Leadership
Shari Safra, President
Shari Safra, AMIT’s President, is an experienced attorney and committed advocate for education and Jewish causes. Her involvement began in 2008 when she met an AMIT graduate who grew up in AMIT’s residential schools because he had nobody to care for him at home. He shared that AMIT’s Beit Hayeled Youth Village educators were the first people who supported him and how living there changed the direction of his life. Shari was deeply moved by AMIT’s extraordinary ability to nurture a sense of warmth and belonging among Israel’s children. Her engagement with the organization grew and she took on leadership roles. Her vision includes the integration of co-ed secular schools, vocational institutions, and facilities across diverse cities in Israeli society.
Shari seeks to broaden AMIT’s supporter base in the U.S., reaching out to individuals who are yet to find their place in a Jewish community or cause. She is driven by AMIT’s expansion to include all Israeli society, incorporating co-ed secular schools, vocational institutions, and facilities in diverse cities.
Prior to her presidency, she was a member of AMIT’s Executive Committee as VP Financial Resource Development and Ambassadors’ Club Chair. She joined the AMIT Board of Directors as Associate NewGen Chair. Shari completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania before pursuing a legal education at Fordham University School of Law. Her philanthropic work extends to her board position with the Hebrew Free Burial Association and significant involvement with the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Fund Executive Board and the Undergraduate Financial Aid Leadership Council.
Officers
Chana Holzer Shields, Chair of the Board of Directors, has served on the Board since 2009 and is a member of the Executive Committee. Chana has held several positions, including VP of Strategic Planning, Secretary, and VP of Marketing. Additionally, she acts as AMIT’s representative to the American Zionist Movement Board. Chana was president of the AMIT Philadelphia Council/Shira Chapter for several years, as well as a member of the NewGen Board. Professionally, Chana is the VP, Chief Operating Officer, and Director of Investor Relations at AscendAmerica, a boutique real estate private equity firm.
Michelle Chrein, Chair of the Board of Governors, enjoyed a long-standing career managing receivables for large New York City law firms. She has been active with AMIT since 2017, spurred by a visit to Israel with an AMIT mission. Michelle leverages her many years of experience and relationship-building skills gained in the corporate world and applies them in her nonprofit volunteer work. She serves on the Administrative Committee for her beloved synagogue, The Jewish Center, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Michelle holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Yeshiva University’s Sy Syms School of Business and a master’s degree in education from Adelphi University.
Ina Tropper, Vice Chair of the Board of Governors, has been active in AMIT in various capacities for over 40 years. As a young mother she was inspired by the mission of AMIT and committed to its growth and development. Ina has served as Chair of the Board of Directors, VP of Strategic Planning, member of the Executive Committee and the Financial Resource Development Committee, Chair of the Search Committee for Executive Vice President, Chair of the Nominations Committee, New York Regional VP, and member of the Constitution Revision Committee. She is a current member of the Finance Committee. Ina has also served on the Board of Directors of the Riverdale Jewish Center, SAR Academy, and the Drisha Institute.
Harriet Seif, Treasurer, has been involved with AMIT for over 30 years. She is a member of both the U.S. and Israel Executive Committees, as well as the Finance Committee. Harriet is a self-employed CPA and lives primarily in Israel. Harriet has a B.S. in accounting from Brooklyn College and an MBA from Baruch College. In addition to her involvement with AMIT, Harriet is a member of the Executive Council of the Etzion Foundation and is involved with the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. Before moving to Israel, she served on the finance committee of Ahavath Torah in Englewood, NJ.
Connie Kadish, Secretary, is a third-generation lifetime member of AMIT. While living in Chicago, she was active in her chapter and at the Chicago council level. She became involved on the national level shortly after her move to Teaneck, NJ. Currently, Connie is cataloging the print collection at the library of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. She has a degree from Brown University in Chinese history and worked at a commodities brokerage firm in Beijing.
Joyce Straus, Vice President, Financial Resource Development is a member of the executive committee. She has been involved with AMIT for many years and is continuing the legacy of her late mother-in-law, Gwen Straus. At AMIT, she has served as vice president of Israel programming and most recently has been chair of President’s Circle. In addition to AMIT, Joyce served for several years on the board of the Women’s Division of UJA of Northern New Jersey. She received her B.S. in psychology with a minor in art history from Barnard College and her master’s in physical therapy from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. In her professional career, she worked as a pediatric physical therapist. Joyce lives in New Jersey with her husband, Daniel.
