Meet the 2026 Cohort of Light Lab Ignite!
Nomi Adams
Family & Teen Engagement Specialist, Baltimore Hebrew Congregation
Naomi Adams is the Teen & Family Engagement Specialist at Baltimore Hebrew Congregation. After graduating from McDaniel College, Nomi spent four years working at Pearlstone Center farming and leading Jewish nature-based programming. Through a partnership with Baltimore City Schools at Pearlstone Center, Nomi was inspired to pursue a Master’s in Social Work at the University of Maryland. Once licensed, Nomi worked as a school-based therapist in Baltimore City, focused on play and movement-based therapy. In her current role, Nomi utilizes all these skills to engage with families and teens through a variety of events and programs. You can find her singing with preschoolers, teaching high schoolers, or partying at the Purim Carnival. Nomi’s love of communal singing started around the campfire at sleepaway camp, and ignited a lifelong passion of songleading. Outside of work, Nomi loves to crochet everything from kippot to stuffed animals and play board games with friends. She lives in Baltimore City with her husband Keith, their kids, Bina and Hallel, and their dog Milo.
Kelly Cohen
Senior Program Director, Center for Experiential Jewish Education, Marcus Jewish Community Center (Atlanta, GA)
Kelly Cohen is the Senior Program Director of the Center for Experiential Jewish Education at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta (MJCCA), where she leads initiatives that bring Jewish learning to life for children, teens, and families across the community. Her work focuses on creating meaningful, accessible Jewish experiences that integrate tradition, creativity, and community-building in everyday spaces—from camps and youth sports to family holiday programs and teen leadership initiatives. Kelly is especially passionate about helping young people and families find authentic entry points into Jewish practice, including prayer (tefillah), ritual, and reflection. She designs programs that invite participants not only to learn about Jewish traditions but to experience them in ways that feel personal, joyful, and relevant. Through music, storytelling, hands-on activities, and communal moments of tefillah, she creates environments where Jewish learning feels alive and participatory. A respected leader in the field of experiential Jewish education, Kelly frequently collaborates with international Jewish educational initiatives and organizations including the Pardes Institute, M², and BBYO. Her work centers on strengthening Jewish identity through relationships, curiosity, and shared experiences. Through her leadership, Kelly seeks to cultivate spaces where Jewish life is lived, explored, and shared across generations—empowering children and families to see themselves as active participants in the unfolding story of the Jewish people.
Jessie Gindea
Executive Director, Jewish Learning Experience (Louisville, KY)
Jessie Gindea is the inaugural Executive Director of the Jewish Learning Experience (JLE) in Louisville, Kentucky, where she is helping to launch a seriously joyful model of supplemental Jewish education. Opening in the upcoming academic year for students in kindergarten through 12th grade, JLE is a Hebrew school grounded in deep learning and robust family engagement. Jessie is passionate about creating an environment that honors both rigor and joy, where Jewish education is meaningful, accessible, and rooted in community. Jessie has worked across a wide range of Jewish educational settings, including Hebrew schools, day schools, overnight camps, Israel trips, and student travel programs abroad. These experiences have shaped her approach and inform her work as she brings a breadth of knowledge and perspective to building a model where learning is both joyful and serious, and where foundational Jewish identity exploration is central. Jessie is inspired by everyday moments of connection, whether in the classroom, around the Shabbat table, or within the community, and is continually exploring how to infuse more joy into Jewish organizational life. She is excited to learn alongside colleagues in this High Holiday cohort and to deepen the ways we create meaningful, accessible, and transformative Jewish experiences.
Susanna Grant
Director of Education and Programming, Temple Beth Israel (Fresno, CA)
Susanna Grant has worked for over 20 years in education, beginning as a high school English teacher and a 7th grade Sunday School teacher at Temple Beth Israel, Fresno. After living in Israel for three years teaching English as a second language at Kfar Hayarok in Ramat HaSharon, she returned to the US and worked at Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, a conservative synagogue, as the Educational Coordinator in the Religious School. Upon returning to Fresno, she accepted a position as Director of Education and Programming at TBI. She is a 2025 graduate of Hebrew Union College's Executive Masters Program and is in Cohort 12 of MTEI. She is married to her husband Brandon, is mom to two sons; Xander and Everett, and four cats: Gracie, Zelda, Sister and Yongo.
