Our Team
Senior Staff
Dr. Julie Hirschfeld, Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Julie Hirschfeld, Board Chair
My grandfather, Cantor Ben Goldfarb, always had a cigar in his hand and a twinkle in his eye. He modeled a playful approach to Jewish life. A Conservative hazzan, he was the youngest brother of Rabbi Israel Goldfarb (“Shalom Aleichem” composer and Jewish Theological Seminary professor) and Cantor Samuel Goldfarb (“Dreidel Song” composer). I think my grandfather and great-uncles would be thrilled that —a hundred years after their efforts to promote “congregational singing” in synagogues— there is now scientific evidence for the benefits of this important Jewish practice, and that a new generation of our family is helping carry warm Jewish engagement into the next millennium.
Dr. Hirschfeld, a licensed psychologist in New York, is passionate about promoting awareness of Jewish resources for human flourishing. Her programs have included “Jewish ‘Power Tools’ for Building Resilient Kids Today” (Wise Synagogue, Cincinnati), and “Inscribed Upon Your Heart: Mussar’s Lessons for Wellbeing and Mental Health” (The Mussar Institute, webinar). After the 2018 Pittsburgh Tree of Life shooting, Dr. Hirschfeld developed resilience-oriented community programming through LimmudNY, featuring such leaders as Rabbis Simkha Weintraub and Shira Stern, and Dr. Seth Aronson and Alan Morinis, with special support for Jewish educators offered by Dr. Jeff Kress.
Dr. Hirschfeld earned her doctorate at New York University and a degree in philosophy and experimental psychology from the University of Oxford, with post-doctoral training in marital and family therapy and spiritually oriented psychotherapy. Certified through The Mussar Institute, she has led Mussar groups and other adult education programs at Woodlands Community Temple (NY) and elsewhere. As a member of The Society for the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality (Division 36 of the American Psychological Association), Dr. Hirschfeld will have the honor of representing Jewish perspectives at the national APA convention in August 2023, in a workshop series featuring diverse practitioners.
As co-author with her “businessman” husband Tom Hirschfeld, Dr. Hirschfeld wrote “Business Dad: How Good Businessmen Can Make Great Fathers and Vice Versa” (Little Brown, 1999, translated into seven languages), and has collaborated with him on other projects. Her knowledge of business and entrepreneurship helps her support clients in building meaningful and connected professional and personal lives. Through a decade of service as a Board member and Advisor for the global education organization LitWorld, she developed skills for even broader social impact, which she is excited to bring to the Jewish Resilience Initiative.
Rabbi-Dr. Arielle Hanien, Scholar-in-Residence
Rabbi-Dr. Arielle Hanien, Scholar-in-Residence
Rabbi-Dr. Arielle Hanien is a nationally recognized educator, inspiring organizational leader, and powerful healer. Recognized for her scholarship in both ancient and contemporary Jewish thought, she consults on local, national, and international projects in Jewish life, learning, and institutional development. As a teacher, spiritual counselor, and organizational consultant, Rabbi Hanien is acclaimed for “making ancient Jewish tradition amazingly relevant and meaningful” for all ages.
Rabbi Hanien empowers Jews of all backgrounds to bring their unique lenses to our ancient tradition, to explore its meaning, and to lend it new expression and significance. Her unique educational and professional profile give her unparalleled resources with which to address some of the most challenging issues facing the Jewish community. She holds a doctorate in clinical psychology from Ryokan College and was ordained by the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies with honors in Talmud. At the Jewish Theological Seminary and Columbia University, she received support as a Jim Joseph Foundation Doctoral Fellow. The only rabbi worldwide certified in both Somatic Experiencing and Integrated Somatic Psychotherapy, she has served as Chair of the Clergy Education Committee of the International Trauma-Healing Institute.
As Founding Senior Director of the Teen Engagement Initiative on behalf of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, she led a groundbreaking research and design effort that successfully launched L.A.’s initiative on Jewish teen engagement within the Jim Joseph Foundation’s national collaboration, as well as smaller-scale collaborations throughout Los Angeles.
