Anastasiia (Ana) originally is from Ukraine, in 2019 she moved to Israel. She has a BA in Psychology and currently is working on her MA in Non-profit management at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Ana was a Community Representative in 2020 and participated in Entwine Insider Global Trip to Nepal and in Inside Jewish Argentina LGBTQ Trip. Previously, Ana worked as Donor Relations Manager for the Federation of Jewish Communities in FSU. While living in Ukraine she was an active participant of the local Jewish community, particularly, being a Moishe House Kyiv resident. Additionally, her experience includes working with such international organizations as Hakhel Jewish Communities Incubator and BBYO.

Andrea is JDC Entwine’s Director of Development. She works closely with the Executive Director to develop and implement Entwine’s resource development strategy and to manage Entwine’s stakeholder relationships including programmatic and funding partners and JDC Board Members.

Andrea grew up in Rochester, NY, and graduated from George Washington University with a degree in Political Science and Judaic Studies. After college, she worked for Close Up, a DC-based nonprofit, leading civic engagement programs for high school students.

In 2010, Andrea went to Israel to teach English to high school students in Ashdod and ended up staying to continue her studies. In 2012, she completed her Master’s Degree in Non-Profit Management at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She came to Entwine from the University of Rochester where she was working in the Medical Center Development Office. In her free time, Andrea can be found running in Prospect Park, making ice cream, and exploring NYC.

Most memorable place you’ve traveled: Guatemala — the most caring and warm people, flavorful, fresh food, and beautiful nature including lakes and volcanoes!

Fun Fact or special skills: Andrea is an expert bread maker — her specialties include challah and french bread!

Andrew Belinfante is a community builder and activist living in New York City. As the Senior Director of Programs and Organizational Development​ at JDC Entwine, he travels the world connecting global Jews and building awareness around humanitarian aid and disaster relief work. Andrew has a Master’s of Science in Education from Bank Street College of Education. While pursuing his Master’s Andrew worked full time at Mechon Hadar, a progressive Yeshiva in New York. Growing up with Type 1 Diabetes and an LGBTQ+ identity pushed Andrew to center the voices of the most marginalized and vulnerable in society. He has dedicated his work towards how we can better expand, and make more inclusive, the Jewish community we live in. An avid social justice activist and lover of Torah, Andrew has appeared in Huffington Post and Tablet magazine writing about the intersections of body positivity, grief, and disability through a Jewish lens. His ELI Talk, Reconciling My Body With Tradition, has been viewed over 25,000 times. He has served as a past board member on Keshet’s Young Leadership Board, was a UJA Federation Ruskay Fellow in 2018, and is a member of Schusterman’s ROI Community. Andrew is a marathon runner, a dedicated baker, and has a deep love for learning and connecting.

Most memorable place you’ve traveled: I loved visiting Timisoara, Romania. I was moved by the fact that such a small place could feel so impactful. The streets were clean, the people were nice, and the pride of the people ran deep.

Arezu is an explorer, traveler, and adventurous learner. A native Angeleno, Arezu grew up in the Iranian-Jewish community, with Jewish ritual and tradition deeply embedded into the fabric of her life. It was during her undergraduate studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she cultivated her own Jewish identity, serving as a student senator and leader at Santa Barbara Hillel. Having studied History and Religious Studies, Arezu deepened her passion for experiencing other cultures through learning about food in Islamic traditions, Asian American Buddhism, and new American religious movements of the 19th century. Additionally, Arezu holds a Master’s degree in Organization Leadership and Innovation from Hebrew Union College (HUC) where she continued developing the skills to become a passionate community builder.

As JDC Entwine’s National Outreach Manager, Arezu connects young adults with Jewish communities around the world taking people to places like Cuba, Poland, Argentina, Chile, Brazil and the UAE, teaching them about global aid and disaster response work. Arezu is passionate about meeting new people, dynamic storytelling, and honoring cultures from around the world. In her free time, Arezu reads anything she can get her hands on, cooks her way through cookbooks (currently Adeena Sussman’s Sababa), and attempts to perfect her tennis forehand.