Rebecca Hirschwerk
Director of Congregational Education, Reconstructionist Synagogue of the North Shore (Plandome, NY)
Rebecca Hirschwerk is an educator and community builder with a background in both museum education and Jewish studies. Her work sits at the intersection of art, Jewish thought, and lived experience, using creative inquiry and reflective practice to help learners of all ages engage Jewish ideas as a guide for personal meaning, ethical action, and communal life. Rebecca has taught at RSNS for over 15 years and currently serves as the Director of Congregational Education. She directs The RSNS Synagogue School, programming and designing meaningful educational experiences for children, teens, and adults that emphasize experiential learning and invite students to celebrate their Jewish identities out loud and with pride—engaging mind, body, and soul. A founding member of the RSNS Shabbat Band, Rebecca contributes to the musical life of the synagogue through song leading, services, and school throughout the year. She is especially passionate about cultivating moments of connection that spark curiosity, empathy, and shared meaning.
Eve Miller
Manager Jewish Life and Learning
Eve Miller is Manager of Jewish Life and Learning at the J Los Angeles and a current Mandel Fellow, bringing a dynamic and joyful approach to Jewish learning and programming. For the last two years she has assisted with programs and events, including after school programs, teaching one-on-one Hebrew, early childhood music, and songleading. In addition to her work with JLA, she teaches at IKAR as a 4th grade religious school teacher and previously taught religious school with Wilshire Boulevard Temple. Originally from Orlando, Florida, Eve attended UCLA where she earned a BA in English and Creative Writing. When not working she enjoys spending her time rock climbing, seeking out the best lavender latte, and walking her very large goldendoodle.
Hagit Moverman
Education Director, Agudath Achim (Attleboro, MA)
I was born in Israel, where I completed high school and a master's degree in the History of the Jewish People at Tel Aviv University. At same time, I worked as a high school History teacher in Tel Aviv. During those years, I met my husband David, an American Jew who came to Israel for an ophthalmology fellowship at Sheba Medical Center. We married and moved to the United states shortly thereafter. In the US, I enrolled and received a master's degree in Jewish History and Education from Hebrew college and began a PhD program at Brandeis University, though I didn't complete it. In the United States I have worked as a Hebrew teacher in both Hebrew day schools and religious schools, and later served as a Family Education Director. I currently serve as the Director of Congregational Learning at Agudath Achim in Attleboro, Massachusetts. David and I live in MA, and have 3 children.
Rabbi Allison Peiser
Education Director, Congregation Beth Shalom (Naperville, IL)
Rabbi Allison Peiser (she/her) started her role as the education director at Congregation Beth Shalom in Naperville, IL in June 2025 after working in the Boston area for over 10 years. In addition to Boston, Rabbi Allison has lived and worked in communities in many parts of the country including Dallas, TX, Los Angeles, CA, Fort Collins, CO and Philadelphia, PA. She is passionate about all Jewish people discovering their unique connection to their Jewish identity. For Rabbi Allison, Jewish music has been a special access point for this connection. She can often be heard whistling/humming tunes while doing other activities. She is looking forward to expanding her tool box through the Light Lab Ignite! Cohort.
Haley Riemer-Peltz
Songleader, Jewish Community of Amherst (MA)
Haley Riemer-Peltz is a cantorial soloist, songleader, and music educator. She grew up loving to sing in a reconstructionist congregation in Massachusetts. Since graduating college, she has worked primarily as a gigging and recording musician in Brazil and the US. Her yearning for Yiddish music and culture led her to begin working as a chazanit in a conservative congregation in São Paulo, Brazil, and to start a Klezmer band with the shul’s pianist. Haley’s work in the Jewish world has always been closely aligned with her mission to connect across diverse cultures through music. She currently offers musical leadership at the Jewish Community of Amherst, both in services on the liturgical team and with students from preschool through b’nai mitzvah. She also leads Jewish holidays and monthly shabbat services at an independent/assisted living facility for seniors in Lincoln, MA. Haley received her Master’s in Jazz Composition and Arranging from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2021, and will begin a PhD in Music Education, also at UMass Amherst, in the fall of 2026.
Rabbi Paula Rose
Associate Rabbi, Congregation Beth Shalom (Seattle, WA)
Rabbi Paula Rose has served as the associate rabbi of Congregation Beth Shalom in Seattle, Washington since graduating from the Jewish Theological Seminary with Master of the Arts in Talmud and rabbinic ordination in 2017. She earned her B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis, with a major in Jewish, Islamic, and Near Eastern studies, and a minor in psychology. Throughout her studies, Rabbi Rose worked in a wide array of rabbinic fields: on college campuses, at summer camp, and as a hospital chaplain, but she fell in love with the varied nature, intergenerationality, and potential for relationship building in congregational life. Beyond her rabbinic work, she loves being near water, listening to podcasts, doing puzzles of all kinds, and spending time with her family.
