Our Board of Directors

Our Board embraces and is guided by the view that Judaism is a dynamic faith which promotes pluralistic expression of its practices and celebrates the diversity of the Jewish People.

Barry Wallach, Chair, is a former COO for Citadel Investment Groupand former Managing Partner of Operations for Arthur Andersen US. Barry currently serves on the Advisory Board of  Israeli based Vintage Venture Partners. He is a frequent speaker, panelist and author. Barry, a CPA, graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago and received his J.D. from DePaul Law School.   He has served as a member of the National Board of Governors for the American Jewish Committee. Barry has been involved in a variety of Inter-religious and Israeli advocacy matters both domestically and internationally including in Egypt, Tunisia, Russia, Ukraine , Lithuania and Israel. Barry and his wife Terri have three adult children: Michael, Eric and Rebecca. Barry’s interests include skiing, hiking, scuba diving and conversational Hebrew.

Max Berlin is the President and CEO MeasureComp LLC, the leading floor covering computerized measuring system in the industry servicing floor covering companies such as: Home Depot, Dalton Direct, Nebraska Furniture Mart, Carpet Center and Floors and many other nationwide floor covering businesses. Mr. Berlin is involved with numerous philanthropies and currently serves as a Board Member & Chairman of Community Relations Committee, Providence Hospital, Southfield Michigan,  as an Associate Vice President; Orthodox Union, New York, New York  and as the Chairman of Executive Committee of Yeshiva Beth Yehudah, Southfield Michigan.

Harvey Blitz recently retired as Senior Vice President in charge of tax at AXA Financial, where he had been employed since 1978. Harvey has a BS in accounting from Wayne State University and a JD from the University of Chicago, 1969, where he was on the Law Review.  He also received an LLM in tax from New York University in 1972.  Harvey was a teaching fellow at New York University Law School from 1969-1972, and practiced tax law at various law firms from 1972-1978. He was the president of the Orthodox Union from 2000-2004 and Chairman of the Board from 2004-2010.  Among his many other leadership roles, Harvey is a member of the Executive Committee of the Jewish Agency for Israel, a member of the Investment Committee of the Claims Conference, Vice President of the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture and chair of its budget and investment committees, and Chairman of World Mizrachi.

Laurence Bolotin currently serves as the executive director for Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity, Inc., working extensively to widen alumni involvement and serve as a spokesman for the positive fraternity experience. Prior to that, Laurence served as the Executive Vice-President for the United States Junior Chamber of Commerce in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Laurence supervised the development and execution of financial plans, annual budgets, and national conventions. He  graduated from the University of Florida with a B.S. in Public Relations, and from the University of Texas at Austin with a M.Ed in Educational Administration.

Rabbi Steven Burg is the founder of the Jewish Student Union (JSU). Rabbi Burg is the International Director of NCSY, a movement of more than 35,000 Jewish teens in over 200 communities across North America with additional branches in Israel, Chile, and Argentina. NCSY’s mission is to connect, inspire, and empower Jewish teens through innovative outreach and inspirational opportunities.  Rabbi Burg’s career in NCSY has spanned seventeen years, during which time he has impacted the lives of thousands of Jewish teens making Judaism relevant to their lives.  In addition to his role as International Director of NCSY, Rabbi Burg is the Managing Director of the Orthodox Union, overseeing the Orthodox Union’s many programs. Rabbi Burg currently resides in Bergenfield, New Jersey with his wife Rachel and their six children Aryeh, Elie, Devorah, Zevi, Natan, and Ayelet.

Jason Ciment is Co-Founder and Executive Director of LaDezign.com, a specialty web marketing agency offering SEO, web site design, online branding and lead generation solutions for ecommerce and B2B-oriented companies. LaDezign also integrates clients with the Adrecom CMS Suite, a proprietary web site and content management platform for ecommerce storefront sites and company websites. LaDezign helps companies like Westfield.com, AbsoluteMed.com and ArtisanPrecast.com gain top rankings on search engines for search phrases relevant to their businesses.

Having previously founded and served as CEO of two ecommerce-related companies, Jason is able to bridge ongoing Internet technology advancements with traditional marketing methodologies to provide a uniquely proprietary roadmap for online success. His first venture, MagMall.com, founded in 1996, offers a magazine subscription management service to businesses, libraries, governments and individuals at greatly reduced prices. Because of purchasing efficiencies, MagMall has a loyal following among businesses as diverse as Nike, Mattel and Levi Strauss. Jason also pioneered the idea of giving away low-cost magazine subscriptions as loyalty-enhancing gifts to employees and customers.

