Dr. Erica Brown is the Vice Provost for Values and Leadership at Yeshiva University and the founding director of its Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks-Herenstein Center for Values and Leadership. Her latest book is Morning Has Broken: Faith After October 7th (Toby/Koren). She is also the author of The Torah of Leadership and Kohelet and the Search for Meaning (Maggid). Erica was a Jerusalem Fellow, an Avi Chai Fellow, the recipient of the 2009 Covenant Award, and is a faculty member of the Wexner Foundation. She has written 15 books on the Hebrew Bible, spirituality, and leadership, two of which were finalists for the National Jewish Book Award. Her book Happier Endings (Simon and Schuster) received the Wilbur and Nautilus Awards for spiritual writing. She also co-authored two books and co-edited Ode to Joy: Happiness in the Thinking of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks and Beyond. She has been published in the New York Times, The Atlantic, Tablet, First Things, and The Jewish Review of Books. She serves as a consulting editor for the journal Tradition. Her website is ericabrown.com. Erica and her husband Jeremy are the proud parents of four children, four in-law children, and seven beautiful grandchildren.  

Cynthia Darrison is known for navigating the nexus between the nonprofit, political and corporate arenas. She’s able to strategically and deftly lead people, processes and organizations to bring about desired results. Currently, she serves as the Director of Organizational Advancement of HASC Center, Inc. She’s also the Founding Director of the Chesed Leadership Program, a fellowship for women in the Orthodox Jewish community designed to train them in nonprofit management, now in its 7^th year. Cindy started off her career in labor relations and went on to become a labor arbitrator. She shifted to political campaign work in 1989, working on campaigns on the national, federal, state and local levels –  rising to the rank of campaign manager and raising over $106M for candidates and party committees. She was an Adjunct Professor at New York University for 15 years, first in the graduate political science department and then in the Heyman Center for Philanthropy and Fundraising. Cindy studied Economics and English at Touro College in Manhattan and earned a Master of Science degree in Industrial & Labor Relations from Cornell University. She and her daughter, a student at Touro College in Brooklyn, live in Brooklyn.

Tamar Frydman is the Director of the OU Impact Accelerator where she supports entrepreneurial ventures and innovatively addresses communal challenges through grants, education, mentorship and fostering collaboration. Before joining the OU, she served as Senior Director of Programs at the Jewish Funders Network, and prior to that held management positions at UJA Federation of New York. Tamar holds a bachelor’s in psychology from Towson University and a Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Maryland School of Social Work. Tamar has over fifteen years of experience driving organizational strategy and pioneering new programs in the nonprofit world.   

Dr. Rachel Ginsberg is a principal researcher at the Center for Communal Research. She works with Jewish lay leaders, community members, and stakeholders to support their data-informed decision making through qualitative research.

Rachel believes in the power of stories to illuminate the human experience. In her research, she creates the space for each unique and singular voice to emerge and inform the problems and questions she explores.

Rachel is both an experienced educator and a scholar of education. She spent many years as a classroom teacher at Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy and has taught in education departments at several universities, nurturing the growth and development of preservice teachers. Her PhD research followed preservice teachers engaged in action research to address a problem of practice in their student teaching placement, looking to understand how action research influences preservice teachers’ critical inquiry stance towards their work as educators. Rachel’s career is driven and shaped by the possibility that there may be a better way to approach any challenge encountered.

Rachel holds a PhD in Teacher Education and Development from Montclair State University, an MA in Early Childhood Education from Queens College, and a BA in Elementary Education from New York University.

Rabbi Yaakov Glasser is the Managing Director of Communal Engagement at the Orthodox Union, where he plays a pivotal role in strengthening Jewish communities. Previously, he served as the International Director of Education for NCSY and as the Regional Director of New Jersey NCSY, inspiring Jewish youth through innovative programming and education. He is also the Rabbi Emeritus of the Young Israel of Passaic-Clifton and formerly the Dean of Yeshiva University’s Center for the Jewish Future. Known for his dynamic teaching and leadership, Rabbi Glasser connects Torah values to modern life, impacting communities across generations.