Charlie Sherman
Head of School, Am Yisrael Conservative Congregation (Northfield, IL)
Charlie Sherman joined Am Yisrael in July 2010. A native of St. Louis Park, Minnesota, his passion for Judaism was shaped by his synagogue community, his schools, Camp Ramah in Wisconsin, and formative trips to Israel. Charlie earned two bachelor’s degrees through the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS)–Columbia University joint program and later completed a Master’s degree at the William Davidson School at JTS. He began his career as a full‑time Jewish educator in 1998 at the Rodeph Sholom School in New York City, where he also served as Educational Director at Congregation Or Zarua. Before moving to Chicago, Charlie was the Jewish Studies Principal at Milwaukee Jewish Day School.
Charlie is a 2025 recipient of the Or Zarua Award from the Jewish Educators Assembly (JEA) and a 2005 recipient of the Grinspoon‑Steinhardt Award for Excellence in Jewish Education, recognizing his work as a teacher, mentor, and leader. He remains an active member of the JEA on both national and regional levels and is an alumnus of the Matan Institute for Education and Youth Directors and the Mandel Teacher Educator Institute (MTEI). Charlie and his wife, Laura, are the proud parents of two adult children and one 11‑year‑old child.
Jacob Shinder
Music and Program Associate, Temple Emanuel of South Hills (Pittsburgh, PA)
Jacob Shinder is a recent graduate from the University of Pittsburgh, originally from Closter, NJ. He majored in Religious Studies and Vocal Music Performance and earned a certificate in Jewish Studies. His songleading career began during the Covid pandemic, where he led Shabbat services on Zoom for his youth group peers in NFTY-GER (Garden Empire Region). In Pittsburgh, Jacob has enjoyed leading services at the Hillel Jewish University Center of Pittsburgh and Rodef Shalom Congregation. Jacob also served as the head songleader for URJ Camp Harlam (2023-25). In addition to his school work, Jacob played trumpet with the Pitt Marching and Pep Bands. After joining Temple Emanuel of South Hills for the 5786 High Holidays, he joined the Temple Emanuel Team as Music and Program Associate after graduating from Pitt. In addition to leading services, playing trumpet at school football games, and singing with the Pitt Men’s Glee Club, Jacob enjoys visiting local retirement homes where he leads residents in communal song with familiar music. Jacob is excited to be part of the Light Lab Ignite cohort and learn among other Jewish professionals!
Rabbi Talia Stein
Associate Rabbi, Temple Sinai (Brookline, MA)
Rabbi Talia Stein is the Associate Rabbi at Temple Sinai in Brookline. She was ordained from Hebrew College Rabbinical School in June 2020, and she has been at Temple Sinai ever since! Her primary responsibilities focus on building and deepening engagement with current and potential members, especially in Sinai's families with young children and religious school community, supporting and guiding the work of Tzedek@Sinai, community organizing, and our social justice efforts at large, and participating in the leadership of Shabbat and holiday prayer and rituals. Before rabbinical school, Talia worked as a community organizer in Chicago. She then served as the Director of Jewish Student Life at the University of Washington in Seattle. As a rabbinic student, she completed fellowships with T’ruah: the Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, both domestically and in Israel and Resetting the Table and served as the rabbinic intern at The Boston Synagogue and Temple Beth Shalom in Needham. Talia loves to spend her time outside of work with her family and friends, exploring nature, buying new houseplants, and searching for Boston’s best Thai food.
Dan Swartz
Education Director, Beth El Hebrew Congregation (Alexandria, VA)
Dan Swartz serves as the Education Director at Beth El Hebrew Congregation in Alexandria, Virginia. He brings to the role a lifelong love of Jewish music and community, having grown up at Temple Beth Israel in Skokie, Illinois, where he later became a religious school teacher (3rd, 4th, and 7th grades), music teacher and shaliach tzibur. Today, he continues to share that passion by writing Jewish music and playing guitar with the children at Beth El. Dan’s professional background spans both Jewish and secular education. Before entering synagogue education, he spent over two decades in public education, serving as curriculum coordinator, curriculum director, and assistant superintendent in the northern suburbs of Illinois. He is known for his leadership in curriculum development, educational equity, and community engagement. Dan is currently pursuing an Executive Master’s in Jewish Education through Hebrew Union College’s EMA program. He is also deeply committed to diversity and educational leadership, as reflected in his involvement with several statewide and national organizations.
