The Fellowship is founded with the intention to build and support strong, engaged communities. Fellows join with their community cohort groups to gain practical leadership skills from world-class Jewish educators and network with other cohorts from around the world. Fellows participate in tailored workshops and activities focused on communal leadership foundational skills including asset mapping, identifying target audiences, leading and managing conflict through empathy, mobilizing communities, and strategic planning. Through group work, structured networking activities, and opportunities for collaboration and peer-to-peer learning, Fellows and their cohorts make invaluable connections during the summit to share ongoing ideas, insights and support.

Each organization’s Cohort Leader oversees the development of a plan of action, uniquely created to address a need in their local community. The work of these action plans begins while at the Summit, reflecting in cohorts on skills training and participating in activities such as asset mapping to build a foundation for this plan creation. Following the Summit, group coaching is provided by Momentum to guide Cohort Leaders in the step-by-step creation of this action plan over the course of 5 virtual sessions. These planning sessions take Cohort Leaders through strategic thinking and planning best practices including identifying goals, stakeholders, and evaluation processes, as well as collaboration benefits provided through peer-to-peer learning, consultations, and expert guidance and feedback from both professional coaches and colleagues. While only Cohort Leaders participate in these group coaching sessions, all members of the cohort provide input and participate in the creation of this strategic plan under the direction of the Cohort Leader.

Momentum team members follow up with Cohort Leaders during their group coaching journey to provide additional support and resources where possible. The investment of group coaching and guided plan creation is both to support the Cohort Leaders in creating a specific action plan to be implemented as a direct outcome of Fellowship participation, and also to equip Cohort Leaders with the skills to use these planning practices and templates for future projects to maximize their long-term impact as communal leaders.

Participation in the first two steps of the Fellowship unlock access to an ongoing journey of connection, growth, and community. Momentum Fellows are presented with an annual menu of offerings that include continued educational opportunities, live workshops, affinity groups, and spaces to connect with Fellowship alumni from all over the world. These offerings allow Fellows for opportunities to create a larger network of peers for potential collaboration and mentorship opportunities outside of the women they may have met at their own Summit, growing the Momentum sisterhood of leaders.

Jessica Minnen Berkowitz is a writer, ritualist, and liturgist committed to the discipline of delight. Before coming to Momentum, she was a part of the founding team of OneTable where she served as Director of Jewish Learning for seven years.

Jessica is a sought-after educator who has taught for Hillel International, Jewish Federations of North America, the JCC Association of North America, Foundation for Jewish Camp, and Birthright Israel, among others.

Originally from Paducah, Kentucky, she is an alumna of Washington University in St. Louis, the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, Paideia: The European Institute for Jewish Studies in Sweden, Baltimore Hebrew University, and received her Rabbinical Ordination at the Jewish Theological Seminary. She is a past Fellow of Reboot, the Shalom Hartman Institute’s Women’s Leadership Mission, and the Ruskay Institute for Professional Leadership. Jessica and her family live in Denver, Colorado.

Ianna is a Momentum Educator and a professional executive and business coach whose clients include corporate executives and business owners throughout the United States and overseas. As a professional speaker, Ianna has delivered motivational and strategy presentations worldwide to the Organization for Women in International Trade, IE Brown Executive MBA program, and various non-profit groups.

Dana Sender-Mulla received her M.A. in Public and Political Leadership and her B.A. in Liberal Arts from TLV University; she was a Schusterman Fellow, became certified in Jewish Peoplehood teaching for educators at the International School for Jewish Peoplehood Studies, studied Leadership Decision Making at Harvard Kennedy School, Group Facilitation at Gishot and Negotiations at Lahav Executive Education at TAU. Dana is also a co-founder and board member for Zikaron Ba’Salon and One-Day Social Volunteering. She is a Schusterman Fellow, a former member of the Global Shapers Community for the World Economic Forum, and a member of the ROI Community.

Dr. Alina Bas is an Executive Coach and a Strategy Consultant with over 20 years of experience in Organizational Behavior and Leadership Development. As an Adjunct Professor NYU Graduate School of Arts and Science, she teaches Advanced Executive Coaching and Development. Alina has presented to audiences at Google, MIT Sloan, the U.S. Army War College, Facebook, Garrison Institute, and Academy of Management. Her clients are changing the world at Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Oracle, and other companies across IT, banking, healthcare, non-profit and higher education sectors. Alina’s work in the Jewish non-profit area includes coaching and consulting for the UJA Federation Executive Coaching program, designing and facilitating content for projects including Mishpuha, Kibbutznik, Women’s Leadership Circle through the JCH of Bensonhurst, presenting at Limmud, consulting to a New York-based incubator for Israeli high-tech startups, and coaching for the Momentum Fellowship. Alina Bas holds a PhD in Strategy from the U. of Strathclyde Business School (UK), a MA in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from NYU, and a BA in Psychology from Brandeis University. She is a published author and a co-author of several book chapters and academic papers. AlinaBas.com

Naami is a leadership coach and consultant who supports executives, leaders and their teams in both non-profit and for-profit organizations. For over a decade, Naami worked as a professional for non-profits in Los Angeles, New York, Israel, and Baltimore and most recently was the Program Director for Na’aleh: The Hub for Leadership Learning in Baltimore. There, she co-created and designed cohorts and leadership development opportunities for both top level and emerging, new lay leaders in the Baltimore Jewish community.