Fred Claar is the creator and sustainer of TorahTopicsforToday.com, a web-based program to empower parents to have relevant conversations easily about Jewish moral values in their homes.  He is a board member of MyJewishLearning.com, The Jewish Education Project, treasurer of JESNA (Jewish Educational Services of North America), and a member of a COJIR (Commission on Jewish Identity and Renewal) task force of UJA for Communal Jewish Education.  Fred is also on the planning commission of The Jewish Journey Project (to totally redesign Hebrew school) and on the task force of Westchester’s Teen Education Initiative.

Fred is a part-time congregational school teacher and an educator for the Museum of Jewish Heritage of New York.  He is also an active student of Jewish text. Previously, Fred was a board member of METNY of USCJ, Areyvut, and the patron of “Around the Shabbat Table”, a weekly Torah portion family guide.  Formerly, he was Judaic Chairman of UJA’s National Young Leadership Cabinet and an active solicitation trainer for UJA from 1975 to 1990. For 43 years, Fred was actively involved in the diamond business and president of Claar Bros., Inc. from 1971 to 2004. Professionally, he has been inducted into the 24 Karat Club of the City of New York and the Plumb Club of New York. In 1963, Fred received a BA from Tufts University where he met his wife Joyce.  They live in Harrison, NY, near their children and grandchildren.

Allen I. Fagin is the Chairman of Proskauer Rose LLP and the former co-Chair of the Labor and Employment Law Department. Allen is a recognized expert and leader in the field of labor and employment law and has appeared on CNN and been quoted in numerous publications, including The New York Times, Crain’s New York Business, Business Week, ABA Journal, US News and World Report, and The New York Law Journal.  Allen was profiled by The National Law Journal as one of the top employment litigators in the country. Despite the demands of his practice, Allen still finds time to devote a portion of his spare time to numerous communal and philanthropic organizations.  Allen is a member of the Board of Visitors of Columbia College, a Senior Vice President of the Orthodox Union and a former member of the Board of Directors of Lawyers Alliance of New York, an organization providing pro bono legal services to non-profit and community development organizations in the New York City area.

Rachel Gindi resides in Los Angeles, California where she and her husband Jack Gindi, z”l (of blessed memory), raised their four children, Elie Gindi, Joseph Gindi, Betsy Timsit and Alan Gindi.  They since been blessed with 19 beautiful grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren.  Rachel has studied in a variety of fields of interest, including, but not limited to, Jewish Studies, psychology, art, writing and art therapy.  She is a graduate of the Wagner Program at the American Jewish University.  She is a supporter of  Jewish Student Union, which is named in recognition of her and Jack’s early leadership and support of the organization, Maimonides Hebrew Academy, American Jewish University, Shaare Zedek Hospital, Tel Hashomer Hospital,  Rambam Hospital, Gimmel Foundation-Israel, Hillel:  The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, Camp Ramah, Washington Institute, Yeshiva University-New York, Yeshiva University High School-Los Angeles, Darchei Noam, Etta Israel, UJA, Hadassah, ORT, AIPAC, and American Friends of Israel Museum.

Andy Kane is a Managing Director at Pacific Capital Group (PCG). He is actively engaged in the active portfolio companies and the operations of Pacific Capital Group, which is a Los Angeles-based investment firm. The firm raises and provides capital, strategic direction, management development, and financing for companies in a broad range of industry sectors, including financial services, clean technology, telecommunications, healthcare and real estate. Prior to PCG, Mr. Kane was COO and CFO of an international fitness distributor and served as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of HSBC’s Private Bank in Southern California. For twenty-eight years, Mr. Kane served in various management positions with Arthur Andersen including Los Angeles Managing Partner, Managing Partner of the West Coast Tax and Advisory Practices, Western US Managing Partner Risk and Quality for the Tax and Advisory Practices, Managing Partner of the West Coast Real Estate Industry Practice, Global Managing Partner Tax and Legal Professional Development, and Chairman of the Worldwide Nominating Committee for Andersen Worldwide.

Mr. Kane earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics with Honors in Accounting and Finance from the London School of Economics at London University.  He is an FCA United Kingdom and a CPA in the United States. He is also certified by UCLA as a NASDAQ Board Director, a Member of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD).  In the late 1990s, Her Majesty the Queen awarded Mr. Kane with the honor of the chivalry order as an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) for services in the United States related to British commercial interests. Mr. Kane has a wealth of experience in business and organizational governance, entrepreneurial ventures, executive management in finance, operations as well as in the banking, real estate and professional services industries.  He presently serves on the Board of Directors of East West Bank, is an Advisory Board member of the Chamberlain Group, and a Senior Advisor to Tax Group Partners. He is a frequent speaker and active leader on civic boards including hospitals, theaters and academic, religious and community organizations.

