Susan Abravanel, Jewish Council for Public Affairs

Susan Abravanel is the President of Susan Abravanel Consulting, LLC, working through professional development and curricular design to advise school districts and educators in the implementation of project-based service-learning. Born and raised in Canada, she holds a BA and MA from York University (Toronto), and an Ed.M. in Education and Social Policy Analysis from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. 

Susan is passionate about the importance of interfaith and intergroup relations in community advocacy. For more than 35 years, she has served in leadership positions on local and national boards and advisory councils. In Portland, Oregon she was the professional director, lay leader and president of the American Jewish Committee (AJC), a member of the board of the Portland Jewish Federation, and chair of its Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC). In Washington, DC she was an AJC Board member, leading the Board’s Mentor program and co- leading its LDS/Jewish Dialogue. Nationally, Susan has been a Vice Chair of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA), co- chaired three JCPA national conferences, and was a long-term member of the AJC Board of Governors, leading its Engaging America and Advocacy National Task Forces. Internationally, she is a current Board member of Yahel, an Israel-based service-learning nonprofit developed to transform individuals and communities through social change. 

Jeannie Appleman, JOIN for Justice

Jeannie Appleman is the Senior Trainer and Organizer at JOIN for Justice and the National Lead for the SEA Change initiative. Through this initiative, she has led training teams and synagogue cohorts across Maryland, DC, Virginia, and North Boston. In 2005, Jeannie co-founded the Seminary Leadership Project (SLP) alongside Meir Laiken and Rabbis Stephanie Kolin and Noah Farkas. Through SLP, she has trained more than 1,700 rabbinical, cantorial, and education students in organizing, congregational development, and leadership. Jeannie currently trains students from Ziegler, HUC-JIR (LA and NY), the Jewish Theological Seminary, Maharat, Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, AJR, and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. She has also coached hundreds of rabbis, cantors, and staff members from all four major movements and the New York Federation federation through JOIN’s diverse programming. Jeannie began her career in organizing and training in 1984, leading tenant, anti-intervention, and multi-racial, interfaith community groups in Houston, Chicago, Long Island, and Queens. Her extensive experience also includes running electoral campaigns in Baton Rouge and Chicago, publishing several articles, directing a national foundation, and conducting two research studies on congregation-based organizing. 

Michael Berkowitz, Jewish Council for Public Affairs

Michael Berkowitz is the Partnerships Manager at the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA), where he supports the organizations coalition building and advocacy efforts. Michael comes to JCPA with a background in advocacy, Jewish communal work, and organizing; prior to joining JCPA, he served for four years at the Jewish Democratic Council of America as its Senior Political, Policy and PAC Director where he supported campaigns across the country, mobilized Jewish voters for Democrats, and led advocacy efforts focused on the priorities of Jewish voters. He also worked on President Biden’s general election in 2020, and on campaigns in Maryland, Missouri, and Iowa. Michael went to college at Washington University in St. Louis and now lives in Washington DC. 

David Bocarsly, Jewish California (formerly JPAC)

David Bocarsly is CEO of Jewish California (formerly JPAC), the Jewish community’s unified voice in Sacramento and the nation’s largest statewide coalition of Jewish organizations. Since assuming leadership in 2022, he has helped secure over $450 million in state funding for Jewish priorities and advance 57 successful bills, including AB 715 – a first-in-the-nation law addressing antisemitism in California K-12 schools.

Previously, David worked for elected officials at every level of government, and served as Director of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus. He was a Coro Fellow, UCLA’s first kippah-wearing Student Body President, and holds a Master of Public Policy from USC. 

Stacy Burdett, Jewish Council for Public Affairs

Stacy Burdett works with policymakers, philanthropies, and other nonprofits on strategies to prevent and respond to antisemitism. She integrates those strategies to enhance corporate and university DEI programming to ensure a welcoming institutional culture for Jews and all communities. She has testified in Congress about antisemitism multiple times, including on the spike in antisemitism since the October 7, 2023 Hamas terror attacks. 

As Vice President for Government Relations, Advocacy and Community Engagement at the Anti-Defamation League, Burdett directed national issue campaigns and coalition work and crafted policy recommendations and messaging on Jewish as well as civil and human rights issues. As Director of Government Relations at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in DC, she engaged Congress, administration officials and thought leaders in exploring America’s response to Nazism and the Holocaust and its relevance to addressing societal and policy challenges today. 

Stacy got her start in professional advocacy in the Soviet Jewry movement as a public affairs officer at the Union of Councils for Soviet Jews. She holds a B.A. in Middle East Studies from Barnard College, has studied at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and has lived and worked in Israel. Stacy has served on advisory boards for the William S. Cohen Institute for Leadership & Public Service at the University of Maine and the Southern Poverty Law Center Intelligence Project. She is on the board of directors of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA), the Lillian & Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, and Tivnu: Building Justice, the nation’s only Jewish gap year program. 