Alex Luxenberg, VP of Marketing, has been involved with AMIT since 2008, when he founded the AMIT Future Leaders Initiative (AFLI). Professionally, Alex is a client partner at Meta, where he works with Facebook’s largest advertising partners. Prior to joining Meta, Alex held several roles in media and e-commerce, including leading a retail marketplace at INTURN, sales at Twitter, and financial planning and analysis at American Express. He currently serves as a trustee on the board of North Shore Hebrew Academy, where his children go to school. He studied English literature at Yeshiva University.
Sharon Merkin, VP of Strategic Planning, is a member of the Executive and Finance Committees and has been involved in AMIT for nearly 30 years. Her previous positions include Treasurer, VP of Leadership Development, Secretary, and most recently, Co-chair of the Board of Directors. Sharon’s AMIT journey began with a visit to Beit Hayeled, AMIT’s surrogate family home. She was an early member of the NewGen Board. Sharon is a graduate of Brooklyn College and earned her MBA at Columbia University. She lives in Englewood, NJ, and has been involved for years in her local synagogue, Ahavath Torah, as well as The Moriah and Ramaz Schools.
Robyn Price Stonehill, VP of Human Resources, was a founding member and former chair of the AMIT NewGen Board and serves on both the Executive and Finance Committees. Robyn has celebrated the bat mitzvah of all three of her daughters with the children of AMIT in Israel. She is EVP, Chief People Officer, at Sterling. Prior to that, she served in various executive leadership roles at Assurant, where she was most recently EVP, Chief Human Resources Officer. Before joining Assurant, she advised clients on benefits and retirement issues at Arthur Andersen and KPMG. Robyn serves as an advisory board member to BrightHire, an HR tech startup. She was previously a board member of the Athena Leadership Council at Barnard College, dedicated to advancing women leaders worldwide. She holds a B.A. in mathematics from Queens College of the City University of New York.
Tamar Benovitz, Chair of Israel Amutah, is a member of both the U.S. and Israel Executive Committees. Inspired by generations of women on both sides of her family, Tamar has been a supporter of AMIT from a young age. As a classroom teacher at SAR Academy, she understood the impact of quality education on future generations. In 2011, Tamar, her husband Tani, and their five daughters made Aliyah. As she transitioned her family, Tamar pivoted to a new career in fitness, teaching spinning and Pilates classes. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Stern College and a master’s degree in public policy from NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.
Lori Gerson, Associate Treasurer, serves on Israel’s executive board of AMIT and has worked on the NewGen Board and the Finance Committee. Lori learned about AMIT and its mission at a young age from her mother, who was and continues to be a dedicated and active member of AMIT in Chicago. In fact, during her own gap year, Lori went to Beit Hayeled to volunteer once a week, and recently, her daughter was a bat sherut at Beit Hayeled. Lori works at Yad Vashem’s International School for Holocaust Studies in the teacher training department.
Marisa Braunstein, Chair of Young Leadership, joined the board in 2021 as a proud Midreshet AMIT alumna (2011-2012). Marisa’s AMIT journey began as a child as she watched her mother volunteer with the Shalhevet chapter in Great Neck, NY. She has fond memories of delivering AMIT Mishloach Manot baskets each Purim to members of the Great Neck community and learning as a child what it meant to be part of something bigger than yourself. After spending her gap year at Beit Hayeled, AMIT’s surrogate family home in Gilo, Marisa continued her connection and involvement with AMIT in college by working with the AMIT Future Leaders Initiative (AFLI). Marisa is a graduate of Queens College and manages the One Happy Camper incentive grant program at the Foundation for Jewish Camp. She is honored to be deepening her lifelong connection with AMIT and looks forward to engaging young professionals in the life-changing work of the organization.
Regional Vice Presidents
Trudy Abramson, Regional VP Southeast, earned her doctoral degree in communications, computing, and technology in education from Columbia University. During her elementary years in Shulamith School for Girls, she joined Mizrachi Hatzair and has been involved with AMIT ever since. She was married to Rabbi Dr. Ted Abramson for 50 years. In 1994, they moved to Hollywood, FL, where she became a professor at Nova Southeastern University, mentoring more than 130 doctoral students until she retired in 2017 and was awarded emerita status. She and Ted, z”l, are members of the Ambassadors’ Club and longtime members of the President’s Circle, for which she started an endowment program. Currently, she is a member of the Board of Directors and the Board of Governors and is Education Vice President of the Southeast region.
