Our board, composed of members from different backgrounds and with diverse perspectives, provides vision, guidance, and passion for our work, goals, and journey.
Connie Lindenauer is an accounting professional and dedicated Jewish community lay leader.
She began her career as a CPA at HLB Gross Collins, a public accounting firm in Atlanta, before joining Greystone & Co., where she spent nine years working across both accounting and investment operations. As Greystone’s Financial and Operations Principal, Connie established and led the firm’s broker-dealer arm.
In the nonprofit sector, Connie has been deeply involved in Jewish communal life. Since 2016, she has served on Momentum’s Finance Committee, later joining the Momentum Board in 2021 and serving as Treasurer from 2021–2025. She also serves on the boards of Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School and Alef Bet Montessori School and sits on the Advisory Board of The River School. Previously, she was a board member of Berman Hebrew Academy.
Connie holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Mercer University. She lives in Maryland with her husband, Erik, and they have two children, Mark and Georgia.
Debbie is an accomplished philanthropist and nonprofit professional who has guided Momentum’s mission since joining our board in December 2021. A senior advisor at a private foundation, Debbie works with organizations and partners seeking to increase their impact. Debbie also serves on the boards of The Harold Grinspoon Foundation, OneTable, and the Jewish Food Society.
Prior to her nonprofit roles, Debbie served as Director of Investor Relations for Multex, Inc., where she built investor relationships and ran corporate strategy. She began her career at Merrill Lynch & Co.
Debbie holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and an AB in biology from Harvard College. She lives in Westchester County, New York, with her husband and their three children.
Helen Zalik is a social entrepreneur, attorney, and philanthropist. In 2018, Helen co-founded the Zalik Foundation, which has granted over $150 million to date for education, children and families in need, behavioral mental health and Jewish communities in the U.S and Israel. Helen began her career as a corporate attorney at Powell Goldstein, LLP, and eventually served as General Counsel of a privately held healthcare management company. She is the Past President of Momentum Unlimited, which has impacted more than 22,000 women from 34 countries through a year-long journey that begins in Israel. Helen currently serves on the Board of Governors for the Jewish Agency for Israel as well as the Board of Trustees at Jewish Federations of North America and co-founded Jewish Women’s Connection of Atlanta.
Manette Mayberg is dedicated to investing in the Jewish people through her passion to support Jewish education and outreach. Under her leadership, the Mayberg Foundation has become a leading vehicle for entrepreneurial philanthropy and strategic grantmaking guided by the values of foundational Judaism, connectedness of all Jews, and collective effort.
In 2019, Manette founded MyZuzah, which provides kosher mezuzahs to connect, protect and unite Jews worldwide. MyZuzah recently collaborated with actress and ally Patricia Heaton to promote Jewish pride and allyship through the #MyZuzahYourZuzah campaign. Through their work at MyZuzah, Manette and her team identified a lack of transparency and reliability in the STa”M (Sifrei Torah, Tefillin, and Mezuzah) field, which ultimately inspired the creation of STAMP. She also founded the Jewish Education Innovation Challenge in 2011, to develop and support student- and God-centered models of Jewish education in Jewish day schools across North America. This approach aims to fortify the next generation of Jews with stronger Jewish identity and Jewish legacy transmission.
Manette co-founded Momentum (2008), a global movement in partnership with Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora, connecting tens of thousands of Jewish mothers to Jewish wisdom and values and to Israel through a year of growth, including an immersive journey in Israel. They return with a stronger Jewish identity and passion for engaging in their local Jewish communities, living the beauty of Jewish unity without uniformity, and transmitting Jewish values and practice to their families.
Manette currently serves on Momentum’s Board of Directors, Executive Committee, and Israel Committee, and she chairs the Education Advisory Panel. In addition, she is serving her second term as a National Senior Vice President of the Orthodox Union. She is also a member of the Steering Committee for UnitEd—a global network for Jewish educators supported by Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs—and she originated the annual DC Shalva Celebrity Chef Dinner.
As a thought leader in the Jewish philanthropic sector, Manette has written notable opinion pieces on Israel and Jewish education featured in eJewish Philanthropy, Washington Jewish Week, and Aish.com. Manette and Louis move between their work and their kids and grandkids in the US and Israel.
Rachel Chafetz is an Israeli American who has lived in the United States since 1994. An active and dedicated leader in many Jewish organizations, Rachel was the founding co-chair of the Boston Israeli American Council (IAC); a Campaign Chair for Combined Jewish Philanthropy (CJP)’s Women’s Philanthropy; a board member of the JCC and the Bureau of Jewish Education; and the President of Gateways: Access to Jewish Education.
Rachel currently serves on the boards of CJP and Code for Israel and is the chair of the LYRA Foundation. Rachel was chosen to be part of CJP’s cohort of ACHARAI, its premier leadership training program, and received the 2016 Chai at the Hub Award.
Rachel received an MA in Jewish Education from Hebrew College, as well as a Certificate in Special Education. She lives in Newton with her husband, Larry. They have three children: Daniel, Tal, and Ben.
Stacey began her career as a CPA at Arthur Andersen, LLP in 1990. Her drive to give back to the community has led her to a number of volunteer roles both in Atlanta and Cincinnati, Ohio, where she lived for 22 years. Stacey has served on boards of numerous organizations including Rockwern Academy (where she was board president), The Epstein School, Hillels of Georgia (where she served as Board Chair) and The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta (where she served as 2025 Community Campaign Chair). Stacey is a proud alumnus of JFNA Young Leadership Cabinet and the Wexner Heritage Program.
Stacey holds a BA in history and a BSE in accounting from the University of Pennsylvania. A native Atlantan, she and her husband David moved back to Atlanta in 2015. They have four children: Zachary (Arianna Sidoti), Alison (Adam Kaufman), Lindsay and Molly.
Rivka Kidron is the co-founder and a board member of Passages, an organization that brings thousands of Christian college students on life-changing trips to Israel to ensure the future of American and Christian support for Israel.
Rivka’s inspiration and passion for Passages was born out of her role as Advisor for Diaspora and Christian Affairs to Prime Minister Netanyahu, where she managed key relationships with global Jewish and Christian leaders. Prior to joining the Prime Minister’s Office, Rivka spent several years in the private sector working in the venture capital and high tech industries. Rivka also runs a firm that is known for creating exclusive, content-driven Israel travel programs for organizations, foundations, governments, investors, and business leaders from around the globe. Since 2019, she has been actively involved with Momentum’s Israel Committee.
Rivka was born in New York and made aliyah to Israel as a child. She holds a B.A. in Economics and an M.A. in Public Management from Bar Ilan University.
Cindy is one of the 8 women who founded Momentum.
Prior to her life as a volunteer, Cindy founded CK Associates, an advertising specialty company.
She currently is involved with The Youth Outreach Center in Beit Shemesh, Israel which provides programming for at-risk youth.
She received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland.
Cindy and her husband Rick are proud parents of their daughters Shelby, Jackie and Amy, their sons in law, Dan Omri, and Darren and their 9 grandchildren.
