Alumni News
Mazal Tov to the 2023 Graduates of the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education!
MA Degree:
Adam Bender, assistant director of education at Shaarei Tikvah in Scarsdale, New York
Jayme Epstein, assistant director of lifelong learning as Temple Emanu-El in New York City
Jacob Gillis, research associate at Research Success Technologies (ReST)
Aviva Kamens, Judaics teacher at Luria Academy in Brooklyn
Sarah Klein, pursuing rabbinic ordination from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies
Jacob Kotlicky, head athletic trainer and classroom teacher at the Scheck Hillel Community School in Miami, Florida
Marilyn Okoshi, cantor at Congregation Beth Israel in Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Kimberly Rosenthal, assistant director of the teen program at the Mussar Institute
Calle Schueler, assistant director of family life and learning at B’nai Jeshurun in New York City
Hadassah Turk Tolub, program director at Ramah camping movement
Andrew Weissfeld, rabbi at Texas Hillel, Austin, Texas
Peter Young, pursuing rabbinic ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion
These doctorate graduates continue to excel in their current roles, now with their new “Dr.” title:
Joshua Ladon, director of education at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America
Benjamin Mann, chief planning officer at the Jewish Federation of Greater Metrowest NJ
We are very proud of our alumni who shared the following professional achievements and brought us up to date on their roles. If you have an update that you would like to share in the next issue, please reach out to Melissa Friedman, Director of Alumni Affairs at mefriedman@jtsa.edu.
Alexis Cobo is working towards her EdD in curriculum and instruction in educational technology from the University of Florida. Alexis recently became a research fellow at CSforALL, which strives to make high-quality computer science an integral part of the educational experience of all K–12 students and teachers.
Maiya (Chard-Yaron) Edelson successfully defended her dissertation, “Managers’ Roles in Supporting Employee Engagement in Jewish Nonprofit Organizations.” Maiya completed her EdD in organizational change and leadership in May 2023 from the USC Rossier School of Education.
Nessa Geffen recently joined RootOne as its senior manager, program incubation.
Jodi Goldberg is included in Cohort 5 of UJA-Federation of New York’s Ruskay Fellowship.
Juli Goodman recently became executive director of the Hillel at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.
Daniel Graber is now the rabbi of Forest Hills Jewish Center in Flushing, New York.
Jennifer Groen is now executive director of Kohelet Yeshiva in Merion Station, Pennsylvania.
Hannah Grossman is now director of national partnerships at Repair the World.
Yehoshua Hooper is director of experiential Israel education and IACT coordinator at Cornell Hillel.
Branden Johnson is now also part-time director of education at Peninsula Sinai Congregation in Foster City, California. Branden continues to lead Ramah Northern California as its director of business and operations and registrar.
Talia Andron Kushnick became southern regional director of Moving Traditions.
Eliana Light, founder and Head T’fillahsopher of The Light Lab and the cohost of The Light Lab podcast, was recognized by the Covenant Foundation as one of the 2023 Pomegranate Prize recipients.
Lindsay Napchen is now director of special projects and initiatives at the JCC of Middlesex County, New Jersey.
Max Nissen is now director of development at the Maayan Collective in Philadelphia.
Amy Posner recently became director of donor experience and alumni affairs at Hudson Valley Community College.
Daniella Pressner, Shirah Rubin, and Ofra Backenroth contributed to a new book on teaching Hebrew through movement and play in a new book called, Under One Tent: Circus Judaism and the Bible.
Efrem Reis is now director of the Hebrew Free Burial Association in New York City.
Davey Rosen is the interim chief executive officer at the University of Michigan Hillel.
Jacqui Schulefand recently joined B’nai Israel of Southbury, Connecticut, as its new director of the B’nai Israel Religious School.
Tab Langis Scribner became director of Jewish education at the Lippman School and Beth El Congregation in Akron, Ohio.
Evita Sokol is the new director of education at Midway Jewish Center in Syosset, New York.
Dana Levinson Steiner earned a PhD from NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development in May 2023.
Rachel Utely recently relocated to Beachwood, Ohio, where she is now a teacher center associate at the Jewish Education Center of Cleveland.
Michael Witman is the new director of lifelong learning at Temple Emanu-El in New York City.
David Wolkin is the new senior director of copywriting at Avalon Consulting Group in Chicago.
Jeremy Yoskowitz became a full-time staff chaplain at Corewell Health.
