Meet our Board of Directors

Linda Yarden is President of Elluminate as well as an attorney, a Managing Director of the Golden Seeds Angel Network, and is the co-founder of In the Stacks with Linda, a facilitated book salon. She was the Managing Director of Corporate Placement and Strategy at the A.W. Rush & Co. search firm, where she now serves as a consultant. Her legal experience includes 14 years with Goldman, Sachs & Co. and 10 years at Lehman Brothers. During the course of her career in the financial services industry, Linda served as the Executive Vice President of SIFMA C&L. She is now on the Board of Trustees of The Park Avenue Synagogue and on the Board of HelpUsAdopt.com. Linda is an arbitrator with both FINRA and the AAA. Linda graduated from Franklin & Marshall College, where she served as a Trustee for over 10 years, and received her Juris Doctor from St. John’s University School of Law. Linda lives in Manhattan with her spouse, Chris Smith and her two children.

Madelyn (Maddie) Bucksbaum Adamson is Vice President. She currently participates in a Visionary Circle and previously co-chaired the global giving circle, Isha Koach. Maddie  is a philanthropist involved with several committees and advisory boards for Jewish and secular not-for-profit organizations. Maddie has over 25 years of experience in investment management and marketing.

Aela Boyum Morgan is Vice President. She is an impactful and tireless Elluminate Visionary Philanthropist and Executive Board member committed to empowering a diverse group of Jewish women leaders in the US and Israel working for social change, equity and justice. An Israeli American and an artist, she became involved in Elluminate in 2012 to deepen her involvement in the American Jewish community, to grow her passion and commitment to tikkun olam, and to be among a dedicated and collaborative group of Jewish women addressing global challenges and issues through a gender and Jewish lens. In her own words, she proudly “stands up and speaks out in service to the women who light the world.”

Micki Kaplan Reiss is Secretary. She is an experienced Human Resources, Training and Development, and Presentations professional. She is currently a full-time mom raising two wonderful children. As an artist by avocation, she has always danced and dabbled in the visual arts, most recently mosaics. For the past 5 years, following her interest in geology, Micki became an Earth and Space Explainer and Teaching Volunteer at the American Museum of Natural History. She and her husband Jonathan live in Manhattan.

Marilyn Gottlieb is Treasurer as well as past President of JWFNY and served as an inaugural Co-Chair of one of the Visionary Circles. Currently retired, she was formerly the Chief Deputy County Executive of Nassau County, having also worked for the Anti-Defamation League and as an attorney in private practice. Marilyn is deeply engaged with UJA Federation of New York as a former member of the Board of Directors, Chair of the Government Relations and Advocacy Committee, and co-Chair of the Heritage Society. She also sits on the Family Violence Task Force and is a past Chair of Manhattan Women’s Philanthropy.

Stephanie Garry is the Immediate Past President and Governance Committee Chair after serving on the board for over 5 years. Originally from the Midwest, Stephanie is the Executive Vice President of Communal Partnerships at Plaza Jewish Community Chapel in New York City. She is a former member of The Commission for Social Action and is currently a member of the Board of Directors of CAJAC (Community Alliance for Jewish- Affiliated Cemeteries), The Hadassah Foundation, and the lay advisory board of The New York Board of Rabbis. She hosts the newly launched podcast Exit Strategy and has been published regularly in EJewish Philanthropy and Times of Israel. Stephanie has been married for 44 years.

Stephanie Ambroise is an experienced executive within legal and business affairs. She is an expert at contract negotiation and crisis management, which also includes risk management, logistical planning and IP research, most recently as Executive Business Affairs at Wieden + Kennedy NY and previously with YouTube. Stephanie was educated at Endicott College and Boston University; she is also a member of the National Association of Paralegals. Stephanie loves to travel and hopes to see Morocco next!

Frances Brandt is one of JWFNY’s Founders and remains actively involved in the organization.. She has served as the chair of the Women’s Campaign for NY and suburbs of UJA-Federation of New York, the President at Hadassah Long Beach and numerous other posts. She is active in her synagogue, Hewlett-East Rockaway Jewish Center. 

Madeline (Mady) Caslow is a past President, past Grants Chair, and past Chair of the Research Committee. Her professional career includes 18 years of program development and leadership at the Samuel Field YM & YWHA. She is passionate about the mission of Elluminate and shares that passion with her children and grandchildren.

Miriam Caslow is Co-Chair of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity and Justice Task force and a Visionary Circle Leader. She is a past President and past chair of the Governance, Grants and Research Committees. Professionally, Miriam is retired from the practice of Internal Medicine, specializing in Rheumatology. Miriam enjoys skiing, hiking, gardening and family time.