Most memorable place you’ve traveled: Mexico City. The energy there is overflowing. Plus, I’ve never eaten so good in my life!

Fun Fact or special skill: I’m a big geography nerd—I can spend hours staring at maps!

As the Director of Engagement, Arielle oversees Entwine’s strategic direction for bringing global awareness and transformative experiences to young adults around the world. Her passion for sustainable community development began as a volunteer in Nepal with Tevel b’Tzedek and continued as a JDC Global Jewish Service Corps Fellow at the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village in Rwanda. Arielle holds a B.A. in political science from Binghamton University and a Certificate in Jewish Leadership from the Spertus Institute. She is also a 2021 Fellow in the Ruskay institute for Jewish Professional Leadership. Arielle is based in New York City but can more often be found adventuring around the world.

Most memorable place you’ve traveled: Estonia- Old Town is like Disney World!

Fun Fact or special skills: Arielle once bungee jumped off a 585 ft bridge in Nepal.

Elissa Katz joins the JDC Entwine team with a passion for grant writing and program management in the Jewish communal space. Elissa lived in Haifa, Israel on an Urban Kibbutz for three years before serving as a JSC Fellow in her parents hometown, Odesa, Ukraine in 2016-17. Following an impactful summer at Szarvas International Summer Camp, Elissa managed youth and event programming for Union for Reform Judaism (NFTY) before shifting to the Russian Speaking Jewish space. Elissa followed her passion for the RSJ community and managed the Russian Speaking Jewish Outreach and Engagement Initiative grants at Foundation for Jewish Camp, supporting overnight camps, day camps and Federation partners in their effort to engage more Russian speaking families. She holds a dual degree in Elementary Education and Judaic Studies from the University of Hartford and strongly believes that there is always space in our lives to learn something new, whether it be a skill, perspective, or mindset. When she’s not working, Elissa is on the hunt for new recipes to cook, national parks to hike in, and delicious coffee to pour oat milk into.

Emily joins Entwine as the East Coast Community Manager. Emily comes to us with many years of experience in Jewish education and a passion for facilitating connections across differences. She grew up in Massachusetts and found a love of Jewish community through her participation in summer camp and youth groups. In her first experience with Entwine, Emily served as a JSC @ Home fellow in 2021, helping the Jewish community of Mumbai, India stay connected virtually during a spike in the pandemic. Emily studied Public Relations and Global Studies at Hofstra University. She loves exploring new cultures – especially through food!

Emma is based in London and has formerly worked at St Albans Museums, Willesden Jewish Cemetery and Jewish Museum London. Emma started her career through the Teach First programme as a religious studies teacher for several under-resourced schools. She has previously been Shabbat co-chair for Limmud festival as well as being an alumnus of the Cambridge Inter-Faith Programme.

Emma is an active member of her local shul, supporting environmental initiatives, as well as being an associate governor for a community primary school. Emma has a BA in Theology and Religious Studies from the University of Cambridge.

Gabe Orduña joins Entwine as the Database Specialist. In this role, Gabe will be working to design, implement, and manage JDC Entwine’s participant database as well as help strategize and create processes for data collection and reporting. Prior to coming to JDC, Gabe was a Business Analyst at Craftsman Technology Group in Boston, MA, working with nonprofit organizations on mostly Salesforce based CRM projects. As a Business Analyst, Gabe worked closely with nonprofit clients to develop wokflows to maximize operational efficiency, designed and configured custom CRM solutions, and facilitated training for end users. Before Craftsman, Gabe participated in an AmeriCorps based nonprofit professional development fellowship called New Sector Alliance where he was matched to work with Nonprofit Finance Fund where he designed and built the organizations knowledge management platform. Gabe graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 2015 with a degree in Community and Environmental Sociology.

Most memorable place you’ve traveled: Copenhagen

Fun Fact or special skill: He has worked at 5 ice cream shops around the country.

Jenette joined the Entwine team in 2012. Before joining Entwine, Jenette participated in the Masa Israel Teaching Fellows program, where she taught English in an underserved school in Netanya. Jenette is also passionate about sustainability and serves on the Young Professional Advisory Board of the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR). She holds a bachelor’s degree from the George Washington University in International Affairs and French Language and Literature, and lives with her husband Leandro in Brooklyn.