Dan lives in Northern Virginia with his wife, Marsha, and their daughters, Sophie and Emily. Their home is also shared with two beloved rescue dogs, Lily and Rosie.
Josh Troderman
Director of Youth and Family Education, Congregation Shirat Hayam (Swampscott, MA)
Josh Troderman is a seasoned Jewish educator with over 25 years of experience creating inclusive, spiritually engaging learning environments in schools, synagogues, and camps. He holds an M.A. from The William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education at JTS and has held leadership and teaching roles at The Rashi School, Rodeph Sholom School, Prozdor, and Camp Ramah, among others.
Josh co-founded JChoice.org, a platform for teen-driven philanthropy, and later served as President and CEO of ShalomLearning for 7 years, where he helped grow the organization to serve over 13,000 students and 1,800 educators in 250 synagogues across 8 countries.
Also a musician, storyteller, and creative producer, Josh brings energy, heart, and imagination to all he does. He currently lives in Nahant and has two children in college, Eden and Eli.
Tova Wienronk
Director of Educational and Young Family Programming, Temple Emunah (Lexington, MA)
Tova Wienronk is the Director of Educational and Young Family Programming at Temple Emunah in Lexington, MA. Among the various roles she fills at Temple Emunah are leading and coordinating programs for families with young children, advising the 3rd-12th grade youth groups, and teaching in the Religious School and Teen Program. Tova began her work in this field as a preschool teacher. She continues to love working with the littlest ones in addition to kids and teens of all ages and their families. Outside of Temple Emunah, Tova enjoys rock climbing, exploring new coffee shops in her neighborhood, and bringing her creative energy everywhere she goes.
meet our guest faculty!
Ellen Dreskin
Cantor Ellen Dreskin is a communal prayer leader, educator, spiritual director, and mentor in the areas of liturgy, worship, and spiritual practice. She educates toward a deeper understanding of prayers (both traditional and contemporary), and the act of prayer itself as a doorway into spiritual practice and transforming oneself in order to transform the world. Ellen has served as a scholar-in-residence at dozens of congregations across the country, and as an educator and prayer/ritual leader for numerous institutions and conferences sponsored by the Union for Reform Judaism and the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. She invites students of all ages to develop a more personal relationship with spiritual practices such as prayer, meditation, and mindfulness, guiding seekers toward the inclusion of spirit in all aspects of one’s life. She uses her music as a spiritual tool to awaken new perspectives, challenge traditional ideas, and open hearts to what is truly sacred in each human journey. Ellen was ordained by HUC-JIR in 1986, and has a Master’s Degree in Jewish Communal Service from Brandeis University. She is married to Rabbi Billy Dreskin, and is extremely proud of their joint projects: Katie, Jonah (z”l), and Aiden.
Jonathan Shmidt Chapman
Facilitator
Jonathan Shmidt Chapman is passionate about reimagining Jewish education through the performing arts, creative play, and multi-sensory engagement. As the founder of The K’ilu Company, he leads educator training across the country, creates programming for families and schools, develops national partnerships, and aims to inspire innovation in the field of Jewish early childhood arts & education. He is the recipient of The Covenant Foundation’s inaugural 2023 Jewish Family Education Fellowship, the 2022 Pomegranate Prize, and the Jewish Education Project's 2020 Young Pioneers Award. Prior to launching The K’ilu Company, Jonathan spent over a decade creating theater experiences for children & families at arts institutions across the country, while leading TYA/USA, the national organization for the field of professional theater for young audiences. He also served as the first Producer of Family Programming at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Jonathan has taught on the adjunct faculty at Northwestern University and New York University. Jonathan’s theatrical work as a writer and director has been performed at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, The Kennedy Center, Alliance Theatre, and Seattle Children’s Theatre. He is the author of two books: Let There Be Play: Bringing the Bible to Life with Young Children, and In the Beginning: My Storybook Bible, both published by Behrman House in 2024. He and his husband Rabbi David Chapman live in the Chicagoland area with their two children.
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We hope to learn with you soon!
This fellowship is made possible by funds granted by The Covenant Foundation.