Jeremy Burton, Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston

Jeremy Burton is the CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston (JCRC), promoting a society that reflects the best of American and Jewish values; in Greater Boston, Israel and around the world. Through advocacy, organizing, service and partnerships, JCRC pursues social justice, ensures a vibrant Jewish community, and builds a network of support for Israel. In 2025 Jeremy was named as an inaugural recipient of the Grinspoon Amber Award honoring outstandingprofessionals in the Jewish communal field. 

Jeremy recently finished his service as a member of the Massachusetts Special Commission on Combatting Antisemitism, a first-in-the-nation legislatively established intervention in this area. Jeremy has served on several boards and in many volunteer leadership roles, including as a founding board member and then co-chair of Darkhei Noam, the first ‘partnership’ minyan in the United States, in New York City. He was a founding board member of Bikkurim, an incubator for new Jewishideas that is now part of UpStart, and a founding national board member of Keshet, working for the full inclusion of all LGBTQ Jews in Jewish life. He currently serves on the board of the American Friends of Givat Haviva Jeremy serves as a mentor for the Mandel Institute Executive Leadership Program. He writes and speaks widely about the challenges and opportunities facing the Jewish community and has been published in the Boston Globe, Sapir, JTA, Times of Israel, New York Jewish Week,Forward, Jerusalem Post, and the Washington Post. 

Michael Campion, New Jersey Division on Civil Rights

Michael Campion serves as the Deputy Director of the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights (DCR), where he helps lead DCR’s efforts to enforce and uphold New Jersey’s civil rights laws.  In this role, Michael leads investigations and works to secure civil rights protections in housing, employment, education, and public accommodations. Before joining DCR, Michael was the Chief of the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, where, in coordination with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, he led federal enforcement efforts to address civil rights and constitutional violations across New Jersey.   

Michael also works closely with stakeholders, community groups, and advocates from across New Jersey and beyond to help strengthen civil rights awareness and enforcement. Michael has also frequently served as a lecturer on numerous topics concerning civil rights.  Michael has received numerous awards, including the John Marshall Award issued by Attorney General Merrick Garland (2024); Award for Excellence issued by the Council of Inspectors General (2022); Distinguished Service Award issued by AAG for Civil Rights Kristen Clarke (2021); and Director’s Award for Superior Performance as an Assistant U.S. Attorney issued by the Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys (2020).   

Michael received a B.A. from New York University and a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law.  Before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Michael practiced in the Litigation Department at Patterson, Belknap, Webb & Tyler LLP in New York City.  Michael began his career by clerking for the Honorable Alfred M. Wolin of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.  

Lanie Cohen, Keshet

Lanie is a strategic thinker, seasoned advocate, and proud feminist killjoy, driven by a deep commitment to tikkun olam. As Keshet’s Community Mobilization Manager, she brings her passion for community-building and intersectional justice to the Jewish fight for LGBTQ+ rights. Lanie believes that hope is a revolutionary act in the pursuit of social justice. She was drawn to Keshet’s mission of harnessing the collective strength of Jewish and LGBTQ+ communities, building resilience, and turning shared vision into action. At Keshet, she is honored to be part of a powerful cycle of learning and activism—guiding others to discover their unique role in changemaking, just as mentors once did for her. 

Leslie Dannin Rosenthal, Jewish Council for Public Affairs

Leslie Dannin Rosenthal is the Board Chair of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA). She is a past president of the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest, NJ, having chaired its Annual Campaign and served as president of its Women’s Philanthropy.  

Leslie currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Jewish Federations of North America. She also serves as the Chair of the Committee on Trustees at Golda Och Academy. Leslie has a life-long involvement in volunteer opportunities. She is a past president of Oheb Shalom Congregation located in South Orange, NJ, has chaired the Network of Independent Communities for JFNA and is the immediate past chair of the Jewish Community Legacy Project.  

A graduate of Smith College and Boston University School of Law, Leslie served as a deputy attorney general in the New Jersey Attorney General’s Division of Law. She and her husband David Rosenthal divide their time between South Orange and Los Angeles, two locations where their greatest pleasure is visiting their grandchildren. 

Jill Dash, Jewish Council for Public Affairs

Jill Dash serves as the Chief of Staff at the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA). Prior to this role, she served as a Policy and Legislative Counsel in the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice where, among many other issues, her portfolio included hate crimes, antisemitism, and other forms of religious discrimination.  Previously, she spent several years at the American Constitution Society, initially managing the lawyer chapters and later serving as the Vice President of Strategic Engagement, cultivating relationships with lawyers, scholars, law students, and public officials, and creating the Path to the Bench program to support judicial nominees across the country.  Jill has also worked in private practice and previously served in government at the Federal Trade Commission and as a law clerk on the Southern District of New York.  She served on the board of the Women’s Bar Association for 15 years, including as president in 2019-2020.  She currently sits on the Board of the Interfaith Families Project of Greater Washington and is a member of the President’s Council of Cornell Women.  She is a graduate of Cornell University and Duke University School of Law. 