Laura Eisenberg, Regional VP New England, lives in Brookline, Massachusetts, and has long been a devoted AMIT supporter. She worked for 20 years as the office administrator of a medical practice, and now does remote business office management. She is an active member of the Rabanna New England Chapter of AMIT and loves working with its enthusiastic and devoted board members to offer outstanding programs to the Boston community. Laura participates at the national level to strengthen fundraising initiatives, enhance outreach, and, with Israeli partners, continue to offer life-changing educational opportunities to AMIT children.
Judy Milstein, Regional VP Midwest, hails from a multigenerational AMIT family. Judy became active with AMIT when she first got married, having been inspired by her mother’s involvement with the organization. Now, her daughter and two of her grandchildren are active members. Judy served as Galila Chapter president and chaired various events at the chapter level. She also served on the Midwest Council Board and chaired the Annual Dinner in Chicago, and her children have chaired events for their age group. Judy is looking forward to continuing her work with AMIT.
Members at Large
Avi Adelsberg, Member at Large, has been a member of the Board for the past four years. In his professional life, Avi is a partner in his family’s real estate business. After graduating from the University of Maryland, he worked as a CPA in KPMG’s real estate and construction practice. Avi lives in New York with his wife and two children.
Beth Alter, Member at Large, most recently served as Regional VP Midwest. She is the third of five generations of AMIT life members. Her grandmother and mother were founding members of their chapters, and her daughters and granddaughters are life members. Beth’s involvement in AMIT spans over 30 years and includes being a founding member and past president of the Efrat Chapter Chicago and a past president of the Midwest Council. She has a bachelor’s degree in statistics from the University of Illinois at Chicago and works for Moshava Ba’ir Chicago. Beth is a proud mother of five children and eight grandchildren.
Karen Lustgarten Cole was born and raised in Barranquilla, Colombia. She received her bachelor’s degree in finance from St. John’s University and worked for JP Morgan and Lehman Brothers. In 2014, she founded KCole Consulting LLC to provide advisory services for companies looking to invest in South America. Karen is currently President of the Ramaz Parents’ Council. Her connection to the Jewish homeland and passion for education brought her to AMIT.
Suzanne Doft, Member at Large, is a member of the Executive Committee and has served as Chair of the Board of Directors, VP of Marketing, and VP of Strategic Planning. She is a graduate of the Ramaz School, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard Business School. She has worked at Lehman Brothers as a financial analyst; at Pfizer running U.S. marketing teams for multibillion-dollar products in various therapeutic areas; and as the VP of Marketing at Dapple, a natural cleaning products company for families with kids. Suzanne served on the executive board of UJA-Federation of New York and as co-chair of its campaign. She is currently the chair of UJA’s Mental Health Committee in the Caring Department. She is also a board member of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York and Bezalel, and she serves on the executive board of Penn Hillel.
Anne Golombeck, Member at Large, served most recently as VP of Israel Programming. She has had family roots in AMIT for many years, from her aunt, Daisy Berman, to her mother, Marilyn Moed. Anne got involved with AMIT when she was asked to join the first NewGen Board. After participating in the first NewGen mission, she was hooked! She was also on the Advisory Board that began Midreshet AMIT. Anne has co-chaired missions to Israel, and she and her husband, Shelly, are co-chairs of the AMIT Broadway Fantasy Camp event. Anne was a reading specialist at the Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway for over 25 years.
Caryn Golombeck, Member at Large, has been an active member of AMIT since 2006 and most recently held the position of Secretary. She served as Chair of the AMIT Future Leaders Initiative (AFLI) and on the boards of Young Leadership and NewGen. She is involved in the Long Island division of AMIT. Professionally, Caryn holds a master’s degree in speech and language pathology and a master’s degree in integrated curriculum with a focus on special education and instructional leadership. She is the literacy curriculum coordinator for kindergarten through second grade and the director of the collaborative program at the Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway (HAFTR).
