Jamie Allen Black Is JOI's Director of Strategic Initiatives. Jamie is responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with funders and donors who are committed to supporting the work of bringing Judaism to unaffiliated and disenfranchised individuals and families. Prior to joining JOI, Jamie was the Director of Development Communication and Training at Hadassah, where she was charged with training dozens of Board members and volunteers in fundraising principles and understanding their financial responsibilities to the organization's mission. Jamie majored in American history at New York University and was the recipient of the University's 2010 Bert Lawson Alumni Award for Humanitarianism. She is an enthusiastic and active volunteer, primarily with A More Perfect Union, an organization she co-founded that serves women-at-risk who are recovering from domestic violence, homelessness, and/or drug and alcohol addiction. Jamie’s background is in the performing arts and she sings with the Jewish People’s Philharmonic Chorus.

You can contact Jamie by sending her an email at jblack[at]joi.org.

Ivana Bradanovic is JOI's Office Manager, responsible for daily management and maintenance of the JOI office including interfacing with vendors, telephone and office reception, administrative assistance to the JOI board of directors and executive director. Prior to joining JOI she worked as a framer at a small business called MAPS. She is a graduate of SUNY at Purchase and The Fine Arts Academy in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. In her spare time she enjoys riding her bike, painting, baking and knitting.

You can contact Ivana by sending her an email at ibradanovic[at]joi.org.

Menachem Ejdelman is JOI's Database Manager, and manages all of the data at JOI. He spent his formative years in both Washington Heights, NY and Riverdale in the Bronx. After graduating Rutgers University with a degree in psychology and music, Menachem spent a year in Jerusalem, learning at both the Conservative Yeshiva, and at the Pardes Institute for Jewish Learning. After that, he worked at Yugntruf-Youths for Yiddish, an organization founded by his grandfather. A native Yiddish speaker himself, he ran Yiddish conferences at universities around the country, and organized smaller Yiddish-speaking events around New York City. Since then, he ventured into the IT/data management world and has worked for The Birthright Israel Foundation, The YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, The Central Conference of American Rabbis, and Montefiore Medical Center. He currently lives in Manhattan, and sings in the Jewish People’s Philharmonic Chorus, an all-Yiddish choir. He also enjoys soccer, swimming, nature, math, smoked salmon, and music theory.

You can contact Menachem by sending him an email at medjelman[at]joi.org.

Paul Golin is JOI's Associate Executive Director, responsible together with the Executive Director for budget, development, board stewardship, strategic planning, and the day-to-day operations of the organization. He is also charged with overseeing all marketing, communications and public relations, and devising advocacy campaigns and program proposals. He previously served as JOI's Director of Communications and Strategic Planning. He is a frequent writer and speaker on Jewish outreach and co-authored with Rabbi Olitzky the books 20 Things for Grandparents of Interfaith Grandchildren To Do (And Not Do) To Nurture Jewish Identity In Their Grandchildren (2007) and How to Raise Jewish Children...Even When You’re Not Jewish Yourself (2010). Prior to joining JOI, Paul worked at the Jewish Life Network/Steinhardt Foundation as Program Associate for Information Technology. Paul has a background in media, having worked at HBO Studio Productions as a Client Services Coordinator and then as Director of Research/Educational Writer at a startup CD-ROM games company called Wanderlust Interactive. He majored in Communications and Political Science at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

You can contact Paul by sending him an email at pgolin[at]joi.org.

Nikita Kaganovich is JOI’s Grant Writer. Nikita is responsible for researching grant opportunities, writing grant proposals and related reports, and assisting in development efforts. Prior to joining JOI, Nikita was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine, where he taught English as a foreign language, and organized summer camps, leadership trainings, teacher trainings, and several cross-cultural educational programs addressing pressing yet often ignored local issues such as xenophobia, anti-Semitism, and HIV/AIDS. Nikita also wrote several grants in support of his own efforts as well the efforts of surrounding volunteers and non-governmental organizations. He holds a BA in History from Temple University, and after graduating, completed one year of AmeriCorps service, running youth and community outreach programs in West Philadelphia High School. In his spare time he enjoys taking week/month long bicycle trips, bicycle repair/maintenance, marathon running, camping, and hiking.

You can contact Nikita by sending him an email at nkaganovich[at]joi.org

Amanda Kaletsky is JOI's Communications Manager. She is responsible for creative marketing and public relations, and also serves as webmaster for the JOI's various websites. Originally from Bethany, CT, Amanda is a graduate of the University of Delaware, where she received a BA in Music with a Concentration in Music Management, as well as minors in Philosophy and Jewish Studies. An active member of both the university’s Hillel and Chabad, Amanda was interim program director at the Kristol Center for Jewish Life and founding co-coordinator of the center’s Freshman Fest program. Before coming to JOI, Amanda was the assistant managing director of a non-profit music school, and continues to enjoy performing professionally. She is also an avid animal lover, volunteering for local shelters, and spending time with her two dogs, Lily and Brandy.