Rabbi Hanien has served as Rabbi & Director of Education (Temple Beth Israel of Highland Park & Eagle Rock, CA); Chair of Jewish Studies (Milken Community High School), and as a professor of Jewish Liturgy (Academy for Jewish Religion), and held fellowship positions as Research Scholar at the Pardes Center in Jerusalem, and at the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership (CLAL) through Sinai and Synapses and Rabbis Without Borders. Her projects have earned support from the Legacy Heritage Foundation, the Jim Joseph Foundation, and the Los Angeles Jewish Community Foundation. She has midwifed Jewish resources including Noam Zion’s A Day Apart: Shabbat at Home (2005), Sam Osherson’s Rekindling the Flame (2000), and resources for the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.
See Rabbi Arielle’s ELI Talk on the Integrative Power of Jewish Rituals
Lisa Ginsberg, Chief Operating Officer
Lisa Ginsberg, Chief Operating Officer
Chief Operating Officer Lisa Ginsberg’s successful corporate career included 20 years at Pfizer, during a period of tremendous growth and change. Notably, she spent 12 years as a Senior Manager for Global Commercial Operations, and gained distinction as Pfizer’s “Innovation Champion” and Worldwide Innovation Fellow in 2014, initiating and managing major projects with impact across the entire company.
In her non-profit work, Lisa has supported the Jewish community as a Board member and president of Bet Torah Synagogue (Mt. Kisco, NY), and as a Board member of the Westchester (NY) Jewish Council. Lisa earned her undergraduate degree at the Wharton School and an M.B.A. at NYU’s Stern School of Business.
Tehilah Eisenstadt, Education Consultant
Tehilah Eisenstadt is an educator-activist, mentor, and community-builder who makes Jewish texts and rituals meaningful through deep study and trauma-informed, healing-focused conversation. She is a candidate for rabbinic ordination at The Academy for Jewish Religion, and holds Master’s degrees in Midrash and Jewish Education from The Jewish Theological Seminary.
During her 15 years as Director of Education in synagogues, day schools, and JCCs across the denominational spectrum in New York, Tehilah deepened the emotional resonance of educational experiences, creating a leadership pipeline through staff mentorship, and enabled Jews struggling with engagement with Jewish community. Her curriculum expertise has been recognized beyond the Jewish world: she has provided curriculum development for Cordoba House, the first moderate Muslim religious school in New York, and for creators of the Netflix show “Charlie’s Colorform City.”
For her project Wonder and Repair, Tehilah develops approaches to community-building and care that incorporate best practices in trauma-informed education and individually tailored ritual.
Board Members
Donna D. Stein, Treasurer
Treasurer Donna D. Stein
Treasurer Donna D. Stein earned her M.B.A. in Finance and Accounting at The Wharton School. During her many years at Sunoco she rose to the position of Director of Corporate Planning and Performance Analysis.
As a coda to her corporate career, she turned to the not-for-profit world, meticulously and managing the financial affairs of numerous organizations: Chief Financial Officer, Union of Reform Judaism; Chief Financial Officer, The Franklin Institute; and Treasurer, LitWorld International.
Judy Oppenheim, Secretary
Secretary Judy Oppenheim
Secretary Judy Oppenheim is an accomplished market research professional with interests in habit formation and behavior change. Judy’s long tenure at global branding and marketing company R/GA gave her the opportunity to lead significant product development projects and develop a keen understanding of user experience.
She uses research and insight to build meaningful experiences with significant positive impact for people’s wellbeing. She received her M.B.A. in Marketing from Boston University, and holds certification from the Happiness Studies Academy, working closely with founder Tal Ben-Shahar on special projects.
Dr. Julie Hirschfeld, Board Chair
Dr. Julie Hirschfeld, Board Chair
My grandfather, Cantor Ben Goldfarb, always had a cigar in his hand and a twinkle in his eye. He modeled a playful approach to Jewish life. A Conservative hazzan, he was the youngest brother of Rabbi Israel Goldfarb (“Shalom Aleichem” composer and Jewish Theological Seminary professor) and Cantor Samuel Goldfarb (“Dreidel Song” composer). I think my grandfather and great-uncles would be thrilled that —a hundred years after their efforts to promote “congregational singing” in synagogues— there is now scientific evidence for the benefits of this important Jewish practice, and that a new generation of our family is helping carry warm Jewish engagement into the next millennium.