Evan Green, Member at Large, is a member of the Executive Committee and most recently served as Regional VP for the West Coast. He is the founder and chairman of Personiv, a global provider of outsourcing services with a worldwide staff of over 3,000 people. Evan received his B.A. in business economics from the University of California, Los Angeles. Being true to his personal mantra of “Making a difference and having some fun along the way,” Evan brings fresh perspectives and laughter to the world through stand-up comedy and corporate speaking.
Elizabeth Straus Greenspan, Member at Large, is CareOne’s Executive Vice President as well as Special Projects Director for Charitable Giving and Events. A graduate of New York University, she developed a passion for elder care through volunteer work in her family’s nursing homes. At CareOne, Elizabeth is responsible for clinical services, finance, plant/facility operations, and the business development and marketing of more than 60 skilled nursing and assisted living facilities. Additionally, she is responsible for the company’s home health, hospice, pharmacy, and long-term acute care hospital operations. Her oversight of the charitable giving and events program has generated over $10 million for events and organizations benefiting employees of CareOne as well as outside organizations.
Evan Jerome, Member at Large, has been involved with AMIT in Westchester County for the past several years. He has been on the board of Westchester Day School since 2012, and he helps lead projects for Jewish organizations including StandWithUs and Teach NYS. Evan is a Senior VP for Monroe College and the King Graduate School. He is passionate about working on projects to strengthen the State of Israel and supporting quality educational programs and institutions in Israel. Evan holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Washington University and a master’s degree in Jewish studies from Columbia University.
Brenda is a graduate of the Yeshiva of Flatbush and received both her B.A. and M.A. from Brooklyn College. She was as an early childhood development educator with the New York City board of education. Later, she taught English as a second language for 10 years. Brenda has held multiple positions with AMIT’s Massada and Sabra chapters in the Five Towns on Long Island, New York. She has also served for many years on AMIT’s national board, holding various offices including vice president of development and chair of AMIT’s President’s Circle.
Elissa Katz, Member at Large, was raised in a family with a strong connection to AMIT. Her own involvement began about 25 years ago, when she organized and ran an apple picking event in her local community to raise funds for AMIT. More recently, she has served as co-chair of the annual Daniel Silva event and has helped organize and chair local AMIT events in the Teaneck community. Elissa resides in Bergenfield with her family and is actively involved in her synagogue, Congregation Keter Torah, having served as a past president of the ATARA Sisterhood. Elissa began her career as a data analyst before pursuing teaching. She is currently a mathematics teacher at the Frisch School, where she has taught for the past 11 years. Elissa holds a B.A. in economics from Brandeis University and an M.S. in statistics from Columbia University.
Rona Kellman, Member at Large, has been involved with AMIT since she was a young bride, and most recently served as Chair of the Board of Governors. She is the organizer of her chapter’s book club and has served as a Regional VP and chaired the Annual Dinner. Rona’s most enduring passion is the Gayl Shechter Chapter Purim Mishloach Manot project, which continues to be a profitable fundraiser for AMIT. Rona worked as a school psychologist in the NYC public school system for almost 20 years and served as co-chair of the hospitality committee at her synagogue, The Jewish Center. She is the proud grandmother of seven, five of whom have made Aliyah.
Meyer Koplow, Member at Large, is an executive partner at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, one of the world’s leading business law firms. He is also the executive editor and notes and comment editor of the New York University Law Review, as well as president of the Meyer G. and Ellen Goodstein Koplow Foundation. As champions of AMIT, Meyer and his family dedicated the Ellen’s Kids Program. Meyer has served on the Board of Directors of the UJA-Federation of New York and was formerly the president of Young Israel of New Rochelle. He received his bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University and his J.D. from New York University Law School.
Audrey Lookstein, Member at Large, has been involved with AMIT for more than 60 years. Along with other young women, Audrey co-founded the Gayle Schechter Mizrachi chapter in 1961. The chapter has grown over the years and currently has 200 members. During this time, Audrey has served on many different boards, including the AMIT Board of Directors. She has chaired dinners and events and has visited many AMIT facilities in Israel, the first of which was on her honeymoon.
Zipporah Marans, Member at Large, following in the footsteps of her mother, Libby Mann, has served on the board of directors since 1995 and for several years was a VP in charge of the Long Island and Brooklyn regions. Zipporah was on the editorial board of the AMIT magazine and was a frequent contributor to the magazine. For the past 25 years, Zipporah has been in charge of the Five Towns AMIT Sabra Book Club. Zipporah has a master’s degree in early childhood education from Queens College and was a second-grade teacher in the Hebrew department of a Belle Harbor yeshiva.