Andrea Shlipak Mail is a past president of Momentum and has served on its Board of Directors for ten years. She is the first trip participant and first non-founder to serve as Board President.
A native Texan, Andrea graduated cum laude from Harvard University with a degree in Social Anthropology and holds a Master’s degree in Religious Education from a joint program with the University of London and the Leo Baeck Center for Jewish Education. She was a Rotary International Ambassadorial Fellow at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Andrea has worked extensively in Jewish education and Israel advocacy, including roles with the American Zionist Youth Foundation and as Executive Director of the British Friends of Hebrew University. She studied at the Pardes Institute and was a Wexner Fellow at Hebrew Union College.
Andrea and her husband, Steven, live in Jacksonville, Florida, where they raised their three daughters.
Lori Palatnik is the Founding Director of Momentum (formerly JWRP). She is a world-renowned Jewish educator, speaker, writer, and media personality who has lectured all over the world. Lori has authored four books: Friday Night and Beyond, Gossip, Remember My Soul, and Turn Your Husband Into Your Soul Mate. She has been recognized widely for her leadership, including being named one of ten “Women to Watch” by Jewish Women International, one of the “Most Outstanding Jewish American Women of Our Time” by Hadassah, and one of Izzy’s “Global Jewish 100.” She was also honored as one of Masa’s “Inspiring 12” for her contributions to a stronger Jewish future.
In 2020, Lori was selected to light the Diaspora torch at Israel’s national Independence Day ceremony, and in 2025 she received the Global Peace Award from Nestpoint at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
Lori lives with her husband in Jerusalem.
Michelle is an active volunteer in many Jewish and Israel-related causes. She is a co-founder and board member of Momentum and sits on the board of the Jewish Association for Death Education.
Michelle lives in the Washington, DC, area and has two children and one grandson.
Betty is the President of Reshet Capital, a boutique investment firm specializing in helping Israeli companies access global markets.
She is a co-founder of Supersonas, the Israel Women’s Business Network in New York. Betty serves in various lay leadership positions, including as the President of the Friends of Ono Academic College, and as a Board Member of the Keshet Eilon Music Center.
She lives in New York City with her husband. They have five children.
Dafna Berman is passionate about Israel, Judaism, and the Jewish People. She has devoted much of her time and philanthropic activities towards strengthening the institutions that are the bedrock of Jewish continuity, including NCSY, and Bikur Cholim. Dafna is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Berman Hebrew Academy.
Dafna received her B.A. in communications from the University of Maryland. She and her husband have 5 children, and reside in the Washington, DC area.
Originally from New York, Wendy lives with her husband, Colin, and their four children in Minneapolis. A passionate advocate for Momentum, Wendy has participated in three Momentum trips, including Momentum Grand, and served as a Madricha. Her time living in Jerusalem during the early stages of Momentum deeply inspired her commitment to the movement’s mission of empowering women through transformative experiences in Israel.
Wendy is an active philanthropist and community leader. She has served on various boards, including NCJW, Federation, and the Heilicher Minneapolis Jewish Day School, where she recently completed her term as board president. She also serves on the Davidson School Advisory Board at JTS and co-founded a program that brings children from the Gaza Envelope to Camp Herzl in Wisconsin.
Wendy holds a B.S. in Education from the University of Vermont and an M.S. Ed. from the University of Pennsylvania.
Ellen Dayan recently retired after a 30-year career practicing relationship and values-based dentistry. She is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario, BSc, and holds a Post-Graduate degree from University of Toronto school of Dentistry. She spent a large part of her career supporting and volunteering with Alpha Omega Dental Fraternity focused on fundraising and charity events.
Personally, Ellen has found passion in her Jewish community by supporting the Village Shul for many years and went on a life-changing Israel experience with Lori Palatnik in 1999. Due in large part to this experience, this allowed Ellen to focus on spiritual growth for herself and her family.
Ellen prides herself most on her successful marriage to her husband Willie and her four children. Most recently, she has become a Baba to her growing family of grandchildren. Three of their four children have made Aliyah and this gives Willie and Ellen the opportunity to spend more and more time in Israel. In 2022, she was privileged to participate in the Momentum Moms of Lone Soldiers trip, while one of her sons was in the IDF.
Together, Willie and Ellen live in Toronto and love spending their time travelling the world, exploring and giving back to their community with their time, wisdom and passions.
An expert in the fields of search and career transition coaching, Betsey Friedlander has provided career coaching, executive coaching, and consulting services to hundreds of individuals, companies, and universities. The author of the manual, “How to Land Job Offers: The Art of Generating Job Opportunities,” Betsy’s unique approach to coaching was showcased on NBC News.
With 15 years of Jewish communal experience leveraging values to realize vision and create impact, Dana serves as the Global Director of “MyZuzah”, an initiative to connect and protect the Jewish people by putting a kosher fair trade mezuzah on the front door of Jewish homes throughout the world. As the youngest of the Utah 8 and founding board member of Momentum (as well as resident millennial!), she uses her passion for collaboration to build partnerships with organizations around the world to transform and strengthen the Jewish future. Dana lives in the Washington, DC area with her husband and four children.
Ellen is a faculty member of Georgetown University, and serves as the Director of the Georgetown Leadership Program.
She and her husband previously established the Waghelstein Family Hopes and Dreams Endowment Fund to advance leadership opportunities for emerging young adult leaders. She is currently a Vice President of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. Ellen received a master’s degree in Social Strategy from the University of Maryland, a Certificate in Leadership from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, and a Certificate in Leadership Coaching from Georgetown University. She is also a graduate of the Wexner Heritage Program.
Ellen lives in Annapolis, Maryland with her husband. They have two children.
A Jewish community activist, Jeanie served on the board of the Jewish Primary Day School of the Nation’s Capital (Now the Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School) and was co-founder of the Annual Yitzhak Rabin Memorial lecture. She helped launch Aura, a Washington, D.C. Jewish Women’s networking group connecting Jewish women professionals to each other and to their Judaism, she is a past trustee of the Tikkun Olam Women’s Foundation and a founding supporter of the Hope for Henry Foundation whose mission is to support children in the hospital who face life-threatening illness.
She is an active member of Maccabi USA whose mission is Jewish pride through sports. A lawyer by training, her early Jewish community volunteer work began at the American Jewish Congress in Washington, DC and at the White House in the Office of the Public Liaison for Jewish Affairs.
Jeanie is a Co-Founder of the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project and Founding Board President.
Mahra Fox Pailet has worked tirelessly on behalf of the Jewish community, working with the Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles and the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas, and volunteering on behalf of many organizations, including, Israel Bonds, the Dallas Jewish Historical Society, Congregation Shearith Israel, the JCC, Ann and Nate Levine Academy, and AIPAC. Mahra also has a vast professional background in marketing, communications, event planning, and product management. Mahra is a recipient of the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas’s Bess Nathan Young Leadership Award, and a graduate of the Wexner Heritage Leadership Program and AJC’s Hilda Katz Blaustein Leadership Institute.