Lynn Davis, Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center

Lynn Davis (she/her) believes firmly in the power of partnership to build vibrant, inclusive community. As Interim Executive Director of Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center, she collaborates with individuals and organizations across Arizona to defend democracy, confront identity-based discrimination, and promote human rights. She has spent the bulk of her career in nonprofit arts administration and Jewish communal life, creating values-based programming that amplifies the work of local artists, engages audiences, and celebrates the diversity of Southern Arizona. 

Lynn serves as Vice President of Advocacy for Jewish Women’s Action Alliance Arizona (formerly NCJW | AZ Section) and chairs the board of BOSS (Building Out Safe Spaces), a Tucson-area nonprofit that creates anti-racist, feminist, and physically/mentally/emotionally safe opportunities in the building trades for women, queer, trans, and femme-of-center folx. She holds bachelor’s degrees in French Literature and Political Science/International Relations from the University of California Santa Barbara and a master’s in Jewish Professional Studies from the Spertus Institute of Jewish Learning and Leadership. 

Ami Fields-Meyer, Harvard Kennedy School

Ami Fields-Meyer is a senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School and a former senior policy advisor at the White House, where he led U.S. policy initiatives related to civil rights, consumer protection, and technology policy. Previously he was a speechwriter to the Mayor of Los Angeles. His first book, On Courage: How to Be a Dissident in an Age of Fear with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Julia Angwin, will be published by Mariner/HarperCollins on June 30th. Ami has written about authoritarianism for The New Yorker, police brutality for The Atlantic, AI’s march toward illiberalism for Foreign Policy, and the politics of the American Jewish community for Haaretz. He is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations. 

Beth Gellman-Beer, Esq., Evergreen Education Solutions

Beth Gellman-Beer, esq., co-founded Evergreen Education Solutions in March 2025, to provide schools with an authoritative source on federal civil rights laws.  

Prior to co-founding Evergreen, Beth served for 18 years at the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), in various legal roles, culminating in her tenure as a Regional Director of the Philadelphia regional office. Beth is a subject-matter expert on federal anti-discrimination statutes, implementing regulations, and evolving policy perspectives, with specific expertise in how institutions should respond to complaints of discrimination and harassment on the bases of race, color, national origin, shared ancestry, sex, disability, and age.  

While at OCR, Beth led her office to resolve the highest number of resolutions addressing Title VI shared ancestry discrimination and harassment and was frequently called upon to provide training on Title VI shared ancestry to internal and external stakeholders. In her role at Evergreen, Beth continues this work, assisting schools in training school leaders on Title VI shared ancestry, and conducting high-profile, highly complex investigations and resolutions of Title VI shared ancestry complaints as a neutral, independent, external consultant. Beth is known as a national expert in Title VI shared ancestry, as reflected in her testimony before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights addressing Antisemitism on College Campuses in February 2026.  

Before practicing law, Beth worked in human resources management and development. After law school, Beth joined a small plaintiff’s law firm with a focus on labor and employment law. In her free time, Beth also teaches civics and education law at local schools and colleges. 

Beth earned her undergraduate degree at Franklin and Marshall College, and her law degree at Temple University’s Beasley School of Law. 

Sammi Goldsmith, MAZON

Sammi Goldsmith is the Deputy Director of Public Policy in the Washington, D.C. office for MAZON, where she works closely with the Vice President of Public Affairs to identify priorities, devise implementation strategies, and lead advocacy efforts on behalf of the organization. Before joining MAZON, Sammi served as Senior Policy Advisor to U.S. Congresswoman Haley Stevens. In this role, she developed and advanced legislation and managed the Congresswoman’s activities on the House Education and Labor Committee. Prior to her tenure on Capitol Hill, she held policy positions with the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, Anti-Defamation League, and NAACP Washington Bureau. Born and raised in Metropolitan Detroit, Sammi is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan. 

Blake Goodman, Jewish Council for Public Affairs

Blake Goodman serves as the Director of Communications for the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. Blake joined JCPA in 2025 from National Council of Jewish Women, where he worked as their Press Secretary. 

An experienced political communicator, Blake worked as Communications and Legislative Director for Michigan State Representative Mari Manoogian (D-Birmingham), passing the Michigan First-time Homebuyer’s Savings Account Program into law (2022 PA 5), shepherding expansion to distracted driving laws (2023 PA 39-41), pushing forward safe firearm storage laws (2023 PA 14-17), and serving as chief liaison to the Democratic Caucus members on the House Committee on Energy. 

From the Michigan State House, Blake joined Building Back Together — the only national nonprofit dedicated to promoting the policy accomplishments of the Biden-Harris Administration as direct partners with President Biden and Vice President Harris — as National Press Secretary and later as Communications Director, where he built national media coverage for the Biden-Harris Administration’s achievements, established the organization’s minority earned media program, and led the team’s White House listening tours across seven battleground states. 

Blake is a native of Long Island, New York, and completed his Master’s in Media and Communications at the London School of Economics. He is a former participant of the Department of State’s Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals and is a Political Partner with the Truman National Security Project.  