Daniel Miller, Member at Large, is a corporate finance professional specializing in private equity and turnaround and restructuring. He holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Southern California. Daniel sits on the board of trustees of his local Jewish Federation and Jewish Family and Children’s Services, but his true passion lies with Jewish education. He believes quality education that closes the opportunity gap is key to empowering youth to reach their greatest potential. Daniel hails from Los Angeles, but happily lives in Teaneck, NJ, with his incredible wife, Elana, and their daughters, Kira and Raquelle.
Elana Minkove, Member at Large, has recently held positions of Regional VP Tri-State and VP of Leadership Development. Elana’s commitment to AMIT started with her grandmother and mother in their local Chicago chapters and continues with her children. Her commitment was reinforced after a mission trip to the AMIT schools in Israel. Elana volunteers at her synagogue, Young Israel of New Rochelle, as well as at the SAR school. She has a master’s degree in social work from Yeshiva University.
Jennifer Bernstein Platt, Member at Large, manages a global operations team at Amazon Web Services, and previously worked for Ralph Lauren Corporation for a decade. She has been active with AMIT, together with her husband Geoffrey, since 2019. Jennifer actively engages with her Kehilath Jeshurun (KJ) and Ramaz community and holds a role as a board member for the KJ Sisterhood. She resides on the Upper East Side of Manhattan with her family.
Sara Meyers Sadinoff, Member at Large, lives in White Plains, NY, with her husband, Kenny, and daughters Gabrielle, Orlee, and Peri. Sara’s family has a long history of involvement with AMIT. Sara was born when her grandmother, Dorothy Shankman Silverstein, z”l, was National VP Mizrachi and was made a life member of what is now AMIT. Sara’s mother, Joan S. Meyers, z”l, was also active in AMIT on the local and national levels. The Meyers Foundation, of which Sara is chair, is actively involved with AMIT Carmeil. Sara served as a trustee of the Westchester Day School and is a past board member of the Hebrew Institute of White Plains. She currently serves on the board of the UJA-Federation of New York/Westchester Business & Professional Division. Sara is a member of the firm of Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP, a boutique elder law and trusts & estates firm in White Plains, NY. Sara sits on the Executive Committee of the Elder Law and Special Needs Section of the New York State Bar Association and is co-chair of the Guardianship Committee of the Westchester County Bar Association.
Leslie Schapira, Member at Large, is a TV writer/producer, currently writing and serving as consulting producer for “Harley Quinn” on MAX. Leslie has previously written on “Two and a Half Men,” “Big Shot” for Disney+, and the upcoming MAX comedy “Kite Man: Hell Yeah!” Leslie is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of UCLA and received her M.B.A. from UCLA Anderson School of Management. She serves on AMIT’s national board of directors and was the 2019 recipient of AMIT’s NewGen Emerging Leadership award. Additionally, Leslie co-runs a pro-Israel political network for young professionals in Los Angeles and is a member of the Jewish Federation’s National Young Leadership Cabinet. She also founded The EDIT, an Israel advocacy nonprofit.
Anne Zisholtz Wasserman, Member at Large, grew up hearing the words, “I’m off to a Mizrachi (AMIT) meeting” from her mother, Helene. Anne attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, earning a degree in recreational therapy. Choosing to specialize in special needs children and teens, she worked at several different facilities throughout the metropolitan area. Her focus changed when she married and had five children of her own. Being that Anne’s mother-in-law, Ellen, is also a proud and devoted AMIT member, it came as no surprise when Anne’s eldest daughter, Bailey, chose to attend Midreshet AMIT for her gap year in Israel. Visiting Beit Hayeled was the impetus that stole Anne’s heart and led her to join AMIT, following in the footsteps of her role models. Now that her children are married and have children of their own (two of whom made Aliyah and reside in Ramat Eshkol), Anne enjoys family time in New York and FaceTime when she’s unable to be in Israel.
Past Presidents
Audrey Axelrod Trachtman, immediate Past President, has served on the AMIT Board of Directors (BOD) since 2009. She serves on both the Executive and Finance Committees and previously held the positions of Treasurer and VP of Strategic Planning. In her professional career, Audrey was the VP of Finance and Strategic Planning for Philip Morris and General Foods Latin America and received the YWCA Women of Achievement Award.
