational organizations. Elana previously worked at JLV for over 12 years, last serving as its Associate Director.

Elana has served as a leader in Jewish nonprofit organizations ranging from Camp Ramah in the Poconos, Penn State Hillel, Congregation Shearith Israel in Dallas, TX, and most recently as Director of Ramah Day Camp, Philadelphia. In her tenure at JLV, she helped to develop and manage numerous innovative initiatives that became national models, such as One Book, One Jewish Community, jkidphilly and LeV: Getting to the Heart of Jewish Education.

Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer

Chief Program Officer

Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer

Chief Program Officer

Gabby is an experienced Jewish educator, having worked as an education director, curriculum writer, teacher, author, and youth director/advisor in various capacities for over 20 years. At Jewish Learning Venture, she works as the Chief Program Officer and directs Whole Community Inclusion. Gabby is a proud recipient of the 2022 Covenant Award. Her most recent book, The Little Gate Crasher, is a memoir of her great-uncle, who overcame society’s prejudices about dwarfism to lead a remarkable life. She has also written The Kitchen Classroom, a children’s cookbook designed for children of all abilities. Gabby holds a B.F.A. in Theatre and Creative Writing from Emerson College and an M.A. in Jewish Studies from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.

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Rhona Gerber

Chief Development Officer

Rhona Gerber

Chief Development Officer

Rhona Gerber brings more than two decades of nonprofit and political fundraising expertise to her role as Chief Development Officer, recently spending six years as Development Director of CeaseFirePA, a statewide gun-violence prevention organization. Long committed to the Philadelphia Jewish community and particularly to Jewish education, Rhona was the founding chair of the BZBI preschool and was active on many committees at Kohelet Yeshiva, PJDS, JBHA, and Mekor Habracha. She is Chair of the Center City Kehillah.

Robyn Cohen

Director, PJ Library in Philadelphia

Robyn Cohen

Director, PJ Library in Philadelphia

Robyn Cohen is Director, PJ Library in Philadelphia. She is also the jkidphilly program specialist for Chester County. Robyn has experience working in the Jewish community with families of young children, teens, and college students. Robyn is a psychologist and her dissertation focused on children’s bedtime habits and routine. She and her husband are the proud parents of four wonderful jkids. Robyn has a B.S. in Psychology from Binghamton University, an M.A. in School Psychology, and a Ph.D. in School and Counseling Psychology from Northeastern University.

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Suzanne Gold

jkidACCESS Guides Director

Suzanne Gold

jkidACCESS Guides Director

In addition to her work with us as the jkidACCESS Director, Suzanne Gold is the Inclusion Facilitator at Ohev Shalom of Bucks County, engaging and supporting all students to participate within their sacred community; and the lead coordinator for Celebrations!@Ohev; a monthly Shabbat morning program for youth and teens with disabilities. In addition, she is a member of Ohev Shalom Inclusion B’Kvode striving to make Ohev Shalom an inclusive community for everyone.
Suzanne has presented at numerous professional development conferences, demonstrating and implementing accommodations that engage all kinds of students attending supplemental Jewish education. As a retired Master Special Education Teacher from the School District of Philadelphia, Suzanne merged her secular knowledge and experience with her passion for Jewish education.
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char hersh

Director, Administration

char hersh

Director, Administration

char brings more than 6 years of experience working within informal Jewish education, with a focus on connecting with Jewish history and engaging in cross-cultural learning. Previously, they were a museum educator at the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia and the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City. They hold an M.A. in Public History and a B.A. in Religion from Temple University.

Bari Jacobson

Parent Ambassador, Lower Bucks County Area; Coordinator, Get Together Grants; Social Media Manager

Bari Jacobson

Parent Ambassador, Lower Bucks County Area; Coordinator, Get Together Grants; Social Media Manager

Bari is the Parent Ambassador for the Lower Bucks County area, Coordinator, Get Together Grant and Social Media Manager. Bari enjoys planning events, creating Jewish community, teaching, and sharing all of the wonderful opportunities Jewish Learning Venture has to offer! She and her husband have two wonderful children. Bari has a Masters Degree in Elementary Education and a bachelor’s degree in Sports and Recreation Management.

Irina Kraychik

Director, Finance & Human Resources

Irina Kraychik

Director, Finance & Human Resources

Irina has worked in the agency’s finance office for almost 15 years. She holds an honors B.S. in Management from Baltic State Technical University (Saint-Petersburg, Russia) and an M.B.A. in Finance from University of Akron. Irina and her husband are the proud parents of three children.

