Meet the 2024-26 Fellows

Erica Aren

Senior Director, Roots & Culture at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, CA

Erica Aren (she/her) is a dynamic Jewish communal professional with over two decades of experience in education, program direction, and community building. Her career is driven by a deep commitment to fostering inclusive and meaningful Jewish experiences that resonate across generations. Erica strongly believes in the power of community and the importance of creating spaces where people feel a sense of belonging.

Erica’s roles at BBYO, American Jewish World Service, 18Doors, Golden Bridges School, the Diller Teen Fellows and Tikkun Olam Awards, grew her capacity and leadership in program design, people management and cultivating communities. Before joining the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco (JCCSF), Erica played a pivotal role in reopening a small independent school during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, navigating unprecedented challenges to ensure children could safely return to learning. At the JCCSF, Erica oversees strategies that enrich the community’s cultural, artistic, and Jewish spiritual life, blending her expertise in experience design with her passion for education and connection.

She also channels her creativity in a local stained-glass studio and enjoys the vibrant Bay Area live music scene. Erica lives on a quiet block in San Francisco with her husband and three children, where they are active members of The Kitchen and tend to their backyard garden full of strawberries.

Rabbi Julie Bressler

Rabbi at Temple Sinai, Oakland, CA

Rabbi Julie Bressler serves as the Associate Rabbi at Temple Sinai in Oakland. She is an East Bay native who grew up in the Reform movement as an active member of Temple Isaiah in Lafayette, a camper and staff member at URJ Camp Newman, and a NFTY and Midrasha participant. She enjoys supporting others through their Jewish journeys, sharing the power of Jewish tradition, and asking and discussing big questions. Rabbi Bressler is passionate about social justice and community building, with a particular focus on increasing the presence and centrality of voices often marginalized in Jewish communal spaces, which inspired her to participate in Voices for Good.

Rachel Dubowe

Senior Assistant Director, Camp Newman, Santa Rosa, CA

Growing up in Southern California, Rachel Dubowe was raised with a love of Jewish experiential learning and sunshine. Rachel is a firm believer in the power of summer camp and credits an integral part of her Jewish identity to her summers spent at URJ camps‒where she spent significant time both as a participant and senior staff member, specifically in the realm of camper care and inclusion. Rachel holds a B.S. in Human Development from UC Davis (Go Aggies!) and was very active at her campus Hillel. After participating in a MASA Israel program and working in a variety of Jewish educational programs in the greater LA area, Rachel earned a Master’s in Jewish Education at the Rhea Hirsch School of Education at Hebrew Union College. Upon graduation, Rachel continued her career in Jewish educational spaces, including Builders of Jewish Education, NFTY SOCAL, Temple Israel of Hollywood and URJ 6 Points West Specialty camp. She currently serves the Senior Assistant Director for URJ Camp Newman. Rachel is passionate about Jewish teachable moments, accessibility, and creating community!

Megan Edelman

Managing Director, Diller Tikkun Olam Awards, San Francisco, CA

Megan Edelman is the senior leader of the Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards team, overseeing the day-to-day success of the program and team. She oversees the selection process and manages relationships with committees, community partners, Awardees, and alumni.

Before moving to the Bay Area, Megan’s career in New York City included brand marketing at CNN, and in media sales at Turner Broadcasting. Megan entered the Jewish nonprofit sector in 2015 running programs and starting initiatives at the JCCSF. Megan is a community builder and event professional and currently lives in San Francisco with her family.

Erin Fine

Associate Director of Recruitment and Partnership Development at Hebrew Union College Jewish Insitute of Religion, Seattle, WA (remote)

Erin Fine cares deeply about empowering others to be leaders and do Jewish. She has been a full time Jewish professional since 2009, working in synagogues, JCCs, camps, Jewish nonprofits and in higher education.

Erin is a proud alum of UC Santa Cruz – Go Banana Slugs! – and has her MSW from the University of Southern California and her MA in Jewish Nonprofit Management from the Zelikow School at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC). She investigated relational tools of community organizing in order to strengthen Jewish nonprofits, specifically JCCs.

In her spare time, she enjoys dancing, hiking, cooking, and exploring the PNW with her husband and daughter.