Mahra will co-chair the JWRP’s development committee together with JWRP’s vice president and co-founder Michelle Leader.
Mahra lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband and three children.
Cheryl Leon is a Canadian transplant who has been living in Chicago for the last 29 years. Her passion is Jewish outreach and she along with her husband Bruce have been at the forefront of bringing Jews back to their Jewish roots through many different organizations.
Professionally Cheryl received her Masters of Social Work from the University of Toronto . For the past 20 years she has been the coordinator of The Jewish Federation Crisis Hotline and then created a program to assist sexually abused children within the Chicagoland Jewish community. Presently Cheryl is a mainstay of the MOMentum program, having been both city and bus leader for a number of years. She is also a member of the development committee.
Cheryl lives in Chicago with her husband. They have four daughters Ilana, Raina, Liat and Yael and son in law Shimon.
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 served in Momentum’s Partnership Committee and currently collaborates with the Momentum Fellowship program as a Leadership Coach.
Judith also served as Board Advisory member of the Global Network for Jewish Women Entrepreneurs and Leaders (GNJWEL).
Sheryl has been actively involved in the Jewish community for more than 25 years, for a wide range of non-profit organizations, based in Canada and Israel.
Together with Lori Palatnik, she was responsible for the coordination of North American women’s missions to Israel for 10 years, prior to the launch of the JWRP.
She has extensive business experience, primarily related to corporate and incentive travel.
For a number of years, Sheryl managed the UJA’s Lebovic Campus in Toronto and was responsible for facility operations and community and tenant relations.
In 2015, while on the March of the Living trip to in Poland, Sheryl met and soon married her Besheret, Gerald Hartman. Sheryl and Gerald live in Toronto and have 4 children.
Entrepreneur, author, motivational speaker Charlie co-founded H3 & Company, a multimillion-dollar venture capital and advisory firm. Previously, he was the First Vice President and legal counsel at RXR Realty, a billion dollar real estate firm in New York. Prior to that, Charlie worked as an associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison and Davis Polk & Wardwell. Charlie received his law degree from Columbia University. Charlie lives on Long Island, New York.
Jeffrey Singer is a loving husband and father, a passionate supporter of Momentum, Jewish Education and of Israel. For the past six years, Jeff has partnered with AISH LA’s JMI division and Momentum to lead over 120 Jewish men on a Mission to Israel. Jeff’s goal for this mission is to empower men to discover how to connect more deeply with Judaism, their families, their communities and to Israel. Jeff was Vice-President at Congregation Or Ami and a Board Member of Shane’s Inspiration, a non-profit organization whose mission is to create social inclusion for children with disabilities through the creation of inclusive playgrounds and educational programs that unite children of all abilities. Jeff is a devoted advocate for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He and his wife Kellie are deeply connected to Etta, an organization that provides programs and services to enable people with disabilities to live fully enriched, independent, and active lives. Most importantly, Jeff is a devoted and loving husband to Kellie and the proud father to Emily, Sophie and Rylee, his three beautiful daughters.
In 2008, eight Jewish women from different walks of life, affiliations, observance, and ages – the “Utah 8” – came together to make a difference. They agreed that it was time to empower and inspire women with the rich beauty of their Jewish heritage, and Momentum was born. “All eight of us had a sense that living and transmitting Jewish values was the key to realizing each human being’s greatest potential in all of her gorgeous singularity. Since then, ‘unity without uniformity’ has been a pillar of this impactful movement.” - Momentum Co-Founder Manette Mayberg.
Back Row (left to right): Dana Sicherman, Lori Palatnik, Rebecca Dorfman, Cindy Zitelman
Front Row (left to right): Manette Mayberg, Michelle Leader, Lara Novack, Jeanie Milbauer
In 2017, Momentum formed its Public Council in Israel. Composed of distinguished Israeli women of all religious, political and professional backgrounds, the council supports Momentum’s efforts in promoting ‘Unity, Not Uniformity’ in Israeli society and in the Jewish world.
Adi was born and raised in Hod Hasharon, Israel. She is a leader and an acclaimed social entrepreneur.
At the age of 16 she founded K’nafaim Shel Krembo (Krembo Wings), Israel’s first and only youth movement for kids with and without special needs. She is also the founder of Zikaron BaSalon, an alternative and increasingly popular way to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day. She was formerly head of Education & Economic Impact at Google. With the goal of transforming Israel’s education system, Adi left Google to found Inclusive Israel, of which she is currently the CEO. Inclusive Israel is a nonprofit that promotes inclusive education in Israel through a network of public inclusive schools. Adi is the recipient of numerous awards (the first of which she received at age 18), including the 2005 Tamari Award and the 2006 Bernstein Award for Social Leadership. In 2008 LIONS declared her: “Israeli Woman of the Year” and she was also the recipient of the Ernest and Young Social Entrepreneurship Award. Adi received the prestigious President’s Award in 2009, and in 2013 received the Rappoport Award for leading social change in Israeli society. The following year Adi was elected by TIME Magazine as one of six future world leaders, and was chosen to speak about social entrepreneurship at the U.N. In 2016 Adi was honored by World Rotary and received the Paul Harris award and that same year received the title of Honorary Fellow from IDC Herzliya. In 2017 she received an Honorary Fellow from the Gordon College of Education and the Light Award from the Foundation for the Benefit of Holocaust Victims in Israel.
Adina Bar-Shalom was born in Jerusalem, Israel, and is the eldest daughter of the late Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, former Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel.
In 2001 Adina Bar Shalom founded the Haredi College in Jerusalem. For this she was awarded the Israel Prize for lifetime achievement for her efforts in advancing higher education in the ultra-Orthodox sector.
Lavie is a senior lecturer of communications (currently on unpaid leave) at the School of Communication at Bar-Ilan University, an author, publicist and public activist. Her research focuses on the media, multiculturalism and the role of women in Judaism and the public sphere. Her public activity focuses on issues related to gender equality, religion and state, communication, culture and Jewish identity, the relationship between the military and society, strengthening the relations with the Diaspora and Israel’s character as a Jewish and democratic state. Lavie is one of the most prominent figures in Jewish cultural discourse in Israel. In her researches and writing she seeks to find answers in the past to current problems and to introduce them to the public and the political arena.
Lavie is married to Attorney Tzuriel Lavie and resides in Netanya; she has four children and two grandchildren. After their marriage, in 1987, the couple served as emissaries of Bnei Akiva in Durban, South Africa.
She is a sought-after lecturer in Israel and around the world on various topics, such as: women in the Jewish world, Jewish culture and identity, politics and Israeli society, Israel – Diaspora relations, advancing the status of women, communications and gender.
Batsheva Moshe is a business and social entrepreneur, investor, and senior executive who bridges strategic leadership with hands-on business execution.
She serves as the Co-founder and General Partner at 12A VC, a unique venture capital firm empowering exceptional entrepreneurs from the Haredi community to build top-decile technology ventures through strategic capital and world-class expertise.