Lisa Litman

Director, Education and Engagement

Lisa Litman

Director, Education and Engagement

Lisa has worked with Jewish educators across North America to bring Jewish values alive through reading and play. Over the past 8 years as Director of PJ Goes to School, an initiative of PJ Library, she worked with over 500 schools and 1500 classrooms to develop materials and workshops to help educators reflect and focus on creating environments that inspire the entire family’s interest in living Jewishly.

Lisa previously worked with JCC Association as co-creator of An Ethical Start, a program to excite children, family, and staff about learning Jewish values via classical Jewish text.

Lisa is also a composer and director of musical theatre. She has a BA/BS from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.Ed. from Gratz College.

Robin Matthews

Director, jkidpride, PJ Our Way Engagement, and Graphic Design

Robin Matthews

Director, jkidpride, PJ Our Way Engagement, and Graphic Design

After spending over 15 years as an English Professor, Robin joined Jewish Learning Venture so that she could contribute to enriching the lives of families in the Philadelphia Jewish community. Originally from Boston and having earned a B.A. from Wheelock College and an M.F.A. from Emerson College, Robin is a jkidphilly parent who also teaches the K-1 Bonim class at Temple Sholom in Broomall. She lives in Media with her wife and their son.

Alanna Raffel, OTD, OTR/L

Whole Community Inclusion Specialist

Alanna Raffel, OTD, OTR/L

Whole Community Inclusion Specialist

Alanna Raffel, OTD, OTR/L, is an occupational therapist and accessibility consultant. She graduated from the University of Maryland with dual degrees in Psychology and Dance and from Thomas Jefferson University with a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy. Alanna has worked as an occupational therapist in acute rehab, early intervention ages 3 to 5, outpatient, and school-based settings. Alanna has facilitated accessibility in a variety of ways including autism-friendly Broadway performances in New York City, open captioning at People’s Light in Malvern, and organizing mapping events to collect data on physical accessibility. Her company, Access Point, strives to increase inclusion in Philadelphia and beyond by advocating for access, creating solutions, and promoting awareness of accessible opportunities for people with disabilities and their friends and family.

Alyse Unterberger

Director, Special Initiatives

Alyse Unterberger

Director, Special Initiatives

Alyse comes to Jewish Learning Venture with more than 10 years of experience working to build a stronger and more engaged Jewish community. As Director of the Jewish Federation-funded Kehillah of Lower Merion, she worked with the rabbis, education directors, lay leaders and volunteers from the synagogues and other Jewish religious organizations to create community–wide educational and holiday programming and children and young family-oriented events. Alyse also brings 6 years of grant-writing and management experience from her work as Director of Grant Development and Compliance with the School District of Philadelphia. She holds a B.A.in Russian Language and Literature and an M.A. in Russian Literature from the University of Pennsylvania.

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Julia Weekes

Director, Education Innovation Lab and Director, jkid4ALL

Julia Weekes

Director, Education Innovation Lab and Director, jkid4ALL

Julia Weekes is an educational management leader, educator, and artist. Julia has over thirty years of experience in leadership and management, professional development, arts education, integrated curriculum development, early childhood education, project-based learning, cooperative learning, and progressive education practices. She also has decades of experience in family engagement through her various roles in school, institutional, and community-based education.

Julia is a Philadelphia-area native and resides in the Mt. Airy section. She is the mother of two Black biracial teenage sons, Judah and Isaiah. Julia has been a congregational school teacher at Mishkan Shalom for over ten years. She has integrated her secular education knowledge and training into her congregational education role, creating classroom communities that focus on kindness, creativity, and collaboration.