Lena Fishman

Executive Director at the Golda Meir House Museum, Denver, CO

Lena serves as the Executive Director of the Golda Meir House Museum in Denver, Colorado. After receiving her degree in special education, Lena moved to Tel Aviv to teach at the American International School. She followed this with a return to her hometown and built the K-12 Learning Resource Center at Denver Jewish Day School. After twenty years of teaching, Lena became the Strategic Partnerships Manager in the Office of Community Engagement at the Colorado Office of the Attorney General where she worked on statewide initiatives for students, teachers, and older adults. In the summer of 2021, she was recruited by the Auraria Campus to revive the Golda Meir House and turn it into a museum. Lena is excited to work on programming that takes inspiration from Golda’s life, is dedicated to women’s empowerment, and stands proudly against antisemitism. Lena serves on the board of the Rocky Mountain Jewish Historical Society and is president of The Denver Kehillah, Denver’s newest modern orthodox synagogue. Lena is also excited to learn from and engage with the talented women participating in the Voices for Good Fellowship. In her spare time, she enjoys joining her two teenage boys for all mountain activities, especially the ‘resting after the mountain activity’ with a cup of hot tea and a good book.

Jenna Hanauer

Program Officer, Jim Joseph Foundation, San Francisco, CA

Jenna Hanauer joined the Foundation as a Program Officer in August 2022. Her work is primarily focused on the Foundation’s Exceptional Jewish Leaders and Educators strategic priority area, which includes a range of grantee-partners that train and develop dynamic, pioneering leaders and educators who are attuned to the needs of young people today.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Jenna worked at the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle where she served as Associate Director of Jewish Engagement and stewarded the Israel & Overseas grantmaking process. Before relocating to the Pacific Northwest, Jenna lived and worked in a variety of international settings across multiple sectors and cities.

Jenna received her Bachelor of Arts from University of Wisconsin, Madison (On Wisconsin!) and her Master’s of Science in Social Work from Columbia University. She grew up in Los Angeles and is excited to be back in California with her husband, young son, and dog.

Beth Lipschutz

Wellness Educator for BeWell, Jewish Federations of North America, Denver, CO

Beth Lipschutz’s career has been focused on community building, leadership development, inclusion, and mental wellness education. She is proud to be part of BeWell, the mental health and wellness initiative of Jewish Federations of North America. She creates and facilitates different mental wellness programs and trainings to support youth and those who care about them in a variety of settings throughout the Jewish community. Before BeWell, Beth was the NFTY-MV Regional Director and spent many summers at camp or leading teen immersive travel experiences. She earned her MSW at the University of Denver and enjoys live music and the mountains.

Lauren Ngoi

Associate Director, Peninsula Jewish Community Center Preschool, Foster City, CA

Serving the community is part of Lauren Ngoi’s upbringing. From a young age Lauren watched as her grandparents and parents served the community in which they grew up. Lauren, a born and raised, multi-generational San Franciscan, strongly believes in supporting young children and early childhood educators to create equitable learning environments that reflect the children and families they serve.

Lauren began her journey in the early education world by joining the San Francisco Unified School District in 2007 and continued her early education path in the Jewish early education realm in 2012. Lauren has worked alongside children 6 months old all the way to college students. The early education field is the heart of Lauren’s work, the inquisitive and curious nature of young children are a constant reminder that learning and growth are continuous.

After attending City College of San Francisco, Lauren transferred to San Francisco State University, where she obtained her B.A. in Child Development with a concentration in Early Childhood Education with a minor in Special Education. A few years later Lauren earned her M.S. in Educational Leadership at California State University, East Bay where she delved deeper into reflective and equitable practices.

When not at work, you can find Lauren hanging out with her daughter and pets (Guinea Pigs; Granola Greta and Tofu Tina and Dog; Pepper) and watching dating shows.

Rabbi Sarah Joselow Parris

Rabbi at Congregation Emanu-El, San Francisco, CA

Rabbi Sarah Joselow Parris is Rabbi and Director of Clergy Strategy at Congregation Emanu-El of San Francisco, which she has been serving since 2019.