In parallel, Batsheva is the General Manager (GM) of the Israel Market and EMEA Tech at Kaltura. Kaltura is pioneering the Agentic AI revolution, redefining the Enterprise CX landscape with advanced digital engagement platforms and live AI avatars. In this capacity, Batsheva established and manages the regional GTM organization, directing all sales, business development, and customer operations to drive revenue growth and deploy next-generation experiences across strategic accounts.
Alongside her executive role at 12 A VC, Batsheva serves on the Board of Directors of Alony Hetz Properties & Investments Ltd. (TASE: ALHE), one of Israel’s largest real estate and energy investment holding companies. She is also the Chairperson of Yozmot Atid, an NGO dedicated to empowering underserved women to build and grow small businesses, helping them achieve economic independence. In addition, she sits on the boards of Sapir College, Ofanim NGO, and the Or Movement, and serves as a Director at the ICA Foundation and the National Museum of Science –MadaTech. She is also a member of the Public Council of Momentum.
Beforehand, Batsheva served as the General Manager for Israel, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and the Nordics at Wix Enterprise, the world’s leading cloud-based website creation and development platform with over 300 million users worldwide. In this role, she drives the company’s regional growth strategy while directly overseeing business development, strategic partnerships, enterprise sales, large-scale professional service projects, and customer success. Batsheva also leads regional marketing and go-to-market initiatives, and spearheads product localization efforts to ensure Wix’s solutions address the cultural and business needs of diverse markets under her management.
Before joining Wix, Batsheva was the Head of Poalim Hi-Tech, the high-tech banking arm of Bank Hapoalim. There she led the bank’s strategy in the tech sector, building partnerships with VCs, accelerators, and incubators; recruiting new customers and credit opportunities; managing an AUM of ~$65M across 30+ tire 1 Israeli VCs; and overseeing 10 high-tech branches serving 3,500+ companies. She also directed the brand’s marketing strategy and product innovation while training bankers and developing new financial models for the ecosystem. In parallel, she was a Board Member at Poalim Bakehila Foundation and Poalim Nechasim. Earlier, she served as Chief of staff to the Chairman of Bank Hapoalim, where she supported the Board of Directors on the day today activity and on key strategic initiatives and challenges.
Earlier in her career, Batsheva served as the CEO of Unistream one of Israel’s most influential and impactful NGOs. Unistream promotes entrepreneurship and aims to narrow the socio-economic gaps by empowering youth and young adults from underprivileged communities to establish startups and integrate into the Hitech industry. Batsheva led to significant organizational growth at Unistream, expanding its annual budget fourfold, increasing staff from 20 to ~100, and broadening its reach from 12 to over 80 localities and abroad. She expanded Unistream’s target population to include a diverse range of groups and ages.
Batsheva holds a B.A. in Communications and Human resources and an M.A. in Organizational Consulting from Haifa University, both with honors, a graduate of Hamil – Directors course. a member of ROI – Schusterman community, and an alumnus of Kriat kivun (–later a part of the Maoz group) leadership program, and Ruderman executive fellowship.
Batsheva has been widely recognized by Israel’s leading business and financial media outlets. She was named one of the the 40 Under 40 most promising young adults in Israel by The Marker (2015), as Globes’s 40 Under 40 most promising young adults (2017), as one of 21 most impactful women at the high-tech sector in Israel by The Marker Magazine (2018), and featured in Calcalist’s “Women of the Year” (2018). Additionally, she was named one of the ‘promising women’ by Makor Rishon (2025) and is the proud recipient of the 2026 Israel Hayom Award for Outstanding Contribution to Israeli Society in the Fields of Economics and Entrepreneurship.
Lihi Lapid is a bestselling author, journalist, and speaker about contemporary women’s issues.
A weekly columnist for Yediot Ahronot, Lapid has also written three bestselling novels, Secrets from Within, Woman of Valor, and I Can’t Always Be Wonderful, as well as a bestselling children’s book. Woman of Valor explores the real life struggles of women in modern society and tells the story of her life as a mother of an autistic daughter.
Before becoming a writer, Lapid was a professional news photographer and the first in her field in the IDF.
Her husband, Yair Lapid, is the founder of the Yesh Atid Party and a respected politician. Lapid lives with her husband and their two children in Tel Aviv.
Mahareta Baruch-Ron is the Deputy Mayor of Tel Aviv who holds the social welfare and services portfolio and the culture portfolio.
Born in Ethiopia, Baruch-Ron immigrated to Israel when she was 10. In 2001, she co- founded and chaired Hiyot, an organization which provides social, educational, and economic aid to immigrants from Ethiopia. She also co-founded Olim Beyahad, an organization, which promotes leadership and excellence among university graduates who immigrated to Israel from Ethiopia.
In 2005, she finished second in The Ambassador, a reality television show, which trained future Hasbara agents.
In 2013, Baruch-Ron ran as a Meretz Party candidate in the Tel Aviv municipal elections. She placed third in the party and joined the municipal coalition.
Baruch-Ron chairs the refugees’ forum and the Tamrach forum, which serves Jews who immigrated from Ethiopia. She is proactive in her opposition to over-policing and racism.
She represented Tel Aviv at the Milan Food International Convention in 2015 and advocates for healthy nutrition for people of all ages. In 2016, she was a delegate in the US State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program.
Baruch-Ron holds a BA in Psychology and Human Services and an MA in Organizational Sociology from Haifa University.
She is married to businessman and author Eran Ron. They have three children.
Michal Cohen served as Director General of the Education Ministry for four years, and previously filled different managerial roles in the public service, most recently as the Ministry’s Senior Deputy Director and Director of the Pedagogic Administration. During the course of her professional career, she has led significant, large-scale pedagogic and structural reforms and innovative initiatives. Michal holds an MA degree in education from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a diploma in Organizational Consultation for Education Systems from Tel Aviv University, as well as MA in Law from Bar Ilan University. She serves as General Director of Rashi from September 2017.
Miri Michaeli is an accomplished Israeli journalist and TV presenter. She is also an avid public speaker, busy lecturer and events MC.
Michaeli’s 17 years of experience on Israeli TV have also included anchoring the Channel 12 morning show, serving as the Europe correspondent for Channel 10 News, and reporting as Channel 10’s health and medical correspondent. These roles have placed her in a position to cover and report on screen many of the major news developments of our time both in Israel and globally.
In addition, Michaeli has shown a penchant for journalistic work that captivates her audience. Domestically, Michaeli exposed the lies of the well-known “Tinder Swindler’ in a special interview that gained global reach. While reporting from London, Michaeli, then heavily pregnant with her first child, captured with a hidden camera tube passengers largely ignoring a standing pregnant woman, a story that became viral globally and sparked a vigorous debate in Britain, which led to a campaign by then mayor and now former PM, Boris Johnson.