Our board & trustees

Officers

  • Marcy Bacine

    President

  • Jonathan Levine

    VP, Institutional Advancement

  • Nathan Relles

    VP, Governance and Leadership

  • Debbie Rosenthal

    VP, Programming

  • Kareen Hartwig

    Secretary

  • Jeff Hurok

    Treasurer

  • Walter Ferst*

    Immediate Past President

Past Presidents (2011–present)

In order from earliest to latest:

David Smith
Hershel Richman
Jon Broder
Michael Paul
Walter Ferst

Board

Jaime Bassman
Richard Busis
Martin Cohen
Rabbi Roni Handler
Julie Meyers

Daniel Segal ‡
Graciela Slesaransky-Poe, PhD
David Smith *
Elana Weinstein

Trustees

Judge Harold Berger
Jon Broder *
Steve Chopnick
Lowell Dubrow ‡
Michael Dvorak
Carol Einhorn *
Amy Falk Russell
Joel Goldhammer
Lewis Grafman ‡

Rabbi Cynthia Kravitz
Marilyn Kutler
Jonathan Levin ‡
Shelley Menkowitz
Michael Paul *
Hershel Richman *
Rabbi Margot Stein
Sherrie Willner

* Past President, JLV
‡ Past President, ACAJE

Shomrim

as of 1/24/2023

The JLV Shomrim are Jewish Learning Venture’s most generous supporters, who have committed to sustaining the Agency and its initiatives.

Shomrim – guardians – are the stewards of our community who ensure that we continue to provide Jewish education and engagement across the Greater Philadelphia community.

Learn more about how to join the Shomrim!

Visionaries

Judge Harold Berger *
Jonathan Broder and Joy Bernstein *
Levine & Sons / Jonathon and Rachel Levine *
Mary and Nathan Relles *
Janet and Steve Schwartz *
Rabbis Margot Stein and Myriam Klotz *

Champions

Marcy and Dan Bacine *
Jaime and Barak Bassman *
Amy Falk and Mitch Russell *
Dr. Andrew and Valerie Kind-Rubin *
Linda Schwartz Satlow and family *

Advocates

Judy Beck and Richard Busis *
Lowell Dubrow
Kareen and Robert Hartwig *
Elaine Lindy
Mary and Emanuel Rosenfeld Foundation
Susan and Michael Paul
Julie Meyers and David Piver *
Nina Robinson Vitow
Daniel and Sheila Segal *
Sidewater Family Foundation
Gayle and David Smith *
Elana Weinstein and Ken Brownstein
Sherrie Willner *

Partners

Myron and Sheila Bassman *
Michael and Paula Dvorak
Walter B. Ferst *
Jeffrey and Shana Goldstein
Lisa Heller and Harry Roth
Marilyn Kutler
Michele and Robert Levin *
Deborah Rivel and David Levenfeld

* one of our inaugural Shomrim

Mission and Vision

Mission

Jewish Learning Venture inspires and empowers people to make Jewish life, learning, and community relevant and meaningful.

Vision

Jewish Learning Venture envisions individuals and families engaged in dynamic, connected Jewish life in Greater Philadelphia and beyond.

Wildly Important Goal

Jewish Learning Venture will empower families raising children from birth through high school to make Judaism more meaningful and relevant for themselves. Our innovative programs will guide families and leaders of Jewish organizations to see Judaism as a means to a thriving life.

Diversity Statement

Belonging

To be empowered, one must feel included and valued. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the core of our mission. This includes Jews and their loved ones of diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds, nation of origin, gender and sexual identities, disability, age, religious denomination, level of observance, lived experiences, and world views. Inclusion and empowerment at this level enables Jewish Learning Venture to continue to grow and innovate.

Our work has to be internal first so it can impact what we do externally. We strive to include diversity, equity, and inclusion practices at the center of our daily work; our staff and volunteer leadership are actively engaged in conversations about belonging, justice, and dignity. We seek to increase representation of marginalized communities on our staff and in our leadership. We listen to the wisdom of those with lived experiences that are different from ours, connecting us closer to the communities we serve, and moving us toward our mission of creating a Jewish community that is meaningful and relevant to all. And, we know there is more work to be done. We are committed to continuing that work.

Bring your authentic whole self to Jewish Learning Venture. We see you, we hear you, and we’re glad you’re here. You Belong.

Innovation

Innovations Reports
Jewish Learning Venture’s annual Innovations Report is a journey through the Agency’s accomplishments each year, as well as an evolving vision of future endeavors. Each report highlights the leadership we have taken in the community to strengthen Jewish institutions and support Jewish families, our organizational effectiveness in providing successful programming and making meaningful connections, the impact our Agency has had on individuals and organizations, and the innovations we have introduced while developing new models of Jewish education and outreach.

We look forward to harnessing the momentum of the past as we venture forward into the community with new ideas, enthusiasm, and daring.

Learn more about our accomplishments in this interactive report.