Susan Karlinsky has worked in the field of family philanthropy for over 13 years serving as the foundation manager for the Circle of Service Foundation since itsinception in 1997.  In her professional work, Susan has focused primarily on the Jewish community, education and basic human needs in the Chicago-area.  She is an active member of the Donors Forum of Chicago as well as the Jewish Funders Network. Susan is also a guest lecturer on Grant Writing and Review for the Masters of Arts in Jewish Professional Studies program at Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies.

Prior to entering the field of family philanthropy, Susan, a CPA, worked in public accounting focusing on accounting and income tax services for individuals and small businesses. Susan received her B.A. in Accounting from Bradley University. Susan and her husband Shelly reside in Vernon Hills, and have twin sons who are college students.

Ellen Koplow, the regional vice chair of the AMIT organization, a non-profit which maintains a network of ‘safe haven’ locations and schools in Israel for youth at risk, in the Tri-State area, and also serves on the National Board of Directors for the AMIT organization. Along with her extensive community work in the Westchester area, Ms. Koplow holds positions with the United Way, and holds a position on the Board of Directors at Westchester Hebrew High School. 

Steve Levin, Partner at Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP, has worked in public accounting since 1977.  He is the Regional

Leader of the Commercial Services Practice. In addition to his management responsibilities, he specializes in consulting with business owners regarding strategic and operational issues. Steve evaluates the needs and concerns of closely held companies and develops viable business plans that succeed within today’s complex financial world. From 2004-2008, Steve served as the Regional Managing Partner for the Chicago region and served as a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. Prior to that, he served as Managing Member of Baker Tilly’s predecessor firm.

Jonathan Mell was born in Cape Town, South Africa and moved with his family to Los Angeles, CA at the age of ten. Jonathan graduated with a B.S. from Yeshiva University’s Sy Syms School of Business where he studied Management Information Systems. Jonathan currently resides in New Jersey and is a Vice President at Goldman Sachs. He works as a technologist focusing on commercially improving application performance. Together with Brandtality Inc., Jonathan helped facilitate the re-branding of NCSY including the new NCSY Logo, Tagline and Website. In 2006 at the OU Biennial Convention in Israel, Jonathan was elected to the OU Board of Directors and later went on to join the executive board. As a lay leader of the OU, Jonathan currently serves as a member of the NJ NCSY Advisory Board, the National NCSY Youth Commission, the OU Young Leadership Cabinet and the OU Marketing Commission.

Alicia S. Oberman has served as the Foundation Director of the Jack Miller Family Foundation (for which she is also a Board member) and its related philanthropic fund, the Jack and Goldie Wolfe Miller Fund. As Foundation Director, Alicia directs all of the foundation’s programs and operations and serves as the foundation’s liaison to its non-profit partners and the community. Alicia further ensures that all of the foundation’s programmatic activities are aligned with its missions and strategic priorities and she works closely with each Board member to develop the foundation’s long-term strategic plans.

Prior to joining the staff of the foundation, Alicia worked as an attorney in the corporate and securities group of the Chicago-based law firm Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP. In addition, she currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Women’s Health Foundation and on the Alumni Board of the Latin School of Chicago. Alicia graduated Magna Cum Laude with Distinction in English from Amherst College in 1999. She then received her JD from Northwestern University in 2003.  She lives in Chicago with her husband and her three daughters.

Rabbi Steven Weil is the Executive Vice President of the Orthodox Union. Rabbi Steven Weil, the son of German “fie handlers”, grew up on a cattle farm in Upstate New York. His love forlearning began early, and as a teenager prevailed upon his parents to send him away to Yeshiva. He continued his education at Kerem B’Yavneh and Yeshiva University, concurrently completing his ordination at the Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan Theological Seminary and a Masters in Business Administration from NYU’s Stern School of Business. Rabbi Weil began his career teaching, and then began pulpit work; first at the Young Israel of Oak Park Michigan and then at Beth Jacob Congregation in Beverly Hills, California. In both positions, Rabbi Weil significantly expanded the synagogue’s membership and programming and was involved in serving the needs of the greater community as well. In 2009 he became the chief executive officer of the Orthodox Union. Rabbi Weil is a popular teacher and lecturer, having delivered invocations for former president Bush and governor Schwarzenneger among others. He has served internationally as scholar in residence on land and on sea, and is a passionate advocate for Israel and for Jewish education. Rabbi Weil resides in New Jersey with his wife and seven children.