Over several days, Los Angeles Jewish community members and those visiting from out of town got a respite from the anxiety-inducing fires happening around the city and took part in contemplative workshops designed by an organization integrating art therapy into Jewish spiritual practice.
Attendees of Temple Beth Am’s Kol Tefilla conference, held at the Conservative synagogue in Los Angeles from Jan. 9-12, participated in a series of creative exercise led by the Berkeley-based Jewish Studio Project; worshipped together over Kabbalat Shabbat and all day Saturday and took part in learning courtesy of Rabbi David Ingber of the New York-based community Romemu.
Jewish Studio Project Co-Founder and Creative Director Rabbi Adina Allen led several of the sessions during the weekend-long gathering. Her organization’s goal is harnessing the power of creativity to revitalize one’s relationship with Judaism.
Courtesy of Hadassah
Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, has named longtime nonprofit leader Ellen Finkelstein as its chief executive officer and executive director, effective Jan. 6.
Finkelstein most recently served as chief strategy officer in the office of institutional advancement at Yeshiva University, where she was responsible for annual giving, corporate and foundation relations, alumni services and engagement, and fundraising, among other public-facing areas. In this role, Finkelstein helped the university raise more than $90 million in a single year – the largest amount in the school’s history.
“I and the rest of Hadassah’s leadership team are delighted to welcome Ellen, a proven leader with extensive experience in Jewish communal work and an outstanding track record in institutional advancement,” Hadassah National President Carol Ann Schwartz said in a statement. “She is the perfect person to work with us to build on Hadassah’s accomplishments, increase its impact globally and lead the organization into the future.”
Finkelstein, a self-described Zionist, was born and raised in New Jersey, where she lives today. The graduate of University of Virginia began her career at Accenture Consulting. Before joining YU, she served as the director of marketing at Jewish Family and Children’s Services of Northern New Jersey.
She said she has long been inspired by the work of Hadassah.
“As a Jewish woman and a Zionist, there is no place I would rather be than at Hadassah,” she said. “With its commitment to Israel, its dedication to fighting antisemitism, its determination to improve healthcare for women and children and its mission to stay on the front line of medical advancement, Hadassah is playing a vital role in bringing the Jewish community together and helping us focus on what is important. I couldn’t be prouder to have this opportunity.”
Hadassah, the country’s largest Jewish women’s organization, with nearly 300,000 members, donors and supporters and a professional staff of 200, is focused on Israel’s security, combating antisemitism and promoting women’s health care. Its Jerusalem-based Hadassah Medical Organization provides healthcare to more than one-million people each year.
Americans for Ben-Gurion University (A4BGU) has appointed Andrea Goren, a third-generation supporter of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, as the new chairman of the organization’s board of directors.
Goren, a New York-based finance executive, assumed the role at the recently held A4BGU meeting in New York.
“I visited BGU for the first time when I was seven years old,” Goren said. “It has been part of my life for as long as I remember, and I have been privileged to witness its amazing growth and development over the years. I am deeply honored to lead A4BGU’s board at a time when it is more important than ever for Jews around the world to stand up and do what they can to secure a peaceful future for Israel.”
Goren, who succeeds immediate past chair Gary DeBode, has previously held a variety of senior roles on the A4BGU board, including treasurer, chairman of the finance committee, executive committee member and vice chairman.
In his appointment as board chairman, he is following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather as ambassadors for Ben-Gurion University.
“It is especially meaningful that Andrea is continuing his family’s legacy of support for BGU as chairman of A4BGU’s board of directors,” A4BGU CEO Doug Seserman said in a statement. “His leadership is a modern manifestation of the Jewish value of l’dor v’dor — from one generation to another. And, it couldn’t be happening at a more crucial juncture, when BGU is leading the way forward for Israel in the ongoing aftermath of the October 7th attacks. We wish Andrea our heartfelt congratulations on his new position and give our utmost gratitude to Gary DeBode for his four years of dedicated service.”
Ben-Gurion University, a public university in Beersheba, is the largest nongovernmental employer in the Negev. A4BGU’s primary role is to fundraise for the university, as most of the philanthropic support for the institution comes from the United States. The university was directly and disproportionately impacted by Oct. 7, with 117 dead from its community and 6,000 of its students serving in IDF reserve duty.
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