Alongside her work on TV, Michaeli has also become a leading voice against domestic abuse in Israel and an activist in that field since sharing her personal story. She also spends time and invests effort as an advocate for Israel and a passionate fighter of antisemitism.
Michaeli received her B.A. from Tel Aviv University, majoring in political science, as well as a B.A. in journalism from the Koteret School of Journalism. Michaeli is married and the mother of 3 Israeli-American children.
Miriam Peretz is an Israeli educator, who lost two sons in battle in Lebanon and Gaza.
Born in Morocco, she made Aliyah with her family and moved to Be’er Sheba. She earned a BA in Literature and History and became a teacher. She settled down in Ofira, a settlement in the Sinai Peninsula, with her husband.
In 1982, following the evacuation from the Sinai Peninsula, Peretz’s family moved to Giva’at Ze’ev. On November 25, 1998, her oldest son, First Lieutenant Uriel Peretz, was killed in an ambush in the security belt in south Lebanon. He was 22 years old. On March 26, 2010, she lost her son, Major Eliraz in battle in Gaza. He left a wife and four children.
Today, Peretz lectures on leadership, Judaism, and Zionism to Israeli youth and IDF soldiers.
In 2014, she was selected to light a torch in Israel’s official Independence Day ceremony. In 2016, she received an honorary degree from Bar-Ilan University
Senior executive with over 20 years of managerial experience in a large organization and in social organizations that she established and managed both in Israel and in the United States. Naama has expertise in planning, operations, developing organizational strategy, community building and leadership building.
Naama believes in developing strong, fruitful collaborations and fostering a culture of partnerships that has proven itself as highly effective in all fields she has worked with. In all her professional roles, she provided key strategic insights, resourceful and critical thinking skills, guidance as a thought-leader and excellent managerial skills.
Netaly works with individuals, executives, and organizations to help them adapt and thrive as they tackle complex challenges in a rapidly changing world. Before KONU, Netaly served as the CEO of the Reut Group – a cutting edge strategy and leadership Think Tank based in Tel Aviv. At Reut, Netaly worked with senior government officials, mayors, business and non-profit managers to lead adaptive change on some of the most pressing national security and socioeconomic issues facing Israel and the world.
She has taught at Harvard University, Hebrew University, and in a variety of other leadership programs.
Netaly holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a dual MA in International Relations and Conflict Management and Resolution from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She is also a certified mediator and facilitator.
Orna Hozman-Bechor is the Chairwoman of Ashdod Port.
She served in the IDF Intelligence Corps. In 1995, she served as MK Silvan Shalom’s parliamentarian aide, and in 1998, she began working at the Ministry of Science. In 2001, she served as the chief of staff at the Ministry of Treasury and in 2003, she held the same position in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In 2006, Hozman-Bechor returned to the private sector and was appointed VP of business development of the Gilad Lobbying Company.
In 2007, Hozman-Bechor founded OHB, a strategy and government relations firm. In 2009, she was appointed the CEO of the Ministry for the Development of the Negev and Galilee. In 2011, she was appointed the CEO of the Ministry for Regional Cooperation, and she promoted gender equality and the development of Israel’s periphery areas.
In 2010, Globes Magazine named Hozman-Bechor one of the 40 most influential people in Israel under the age of 40.
In 2013, she was appointed the CEO of the Ministry of National Infrastructure, Energy and Water, and in 2015, she was appointed the CEO of the Ministry of Interior. In 2017, she was appointed the chairwoman of Ashdod Port.
Hozman-Bechor earned a BA in business from Thames Valley University (West London University), and an MBA from Bar-Ilan University.
In her previous roles Pnina served as the Director of Interfaces and Synergy at theStrategic and planning unit of the Jewish agency for Israel and as the Jewish Agency senior Shlicha for the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington (2013-2017). Pninawas the Director of the Hillel Center at Tel Aviv University, where she worked topromote a broad and diverse discourse of Jewish-Israeli social culture amongstudents and young adults.
Pnina has extensive experience in public speaking and teaching and she has been invited to speak in many conferences all over the world. She is an activist involved inseveral volunteer endeavors in Israel, aimed at social change; she is a founding partner of the “Uru” movement, a public representative on Israel’s Council for Higher Education and one of the leaders in promoting the Sigd- Jewish Ethiopian holiday to become an Israeli national holiday. Pnina serves as a board member at Daroma-Tzafona Directorate, at the Hologab Theater, and is the chairwoman of Hanan Einur Foundation.
Pnina holds a BA from Hebrew university in Jewish History and Sociology, MA inpolitical and public leadership from Tel Aviv University, and she is a graduate of The Mandel Program for Excellence – a new initiative for the Jewish Agency for Israel andthe Mandel Foundation.
Pnina is the recipient of The Richard M. Joel Exemplar of Excellence Award by HillelInternational in 2012. In 2014, Pnina was named one of 66 Israeli influential women one should know. In 2016 Pnina was the recipient of the Ted B. Farber Professional Excellence Award for her work on the Israel Engagement Fellowship for Teens.In2023 she was chosen as one of the 50 most influential women in Israel published bythe Globes magazine. Pnina is married to Avi and together they are raising three little kids Eitan, Erez and Ella. Director of Partnership2GetherConnecting the Jewish People Unit.
Rachelle Sprecher Fraenkel is a Torah educator at Nishmat, The Jeanie Schottenstein Center for Advanced Torah Study for Women and the director of Matan’s Hilkhata Institute (Advanced Halakha Program) at Matan Women’s Institute for Torah Studies. She became an international speaker after her son, Naftali Fraenkel, was kidnapped and murdered along with two other Israeli teens in 2014.
Fraenkel serves as a Nishmat halakhic advisor for families observing the rabbinic laws of niddah and was in the first graduating class of Matan’s Advanced Talmud Institute. She has also studied at Bar Ilan University, Lindenbaum, and Nishmat.
Together with Bat Galim Shaer and Iris Yifrach, she was invited to speak to the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Rachelle Fraenkel became a public leader, a national heroine, and a religious heroine during the 18 days when her son and his friends were missing. People from all backgrounds admired her because of her restraint, her faith, and the profound statements she made about the prayers offered for the three boys’ return.
According to Haaretz, “When Rachelle Fraenkel recited the Kaddish [at her son’s funeral], the chief rabbi said ‘Amen’: The Mourner’s Kaddish has never before been recited in public in Israel by an Orthodox woman of such stature and in front of cameras.”
In 2015, the Jerusalem Unity Prize was created in memory of the slain teenagers. Fraenkel is one of the prize’s judges.
Prof. Rivka Carmi is an Israeli pediatrician and geneticist and the President of Ben- Gurion University of the Negev (BGU). She is the first female president of an Israeli university.
After graduating from Hadassah Medical School at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, she completed a residency in pediatrics, a fellowship in neonatology at the Soroka University Medical Center, and a fellowship in medical genetics at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard University Medical School.
Carmi was the Director of the Genetics Institute at the Soroka University Medical Center, and in 2000, she was elected Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at BGU.
