Greater Miami Jewish Federation

2024-2025 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Officers

Chair of the Board:

Lily Serviansky

Immediate Past Board Chair:

Ariel Bentata

Vice Chairs:

Matthew L. Adler

Elise Scheck Bonwitt

Steven J. Brodie

Amy Berger Chafetz

Mojdeh Khaghan Danial

Michelle Diener

Sidney Pertnoy

Brian Riemer

Sheree Savar

Tracey Spiegelman

Elise Udelson

Ray Ellen Yarkin

Richard Yulman

Secretary: Robert Hertzberg

Associate Secretary: Robert C. Gilbert

Treasurer: Michelle Ben-Aviv

Associate Treasurer: Elizabeth Schwartz

Nominated Board Members & National Representatives

Leonard Abess
Joe Ackerman
Daniel Ades
Sari Agatston
Isaac Almosny
Marissa Amuial
Tobi Ash
Sara Bejar
Leslie Benitah
Jaclyn Bergman
Paul Berkowitz
Fran Berrin
Alex Blavatnik
Noah Breakstone
Shelly Brodie
Melissa S. Buckner
David Deutch
Susan Diamond
Adrian Dubow
Beth Ertel
Susan Weiss Firestone
Steve Foldes
Julie Franklin
Michael Friedman
Harold Gernsbacher
Belinda Gilbert
Lisa E. Goldstein
Steven Gretenstein
Shelley Niceley Groff
Barry T. Gurland
Adriana B. Halac
Ricardo Halfen
Lisa Jerles
Larry Joseph
Ian Kaplan
Michael L. Katz
Josi Kiblisky
Joshua Kligler
Ilene Kossman
Lauren Leichtman
Jeffrey Levine
Mayra Lichter
Mark Meland
Ali Mendoza
Gail S. Meyers
Lloyd Myers
Gail J. Newman
Jeffrey E. Newman
Jonathan Plutzik
Tina Price
Stuart Ratzan
Brian Riemer
Lecia Rothman
Linda Schechter
Morrie Siegel
Michael R. Simkins
Brad Sokol
Michael Tabacinic
Denise Tamir
Ofer Tamir
Michael Wagner
Steven Wagner
Stanley Weinstein
Hedy Whitebook
Tammy Woldenberg
Ula Zusman

Appointed by the Chair of the Board

Terri Bachow
Ryan D. Bailine
Edward Beiner
Evan Berger
Joel Birnbaum
John M. Bussel
Rabbi Robyn C. Fisher
Daniel Fujita
Dr. Jaime Ghitelman
Clarita Kassin
Evelyn Katz
Alex Krys
Edie Laquer
Marc A. Levin
Diane Lieberman
Adrienne D. Messing
Isaac Mizrahi
Michael D. Rudd
Dr. Joel Sandberg
Raquel Scheck
Mytyl Simancas-Bister
Jacqueline Simkin
John Sumberg
Debra Braman Wechsler

Life Members

Saby Behar*
Helene Berger
Robert G. Berrin*
Brian L. Bilzin*
Andrew Blank
Norman Braman*
Honorable Amy N. Dean*
Rebeca Delaster
George Feldenkreis
Mikki Futernick
Ellie Ganz
Gary Gerson
Barbara Black Goldfarb*
Ezra Katz*
Ruben Kloda
Steven J. Kravitz*
Israel Lapciuc
Donald E. Lefton*
William Lehman*
Nancy Lipoff
Norman H. Lipoff*
Dr. Mark Oren
Nedra Oren*
Aaron Podhurst*
Dorothy Podhurst
Jeffrey Scheck*
Michael Scheck*
Maxine E. Schwartz
Dr. Joseph Singer

* Past President/Past Chair

Standing Committees

Administrative
Brian Riemer
Agency Support
Jennifer E. Fine
Joshua Kligler
Audit
Barbara Shrut
Building Operations
Steven Hurwitz
Bylaws & Governance
Rep. Elaine Bloom
Campaign Cabinet
Mojdeh Khaghan Danial
Elevate Leadership
Laura Koffsky
Executive Evaluation & Compensation
Lily Serviansky
Federation/Synagogue Relations
J. Joseph Givner
Rabbi Gayle Pomerantz
Financial Management
Matthew L. Adler
The Foundation of the
Greater Miami Jewish Federation
Sidney Pertnoy
Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach
Jessica Katz
Investment
Amir Gold
Israel & Overseas
Sheree Savar
Israel Engagement
David M. Scharlin
Jewish Community Relations Council
Steven Scheck
Jewish Volunteer Center
Elyssa Lewis
Marketing & Communications
Janice Lipton
Miami Beach Branch Board
Irwin Raij
Mishkan Miami of the
Greater Miami Jewish Federation
Robin Jacobs
Nominating
Isaac K. “Ike” Fisher
North Dade/Aventura Branch Board
Paul Kruss
Philanthropic Initiatives
Barbara Black Goldfarb
Planning & Distribution
Elise Scheck Bonwitt
Pledge Redemption
Andrew H. Wolf
South Dade Branch Board
Jason Haim
Women’s Philanthropy Board
Elise Udelson
Young Leadership Division
Maty Jamal
Joseph Katz