Rabbi Dr. Josh Joseph is the Orthodox Union’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer since September of 2020.  He is the senior professional leader, responsible for all aspects of OU programs and operations, other than OU Kosher.  He joined the OU from Yeshiva University where he served in a variety of roles over 16 years, ultimately rising to senior vice president. In that role, he established and implemented strategic plans, managed the university’s operations, and played key roles on major initiatives such as the university’s response to the coronavirus. A native of Montreal, Josh received both his Ed.D. and Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He received his rabbinical ordination from Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, as well as a Master of Arts in Jewish philosophy from their Bernard Revel Graduate School. He also completed fellowships and certificates at NYU’s Wagner School of Public Administration, as well as Harvard’s Institute of Higher Education. Josh previously worked at a hedge fund, as a community rabbi, served as the executive director of the Orthodox Caucus, and director of social entrepreneurialism at YU’s Center for the Jewish Future. He and his wife, Julie, live in Lawrence, New York and are the proud parents of Zach, Ozzie, and Marsha. 

Bracha Poliakoff, LCSW-C, is a licensed clinical social worker, speaker, and writer. As founder and director of Bright Ideas Continuing Education, she provides high-quality professional development programs for mental health professionals across the United States and Canada. Bracha’s commitment to Jewish education is evident in her extensive teaching experience, founding of community initiatives, and co-authorship of Reclaiming Dignity: A Guide to Tzniut for Men and Women. Actively engaged in her Orthodox community, she has served on the boards of Keneseth Beth Israel (Richmond, VA) and the Women’s Institute of Torah/Mesorah Baltimore (Baltimore, MD). Bracha has also participated in leadership development programs with The Associated, the Orthodox Union, and the Orthodox Leadership Project. She resides in Baltimore, MD, with her husband and three children.

Rebbetzin Hindi Posy, MD, JD is a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist with a subspecialty in high-risk obstetrics. Dr. Posy is the Director of Maternal Fetal Medicine at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where she also serves as the Associate Program Director for the Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program. At Harbor-UCLA, Dr. Posy chairs the Medical-legal Committee and is a member of the Medical Ethics Committee. She is also active as a medical-legal consultant and an expert witness in obstetrics.

Dr. Posy has been a Rebbetzin at Beth Jacob Congregation in Los Angeles since 2010, where her husband, Rabbi Adir Posy, is the Associate Rabbi in addition to his position as the National Director of Synagogue Initiatives at the Orthodox Union (OU). Dr. Posy is also on faculty at YULA High School Girls Division, where she teaches a variety of seminars, including Women’s Health in Tanach and Living as a Frum Woman in the Secular Professional World.

Dr. Posy grew up in Los Angeles, attending local Jewish day and high schools. She then studied at Michlalah Yerushalayim, where she completed the Certificate of Teaching program there. Dr. Posy earned her undergraduate degree from Columbia University and her M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. She completed her residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Johns Hopkins University and a fellowship in Maternal Fetal Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC). Dr. Posy then completed a law degree at Southwestern Law School, after which she passed the California State Bar.

Dr. Posy has won multiple teaching awards and is a sought-after lecturer and speaker both locally and nationally. In addition to the many shiurim she gives within her Los Angeles community, Dr. Posy has been an invited plenary speaker at national conferences and has run myriad workshops on Women’s Health in Tanach and Halacha and on leadership, parenting, time management and work-life balance. Dr. Posy loves being involved in the Jewish community and gives shiurim regularly and volunteers as assistant coach for her boys’ sports teams. Most of all, Dr. Posy loves being a mom to her nine sons.

Naami Schorr is a leadership coach and consultant who supports executives, leaders and their teams in both non-profit and for-profit organizations. For over a decade, Naami worked as a professional for non-profits in Los Angeles, New York, Israel, and Baltimore and most recently was the Program Director for Na’aleh: The Hub for Leadership Learning in Baltimore. There, she co-created and designed cohorts and leadership development opportunities for both top level and emerging, new lay leaders in the Baltimore Jewish community. 

Naami founded Overbrook Coaching & Consulting in 2022. Her focus is to bring organizational health to leaders and their teams by helping them build strong cultures and cohesive teams with engaged, productive, and fulfilled employees. Naami helps leaders acquire stronger communication skills, find their voice and leadership presence, learn the art of having difficult conversations, design better meetings, and create an environment of accountability and feedback. 