Douglas Greene, Jewish Community Relations Council at the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte

Douglas Greene is the Director of Jewish Community Relations at the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte, where he leads the Federation’s JCRC and spearheads Outshine Hate, a comprehensive framework focused on education, advocacy, and coalition-building to counter antisemitism and strengthen civic relationships. A former secondary English educator with a specialization in Holocaust education, Douglas brings classroom expertise into the heart of communal and public-facing work, partnering closely with K–12 school systems, higher education, civic leaders, and cultural institutions across North Carolina. 

Douglas is the founder and facilitator of the North Carolina Jewish Coalition, an emerging statewide model designed to coordinate Jewish advocacy, education, and incident response. He works extensively with national and regional partners including the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), JFNA, JCPA, Facing History & Ourselves, and the Stan Greenspon Holocaust Center, and regularly engages state and local policymakers on Jewish communal priorities. His work centers on translating education into action and building durable relationships that advance both Jewish security and democratic values. 

Ryan B. Greer, PERIL

Ryan B. Greer serves as Chief Strategy Officer at PERIL and as the Chair of Bedrock. Prior to joining PERIL, Ryan served as the Founding President of Bedrock, before which he served in public policy, community engagement, and violent extremism prevention roles, including at the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and in federal government. He holds a Masters in Public Policy from Georgetown and Bachelors from Skidmore College. 

Maribel Hernández Rivera, ACLU

Maribel Hernández Rivera’s professional and lived experience has centered around advocating for immigrants’ rights.  She is the National Director of Immigrant Community Strategies at the American Civil Liberties Union.  Before joining the ACLU, Maribel served as District Director for Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Executive Director of Legal Initiatives for the New York City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, Supervising Attorney at Immigrant Justice Corps, staff attorney at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and Litigation Associate at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP. 
 
Maribel received her J.D. from New York University School of Law, her Masters in Public Affairs from Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs and her A.B. from Harvard University. Upon law school graduation, Maribel served as law clerk to the Honorable Mary M. Schroeder in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Darcy Hirsh, National Council of Jewish Women

Darcy Hirsh is Vice President of Government Relations and Advocacy at National Council of Jewish Women, where she fights for equity and justice for women, children, and families. Darcy is an advocate and coalition builder who has dedicated her career to engaging the Jewish community in pursuit of justice and equity for all. She most recently served as Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy at Interfaith Alliance and was previously Associate Vice President, Public Affairs and Government Relations at The Jewish Federations of North America. She has also held policy positions at the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, Anti-Defamation League, UJA-Federation of New York, and the Correctional Association of New York. She holds a JD from Cardozo School of Law, an MTS from Harvard Divinity School, and a BA in Religious Studies from Barnard College. 

Julia Jassey, Jewish on Campus

Julia Jassey is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Jewish on Campus, the leading voice for Jewish students in the United States, combatting antisemitism, engaging in grassroots activism, and advocating for the Jewish community. Working together with students around the country, she has advocated for students at every level—from university administrators, to international news outlets, to the White House as a contributor to the National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism. She was awarded at the Anti-Defamation League’s Concert Against Hate for her leadership in the Jewish community, and she was considered one of Algemeiner Magazine’s “Top 100 People Positively Influencing Jewish Life” in 2021. She graduated from the University of Chicago in 2023, where she studied Political Science and Jewish Studies. 

Donya Khadem, Legal Defense Fund

Donya Khadem (she/her) is a lawyer at the Legal Defense Fund (LDF), where she litigates cases to defend and advance the proper interpretation of the Equal Protection Clause and anti-discrimination law to ensure that Black people and other people of color can turn to our judicial system to champion their equality. Prior to joining LDF, Donya litigated reproductive rights and health equity cases at the National Women’s Law Center and co-taught the Civil Rights Clinic at Howard University School of Law. Donya received her law degree, with honors, from the University of Michigan Law School, and her BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She clerked for the Honorable Judge Cole on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and the Honorable Judge Leitman on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. 

Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer, Shalom Hartman Institute

Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer is President of the Shalom Hartman Institute and a leading thinker and author on the major challenges facing the Jewish people. He is the author of Shuva: The Future of the Jewish Past; the co-editor of The New Jewish Canon; and the host of the Identity/Crisis podcast. Under his leadership, the Shalom Hartman Institute has grown significantly as a leading think tank and educational center for the North American Jewish community, and Yehuda has become a trusted voice on how to navigate the complicated moral, spiritual, and political questions of the day with depth and sophistication. Prior to his time at Hartman, Yehuda received his doctorate at Harvard University in ancient Judaism and rabbinics and served as the inaugural Chair of Jewish Communal Innovation at Brandeis University. He lives in New York with his wife Stephanie Ives and their three children. 