Debbie Cosgrove is a past President, She has served on the Board since 2008 and most recently was Elluminate’s 2023 Gala honoree. Debbie has been on the Board of Directors of UJA, Chair of ImmerseNYC, an adult educator at Park Ave Synagogue, and is now a fifth grade teacher at the Heschel School.  Debbie and her husband Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove live in Manhattan and are becoming empty nesters.

Bonnie Dimun is the Executive Director of the Museum at Eldridge Street and brings a wealth of experience in the non-profit, corporate and university arenas. She founded and was President of Dynamics for Change, a management consulting firm. Bonnie also served as National Director of Education and Public Policy at Hadassah, where she created and managed the Leadership, Education and Training Center. Bonnie holds an Ed.D from Columbia University as well as two degrees from Rider University.

Roberta Elliott is an activist, writer, and photographer. Since retiring from a lifetime of work as a communications professional in the Jewish community, she has devoted herself to volunteer work, primarily with refugees in the US and abroad. She is passionate about shared society in Israel and serves on the boards of several related organizations.  She is the President of the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom, a national organization of Muslim and Jewish women devoted to fighting hate and promoting social justice. She and her husband split their time between South Orange, NJ and Tucson, AZ.

Madeleine Grant, Past President, spent much of her life in the world of art and music, although today she is most often found trying to keep up with her grandchildren. As a professional in the field of art appraising, she ran her own company for over 20 years. Upon winding that down in 2004, her involvement in the Foundation grew and culminated in holding the position of President from 2011-2013. She served as Co-Chair of the 18th Anniversary Campaign and most recently served as Treasurer.

Haftam Yizhak Heathwood is the Coordinator for the New York Jews of Color Cohort at the Wexner Foundation. She was born in Ethiopia and at the age of 3, her family fled their village for Israel where they settled in Beit She’an. After serving 2 years in the Israeli Defense Forces, she moved to New York City in 2011. In 2017, she became involved with JWFNY, where she served as co-chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Justice Task Force. She recently finished a fellowship with the Jews of Color Initiative and is currently attending City College.

Emily Hirsch Katz is a Director at CCS Fundraising where she plans and implements initiatives to help nonprofits make a bigger impact. Previously, Emily served as Assistant Director at the Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life at NYU and as a Repair the World Fellow in Philadelphia. She holds an MPA from the NYU Wagner School of Public Service and a BA from Muhlenberg College. Deeply committed to advancing women and girls, Emily built scaffolding for an organization, First, Listen, which works with survivors of sexual assault. Emily lives in New Jersey with her husband and puppy, Lentil.

Fern K. Hurst, Founder and Past President of JWFNY. was born and raised in Charleston, SC, and has been a resident of NYC for 49 years. Fern is a graduate and past trustee of Ashley Hall; Trustee Emerita of Goucher College, from which she holds a B. A.; and past Overseer of the School of Design of the University of Pennsylvania, from which she holds a Masters of City Planning. She worked for the City of New York, where she founded Neighborhood Housing Services of Jamaica,NY; Metropolitan Life Insurance Company’s real estate investment division; and for a real estate developer. She was the past Chair of the Board of the National Jewish Center for Leadership and Learning, and a member of the Board of the Tri-State Maxed-Out Women’s PAC.

Betsy Miller Landis was the first Non-Founder President of JWFNY, and under her leadership, the Foundation completed its first capital campaign.  Betsy has been involved with the NY Jewish community for many years including UJA Women’s Campaign, the Hillels of New York Board, BBH/JACY, OTZMA, CLAL (both lay and professional), and Hebrew Union College.  She has an MBA in Public Accounting and is a licensed CPA. Betsy and her late husband Don (z”l) have three children and three grandchildren.

Shelly Eisenberg Mitchell is the Chair of the Visionary Circle Leadership.  She has held numerous positions on the Board including Secretary of the Board, Luncheon Co-Chair, and Visionary Circle Co-Chair. Shelly is the Board Chair of Yahel, an Israeli organization in which young adults from around the world work in underserved communities. She and her husband currently co-sponsor East Harlem students through the I Have A Dream Foundation, and have invested in several Broadway productions including Sweat, Waitress and Mean Girls.

Prosper de Passe is the Founder of Goddess Prosper, a private Life and Relationship coaching firm based out of Brooklyn and is a partnering consultant with Talushima Holistic Wellness in Ecuador. She is a voice-over actor, a motivational and wellness speaker specializing in past traumas and health, and maintains a residency at Bloomberg Radio for WZAB 880 AM. Prosper is a Board-certified Doula and is an active member of Elluminate’s Visionary Circles. 

