Don has been President of JESNA since June, 2005. In his time at JESNA, Don has helped the agency improve Jewish education in North America by focusing on figuring out what works in Jewish education and actively disseminating and helping apply it in geographic and topical communities throughout North America.

Before taking on his present responsibilities at JESNA, Don was a member of the JESNA Board for six years, participating in a number of JESNA committees and task forces. Don has also served as a congregational president, a founder and president of Kol Ami, the Community Hebrew School of Columbus, and Vice Chair of the Columbus Jewish Federation for a decade, in charge of allocations and strategic planning. Other lay leadership positions Don has undertaken include being a member of the Board of Directors of the Ohio State University Hillel Foundation, and of the Executive Committee of the Melton Center for Jewish Studies at Ohio State University. Don has also served in leadership roles in the Northeast Lakes Region of the U.A.H.C.

For many years, Don was a Political Science professor at Ohio State University. His research, writing and teaching focused on international relations, political psychology, and foreign policy decision making, with a specific emphasis on Israeli-Palestinian relations. Don has served in a number of leadership roles in professional organizations.

Jonathan Woocher is JESNA's Chief Ideas Officer and directs its Lippman Kanfer Institute: An Action-Oriented Think Tank for Innovation in Jewish Learning and Engagement. Jon served as JESNA's chief professional officer for twenty years before assuming his new role this year. In addition to guiding the work of the Lippman Kanfer Institute, he is a member of the agency's senior management, working with his colleagues on JESNA's strategic direction, new project development, external relations, and financial resource development.

Prior to coming to JESNA in 1986, Jon was an Associate Professor in the Benjamin S. Hornstein Program in Jewish Communal Service at Brandeis University, where he taught courses in Jewish political studies and communal service and directed the program in Continuing Education for Jewish Leadership.

He received his BA from Yale University, summa cum laude, in Political Science and his MA and PhD from Temple University in Religious Studies. He has also studied at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.

Leora began her tenure at JESNA in 1986.  During that time she has served as Founding Director of both the Berman Center for Research and Evaluation in Jewish Education and the Learnings and Consultation Center (LCC), holding the latter post since 2007.

Prior to her work at JESNA, Leora was Research Specialist for the Jewish Communal Affairs Department and William Petschek National Jewish Family Center of the American Jewish Committee.  She has taught for over 35 years at all levels in Jewish formal and informal education programs, from early childhood through college, and in family education.  Dr. Isaacs has held several academic appointments including Assistant Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Psychology at the College of St. Elizabeth in Convent Station, NJ; Visiting Assistant Professor at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America; and Visiting Lecturer in Education and Jewish Studies at the University of Pennsylvania.  She is currently a faculty member and co-director of her congregation’s Hebrew high school in Bridgewater, NJ.  Leora brings special expertise in the fields of Jewish identity development and Jewish family education.

Dr. Isaacs earned her Ph.D. in Educational and Developmental Psychology at the City University of New York Graduate Center and her BA in Psychology at the University of Michigan, summa cum laude.

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Education Consultant
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Education Consultant
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Administrator
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Knowledge Development Manager
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Research Fellow
(212) 284-6895

Institutional Advancement

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Vice President for Institutional Advancement
(212) 284-6886
 

Before joining the JESNA staff, Ellen's career in Jewish communal service included positions as Executive Director of the New Jersey region of the American Jewish Congress, Campaign Director at the UJA Federation of Bergen County, Assistant Campaign Director at the United Jewish Federation of MetroWest, and in various roles at B'nai B'rith International.