Tracey Labgold, Jewish Council for Public Affairs

Tracey Labgold (she/her) is Keshet’s Florida Education and Training Manager.  Tracey has a Masters in English Education from Teachers College at Columbia University.  She started her career as a high school English teacher and then spent a decade facilitating anti-bias and diversity awareness workshops.  Tracey joined the team at Keshet in 2021 where she works with Jewish organizations across Florida to help them build spaces of belonging for LGBTQ+ Jews and their family members.  Tracey served as Chair of ADL’s Florida Region from 2018-2021 and she held several national committee chairs positions at ADL including National Leadership Chair and National Education Chair. A lifelong learner, Tracey is proud to share that she is a graduate of the Wexner Heritage Program 2023 cohort and a current participant in Spertus’ Certificate Program in Combating Antisemitism for Professionals.  She and her wife, Michelle, have 5 children.  Tracey loves to read and practice yoga when she has spare time. 

Rabbi Sandra Lawson, Carolina Jews for Justice

Rabbi Sandra Lawson (she/her) is Executive Director of Carolina Jews for Justice (CJJ), a statewide grassroots organization building power for electoral justice, immigrant rights, and community safety through coalition-based organizing across North Carolina.

A 2018 Reconstructionist Rabbinical College graduate, Sandra has worked to transform perceptions of what a rabbi looks like. She tackles questions surrounding Jews and race, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and social justice through her writing, podcasts, media appearances, and keynote speeches. With more than 100,000 followers across social media platforms, she models what it means to teach Torah and build community in digital spaces.

Before entering the rabbinate, Sandra served in the U.S. Army as a Military Police investigator and later as an investigative researcher for the Anti-Defamation League’s Southeast Region. She has also served as the inaugural Director of Racial Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Reconstructing Judaism and as Associate Chaplain for Jewish Life at Elon University.

In 2020, the Forward named her to its “Forward 50.” In 2022, the Center for American Progress named her one of 22 Faith Leaders To Watch. In 2025, she was named to Out Magazine’s Out100.

Sandra holds a graduate degree in Sociology from Clark Atlanta University, rabbinic ordination from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School. She lives in North Carolina with her wife, Susan, and three “fur babies”: Bridget, Simon, and Stella.

Michael Lieberman, National Council of Jewish Women

Michael Lieberman is NCJW’s Director of Field Advocacy, helping to lead development and implementation of the organization’s state and local advocacy priorities. He came to NCJW in February 2026, after working for six years as the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Senior Policy Counsel in Washington and as the Anti-Defamation League’s Washington Counsel, a position he held for thirty years. 

Michael received his B.A. from the University of Michigan and his law degree from Duke University where he was a member of the Editorial Board of the Duke Law Journal.

Michael has testified before Congress and a number of state legislatures on hate crime laws and initiatives to confront and prevent hard-right violent extremism.  

He received the Justice Department’s 2015 Meritorious Public Service Award for his leadership work in helping to enact and implement the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009 and for building coalitions to combat hate violence.  

Margaret Norman, Jewish Community Relations Council of the Birmingham Jewish Federation

Margaret Norman is Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Birmingham Jewish Federation, where she works to build bridges and advocate on issues important to Birmingham’s Jewish community. She is a founding creator of the Beth El Civil Rights Experience, a public history project exploring the complexities of local Jewish participation in the Civil Rights Movement. Margaret is a graduate of the American Studies program at UNC–Chapel Hill and New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study. 

Rabba Rori Picker Neiss, Jewish Council for Public Affairs

Rabba Rori Picker Neiss serves as the Senior Vice President and Rabbi in Residence at the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA). Prior to that she was Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis, an organization committed to a vibrant and secure Jewish community in a thriving and just St. Louis region, after previously serving as a member of the clergy team at Bais Abraham Congregation, a Modern Orthodox synagogue also located in St Louis. Rori is one of the first graduates of Yeshivat Maharat, a pioneering institution training Orthodox Jewish women to be spiritual leaders and halakhic (Jewish legal) authorities. She is a David Hartman Center fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, a CLAL Rabbis Without Borders fellow, and co-editor of “InterActive Faith: The Essential Interreligious Community-Building Handbook”. She is a member of the faculty at the Spertus Institute and serves on the Board of Directors for HIAS and the Parliament of the World’s Religions. Rori is married to Russel Neiss, a software engineer, and they have three children. 

Rabbi Joel Pitkowsky, MAZON

Rabbi Joel Pitkowsky has been inspired by MAZON for over thirty years, and has been an active donor for nearly as long. He believes that freedom from hunger is a human right and a Jewish value and that we owe it to every human being to have a vision of what we want our world to look like, and to help make that vision become a reality. 

Joel is a Conservative rabbi in Teaneck, NJ, and is a graduate of Rutgers College and The Jewish Theological Seminary of America. He is also a Senior Rabbinic Fellow of The Shalom Hartman Institute in Israel. In addition to his work with MAZON, Joel is a member of the Rabbinical Assembly’s Food Justice sub-committee and is a board member of Camp Young Judaea Sprout Lake. 

Rabbi Pitkowsky and his wife have two children. 