Barbara Pollard has extensive experience in the arts in the education field for over 30 years. She recently served as Project Manager for the NYC Department, Director of Marquis Studios Special Projects, and Director for the Arts in Education division of the New York State Council of the arts. Her administrative and programming skills also served a range of cultural institutions including Lincoln Center, Town Hall, The Children’s Museum of Manhattan and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.  At the URJ, she served as the Director of The Reform Jewish Voice of NY. Barbara is a member of Westchester Reform Temple in Scarsdale.

Cindy Scheinfeld was a marketing executive at Revlon and Estee Lauder and has extensive experience in strategic planning and brand management. She was also a Brand Strategist on several marketing projects with the Taproot Foundation, an organization that helps non-profits
solve critical challenges in their communities. She has been a member of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) New York board since 2018 and is currently the Vice President of the New York board and active in leadership in other Committees and Institutes. Cindy’s involvement with AJC is driven by her concern about the rise of antisemitism and extremism in the US and abroad and her desire to play an active role in advocating for awareness and change. Cindy is also a member of City of Hope’s East End Chapter where she has produced their fundraising journal for over 15 years. She is an active member of Rodeph Sholom and is proud to have received their Gemilut Hasadim award. Cindy holds an MBA in Marketing from NYU and a BA in Political Science from Hobart and William Smith and lives in New York City. Her personal interests include travel, theater, and duplicate bridge, in which she is Silver Life Master.

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Andrea Seiden has built a consulting practice where she works with law firms to help them find, vet, and retain experts across various fields, including academia, industry, science, and medicine, to support their litigation needs. Prior to this, Andrea was the Managing Partner and Founder of JumpStart Healthcare Communication Consultants, LLC, a woman-owned small business. She was also one of 3 women to found and manage Accel Healthcare, an Omnicom company, where she created and delivered educational programs for healthcare professionals to enhance their understanding and adoption of evidence-based practices. Andrea has led initiatives for hospitals and federal agencies like SAMHSA, the VA, and USDA’s WIC program, focusing on health-related knowledge transfer. Throughout her career, Andrea has been passionate about mentoring women in business helping them to excel at work and to maintain a work/life balance by building a supportive culture and accommodating procedures. Andrea has been actively involved in the Jewish community since she was a young girl. From participating in BBYO to holding leadership roles at her temple, Andrea has always been dedicated to supporting and strengthening her community. She lives in Scarsdale, NY, where she is active in community politics. Andrea holds two master’s degrees. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, playing tennis, cooking, reading, and writing.
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Klara Silverstein, JWFNY founder, earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Hunter College. She recently received an honorary doctorate of Humane Letters from Hunter. She has had a long association with UJA-Federation having chaired the Women’s Division and General Campaigns as well as an Agency. Klara devotes much of her time to educational programming and fundraising for organizations such as National Jewish Health in Denver, the NYU Child Study Center and Hunter College Hillel. She also serves as a trustee of the Hunter College Foundation and the Museum of Arts and Design. Klara met her husband in 1951 when they were both sent to Brandeis Camp Institute by their respective Jewish organizations on campus (Klara from Hunter, Larry from NYU). They have three children and eight grandchildren.

Dana Levinson Steiner is Co-Chair of The Collective Cohort Program. Professionally, she is Director of ACCESS Global at AJC, where she oversees an international program to engage young professionals through transformative leadership development. Previously, Dana served as Manager of Jewish Leadership & Impact at the Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life at NYU, where she founded Chutzpanit: from Campus to the C-Suite, a preparatory and mentorship program for Jewish college women that aims to close the workplace and leadership gender gap. Dana has also been Assistant Director of Reshet Ramah: Alumni & Community Engagement Network; a teaching fellow at the American Hebrew Academy in Greensboro, NC; and a facilitator for Moving Traditions. Dana holds a B.Ed. in secondary history from McGill University and an M.A. in Jewish experiential education from the Jewish Theological Seminary and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in education and Jewish studies from the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at NYU.

Marilyn Thypin earned a doctorate in Educational Psychology from New York University. She was a professor at William Patterson College and served as an advisor to the New York City Public School System on learning disabilities. She has also authored educational materials designed for illiterate populations. In addition, she was a working partner in her family’s company, Thypin Steel, a steel distribution company. She sits on the National Board of Directors of ORT America. 