Most memorable place you’ve traveled: Last year, I went to Tokyo and fell in love with the simultaneously refined/wacky culture. If JDC ever opens an office there, I’ll be the first volunteer!

Fun Fact or special skills: I serve on JDC’s Green Team and started a composting initiative, along with a few other colleagues, at our headquarters!

Joshua Mikutis is the Director of Design and Jewish Learning, Rabbinic Director of the Weitzman-JDC Fellowship at JDC Entwine. He was ordained from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in May of 2018; he also graduated with a Master in Jewish Nonprofit Management from the Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management. Originally from Dayton, Ohio, he graduated from Haverford College with honors in Religion and History and with a minor in Russian from Byrn Mawr College. After college, he worked as an Avodah Corps member at New York Legal Assistance Group in their Immigrant Protection Unit. In 2012, he first connected with JDC Entwine when he travelled on an Insider Trip to Moscow. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife Anna who works at UJA Federation of New York.

Most memorable place you’ve traveled: Japan

Fun Fact or special skills: Joshua played bass in a MC Solaar cover band in college.

As the Special Projects Manager, Julia works closely with Entwine’s Executive Director to oversee key leadership programs and provides additional support in the executive unit. Julia is originally from outside of Chicago and took two gap years after graduating from high school where she lived in Brazil for a year and worked with AmeriCorps in Providence Rhode Island for a year. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and a Bachelor’s in Education Policy with a concentration in Educational Equality. During her time in college, she served as the Development Intern for the University YMCA for three years and was on the Board of Directors for a local non-profit. Julia loves hiking and eating good food.

Michelle is excited to be joining JDC as the RSJ and Midwest Community Manager! Michelle has 5 years experience as a Program Director in the nonprofit sector. She has worked with the public school system to create engaging programming for youth and young adults. Prior to that, she has worked with several different organizations to bring specialized activities and events to the Russian Jewish community. Michelle holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature and is currently working on her Master’s of Public Administration. In her spare time, Michelle enjoys listening to podcasts, going to the gym, and trying out different restaurants. Book recommendations are always welcome!

Naomi joined the Entwine team in 2015 and has since supported a diverse portfolio of programs. Naomi currently specializes on the Year-Long Jewish Service Corps and large scale events. In her role, Naomi manages projects and ensures their successful execution.

Naomi has a Master’s degree in Community and Social Change with a Specialized Track in Community and Program Development from the University of Miami. She was active in Jewish life and founded a Challah for Hunger Chapter at UM. Born and raised in the NY area, Naomi has also lived in Israel and Australia and has visited several Jewish communities around the globe. In her free time Naomi enjoys baking Challah, exploring the city and traveling the world. With a clear passion for culture and community, Naomi is proud to be working for JDC Entwine, combining her passions of travel, Judaism and impact.

Most memorable place you’ve traveled: Morocco! I love how the deep Jewish history is emended into the larger society, plus the Arab culture reminds me of my Egyptian roots!

Fun Fact or special skills: Some call me a “jew head” aka lover of many Jewish foods, ideas and practices.

Ramy joins JDC Entwine as the Budget and Data Analyst to manage, synthesize and interpret data related to budget and finance, impact evaluation, program participation and marketing. He has 8 years of experience in non profit finance management.

In his previous role as the Senior Finance Manager at ACLED Analysis Inc. he helped build the financial and operational systems to support a quickly growing organization that focuses on disaggregated data collection and analysis for international conflict. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies and Psychology from the University of California, Irvine.

Ramy has a personal connection to JDC Entwine as he served as a lay leader for San Diego’s first planning committee and an Insider Trip participant to Haiti and India. He is dedicated to raising awareness of global humanitarian causes and serving those in need.

Ramy lives in San Diego with his wife and dog. In his free time, he enjoys visiting national parks and spending time outdoors.

As Senior Director of Strategy and Planning, Sara works with the Executive Director to set the strategic direction and annual plan for JDC Entwine and oversees the measurement and evaluation of Entwine’s programs and Entwine’s budget and finance work.