Samantha Przybisiki, CEO and Founder of We Are Enough

Samantha Przybisiki is a student leader, public speaker, and advocate focused on Jewish identity, antisemitism education, and coalition-building. A rising senior at Brandeis University studying Politics, Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, and Education Studies, she works to amplify Jewish student experiences and foster meaningful dialogue through her roles as president of Jewish on Campus at Brandeis and T’fillah Coordinator of the Reform Minyan. She is also the co-founder of We Are Enough, an empathy-building program for elementary school students, and has contributed to national initiatives related to Jewish education and civic engagement. Across her work, Samantha uses storytelling to build empathy, strengthen communities, and move people toward meaningful action. 

Dr. Andrew Rehfeld, Hebrew Union College

Andrew Rehfeld, Ph.D., is the 10th President of Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion. Appointed in April 2019, Rehfeld has bridged the academic and Jewish professional worlds as a tenured faculty member in Political Science at Washington University in St. Louis (2001–2019) and as President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis (2012–2019).

Rehfeld received a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Chicago and an MPP from Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy Studies. Among the most cited theorists of political representation today, his academic research focuses on the intersection of democracy, human rights, justice, and institutional design. Other areas of published research include the history of political thought, the philosophy of the social sciences, and the political uses of the Hebrew Bible.

The author of The Concept of Constituency (Cambridge University Press, 2005), a work of applied democratic theory, and a contributor to The Cambridge Companion to the United States Constitution (2018), his work has appeared in the most important journals of his field, including the American Political Science Review, the Journal of Politics, and the Journal of Political Philosophy.

Rehfeld held the Fulbright Visiting Research Chair in the Study and Practice of Federalism at McGill University and has held visiting faculty appointments at the Harris School of Public Policy Studies at the University of Chicago and Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali (LUISS Guido Carli) in Rome.

Rehfeld has served on the boards of KAM Isaiah Israel in Hyde Park, Chicago, and Hillel at Washington University in St. Louis, along with many other communal boards in Chicago and St. Louis. He is currently a member of the board of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and serves on the national board of directors for the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U).

Amy Rutkin, Rutkin Strategies

Veteran government/political leader with 25+ years of Capitol Hill and New York experience-whose expertise includes senior public sector and political management, policy development, legislative strategy, government relations, strategic communications, crisis management and political power-building. She served as Staff Director to the House Judiciary Committee (first-ever Democratic woman in the role) and Chief of Staff to Congressman Jerrold Nadler, roles that placed her at the center of some of the nation’s most consequential recent events and positioned her as a trusted advisor to Democratic Leadership and the White House. Rutkin led the Committee through one of its most challenging and successful eras, during which she staff-managed both impeachments of President Trump and highly-charged debates across the complex jurisdictions of criminal, immigration, IP, antitrust and constitutional law. She also shepherded passage of over 100 bills through the House, of which 50+ became law–including the landmark, bi-partisan Respect for Marriage Act.   As Nadler’s top advisor, Rutkin was the architect of his ascent to national prominence, guiding him through events like the 9/11 attacks in his district, which culminated in the Zadroga 9/11 Health & Compensation Act. Rutkin also built one of most enduring political organizations in contemporary NY politics, which boasted a US Congressman, NYS Attorney General and NYC Comptroller sitting simultaneously, and leveraged power to elect a host of others while advancing shared policy aims. As Nadler is “Dean” of the NY Congressional Delegation and the House’s senior Jewish member, Rutkin also managed the Delegation and the informal Jewish members’ caucus. She is widely considered a top Democratic strategist on Jewish Community issues. A seasoned political professional, Rutkin has led many successful candidates and issue campaigns counseled numerousleaders through tough political terrain. Most recently, she managed Nadler’s 30-point victory against another House committee chair—the only such contest in history. Rutkin also has deep experience in nonprofit development/management and advocacy, building winning coalitions to deliver key policy outcomes.   Rutkin has been described as a “consummate fixer” owing to her deep understanding of how government really works, policy and political chops, empathic strategic and managerial skills, extensive network, and penchant for winning. She holds a BA in Sociology from Brandeis University and a MPA from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. 

Aziz Abu Sarah, MEJDI Tours

Aziz Abu Sarah is a peacebuilder, entrepreneur, National Geographic Explorer, TED Fellow, and renowned speaker and trainer on conflict resolution and responsible travel. He is the cofounder of MEJDI Tours, a travel company on a mission to transform tourism into a global force for citizen diplomacy.  

Aziz is also the cofounder of InterAct, a nonprofit dedicated to Middle East Peace. He has won numerous awards, including from the United Nations, Institute of International Education, and The Explorers Club, and is consistently named one of the world’s 500 most influential Muslims by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre in Jordan. Aziz has written opinion pieces for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Al-Quds and Haaretz, and has been published by CNN and Al Arabiya. He is the co-author of the recent New York Times’ bestseller, The Future is Peace: A Shared Journey Across the Holy Land; and is the author of Crossing Boundaries: A Traveler’s Guide to World Peace.   