Naami’s greatest passion is helping individuals tap into their areas of genius – their natural gifts and skills that bring them the most energy and fulfillment. 

Naami holds an MA in Leadership and Certification in Leadership Coaching from Georgetown University. She lives in Baltimore with her husband and three daughters. 

Rebbetzin Dr. Adina Shmidman is the founding director of the OU Women’s Initiative. She is a community leader with over three decades of teaching experience in New York, Alabama and Pennsylvania. She received a PhD in Educational Psychology from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, MS in School Psychology from Queens College and MA in Jewish Education and a Certificate in Educational Technology from Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration, Yeshiva University.  She received a Teacher’s Certificate from Beth Jacob Seminary (BJJ).  She is the rebbetzin of the Lower Merion Synagogue as well as the co-chair of the Lower Merion Community Mikvah in Bala Cynwyd, PA.  She is a kallah teacher and mikvah attendant.  She and her husband, Rabbi Avraham Shmidman, live in Bala Cynwyd, PA and are the parents of four sons. 

Mrs. Chana Siff, Executive Director of The Neuberger Family Foundation  

Chana Siff has enjoyed working in the Jewish nonprofit sector over the last 13 years, including at The Baltimore Jewish Council, The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore, and most recently, serving as the director for family foundations. In her current role, she enjoys using her expertise in organizational management, community planning, grantmaking, advocacy, strategic planning, leadership training, and communications to help strengthen organizations and develop communal initiatives.

Chana received her MBA, with a focus in Leadership & Management Development, and her B.S. in Corporate Communications both from the University of Baltimore. In 2016, Chana received the Outstanding Jewish Communal Professional Award from The Darrell D. Friedman Institute for Professional Development (DFI).

Chana personally enjoys applying her professional experience to her work with community organizations and projects, including in her current role as PTA co-president and on the Executive Board of Talmudical Academy of Baltimore. She lives in Baltimore with her husband and children.

Rachel Sims, Esq., is the General Counsel of the OU where she manages the OU’s legal and compliance work and provides guidance to all departments within the organization.   Rachel joined the OU after spending five years as a senior litigator at Blank Rome LLP.  She has nearly two decades of legal experience, at some of the top law firms in New York.   Rachel incorporates her legal skills, knowledge and experience to help the OU continue to grow and to inspire the greater Jewish community.   Rachel graduated from Brooklyn Law School magna cum laude, where she was a member of the Brooklyn Law Review.    

As the principal of Projects in Philanthropy, Marian Stern works with a wide variety of organizations in the regional New York area, providing management and fundraising services, with particular emphasis on fundraising planning, board development and training, strategic planning, meeting facilitation, and professional coaching.  She also works with foundations and funders to define and implement charitable giving policies as well as conduct their grantmaking.

She was an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Heyman Center for Philanthropy and Fundraising at New York University for ten years, with administrative and teaching responsibilities in the master’s program, and also served on the faculty of the Master’s in Non-Profit Management program at Columbia University. Additionally, she previously was an Adjunct Professor in the American Studies Department at Rutgers University.  She has also presented at conferences and meetings sponsored by such institutions as Wells Fargo, Wilmington Trust, Alliance Bernstein, United Way, Leading Edge, Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies, Dress for Success, and the Association of Fundraising Professionals. She has been quoted widely in the press in such publications as the Wall Street Journal, New York Times,Los Angeles Times, Daily Beast, Bloomberg News, Crain’s New York Business, and WNYC’s The Takeaway.

Prior to starting her own firm, she was the Manager of Community Programming at Chemical Bank where she formulated the Bank’s philanthropic policies, directed millions in contributions annually, and provided technical assistance to New York City organizations.

As a volunteer in the community, she has served on a variety of boards including Philanthropy New York, Ensemble Studio Theater, Arts Council of Essex, Jewish Community Foundation of MetroWest, and Jewish Family Service of MetroWest.

Ms. Stern graduated magna cum laude from Rutgers University and has a master’s in public administration from New York University’s Wagner School for Public Service.