Prior to coming to Entwine, Sara was the Director of Program Evaluation and Strategy at NEXT for Autism, where she set up their performance measurement program to help NEXT tell its story of innovative model programs for people on the autism spectrum. Prior to her work at NEXT for Autism, Sara worked as a management consultant for many years, both in the for-profit and nonprofit sector at Bain & Company and The Bridgespan Group, tackling a broad range of complex strategic challenges. Sara earned her MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College in 2011. She lives in Harlem with her husband and two sons

Most memorable place you’ve traveled: My most memorable travel experience is spending a week on a boat exploring Antarctica!

Fun Fact or special skills: Horseback riding! While I haven’t ridden in a few years, it was a huge part of my life growing up and you could almost always find me at the barn or doing something horse-related.

Sara joins us as a Program Coordinator. She has held several positions in the Jewish Non-profit space supporting organizations’ programmatic and operational needs. In her most recent position, she supported her team at an E-commerce company by managing all major purchasing projects for the Operations Department. Her passion for Jewish communal services and humanitarian work and brought her back into the non-profit sector. Sara holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Economics from Hunter College. When she is not in the office, she enjoys drawing, traveling, and spending time with her friends.

Serena joins Entwine as an Outreach Coordinator. As a college graduate in 2020, Serena longed for a job she could be passionate about. She received her Bachelor’s degree from UW-Madison in Environmental Studies and Journalism with a focus on Strategic Communications. In college, Serena loved working with numerous Jewish non-profits. As a Campus Fellow for JNF, she worked to recruit college students from across the country. Following her campus fellowship, Serena went on to co-lead their National Conference for college students and through other leadership opportunities, worked to hone her skills in programming and event planning. Ultimately, she decided Jewish non-profit is where she longed to be. When she’s not working, Serena loves to paint, create art, listen to music, spend time in nature with family and friends and read.

Shaun Hoffman is the Executive Director of JDC Entwine, responsible for its vision, strategy, and overall success. Shaun joined JDC in 2013, previously serving as Entwine’s Director of Global Operations and then as Deputy Director. Prior to joining JDC, Shaun was the Senior Program Director for Canada Israel Experience, managing the Canadian Jewish Community’s youth and young adult Israel experience programs, such as Taglit-Birthright Israel and March of the Living.

Shaun holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Toronto, including a year in the Honors Program in Middle East Studies at the Hebrew University. He also holds an M.A. in Jewish Professional Studies from the Spertus Institute in Chicago. Shaun served as a field commander in the IDF Paratroopers Brigade (despite a fear of heights), and continues to serve in the unit’s southern reserve brigade. He was an iCenter iFellow and is a Schusterman Senior Fellow.

Shawna joined the Entwine team in 2015 and works as a Program Manager for global experiences in JDC’s Latin America and GRID regions. Shawna received her undergraduate degree in Global Studies from UC Santa Barbara and holds a Master’s Degree in International Community Development from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Prior to her post-graduate studies, Shawna worked for one year as a Young Judaea Year Course Madricha in Israel. Her passions for travel and community development were solidified when she volunteered with Tevel B’Tzedek in Nepal, working in organic agriculture and youth movement development. Shawna also worked for the Israeli NGO, Fair Planet Seeds, in Ethiopia. There she helped run the farmers pilot program, coordinating the farmers’ reception of top quality tomato plant varieties. Outside of work, Shawna can be found exploring all the Pacific Northwest where she lives.

Tanya has been involved with the Jewish non-profit field as a participant, volunteer, and employee most of her life. With a strong passion for marketing, she helps transform organizations into engaging brands. Prior to joining JDC Entwine, Tanya worked over 9 years at OU Israel Free Spirit, a Birthright Israel trip organizer, overseeing its branding, social media, and overall marketing strategy. She is excited to continue inspiring and connecting Jewish young adults through community encounters. Tanya graduated from New York University with a BS in Psychology and Media, Culture, and Communication. She grew up and resides in Brooklyn, NY where she enjoys exploring the city and trying out new restaurants.