Audrey currently serves on the Gabriel Project Mumbai BOD and is a member of the Westchester Chevra Kadisha and the Finance Committee of Darkhei Noam. She previously served on the Executive BOD of the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance and the BOD of Young Israel of New Rochelle. She is a co-founder of Kol Echad, New Rochelle’s partnership minyan. Audrey is a CPA and has an MBA from the Wharton School. She and her husband, Chaim, are the parents of Sarah (and Josh), Rebecca and Tali (and Rafi), and grandparents of Leora, Eli, Elinor, Aliza, Noah, and Annie.
Debbie Moed, a Past President and a member of the Executive Committee, has held various leadership roles during her nearly 40 years of involvement with AMIT. She served as VP of Financial Resource Development and VP of Israel Programming, and she was the inaugural Chair of the New Generation Board, founded in 2003. Debbie hails from a family that has been active in AMIT for three generations.
In addition to her positions at AMIT, Debbie worked for decades as a bid representative at Sotheby’s and served in various capacities at the Moriah School and the Frisch School, and on the Board of Trustees of her synagogue, Congregation Ahavath Torah. She served as Senior Advisor to the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations’ Young Leadership division and is currently a member of Operation Benjamin’s Board of Trustees. She has a B.A. in fine arts from New York University and lives in Englewood, NJ, with her husband, Sam. Debbie is the proud mother of Eric and Caila, Jonathan and Zoe, and David and Maya, and the adoring grandmother of Claire, Golda, and Caleb.
Deborah Isaac, Past President from 2011-2015, has served as Treasurer, Chair of the Finance Committee, Regional Vice President, and member of the Executive Committee. She was a founding member of the AMIT NewGen board, is a founding member of the advisory board of Midreshet AMIT in Jerusalem, and currently oversees AMIT’s real estate assets and investments in Israel. Deborah was also a member of the committee that significantly revamped AMIT’s constitution and organizational structure. She was elected President of the American Zionist Movement at the AZM Biennial National Assembly on June 22, 2021. She was previously a member of the AZM National Board as well as a delegate of the Orthodox Israel Coalition slate to several World Zionist Congresses. Deborah is a member of the Presidium of the Vaad Hapoel/Zionist General Council of the World Zionist Organization on behalf of Mizrachi, and she represents AZM at the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.
In 2009, Deborah was awarded the prestigious Herzl Award by the World Zionist Organization at the Biennial Assembly of the American Zionist Movement. Deborah is also a founder and steering committee member of the Westchester/Riverdale chapter of i-Shine, a volunteer-run after-school program for children ages 4-13 from families contending with serious illness or death in the immediate family. In addition to being a former member of the board of Young Israel of New Rochelle and a former trustee of Westchester Day School in Mamaroneck, Deborah pursued a career as a corporate reorganization attorney for Fortune 500 companies at Kaye Scholer in New York City and as a real estate attorney at Cuddy & Feder in White Plains. She is a graduate of Barnard College and New York University School of Law and spent a year studying in Israel at Orot College. Deborah and her husband, David, reside in New Rochelle, New York. They are the parents of four grown children, Tani and Molly, Jared, Eliana and Alex, and Arielle, and they have two granddaughters, Evie and Abby.
Francine Siegel Stein, M.D., a Past President, has been involved in AMIT for many years, first in her local chapter and later assuming leadership roles nationally. She served as Chair of the Program Committee, Regional VP, and Chair of the Board of Directors before assuming the role of National President. Most recently, she chaired the Constitution Committee, and she continues to serve on the Finance Committee.
Francine is the immediate past Chair of the National Board of the American Zionist Movement and is an associate member of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency for Israel. She is also a committee member of the board of World Mizrachi. Francine is active in her shul and is a practicing developmental behavioral pediatrician in Englewood, NJ.
Jan Schechter, a past president previously served as treasurer and vice president for wills and bequests among many other positions held in her 40 years of involvement with AMIT. She is the third generation of her family to be involved in AMIT. Jan also serves on the board of the American Zionist Movement and the American Section of the World Jewish Congress. She served as president of the Stern College Alumnae Association and in many capacities in local organizations. Jan has a B.A. degree from Stern College of Yeshiva University and a J.D. degree from Brooklyn Law School.