Born and raised in Ossining, NY, Rabbi Parris graduated with honors from Harvard University with a degree in History and Arabic with a focus on African American studies. After graduation she spent two years teaching middle school math at a public charter school in New Orleans as a Teach for America Corps Member. Rabbi Parris was ordained as a Reform rabbi by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles, where she also earned her Masters in Jewish Nonprofit Management from the Zelikow School. During rabbinical school she served as student rabbi at Congregation Brith Sholem in Ogden, UT and as community organizing rabbinic intern and Teen School Program Chair at Temple Isaiah in Los Angeles, CA. She also worked as the California statewide community organizing intern for the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, as Admissions Ambassador for HUC-JIR, and as a grief counselor at OUR HOUSE Grief Support Center. Prior to joining Congregation Emanu-El, Rabbi Parris began her rabbinic career as the Senior Jewish Educator at Columbia-Barnard Hillel.

Rabbi Parris lives in San Francisco with her husband Zachary, daughter Lia, and dog Brisket.

Rabbi Amanda Schwartz

Family Life Director, Judaism Your Way, Centennial, CO

Amanda Schwartz is a rabbi/educator at Judaism Your Way in Denver, Colorado. As the Family Life Director, she manages all programs and educational opportunities geared toward families with children under eighteen. Amanda also officiates lifecycle events and lead services. A few of the accomplishments she is most proud of are: growing their Open Tent Be Mitzvah program; adapting its content for adults for the new Re&Be Mitzvah program; creating Changing the World Together, a service learning program for elementary aged students and their parents; and growing their High Holiday family service from roughly five hundred people per service to well over twelve hundred. One of her greatest skill sets is being able to translate Jewish ideas and texts to be relevant and inspiring for Jews and their loved ones, who are often of other or no spiritual tradition. In addition to her work, she is happiest when listening to audiobooks while walking her dog on the beautiful trail system near her house, and laughing with her friends and family.

Emily Simons

Associate Director Community Engagement, San Francisco Hillel, CA

Emily Simons is a passionate Jewish leader who inspires others to engage with their Jewish values through the gift of philanthropy. Emily works for San Francisco Hillel as the Associate Director of Community Engagement and has been there since 2016 in a multitude of roles. Emily holds a Master’s in Organizational Leadership & Innovation from HUC’s Zelikow School of Nonprofit Management and a Bachelor’s in Social Work from Temple University.

Emily is an active lay leader in the San Francisco Jewish community. She currently serves on the Jewish LearningWorks board and is a Bay Area JCRC Council Member. Additionally, she has participated in numerous fellowships, such as Federation Fellows, Jeremiah Fellows, Birthright-Israel Fellows, Brandeis Collegiate Institute, and Leadership 365. Currently, she is a member of the newest Voices for Good Fellowship cohort through Jewish LearningWorks.

Coming to the Bay nearly eight years ago, this Yinzer transplant loves exploring the breathtaking views of the Northern California coast with her partner Michael and their dogs Pumpkin and Ruthie.

Rabbi Molly Weisel

Rabbi at Temple B’nai Torah, Bellevue, WA

Molly Weisel (she/her) is the senior rabbi elect at Temple B’nai Torah in Bellevue, Washington. She received her Masters in Jewish Education (’13) and rabbinic ordination (’15) from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles. Molly is thrilled to be back in the Pacific Northwest with her family and feels privileged to serve as a rabbi for the community in which she grew up. Molly is passionate about education, loves finding creative outlets, and is always looking for ways to highlight the intersection between Judaism and the environment.

Natasha Weiss

Associate Director, Portfolio & Strategy, Rosov Consulting, Berkeley, CA

Natasha Weiss was born and raised in St. Petersburg, Russia. She started her Jewish professional journey there with the Jewish Agency and then JDC, running programs for teens and adults, and working with groups and missions from the US. In 2017, Natasha completed her MA/MBA degree at the Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership program at Brandeis University and moved to California to join Rosov Consulting. Today Natasha is Associate Director, Portfolio & Strategy, where she gets to use her skills in business and nonprofit management, sociology, and Jewish community to help organizations make a bigger impact. Natasha resides in Okaland, CA, with her husband, stepson, dog, and two cats.