Dr. Hirschfeld, a licensed psychologist in New York, is passionate about promoting awareness of Jewish resources for human flourishing. Her programs have included “Jewish ‘Power Tools’ for Building Resilient Kids Today” (Wise Synagogue, Cincinnati), and “Inscribed Upon Your Heart: Mussar’s Lessons for Wellbeing and Mental Health” (The Mussar Institute, webinar). After the 2018 Pittsburgh Tree of Life shooting, Dr. Hirschfeld developed resilience-oriented community programming through LimmudNY, featuring such leaders as Rabbis Simkha Weintraub and Shira Stern, and Dr. Seth Aronson and Alan Morinis, with special support for Jewish educators offered by Dr. Jeff Kress.
Dr. Hirschfeld earned her doctorate at New York University and a degree in philosophy and experimental psychology from the University of Oxford, with post-doctoral training in marital and family therapy and spiritually oriented psychotherapy. Certified through The Mussar Institute, she has led Mussar groups and other adult education programs at Woodlands Community Temple (NY) and elsewhere. As a member of The Society for the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality (Division 36 of the American Psychological Association), Dr. Hirschfeld will have the honor of representing Jewish perspectives at the national APA convention in August 2023, in a workshop series featuring diverse practitioners.
As co-author with her “businessman” husband Tom Hirschfeld, Dr. Hirschfeld wrote “Business Dad: How Good Businessmen Can Make Great Fathers and Vice Versa” (Little Brown, 1999, translated into seven languages), and has collaborated with him on other projects. Her knowledge of business and entrepreneurship helps her support clients in building meaningful and connected professional and personal lives. Through a decade of service as a Board member and Advisor for the global education organization LitWorld, she developed skills for even broader social impact, which she is excited to bring to the Jewish Resilience Initiative.
Advisors
Jo Applebaum
Jo Applebaum
Jo Applebaum is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and earned her Masters in Public Health at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. In her most recent role as Director of Research Science, Center for Patient Safety Research at New York Presbyterian Hospital, she led significant projects to evaluate treatments and processes to maximize patient safety and minimize medical error.
In Jo’s earlier position at Beth Israel Medical Center she developed curriculum and interventions for stress management to improve cardiac and pulmonary health. A methodical thinker with a tremendous store of mind-body knowledge, Jo is well positioned to advise on JRI’s program design and impact evaluation.
Kathy Roth-Douquet
Kathy Roth-Douquet
Kathy Roth-Douquet is an attorney and the visionary Co-Founder and CEO of Blue Star Families. As a military spouse, she recognized a need for military families in support of their resilience and quality of life. In scaling the organization for impact over the last decade, Kathy has changed the lives of thousands of families and become a spokesperson often tapped by national media.
Kathy’s resume includes service in the White House and recognition for work on military reform. She is also the co-author of two books, including How Free People Move Mountains: A Male Christian Conservative and a Female Jewish Liberal on a Quest for Common Purpose and Meaning (Harper Collins, 2009), with Frank Schaeffer. She has served on a number of boards including Princeton University’s Board of Trustees.
Dr. Joyce Silberstang
Dr. Joyce Silberstang
Dr. Joyce Silberstang, an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist and award-winning author and scholar, has advised senior leaders on individual, team and organizational assessment and improvement for more than 25 years. A former senior executive, she currently works with nonprofits to enhance board engagement and commitment and consults to CEOs on leadership development, team building, organizational effectiveness and cultural change.
Dr. Silberstang serves on the JDC Eshel Advisory Board for Older Adults, the AJC (American Jewish Committee) Executive Council, the AJC National Board of Governors, the AJC NY Board, the Asia Pacific Institute Board and the DOROT Board and is active in UJA Federation of New York’s Management Assistance Program.
Rebecca Wallace-Segall
Rebecca Wallace-Segall
Lisa Miller, Ph.D
Lisa Miller, Ph.D
Gratitude
We thank colleagues and thought partners who give so generously of their time and expertise:
- The BeWell Initiative of The Resiliency Roundtable, a project of UJA-Federation of North America
- Betsy Stone, Ph.D., Psychologist
- Bob Leventhal, Leadership Specialist, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
- Rabbi Geoff Mitelman, Founder, Sinai and Synapses
- Rabbi Irwin Kula
- Nancy Parkes, Ph.D., Jewish Learning Works
- Leonard Felder, Ph.D., Psychologist and author, Seven Prayers That Can Change Your Life, and Here I Am: Using Jewish Spiritual Wisdom to Become More Present, Centered, and Available for Life
- Jim Allyn, General Counsel and Vice President, LitLife
- Tehilah Eisenstadt-Feil, M.A., Jewish educator and rabbinical student