You can contact Amanda by sending her an email at akaletsky[at]joi.org

Brenna Kearns is JOI's Program Associate, responsible for developing program and education materials alongside the rest of the program team. A recent graduate of Middlebury College with a BA in Political Science and minors in Jewish Studies and French, she is an enthusiastic student of Torah as well as inclusive education. As an undergraduate, she was an active member of Hillel and won a Spiritual Life Leadership Award for her work. She has studied at Yeshivat Hadar and the Middlebury/Brandeis School of Hebrew, and as an undergraduate fellow participated in the Tikvah Foundation's seminar on "Jewish Thought and Enduring Human Questions." Prior to JOI, Brenna worked with both preschoolers and elderly adults, and she enjoys learning from people of all ages. Having grown up in small desert towns in the Southwest, she loves exploring the rest of the world and delights in baking challah, visiting museums, debating policy, and a good cup of tea.

You can contact Brenna by sending her an email at bkearns[at]joi.org

Alyssa Latala is Big Tent Judaism Coordinator for Chicago. She partners with the Chicago Jewish community to create and implement low barrier, welcoming programs that serve all those who might find interest and meaning in Jewish life regardless of affiliation or family structure. Prior to joining JOI, Alyssa was the Associate Director at Creative Management Services, a consulting firm that provides a full range of services to charitable organizations and professional societies. She also served as Marketing Communications Manager for the James R. Jordan Foundation and as Campaign Associate for the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. Alyssa is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she majored in Speech Communication and Spanish. Mom to two young boys, Alyssa enjoys musical theater, cooking, and a good book, which she attempts to enjoy in her spare time.

You can contact Alyssa by sending her an email at alatala[at]joi.org

Andrea LeVine is one of JOI’s Program Officers, developing curricula and programs for JOI initiatives. She is a recent graduate of the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Throughout her time in graduate school, she worked in a variety of Jewish educational environments--including religious schools, Hillel, and overnight camp--and staffed several Taglit-Birthright Israel trips. Israel education is a particular passion of hers, and she is honored to be a member of the second cohort of the iCenter Israel Education Fellowship. Originally from St. Petersburg, FL, she attended college at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, and spent many years working at Walt Disney World before pursuing her career in Jewish communal work. Andrea is an avid baseball lover and a diehard Tampa Bay Rays fan; when she’s not getting heckled at Yankee Stadium, she enjoys running, blogging, playing trivia, and singing as much karaoke as possible.

You can contact Andrea by sending her an email at alevine[at]joi.org

Zohar Rotem is JOI's Program Officer for Evaluation. He is responsible for coordinating and leading JOI’s research and evaluation initiatives. Zohar holds a Masters degree in anthropology from the New School for Social Research, and a bachelor’s in special education from the University of Haifa. His in-progress doctoral work, also at the New School, looks at issues of identity among Jewish and Palestinian preschoolers in Israel. Prior to joining JOI, he worked as a Hebrew school teacher, a research and evaluation assistant at JESNA, and as a market research analyst for an industrial design firm in Connecticut. Zohar enjoys making meaning out of data. His other passions include hiking, urban gardening, biking, foraging, and cooking.

You can contact Zohar by sending him an email at zrotem[at]joi.org.

Sarah Sechan is one of JOI's Program Associates. She is responsible for guiding and supporting current and potential program operators to implement JOI initiatives. Originally from Highland Park, IL, Sarah received a BA in Anthropology from Columbia University and a BA in Jewish Music from Albert List College at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Recently, Sarah graduated from the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary, with a MA in Jewish Experiential Education and a Certificate in Israel Education. An avid amateur French horn player, Sarah participated in several music ensembles at Columbia and co-founded the Columbia Festival of Winds, an annual music festival benefiting inner-city music education. Prior to JOI, Sarah worked at a variety of NYC Hebrew schools and Jewish nonprofits. In her free time, Sarah plays French horn with the Manhattan Wind Ensemble and the Columbia Summer Winds, recently staffed her first Taglit-Birthright Israel trip, and enjoys the occasional weekend getaway from NYC.

You can contact Sarah by sending her an email at ssechan [at] joi.org

Eva Stern is JOI's Senior Director of Training. In this capacity, Eva trains, coaches, and consults with professionals and volunteer leaders from hundreds of Jewish organizations throughout North America (including Federations, synagogues, and JCC’s), to help them better find, welcome, and engage thousands of unaffiliated Jews and intermarried families in Jewish life. Eva addresses venues across the continent, leading informative, motivating, and interactive workshops and training sessions on creating more inclusive and welcoming Jewish communities. She also develops educational curricula, creative outreach programs, and other materials for Jewish communal professionals engaged in outreach. Eva conducts environmental research scans on numerous Jewish organizations and communities, helping them to maximize their potential to reach out and welcome in. Eva holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies from Brandeis University. Prior to JOI, she taught in an innovative Informal Jewish Education program outside of Boston. Eva is deeply involved in Jewish life as a volunteer leader as well, having worked hard to create and nurture a vibrant synagogue community of young adults in their twenties and thirties in New York’s East Village.  She is a recipient of the 2010 Young Professional Award of the Jewish Communal Service Association of North America.

You can contact Eva by sending her an email at estern[at]joi.org.

Alan Stricoff has 28 years of experience as an accountant and a chief financial officer. For the last 9 years he has been a self-employed "free lance" CFO/Comptroller and consultant for not-for profit organizations. Alan has an MBA in finance from Baruch College and is a Certified Public Accountant.

You can contact Alan by sending him an email at alanstricoff[at]yahoo.com.