Magda Schaler-Haynes, Jewish Council for Public Affairs

Magda Schaler-Haynes is Professor of Health Policy and Management at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Her career spans over two decades in law and policy, including multiple roles in public service at state and federal levels focusing on public and reproductive health, healthcare access, equity, and emergency preparedness. Until 2022, Schaler-Haynes served in the administration of New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy as Senior Advisor at the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General and previously as the Director of Policy and Strategic Planning at the New Jersey Department of Health. She also served on the staff of a U.S. Senator as Special Advisor for healthcare and women’s issues and as Senior Health Policy Advisor at the New York State Insurance Department. She began her career as an associate in the Health Care Department at the Proskauer firm in New York. Schaler-Haynes holds J.D. and M.P.H. degrees from Columbia University and a B.A. from Brandeis University. 

Schaler-Haynes previously served as Co-Chair of the JCPA 2019 Mission to Israel, as Co-Chair of JCPA’s Policy Advisory Committee, and as a 2016 JCPA Frank Family Fellow. 

Corey Shapiro, Jewish Council for Public Affairs

Corey Shapiro is the Legal Director for the ACLU of Kentucky. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Washington University in St. Louis. He then worked in Washington, D.C. for several years as a political organizer for the civil rights organization People for the American Way. Corey earned his J.D. from The George Washington University Law School. After law school, Corey spent over ten years as a litigator with two large international law firms. While primarily maintaining a commercial litigation practice, he worked on a significant number of civil liberties cases pro bono. 

In 2012, Corey received a “Lead On!” Award from Access Living for his work successfully representing adults with disabilities in Illinois in a class action civil rights litigation, working closely with the ACLU of Illinois and other civil liberties groups. In 2018, he left private practice, joining the ACLU of Kentucky in his current role. Corey is very involved in the Louisville community. He is active with the Louisville Jewish Community Relations Council and received the Jewish Community of Louisville Julie Linker Community Relations Young Leadership Award. In 2017-2018, he was a JCPA Frank Family Fellow. He also serves on several boards of directors, including the Louisville Jewish Federation, the Louisville Jewish Family and Career Services, the Louisville’s Legal Aid, and the Washington University Library Council. He enjoys baking with his children and traveling. 

Maggie Siddiqi, Interfaith Alliance

Maggie Siddiqi is senior advisor at Interfaith Alliance, a national network of people of diverse faiths and beliefs from across the country working together to build a resilient democracy and fulfill America’s promise of religious freedom and civil rights not just for some, but for all. Her expertise is in coalition-building across lines of difference, countering hate, and advocating for religious freedom.  

Maggie recently concluded her appointment to the Office of the U.S. Secretary of Education, where she served as Director of the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Prior to joining the Biden-Harris administration she served as senior director of the Religion and Faith team at the Center for American Progress, where she led the organization’s work on religious liberty and engaged a coalition of diverse faith leaders to advance progressive policies. She spent nearly a decade before that in national organizations serving American Muslim communities.  

Maggie has a master’s degree in Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations from Hartford Seminary and a bachelor’s degree in religion from Wesleyan University. She also earned graduate certificates in Islamic chaplaincy from Hartford Seminary and in nonprofit management from Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy.

David Solimini, Democracy Communications Collaborative

As Executive Director of the Democracy Communications Collaborative, David leads efforts to increase public support for American democracy and attachment to democratic values. He has two decades of experience in senior nonprofit andadvocacy roles, transforming fast-growing organizations and empowering innovative leaders to tell compelling stories and make change. 

Previously, David held a senior role at the Stimson Center, where he led strategic planning and oversaw a comprehensive transformation of the think tank’s brand and products. In 2017, he led communications for the Nobel Peace Prize-winning effort to establish the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. And as a Vice President of the Truman National Security Project, David built an influential message guidance program and helped create innovative policy advocacy campaigns on issues ranging from energy policy to international development funding. He has worked on state and federal candidate campaigns and is a co-founder of Virginia21, a generational advocate for young voters. 

David, who lives in Washington, DC, is a graduate of the College of William & Mary and the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). 

Walter E. Spiegel, Jewish Council for Public Affairs

Walter E. Spiegel is Director of Government Relations for Standard Textile Co., Inc., the leading global manufacturer and supplier of reusable textile products for the healthcare and hospitality markets. Prior to this role, Walter was Standard Textile’s Chief Legal and Compliance Officer for the past 25 years. Walter received his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Emory University. 

Walter currently serves as Vice Chair of JCPA as well as chair of JCPA’s Governance Committee. Walter also serves as co-chair of JCPA’s Chairs Initiative, which provides educational and engagement opportunities for the Chairs of Jewish Community Relations Councils around the country. He is a past President of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Cincinnati. Walter is also a member of the boards of the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center and the Immigrant and Refugee Law Center. He has also served on the Boards of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, Rockwern Academy, and Camp Livingston. Walter has held leadership roles in the Cincinnati legal community, including President of the Southwest Ohio Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel and co-founder of the University of Cincinnati College of Law’s Institute for the Global Practice of Law. 

Amy Spitalnick, Jewish Council for Public Affairs

Amy Spitalnick is the CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the national convener of Jewish coalitions working across communities to build a just and inclusive American democracy. 

A nationally recognized leader on countering antisemitism, hate, and extremism and protecting democracy, Amy previously served as Executive Director of Integrity First for America, which won its groundbreaking lawsuit against the neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and hate groups responsible for the Charlottesville violence.  