Carmi has chaired the Israeli Association of Medical Deans and she is a founding member of the UK-Israel Science Council. In 2011, she was appointed chairperson of the Promotion and Representation of Women in Higher Education Institutions Committee.
In 2013, Minister of Justice Tzipi Livni appointed Carmi to be part of the Rivlin Committee, which examined the compensation agreement for workers at the nuclear research facility in Dimona. In 2014, she served on the Locker Committee, which examined Israel’s national defense budget. In 2015, Carmi led the Israeli Medical Association’s task force, which examined the status of women in medicine.
Carmi has received many awards for her work, including the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Yated Organization for Children with Down Syndrome, the Award for Peace from the Canada International Scientific Exchange Program, and the Women of Distinction Award from the Hadassah Women’s Zionist Organization of America, and she was named an Honorary Commander of the British Empire.
Rivka Ravitz is the first Haredi woman to be the President of Israel’s Chief of Staff. In addition to her full-time position, Ravitz is a Ph.D. candidate in public policy. She is also the mother of 11 children. i24 News has profiled this remarkable woman. She has stated that while some in the Haredi community do not want women to represent them, she thinks that this will change over time.
Prior to joining the World Jewish Congress, Sonia served for 14 years as Acting Director General & CEO, and as Chief Operating Officer, of World ORT, the largest Jewish educational and vocational training NGO in the world, with past and present activities in over 100 countries which works for the advancement of Jewish and other people through training and education with more than 200.000 beneficiaries.
In this role, she was responsible for the management of internal operations including serving as intermediary between organizational departments, overseeing the submission of projects and reports to international ORT organizations, US Federations, major donors, foundation and corporations including responsibility for all donor relations’ management, supervising relationships with fundraising countries and overseeing fundraising activities within the headquarters in the UK and in regional offices in the USA and Western Europe.
She was also in charge of overseeing the production of all PR materials and publications, managing and mentoring a professional team of 16, overseeing World ORT’s operation in Israel, including full budget and programmatic oversight. Sonia led missions and visits to organizational operations worldwide and oversaw World ORT’s formal relations with government and non-government organizations and UN agencies.
Prior to being appointed as Chief Operating Officer Sonia served as World ORT’s Head of International Liaison Department and Head of Israel and FSU desk.
Between 1992 and 1999, she was project manager in the Liason Bureau of the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office. Prior to that she served in the office of the Israeli Ambassador to Finland in Helsinki.
Sonia Gomes de Mesquita served in the Israel Defense Forces and rose to the rank of Lieutenant. She was also the head of the Educational Negev Unit of the IDF Southern Command and the head of the Command’s Communications Department.
Sonia holds a Bachelor of Art in Political Science and Middle Eastern Studies from Ben-Gurion University, Israel, and a Master of Arts in Business Management Marketing from Middlesex University, London.
Yochi Brandes was born in Israel in 1959 to a family of Hassidic rabbis. With degrees in both Biblical Studies and Judaic Studies, she has been a prominent and sought-after lecturer on the Bible and on Jewish cultural topics for many years.
One of Israel’s bestselling writers, she is the author of seven historical novels and two non-fiction books, all centered on Jewish ideas, history, and culture. She has been awarded the Book Publishers Association’s Platinum Book Prize for all her novels, including The Secret Book of Kings.
From the very beginning, Momentum has been blessed with a fantastic team. As we grow, we continue to be inspired by the impact of our work and the mark we are leaving on the Jewish world.
Tara Brown has spent the last 18 years working to advance the U.S.-Israel relationship through various roles at American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) . For the majority of her time at AIPAC, Tara served as the Mid-Atlantic Regional Director where she helped grow the region financially and politically. In 2023, Tara joined AIPAC’s National Development Department working with regional staff around the country to ensure success for AIPAC’s fundraising campaigns. Most recently, Tara was charged with creating a new initiative as the National Director of Development Training and Education.
Prior to working for AIPAC, Tara spent many years as the Assistant Director of Development at the University of Maryland, School of Law and immediately prior to coming to AIPAC she was the Director of Finance for a Congressional Campaign in the state of Maryland.
Despite being a proud native of New Jersey, Tara has lived in Maryland since starting college at the University of Maryland, College Park. After finishing her B.A., Tara worked for the University doing Legislative Affairs while working to pursue an advanced degree at the University.
While Tara’s career has largely focused on Israel and her security, she is also involved in Jewish communal life here at home in Baltimore. Tara and her husband Ari and their daughter Eliora are a proud Beth Tfiloh family- Tara is a member of the BT Congregation’s Board of Directors and an active BT Day School parent. She is also involved at the Associated (Baltimore’s Federation). As an animal lover, she also takes part in fundraising and volunteer efforts with local Animal Shelters such as the Baltimore County Humane Society and BARCs.
In her spare time Tara enjoys watching her favorite sports team, the NY FOOTBALL GIANTS, her second favorite sports team, the Maryland Men’s Basketball team (she is a very proud Terp) and is an avid music lover. Tara, Ari and Eliora live in Pikesville, MD but love to travel- especially to Israel!
Amy joined Momentum with over 25 years of experience in accounting, financial management, business advising, and business ownership.
Amy previously served as the managing partner of Cantor, Goldman & Company, P.C., CPA, where she worked with clients across a wide range of industries, including government contracting, business, and nonprofits. Amy also co-founded Hemingway Homes with her husband. An active lay leader in the Jewish community, Amy has served on the boards of Adas Israel Congregation and BBYO, led the PTA of Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, and participated as a board volunteer at the University of Maryland Hillel. Amy is a CPA and holds a degree in business administration from the University of Maryland.
Dorina joined Momentum in 2017. She previously worked as the Chief of Staff at the Office of the Embassy of Israel’s Head of Security in Washington, D.C., where she planned and produced diplomatic visits, and worked with State Department and White House officials to achieve Israeli security objectives. She served as a First Sergeant in the Israel Defense Forces from 2007-2009.
She will receive a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Maryland in December, 2019.
Dorina lives in Maryland with her husband and three children.
Orit is a senior executive with over 20 years of deep expertise in system management, strategy, and innovation. She is passionate about multi-sector partnerships, community building, and effective leadership cultivation.
Orit joined Momentum in March 2024 as COO to lead the organization’s operations, strategic growth, and marketing and its impact. Prior to Momentum, Orit worked as an executive in other nonprofit and for-profit organizations, such as itrek, where she led the organization programs, and the Israeli American Council (IAC), where she managed seven core programs in more than 20 communities nationwide. Orit also served as Chief Projects Officer at the Israel Innovation Institute, bringing innovative knowledge, methods, and processes into real-world settings, and served as a Jewish Agency Shlicha (emissary) three times.
Orit received her BA from the University of Haifa, Certificate in Corporate Social Responsibility Management, and completed the Hybrid Cohort of the Board Members Institute for Nonprofit from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
In her leisure time, Orit writes short stories, enjoys going to live concerts, and exploring new adventures.