Lynn Tobias is a past President of JWFNY.  She has received her BS in Education from Temple University and taught in the Philadelphia and Scarsdale School Systems. She has extensive volunteer leadership experience, including as the President of the White Plains Auxiliary (serving on the Board of the Hospital), President of the PTA of the Fox Meadow Elementary School in Scarsdale, on the PT Council of Scarsdale School System, President and Chair of Women’s Philanthropy of UJA-Federation NY, President of the Pediatric Cancer Foundation of NY, Chair of the King David Society of UJA-Federation of New York, along with positions on the board of UJA-Federation of New York and holds positions on the boards of Women for Women and the Harmonie Club.

Rachel Weinstein is a two-time Tony Award-winning Broadway producer with nearly three decades of experience in professional performing  arts management.  Rachel began her career in the not-for-profit sector holding leadership positions at theater companies around the globe including Roundabout Theatre Company (New York), Donmar Warehouse (London), Writers’ Theatre (Chicago) and The Old Vic (London/New York).  In addition to producing, Rachel consults Broadway productions on education initiatives as well as targeted group sales outreach. Clients have included: Purlie Victorious, Topdog/Underdog, Macbeth, To Kill a Mockingbird, Dear Evan Hansen, The Great Society, The Prom, and Hughie. Rachel is a graduate of Hamilton College and lives in Manhattan with her family.

Stephanie Weiss is a Vice President and Client Advisor in Private Wealth Management at AllianceBernstein where she provides investment and wealth planning advice to individuals, family offices, nonprofits, foundations, and endowments. She earned a BS in economics with concentrations in business and public policy and management from The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania. She is actively engaged in Jewish philanthropy. Additionally, she is the Secretary of the New York / New Jersey Regional Board of the Anti-Defamation League where she is also the Co-Chair for ADL: ACT, a national group for emerging leaders.

Toya Williford serves as the founding Executive Director of The AC & JC Foundation, Inc., a private family foundation based in New York City. Ms. Williford brings more than 20 years of experience in philanthropic services, program and organizational development, fundraising, and community organizing. Prior to joining the Foundation, Ms. Williford was the Executive Director of the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City where she oversaw the overall management of the Mayor’s Fund and led the effort to foster public-private partnerships between City agencies, the private sector and the philanthropic community. Ms. Williford joined the de Blasio Administration as the Director of Programs and Policy and helped to launch and sustain the Center for Youth Employment, a multi-million dollar initiative created to improve the quality and scale of publicly funded youth employment programs.

Prior to joining the Mayor’s Fund, Toya served as the Program Director at the Brooklyn Community Foundation, the first and only foundation solely dedicated to Brooklyn’s charitable community. Committed to the advancement of her community, Toya takes special interest in programs and policies related to workforce development, environmental sustainability, youth development, and women’s health. Toya is a board member of Brooklyn Workforce Innovations, Central Park Conservancy and the Fund for Public Health in New York City. She actively volunteers with Felicia’s Promise and her local PTA. She is a certified vinyasa yoga and prenatal yoga instructor. She received a Master’s degree in Urban Studies from Cleveland State University and a Bachelor’s degree in Rural Sociology from Cornell University. She lives in Bedford Stuyvesant with her family.

Rebecca (Becca) Youngerman is an independent consultant who works primarily with nonprofit organizations through RGY Consulting. Her passion lies in partnering with organizations and individuals who wish to make bold changes in their organizational culture. Rebecca brings over 20 years of experience working with nonprofit organizations, including 10 years in the Jewish professional sector with local, national, and international organizations such as ADL, BBYO, and the Holocaust Center of N. California. Rebecca earned an MPA and BA in Political Science from American University’s School of Public Affairs. She also completed a Certificate in Facilitation from Georgetown University’s Institute for Transformational Leadership and a nonprofit executive education certificate from the Kellogg School of Management Board Member Institute for Jewish nonprofits. She is a Schusterman Fellowship and is a member of the ROI Community. Rebecca is a proud native of Madison, WI. After riding on a float in the MACY*S parade more than 30 years ago, she finally moved to NYC in 2014. During the COVID pandemic, she and her husband and young son relocated to Madison, WI where they added another son to their family.

Barbara Zuckerberg is a long-time supporter of Elluminate. She joined in 2001 and participated twice on Isha Koach as well as on the Policy Committee. Barbara is a Trustee at myFace – a non-profit organization founded to address the all-too-visible plight of those with facial differences by assuring them access to the comprehensive and highly personalized team care at The myFace Center at the Hansjörg Wyss Department of Plastic Surgery, NYU Langone Medical Center. As the Director of the Barbara Hope Foundation, she is active in supporting films such as Pray the Devil Back to Hell and PBS’s Women, War and Peace. Barbara has been a member of NCJW for over 50 years; she held many positions, including serving as past president of her section and on the national board. Barbara represented NCJW at the United Nations for a number of years. She also served on the Board of Directors of UJA Federation of New York.