Naami founded Overbrook Coaching & Consulting in 2022. Her focus is to bring organizational health to leaders and their teams by helping them build strong cultures and cohesive teams with engaged, productive, and fulfilled employees. Naami helps leaders acquire stronger communication skills, find their voice and leadership presence, learn the art of having difficult conversations, design better meetings, and create an environment of accountability and feedback.

Naami’s greatest passion is helping individuals tap into their areas of genius - their natural gifts and skills that bring them the most energy and fulfillment.

Naami holds an MA in Leadership and Certification in Leadership Coaching from Georgetown University. She lives in Baltimore with her husband and their three daughters.

Nikki is an Executive Coach and Organizational Learning Specialist who has partnered with hundreds of leaders in more than 20 countries over the last two decades. She coaches regional and country managers, senior executives and emerging leaders, bringing a deep understanding of human behavior and the psychological drivers of engagement. Her work is designed to bring the whole person into the coaching process, and she is committed to facilitating space for people that ignites their freshest thinking and connection to meaning and purpose. As a result, leaders can grow in their influence and enhance the quality of engagement, collaboration, and agility both within and beyond their teams. Nikki regularly works with senior and executive teams to assist them in building trust, functional dialogue, coherence, and alignment whilst leading from the emerging future. Recent assignments across Africa, Europe and Asia include the following clients: Investec, Microsoft, Coronation Asset Managers, KFC, Taco Bell, Amway, Puma, Woolworths, PPS Investments, New Media, Growthpoint Properties, OLX Group, Pizza Hut.

Cindy Benhamu, consultant, coach, and speaker, delivers comprehensive Nonprofit Management guidance using a wholesome approach that integrates your leadership mindset with strategic vision. Her expertise in strategic thinking, innovative problem-solving, and effective communication helps tailor your nonprofit’s strategic roadmap to achieve its philanthropic goals.

With over a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector, Cindy is a dedicated professional committed to sustainable community development and social impact. She holds a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Central Florida and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Nonprofit Management from Columbia University. As a passionate advocate for social change, Cindy continually seeks opportunities to make a positive difference in the world.

Judith grew up in Madrid, where she currently lives, in a traditional Sephardic family.

After graduating in Economics in Madrid, she studied for an MBA in Oxford and Paris and a degree in Organizational Psychology in London. She married her French husband Fred in Jerusalem soon after finishing her MBA. Fred and Judith are blessed with three inspiring children and a beautiful grandson.

Her professional career servicing C-Suite worldwide clients started at Merrill Lynch International Bank in London, where she was appointed Vice President at the age of 32, while pregnant with her third child.
She then worked in different executive roles for Capgemini Consulting and most recently for AXA Insurance Group. Her core expertise is business transformation for growth, leveraging IT ecosystems.

In 2016, Judith became a volunteer Community Leader in Madrid, an experience that was not only inspiring but transformative for her.
Judith later founded JES (Jewish Experience Sefarad) to promote unity without uniformity within Spanish Jewish communities and expanded the Community Leaders team in 6 different cities in Spain. To date, over 150 Spanish women have experienced their own personal transformational journey based on Jewish values through Momentum trips to Israel and year of growth program.

Judith serves in Momentum’s Partnership Committee and currently collaborates with the Momentum Fellowship program as a Leadership Coach.

Judith also serves as Board Advisory member of the Global Network for Jewish Women Entrepreneurs and Leaders (GNJWEL).

Hi there, I am Sam Amit, mindful leadership coach, olah hadashah from South Africa. Married to Ilan with three amazing sabra kids. Ex high-tech corporate girl, I coach leaders and teams in 43 countries on 5 continents. I am author of Mindfulness at Work with Professor Passmore and creator of two digital courses to coach and develop conscious leadership. I am very excited to be on the team of Momentum’s 2024 and now 2025 Fellowship Coaching program, and after having participated in 7 Momentum trips! My first in 2015 with Lori, and then another 6 as trip coordinator. Partnering with you to grow and empower Momentum women, families and our communities is an absolute privilege. Together we are so much more! I look forward to meeting you soon. Am Yisrael Chai.