Sondra Sokal, a Past President, served as Treasurer and VP for Fundraising and is on the Finance Committee. She did her graduate work at City University of New York in international relations and public policy. Sondra has served as Treasurer of the American Zionist Movement, President of the Mikvah Association of Nassau County, and VP of the Young Israel of West Hempstead. She serves on the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency for Israel and the expanded Executive of the World Zionist Organization, along with the board of the Religious Zionists of America. She is co-chair of Works Mizrahi. A lifelong Zionist, Sondra fulfilled her dream of becoming a citizen of Israel eight years ago.
Norma Holzer has long cultivated her family’s storied history of service to AMIT Children. It all began with her mother Dina Dyckman, z”l, a past president (the eighth) of Mizrachi Women’s Organization of America, 1957-1962. Norma’s fate was sealed as Dina left an indelible mark on the organization. Thirty years after her tenure as president, Norma was inaugurated as the seventeenth president of AMIT: the first time a daughter of a president of a major Zionist organization stepped into the same position.
Norma was only 12 years old when she joined a Manhattan chapter of Mizrachi Buds and began her involvement with AMIT. One might think having a mother like Dina as a role model made her involvement a foregone conclusion. Dina, however, did not push her daughter into volunteerism. She simply led by example. It is abundantly clear to anyone looking, commitment is a dominant character trait that continues to reverberate through the Dyckman/Holzer family tree.
As a young adult when Norma and Rabbi Emanuel Holzer, z”l, wed and were living in Texas, Norma joined her local Mizrachi chapter. It was there her dedication to AMIT took root. By the time she returned to New York and was hosting Mother-in-Israel events, her devotion had grown and her AMIT career was launched. She served as Queens council co-chairwoman, co-chair of the National Membership Committee, and was a member of the board of directors. Eventually she became president, following in her mother’s illustrious footprint. During her tenure she oversaw the dedication of the AMIT Ginsburg School of Science and Technology in Haifa, she helped implement a specialized training program for Soviet immigrants at AMIT Beersheva, and she inaugurated the AMIT Hesder (pre-army) Yeshiva in Tzfat.
AMIT Children is the fortunate benefactor of the intense commitment to Zionism and the Jewish ideal that Norma and her family have worked so hard to instill in so many others. Thanks to them, the Holzer legacy of participation continues to this day, showing no signs of slowing down.
Frieda C. Kufeld, z”l, 1983-1987
Roselle Silberstein, z”l, 1979-1983
Sarah Shane, z”l, 1975-1979
Evelyn Schreiber, z”l, 1973-1975
Ruth Jacobson, z”l, 1969-1973
Agatha Leifer, z”l, 1966-1969
Nathalie Resnikoff, z”l, 1962-1966
Dina Dyckman, z”l, 1957-1962
S. Deobrah Ebin, z”l, 1954-1956
Ella Lewis, z”l, 1951-1954
Mollie Gollub, z”l, 1949-1951, 1956-1957
Dvorah Masovetsky, z”l, 1947-1949
Belle Goldstein, z”l, 1942-1946
Jrena Shapiro, z”l, 1934-1942
Adela Goldstein, z”l, 1925-1934
Board of Governors
CHAIR
Michelle Chrein
VICE CHAIR
Ina Tropper
Trudy Abramson
Sarah Aghion
Joan Bellows
Lee Benjamin
Zelda Berger
Haddasah Bienenfeld
Andrea Bier
Evelyn Blachor
Deborah Stern Blumenthal
Ethlynne M. Brickman
Elaine Brief
Adele Brody
Adrianne Brum
Myrna Buckman
Alice Burstein
Shevi Cohen
Marion Crespi
Judy Daniels
Hattie Dubroff
Jewel Edelman
Linda Eichler
Sherry Eidelman
Vivian Falk
Iris Feldman
Debbie Feuer
Jeanne Finkelstein
Chaya Flank
Lilly Friedman
Vivian Sue Fuller
Debby Gage
Rachel Gatenio
Debbie Geller
Rita Geller
Sharon Gertz
Miriam Glaubach
Paulette Goldberg
Esther Goldman
Shulamith Goldstein
Ilka Gordon
Eudice Greenfield
Harriet Gussin
Karen Hochberg
Sifrah Hollander
Norma Holzer
Deborah Isaac
Elaine Jacobs
Suzanne Javitt
Judy Joffe
Barbara Joseph
Karen Kaplan
Lily Kaplan
Marilyn Kaplan
Rise Kaufmann
Rochelle Stern Kevelson
Susan Alter Klaperman
Laurie Koppel
Cara Krashin
Ruth Krasner
Rochelle Kraut