Amy has extensive experience in government, politics, and advocacy, including as Communications Director and Senior Policy Advisor to the New York Attorney General and spokesperson and advisor to the New York City Mayor. She serves on the Boards of Directors of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Tufts University Hillel, and the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab (PERIL) at American University, as well as on Tree of Life’s Academic Advisory Council and Bedrock’s National Leadership Council.  

Amy frequently appears in national media and has been awarded various fellowships and honors, including being named a Women inPower Fellow at the 92nd Street Y, a Truman National Security Project Fellow, a City & State 40 Under 40 Rising Star, and a NY Jewish Week 36 Under 36 Changemaker. She graduated from Tufts University. 

Benjamin Suarato, Jewish Council for Public Affairs

Benjamin Suarato has almost 20 years of communications, legislative, and advocacy experience with Capitol Hill, the Biden Administration, and the nonprofit sector. Prior to rejoining JCPA as the Director of Advocacy and Public Affairs, Benjamin was the Spokesperson and Press Director at the U.S. Agency for International Development where he worked with Administrator Samantha Power to advance America’s development and diplomacy goals around the world. He also brings almost a decade of experience on Capitol Hill, first with Rep. Michael McNulty (D-NY) and then for eight years as the Communications Director for Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) where he built an award-winning social media presence, worked extensively with the Congressional Black and Hispanic Caucuses through the Tri-Caucus, and helped lead communications around movements like #StopAsianHate. He also served as the legislative and policy advisor for foreign affairs. In addition to experience in government, Benjamin also has years of organizing and advocacy experience through his time leading communications at the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC), Dream.Org, and his work with the JCPA from 2010-2014, when he helped create the communications department and organized efforts around foreign aid, poverty, climate change, and gun violence.  Benjamin is a native of upstate New York who graduated from Colgate University. 

Ellie Sweet

Ellie Sweet, originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, graduated from American University with a Political Science major and Psychology minor this past May. She is currently based in Washington, D.C. and is on track to receive a Master’s of Public Policy in May 2027, also from American University. Ellie served as the co-Chair of J Street U at American University from Fall 2024-Spring 2026 and J Street U Cap/South National Vice President in Spring 2025 and Spring 2026. In the summer of 2025, she interned in Congresswoman Betty McCollum’s (MN-04) office through J Street U’s Lonnie Dounn Congressional Fellowship. She also spent the academic year interning with J Street’s Government Affairs Team. In the future, Ellie hopes to utilize her studies and experiences through empathy-based policy and dialogue work that accounts for power dynamics and social behaviors. 

Haris Tarin, Muslim Public Affairs Council

Haris Tarin is the Vice President of Policy and Programming at the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC). Prior to joining MPAC he served as Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary of Homeland Security. Haris also served as a  Chief of Staff of Operation Allies Welcome (OAW), which President Biden established after the withdrawal from Afghanistan and the fall of Kabul in August 2021. Haris led the civilian interagency and multinational response to evacuating and resettling thousands of people, the largest resettlement program in America’s history. Haris is Ariane de Rothschild Cambridge Fellow, USC/Georgetown AMCLI Fellow, and a University of Virginia Sorenson Political Fellow. He is the co-author of “Rethinking the Red Line: Free Speech, Religious Freedom and Social Change“. 

Bruce H. Turnbull, Jewish Council for Public Affairs

Bruce H. Turnbull, retired after more than 40 years in private law practice, is now an advocate for reform of the criminal legal system. He co-chairs the Criminal Justice Reform Initiative and is a member of the Board of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA). He also chairs the Policy Committee and is a member of the Board of the Multifaith Initiative to End Mass Incarceration. Bruce represents JCPA on several Washington, DC-based coalitions advocating for reform of the criminal legal system. He is a volunteer advocate for applying the UN Mandela Rules on solitary confinement to the Maryland prison system, working with Interfaith Action on Human Rights. He also serves as a member of the Lawyers’ Committee of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and on the Board of the Bolechow Jewish Heritage Society. 

Bruce and his wife, Susan Wolf Turnbull, divide their time between their long-time residence in Bethesda, Maryland and a second home in San Diego, California. They are the proud parents of two adult sons and their wives and especially proud grandparents of four young grandchildren.  

Merrill Zack, HIAS

Merrill Zack is the Vice President, Community Engagement at HIAS, where she leads HIAS’ global strategies for educating, organizing, and mobilizing Jewish communities around the world to take action for forcibly displaced people. She does so in partnership with an incredible team that harnesses support for HIAS by deeply engaging congregations, organizations, and individuals in HIAS’ work to improve the lives of refugees, asylum seekers, and others who are stateless and/or forcibly displaced.

Merrill also serves as the Executive Director of HIAS NY, bringing HIAS’ various streams of New York City work together for greater impact.

She holds a B.A. in Religion & Anthropology from Kenyon College and a master’s degree in Public and Nonprofit Management and Policy from New York University.