Adrienne is a Momentum Educator.
Adrienne was a Canadian television personality specializing in fashion, style, and beauty for almost two decades before becoming a senior lecturer and community liaison at the Village Shul in Toronto, as well as an international Jewish educator. Adrienne has appeared on all major Canadian television networks and has served as the event host for dozens of charities and organizations.
Adrienne and her husband live in Toronto and have two sons.
Anna joined Momentum in 2017, with 15 years of experience in facilitating informal Jewish education and leadership programs in Israel, the FSU, and North America.
She previously served as the Director of Hillel at the Technion and Haifa University. She also held positions at the Oranim College of Education and at the Jewish Agency for IsraeI. She served as the Central Emissary for the Jewish Agency in New York, specializing in community organizing and program development for Russian-speaking Jews in North America. Anna completed her service in the Israel Defense Forces as a lieutenant with honors, and holds a bachelor’s degree in human services and political science, and an MBA in nonprofit management from Haifa University.
Born in Kiev, Ukraine, Anna now lives in Israel. She has two children.
Andrea joined Momentum in 2018.
Andrea previously served as the Executive Director of Jerusalem U, a film education organization based in the Old City in Jerusalem. She helped launch an international campaign called Step Up for Israel, which educated about anti-Israel sentiment and BDS on college campuses. Andrea also worked in marketing and advertising for the Public Broadcast Publishers and ran the Book and Cook Fair, a gourmet food show. Andrea grew up working in the Norman Rockwell Museum in Philadelphia, which was owned by her family.
Andrea lives in the Philadelphia area with her husband and three children.
Chaya joined Momentum in 2018.
Chaya previously served as an office manager and executive administrator for the KwaZulu-Natal branch of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies, and for the Jewish Durban Club. She has also worked as an executive assistant at an international shipping company and with a professional orchestra.
Chaya lives in Israel with her husband.
Daphna has been an event planner and designer for the last 17 years, owning her own business specializing in organizing Bar and Bat mitzvah events. Her clients were from Israel and all over the word. Daphna has always been involved in the community, organizes culture events for her synagogue in Modiin.
In 2019 Daphna was part of of the Momentum trip.
After she found out the meaning and the power of MOMENTUM, she understands how much it means for her to be involved in the connection between Israel and the diaspora.
Daphna was born in Antwerp, Belgium. She made Aliyah at the age of 18 and lives with her husband and 3 children in Modiin, Israel.
Einat grew up in Israel and relocated to the Greater Boston area in 2014. She joined Momentum as an Education Project Manager in 2024.
Einat has five years of experience in the Jewish non-profit sector as a Program Manager for the Israeli American Council (IAC). She then spent several years in HR roles in the start-up and high-tech industries. She holds a B.Sc in Nutritional Sciences from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a B.A. in Human Resources Management from Ben Gurion University’s Business School.
Einat lives in Natick MA with her husband, three children, and two cats and enjoys hiking and spending time with her family!
Born in Netanya, Israel, and having lived in Venezuela, the USA, and Panama, Einat is a multilingual enthusiast passionate about diverse cultures and experiences.
For the past six years, Einat has dedicated herself to various non-profit organizations, channeling her skills and experience to uplift communities in need. Most notably – prior to joining Momentum – she served as the director of Matan Baseter, Panema, and as the Resource Development Coordinator for Telfed ( The South African Zionist Federation – Israel).
Einat moved “ back home” in 2021 and lives with her husband and children in central Israel.
Gabrielle joined the Momentum team in 2022, initially applying her skills to our Partnership team before transitioning to her current role as a Project Manager within the Systems and Salesforce team.
With over 15 years of experience in administrative support, Gabrielle has developed a robust background in project coordination and systems management through her work with various Jewish non-profits and government agencies. Her expertise and dedication have been instrumental in advancing our projects and optimizing operational processes.
Gabrielle holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Judaic Studies from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a certificate in Nonprofit Human Service Management from Clark University.
Gabrielle and her family live in North Carolina, where she enjoys spending her evenings reading on her balcony overlooking the lake.
Before joining Momentum in 2015, Galia was a successful Momentum Community Leader in Santiago, Chile.
Galia has previously served as the Executive Director of Aish Chile and the Associate Director at the Queens College Hillel. She received a bachelor’s degree in business administration and economics from the Catholic University of Chile, and a master’s degree in public administration with a specialization in public and nonprofit management and policy from New York University.
Galia lives in Santiago, Chile with her family.
Ilene joined Momentum in 2017.
Ilene previously served as the Operations, Digital Leader with the GE Healthcare Communications team, where she supported a portfolio of digital platforms for both internal and external communications. Ilene has also worked at Northwestern Mutual, Sears Holdings, and NDS Technologies in Israel. Ilene lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with her husband and two children.
Ivonne Bengio works with our partners in Latin America, South Africa and Australia. Ivonne has been part of the Momentum family for years, serving as a Community Leader and a Momentum translator, and she also helped run Conferencia Momentum, our Latin American leadership conference.
Ivonne has extensive experience in the world of Jewish non-profits, having previously worked with a range of Jewish nonprofit organizations, including Aish Hatorah, NCSY Chile, and Shabbat Project Chile. While working with the Shabbat Project, Ivonne led a challah event with over 3,000 participants. Ivonne received a bachelor’s degree from Yeshiva University, with a major in marketing and a minor in management.
Ivonne lives in Aventura, FL with her husband and four children.
Janel joined Momentum in 2019. As a staff accountant, Janel’s work includes administering payroll and benefits, as well as budget planning and financial reporting.
Janel previously worked as a business manager at a Jewish Montessori school, as a budget analyst at the National Institute on Aging, and as a high school math teacher. She received a bachelor’s degree in secondary math education and an MBA in finance and entrepreneurship from the University of Maryland.
Janel lives in Rockville with her husband and four children.
Jennifer is Momentum’s Board Relations Manager, partnering with board members and senior staff to support effective governance, communication, and engagement. She oversees board operations, onboarding, and committee coordination, helping ensure that Momentum’s board work is organized, strategic, and mission aligned.
Jennifer previously worked on Momentum’s Education team, contributing to the development and management of key educational resources. She brings a thoughtful, relationship-centered approach to building systems that help leaders collaborate with clarity and purpose.
Based in the Washington, DC, Jennifer is a mother, lifelong learner, and advocate for inclusive community-building.
Jennifer joined the Momentum team in 2021.
With over 10 years of experience in Salesforce and systems management, Jennifer develops strategies that harness technology and transform the way we do our work.
Jennifer has extensive experience in the world of Jewish nonprofits having previously worked at Honeymoon Israel, Hillel at Arizona State University, and the Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning. She is a lay leader in her community and also provides professional operations support for a handful of local nonprofit organizations in Phoenix, Arizona.
Jennifer holds a Master’s in Public Administration from Arizona State University and a Bachelor’s in Communication and Judaic Studies from the University of Arizona.
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.
Judy joined Momentum in 2017.