REPORT OF NOMINATING COMMITTEE

As Required in Bylaws

Center for the Advancement of Jewish Education
Mark Kravitz

Alper JCC Miami on The Jay Morton-Levinthal Campus
Andrew H. Wolf

Florida Hillel Student Representative
Melanie Wisniacki

Galbut Family Miami Beach JCC on the Simkins Family Campus
Michael Tobin (through 11/24)
Michelle Ben-Aviv

High School Student Representative
Brooke Wilensky

International Division Representative
Yosef Shwedel

Jewish Community Services of South Florida
Vanessa Ressler

Miami Beach Campaign Chair
Adam Bergman

Miami Jewish Health
TBD

Michael-Ann Russell JCC on the Sanford L. Ziff Campus
Josh Weingard

Mount Sinai Medical Center
Mark H. Hildebrandt

North Dade/Aventura Campaign Chair
TBD

Rabbinical Association of Greater Miami
Rabbi Judith Siegal

South Dade Campaign Chair
Scott Weingarden

Women’s Philanthropy Campaign Chair
Amanda Adler

Life Trustee

Jerry Blank

Council of Jewish Organizations

Ahavat Olam
Aish HaTorah South Florida
Alexander Muss High School in Israel
Alper JCC Miami on The Jay Morton-Levinthal Campus
American Committee for Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem
American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science
American Friends of Bar-Ilan University
American Friends of Beit Issie Shapiro
American Friends of The Hebrew University
American Friends of Magen David Adom
American Israel Public Affairs Committee
American Jewish Committee – Greater Miami & Broward Regional Office
American Technion Society, Greater South Florida Chapter
Americans for Ben-Gurion University
AMIT
Anti-Defamation League – Florida Region
Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center
BBYO
Bet Shira Congregation
Beth David Congregation
Beth Israel Congregation
Beth Moshe Congregation
Beth Torah Benny Rok Campus
Boys Town Jerusalem Foundation of America Southeast Region
Center for the Advancement of Jewish Education Chabad in South Beach
Congregation Dor Chadash
Congregation Shaaray Tefilah
Cuban Hebrew Congregation – Temple Beth Shmuel
FIU Global Jewish Studies Program, School of International & Public Affairs
Friends of Lubavitch of Florida
Friends of the Israel Defense Forces
Galbut Family Miami Beach JCC on the Simkins Family Campus
Gordon Day School
Greater Miami Jewish Federation
Habonim Cultural Club – Survivors of the Holocaust and Second Generation
Hadassah – Greater Miami Region
Hochberg Lower School, Posnack East
Holocaust Documentation and Education Center Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach
Israel Bonds
Israel Humanitarian Foundation
Jewish Community Relations Council of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation
Jewish Community Services of South Florida
Jewish Museum of Florida–FIU
Jewish National Fund
Jewish War Veterans
Kloda Whitebook Kesher Academy
Lehrman Community Day School
Maimonides Florida
Mechina of South Florida High School
Miami Jewish Health
Michael–Ann Russell JCC on the Sanford L. Ziff Campus
Mishkan Miami of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation
Mount Sinai Medical Center
NA’AMAT USA, Miami-Dade Council
National Council of Jewish Women Greater Miami Section
Ohev Shalom Congregation
Rabbi Alexander S. Gross Hebrew Academy (RASG)
Rabbinical Association of Greater Miami
Scheck Hillel Community School
The Shul of Bal Harbour
Skylake Synagogue
South Florida Shomrim Society
Sue and Leonard Miller Center for Contemporary Judaic Studies at the University of Miami
Talmudic University of Florida
Temple Beth Am
Temple Beth Or
Temple Beth Sholom
Temple Emanu-El
Temple Hatikvah/Homestead Jewish Center
Temple Israel of Greater Miami
Temple Judea
Temple Menorah
Temple Moses–Sephardic Congregation of Florida
Temple Sinai of North Dade
Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism Southeast Seaboard District
Women’s International Zionist Organization (WIZO)
Yeshiva Elementary School
Yeshiva Toras Chaim/Toras Emes
Young Israel of Greater Miami
Young Israel of Kendall

Don’t Miss The Main Event

Don’t Miss The Main Event

Be there for Israel and the Jewish people on Sunday, February 2 at The Main Event of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. The evening will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Loews Miami, 1601 Collins Avenue.

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Yerucham in Miami

Yerucham in Miami

A dozen leaders from Yerucham visited Miami last week to meet with their counterparts and develop future programming to strengthen the people-to-people connection between the two communities.

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Healing From the Trauma of War

Healing From the Trauma of War

Federation’s Israel Emergency Fund (IEF), which raised more than $30 million, is directing critical medical and trauma relief resources to strengthen the resilience of Israel Defense Force (IDF) reservists impacted by the war.

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Jewish Miami Comes Together for Everything but the Turkey

Jewish Miami Comes Together for Everything but the Turkey

In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, Federation’s Jewish Volunteer Center (JVC) bought together more than 600 volunteers to help Miami’s vulnerable residents have a happy holiday.

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