Rochelle Kroll
Esther Landsman
Aviva Lichtenstein
Roslyn Linderman
K.C. Littner
Esther Lopata
Meira Max
Naomi Max
Mimi Mehlman
Lisa Meyers
Debbie Moed
Marilyn Moed
Ruth Musher
Hope Berger Nathan
Miriam Neuman
Ava Nussbaum
Judith Poretsky
Barbara Rascoff
Joyce Raskas
Dorothy Raul
Dorene Richman
Debbie Rochlin
Evelyn Rochlin
Andrea Penkower Rosen
Miriam Rosenblum
Rachelle Rosenfeld
Hedda Rudoff
Betty Atlas Rumelt
Jan Schechter
Sami Schindelheim
Judith Schreiber
Rita Schwalb
Diana Schiowitz Schwartz
Sema Shaffer
Deanne Shapiro
Ruth Shapiro
Ethel Shiner
Mollie Siegel
Sandy Kline Small
Cathy Snyder
Sondra Sokal
Sheryle Spar
Sydelle Spero
Francine Stein
Adina Straus
Zahava Straus
Aviva Hoschander Sulzberger
Audrey Axelrod Trachtman
Orlee Turitz
Audrey Wagner
Paula Walter
Ellen Wasserman
Suzanne Weilgus
Judy Weiss
Marion Weiss
Rosalyn Weitzner
Barbara Wieder
Sondra Willner
Helene Zisholtz
Management
Andy Goldsmith serves as the Executive Vice President of AMIT. In roles throughout his 20-year Jewish communal service career, he has helped maintain and build the “living bridge” between the diaspora community and Israel.
Fresh out of law school, Andy’s career began at the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society in the midst of the great immigrant influx from the former Soviet Union where he worked to mainstream an immigrant population to American Jewry. From there he served a stint at UJA Federation of Bergen County in New Jersey where he gained the experience of building a community as Director of Planning and Allocations. He then moved onto the One Israel Fund where he connected passion for Israel to tangible betterment of people’s lives, and most recently he served as Assistant Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Yeshiva University. He lives in Cedarhurst, N.Y., with his wife, Yaffa, and six children. He can be reached at AndrewG@amitchildren.org.
Robbie Fried has nearly two decades of experience working as a non-profit professional. Prior to joining the AMIT team, she worked at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades based in Tenafly, NJ, and before that at UJA-Federation of New York. At AMIT, she is leading the organization’s Strategic Planning Initiative, acts as the Board Liaison, manages the New Gen Team, and organizes our outreach efforts to Long Island and NJ.
Robbie received her B.A. from McGill University and her Master’s in Social Work & Certificate in Jewish Communal Service from Wurzweiler School of Social Work of Yeshiva University. Robbie resides with her husband and four daughters in Teaneck, NJ. She can be reached at RobbieF@amitchildren.org.
Genene Kaye has nearly three decades of experience working as a non-profit professional. She is passionate about the Jewish community, both here and in Israel, and has been fortunate to spend her career forging relationships within the two. Prior to joining AMIT, she held positions at American Friends of Nishmat, Yeshiva University, UJA Federation of Northern New Jersey, and the Moriah School of Englewood.
Genene received her Master’s degree in Public Administration with a specialization in Jewish Communal Services from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Yeshiva University’s Stern College for Women.
She can be reached at GeneneK@amitchildren.org.
Karen oversees AMIT’s accounting and finance department, including budgeting, financial statements, 990s, investments and coordinates finances with the AMIT network in Israel. Karen has over 25 years of combined accounting experience at various for-profit and non-profit organizations. She graduated from Brooklyn College with a B.S. in Accounting and has partially completed an MBA at Baruch College. She also has a Certificate in Management Accounting. She can be reached at KarenB@amitchildren.org.
Robin Rothbort has been working in non profit for more than 25 years. She has been with AMIT in various roles since 2004.
Robin currently is the National Director of Development.
Robin earned a BA in business administration from St. John’s University. She has been on the board of both her synagogue and parents association. She can be reached at RobinR@amitchildren.org.