She previously served as the Director of Advancement and Donor Relations at the JCC in Minneapolis. She was also the Program Director at Aish Minnesota, and the Training & Event Manager at Charthouse Learning.
Judy lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her husband and two children.
Kayla Frankel joined Momentum in 2013. Her responsibilities include trip logistics and management, interfacing with tour operators.
Kayla first joined Momentum as a Momentum Community Leader in Indianapolis. She previously taught in Indiana’s public school system. She has served as a lay leader on her children’s school board and in her synagogue’s sisterhood. Kayla received a bachelor’s degree in family studies and human development from Syracuse University.
Kayla made Aliyah with her husband and four children in 2013, They live in Ramat Beit Shemesh.
Laura joined the Momentum staff in 2022 but has been a part of the Momentum family since her first trip in 2015. She served in a variety of volunteer roles before officially joining the staff. As development coordinator, she supports the director of development and the rest of the development team. She loves being a part of the Momentum organization.
Before joining the Momentum staff, Laura worked as an administrator at Lowe Syndrome Association, an international non-profit that serves families who struggle with this rare genetic condition.
Laura lives in Orlando, Florida with her husband and two children, and is often found wearing her red Momentum superhero cape.
Leah Lubel joined Momentum in 2021, and in her role as an executive administrative manager, she supports the CFO.
Leah lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
Maya joined the Momentum team in 2021. Maya is an experienced multi-disciplinary manager with a unique blend of operational, analytical, and legal expertise.
Before joining Momentum, Maya was the General Manager for Barlev Architects, Ltd., where she conducted financial analyses, negotiated contracts, and managed all facets of the firm. Maya has also held managerial positions at Relocation Jobs and Tnuva.
Maya is a lawyer certified by the Israel Bar Association. She received both her LLB and MBA in Global Marketing from Tel Aviv University. Maya lives in Israel.
Maya is a dynamic and results-driven marketing professional with over eight years of experience building brand identities, driving engagement, and delivering innovative solutions. Specializing in content strategy, she combines creativity and strategic thinking to produce meaningful results.
Most recently, Maya served as the Content Marketing Manager at the Israeli American Council (IAC), where she developed and executed national marketing campaigns, crafted impactful messaging across platforms, and led creative rebranding efforts that boosted visibility and engagement. Her talent for blending compelling storytelling with strategic marketing allows her to thrive in fast-paced environments, working across departments to execute meaningful campaigns.
Maya earned her degree in communications from Reichman University (IDC), specializing in interactive communications. Fluent in English, Hebrew, Spanish, and Portuguese, she brings a diverse skill set that helps her connect with audiences and drive measurable success.
Nisa joined Momentum with over 20 years of leadership experience in 2020. She is overseeing the Program Department and the growing list of partnership organizations.
She has previously been involved locally and nationally with The Shabbat Project creating infrastructure, empowering Jewish leaders, and collaborating with a global team. Nisa spear-headed a partnership with Myriad Women’s Health resulting in a national campaign called The Pink Challah Bake Initiative helping to shift the paradigm around hereditary genetic cancer. She is an active community member serving on local boards and volunteers for various organizations.
Nisa lives in Baltimore, Maryland with her husband and 4 children.
Reut joined Momentum in 2019, and she has vast experience in Israel’s public sector. Reut previously served as an advisor to Dvir Kahana, the Director Manager of the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, responsible for public and media relations.Prior to that,
Reut has held various public office roles such as an “Hayamin Hachadash” party spokeswoman, MK Advisor at the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) and Spokesman and Media Advisor at Jerusalem’s Municipality.
Reut served in the IDF Spokesman’s Office for 6 years and continues to serve as a major in the reserves. Reut holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Asia Studies from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and master’s degree in public policy studies from IDC.
Ronit oversees Momentum’s education, leadership development, and evaluation programs. She joined Momentum with over 20 years of experience in those areas.
Ronit previously served as a consultant, helping Jewish institutions navigate systemic changes, adapting and implementing new pedagogies to manifest their educational vision. She is the founding designer and trainer of Hebrew College’s congregational project-based learning professional development, and has taught for a range of innovative adult learning initiatives. Ronit is a graduate of the Pardes Jewish Educators Program, and holds a Ph.D. from MIT’s Sloan School of Management.
Ronit and her family live in the Boston area.
Sharon started working for Momentum in early 2022. Her past experience involves creating a non-profit called the Oscar Litwak Foundation. The Foundation identifies the need and brings donations to hospitals across the USA and internationally. Along with her husband, she’s developed the Foundation as well as coordinated hundreds of volunteers in support of the non-profit’s mission to better the lives of hospitalized children. Sharon comes to us with a Master of Health Science from Johns Hopkins University.
Sharon is also a Momentum alum and has volunteered with us since 2015 in the LA area. She recently helped to recruit for and participated in the 2021 November Health Care Heroes trip. Sharon lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three daughters.
Prior to working this position worked in varied public sector-political positions, with vast experience in the Israeli business ecosystems.
She was formerly the CEO of The Blender HAC Innovation and Entrepreneurship center. Business Partner to the CEO and Content Manager at Wisio (recently acquired by Outlook). Served as VP of Business Development at an innovative BioMed hardware & software company, and was Program Director of the Executive Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program in the Jerusalem School of Business Administration, at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Tiferet serves as a board member at El-HaLev, and independently acted to promote legislation and policy change for rape-drug victims in Israel.
Yaakov manages Momentum’s database and provides database support to Momentum’s partners. He also provides support to the leadership development, accounting, and recruitment teams. Yaakov previously worked in product development and business consulting for Oracle Corporation, and also directed the first branch of Aish on Campus at the University of Maryland, College Park. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Whitman College, and a master’s degree in operation research from Northwestern University. Yaakov received rabbinical ordination from Yeshivat Aish HaTorah.
Yaakov and his family live in Israel.
With more than ten years of experience in the non-profit field, Zahava joined Momentum in early 2022.
Prior to joining Momentum, Zahava served as the Director of Israel and Jewish Advocacy at the Baltimore Jewish Council and the Assistant Coordinator for the Chicago chapter of YACHAD/NJCD. She studied at Darchei Binah Women’s School for Advanced Torah Studies in Jerusalem, received her bachelor’s degree in Judaic studies from Touro College, and a master’s in public administration with a focus in non-profit management from the University of Baltimore.
Zahava lives in Baltimore, MD with her husband and three children.
For Jewish mothers with children age 18 and under
Participants only pay their acceptance fee and airfare
To participate in the Momentum Yearlong Journey, women must live in close proximity to a Partner Organization. See our partners list here. Please notify your Community Leader with any updates to your application
Mainly for the husbands of Momentum sisters
$900 for Momentum husbands
Each man get a scholarship of $2,100-$2,400
Partner Organization contributes $700 per man
The Israeli Government does not contribute to the Men’s Trips
To participate, men must live in close proximity to a Partner Organization. See our partners list here. Please notify your Community Leader with any updates to your application
Communication Preferences
