Our coordinated evaluation team brings diverse talent, resources, and strengths to the evaluation process from learnings to dissemination to application. The Berman Center also brings JESNA’s national strength, recognized world-class knowledge, and highly professional collaborative teams to each of our projects. We also enjoy strong partnerships with academics and others in the field and call upon these partners, as needed, to ensure our clients’ needs are met completely. This team approach allows the Berman Center go beyond "doing evaluation" to cultivating and sharing knowledge with clients to increase their capacities for programming and evaluation.

Renae Cohen, Ph.D., Director
Renae joined the Berman Center staff in 2008 and brings with her extensive training and expertise in research methodology. Prior to joining the Berman Center, Renae served as Vice President of Research at the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ, formerly the National Conference of Christians and Jews), where she was responsible for the organization’s national research program that explored intergroup issues, including inclusion, equity, diversity, bias, and bigotry. She also has worked for the American Jewish Committee, where she served in their national office’s research department exploring issues of Jewish communal concern, including Jewish identity, Jewish affiliation, attitudes of and toward Jews, and anti-Semitism. Renae holds a doctorate in Psychology from New York University. Renae is based in JESNA’s headquarters office in New York.

Shira Rosenblatt, Ph.D., Associate Director
As a Berman Center staff member since 2004, Shira brings extensive experience in both qualitative and quantitative research methods, particularly in the arena of early childhood education where her research has centered on social development, as well as the relationship between Jewish programs and families' Jewish behaviors and attitudes. Before joining the Berman Center, Shira served for several years as Project Coordinator and Research Analyst at UCLA for Early Head Start working in the area of early intervention. Shira holds a doctorate in Applied Human Development from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley. Shira is based in Los Angeles, CA.

Lauren Raff, M.P.H., Senior Project Manager
Lauren joined the Berman Center staff in 2003 and brings with her extensive training and expertise in quantitative research methods. Prior to her work with the Berman Center, Lauren served as the Director of Research for eight years at the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland, where she was responsible for the community's Jewish population study in 1996. She has taught undergraduate courses in Sociology for many years and served as adjunct faculty at the Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations at Case Western Reserve University's Weatherhead School of Management. Lauren holds a B.A. in Social Science from the University of Michigan and a Masters in Public Health from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has completed her coursework for a doctorate in Sociology at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Lauren is based in Cleveland, OH.

Miri Rozenek, M.A., Research Associate
Miri brings considerable experience with online survey methodology and data analysis to her work in the Berman Center, where she has been a staff member since 2005. Prior to this position, Miri was the coordinator of the Psychology Research Lab at McGill University; a staff interviewer for the March of the Living; and an informal educator for summer camps, Israel experiences, and Shabbat morning programming for young children. She holds both a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and a B.A. Honors degree in Psychology from McGill University and is a member of the Order of Psychologists of Quebec. Miri is based in Montreal, QC Canada.

Ada Maradiaga, B.S., Administrator
Ada joined JESNA in March, 2009, as the Administrator for both the Berman Center and for JESNA’s Learnings & Consultation Center (LCC). She also serves as the administrator for The Network for Research in Jewish Education (NRJE). Prior to joining JESNA, Ada worked in the Community Education Outreach Department/Speakers Bureau at Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc. Ada earned a B.S. in Marketing and Multinational Business from Florida State University and is currently working on a degree in Fashion Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City. She is based in JESNA’s headquarters office in New York.


To learn more about how JESNA's Berman Center for Research and Evaluation can help you maximize the effectiveness of your Jewish educational and communal service initiatives, contact Dr. Renae Cohen, Director of the Berman Center, at 212-284-6516 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .