Team

Rabbi Barbara Zacky received Rabbinic Ordination in 2009 from the Academy for Jewish Religion, California and studied clinical pastoral education 2007-09. Rabbi Zacky is a Co-Chair of the Founders Council at The Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law from 2014 to present. Rabbi Zacky serves on the Executive Board of Equality California Institute since 2018 and serves as secretary of the Institute. Rabbi Zacky participates on the IKAR Board of Advisors since 2020 and prior to the advisory board she served on the IKAR Board of Directors.

Rachel is part of the advisory team and President of The Hearthland Foundation, a family foundation established by Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg to help build a more just, equitable and connected America—one creative act at a time. With storytelling and art at its core, the foundation focuses on supporting eForts to build: a shared democracy, tell a more honest and generative American narrative, and foster a culture of accompaniment and care. Rachel is also the founder and president of Fundamental, a boutique philanthropic and political consulting firm. She has a background in public policy and government and has worked in philanthropy for close to three decades. She is a senior advisor to the Righteous Persons Foundation and the co-founder of Reboot, a network of Jewish creatives. Rachel also serves on the board of the Jim Joseph Foundation.

As President and Chief Executive Officer, David Nevins has oversight of all aspects of Showtime Networks and its channels. Nevins manages the Company’s programming, distribution, business development, finance, marketing, creative, digital media, scheduling, research, acquisitions, network operations, home entertainment, business affairs and corporate communications teams, as well as SHOWTIME Sports®. He also serves as the liaison to CBS Corporation’s international and domestic distribution groups. Under his tenure, SHOWTIME launched its stand-alone streaming service, along with ten hit series, including the critically-acclaimed originals HOMELAND, BILLIONS, THE AFFAIR, RAY DONOVAN and SHAMELESS – the network’s top-rated shows. The first project greenlit by Nevins at the network, HOMELAND was the recipient of Golden Globe® and Emmy® Awards for Outstanding Drama Series, as well as a prestigious Peabody Award. Before joining Showtime Networks, Nevins was an Emmy® Award-winning producer and network programming executive. He served as President of Imagine Television from 2002-2010, where he oversaw development, production and was an executive producer on all Imagine Television shows. Under his leadership, Imagine produced ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, which won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series, and 24, which won for Outstanding Drama Series. He also developed and executive produced PARENTHOOD, LIE TO ME, SHARK and the critically acclaimed series FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, which received honors from the American Film Institute (AFI) for Television Program of the Year and the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award. Nevins also received an Emmy Award nomination for his work as an executive producer on the final season of FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS. Prior to joining Imagine, Nevins served as Executive Vice President of Programming at Fox Broadcasting Company. He oversaw all development and current programming for such series as THE BERNIE MAC SHOW, MALCOM IN THE MIDDLE, as well as the Emmy and Golden Globe® Award-winning first season of 24. Previously, Nevins served as Senior Vice President, Primetime Series at NBC, where he was responsible for the development and creative supervision of such renowned dramas and comedies as ER, THE WEST WING, WILL & GRACE,HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET and LAW & ORDER: SVU. In 2014, Nevins was awarded the prestigious Vanguard Award for Programmers, the National Cable and Telecommunications Association’s (NCTA) top honor. He serves on various industry boards, including the HRTS Board of Directors, the George Foster Peabody Awards Board of Advisors, the Paley Center Los Angeles Board of Governors, and is on the ATAS Executive Committee. Nevins currently serves as the Vice President and as a member of the Board of Directors for the Friends of the Saban Community Clinic.

Amy Sloane-Pinel’s professional life has spanned thirty years of senior level experience in public affairs, corporate communications, and change management, including extensive strategic responsibility for public and private sector entities in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the U.S. In recent years, her focus has been on infrastructure as an impact investment and sustainable development instrument (ESG), particularly in building the public private partnerships so critical to supporting social infrastructure and capacity building in emerging nations and underserved communities. She has served as an adviser to ArtBasel, Paris Photo, Eurosport/Discovery Communications, The European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF Maastricht), The Henri Cartier Bresson Foundation, Vivendi, Corbis, EMI Music Group, Bertelsman Music Group, Sapient/Publicis, and Sonia Rykiel, among others. In 2012, she joined Meridiam Infrastructure as a senior advisor to the chairman and founder, Thierry Deau. Meridiam is an independent investment firm specialized in the development, financing, and management of long-term public infrastructure projects. With offices in Paris, New York, Toronto, Istanbul, Dakar, and Luxembourg, Meridiam currently manages €5 billion of assets, and has invested over 50 projects internationally to date. She oversees the firm’s strategic partnership portfolio which includes the World Economic Forum, The Bretton Woods Committee, The German Marshall Fund, the Atlantic Council, and the Longterm Infrastructure Investors Association (LTIIA). She holds a BA in Art History from Harvard University and is both a U.S. and French citizen. She and her husband, Nicolas Pinel, and their two children, Alexandra and Charles, were based in Paris until 2012. Amy and Nicolas currently split their time between Paris and North Carolina.

Chip Edelsberg, PhD, consults with organizations on achieving greater measures of excellence. Chip brings 35 years of public and social sector leadership experience to his work. He focuses on assisting chief executives, senior professionals, and board members to develop skills essential to high performance in the 21st Century. Chip’s expertise is applied both at the organizational and individual levels in planning, project management, problem solving, and coaching engagements. As founding Executive Director of the Jim Joseph Foundation, one of the 100 largest foundations in the United States, Chip provided leader/manager direction for all aspects of the Foundation’s operations. The Foundation awarded $440 million dollars of grants during the period 2006-2016. For nearly a decade prior to this employment, Chip was Director of Endowments and Vice-President of the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland. He led and managed a program of philanthropy which contributed $650 million dollars to beneficiary institutions and organizations. For fifteen years, Chip served as a teacher and public-school administrator. He was Director of Curriculum and Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Dublin (Ohio) and Superintendent of Oberlin, Ohio City Schools. In these positions, Chip interacted with diverse stakeholders and competing constituencies to build consensus and to generate financial commitment for public education initiatives designed to enhance student well-being and academic achievement. Leslie and Chip have been married for 44 years. They are proud parents of sons Eric and Zack and loving grandparents of four wonderful grandchildren.

David B. Agus is a professor of medicine and engineering at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine and Viterbi School of Engineering. He is the founding director and CEO of the Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine of USC. A medical oncologist, Dr. Agus leads a multidisciplinary team of researchers dedicated to the development and use of technologies to guide doctors in making health-care decisions tailored to individual needs. An international leader in new technologies and approaches for personalized healthcare, Dr. Agus serves in leadership roles at the World Economic Forum and other prestigious organizations. He is also a CBS News contributor. Dr. Agus’ three books “The End of Illness”, “A Short Guide to a Long Life” and “The Lucky Years: How to Thrive in the Brave New World of Health” are all New York Times and international bestsellers.

David Hirsch is a pioneering social entrepreneur who, for three decades, has spearheaded ventures and agencies that challenge the status quo, disrupt complacent markets and promote the public interest. He has served as President & Chair of B’nai Jeshurun (BJ) synagogue, one of the country’s oldest religious institutions, President & Chair of New York Cares, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the University of Chicago NORC, the nation’s largest non-military think-tank and is Co-founder of National Center for Jewish Healing, an association of clinics for the spiritual care of the sick and dying.

Ed Redlich is an Emmy-Award winner (“The Practice”) and has produced hundreds of hours of compelling television.  Prior to serving as Executive Producer of “SEAL Team,” on CBS, he was the creator and Executive Producer of “Unforgettable,” which ran for three years on CBS and one year on A&E.   He also served as Executive Producer for the first two seasons of “Without A Trace” and “Shark,” both on CBS. Redlich served as an Executive Producer on the beloved drama “Felicity” and a Producer on “The Practice.”  He has written for “The Twilight Zone,” “The Hitchhiker,” “Jack and Jill,” and “The New Love American Style.” He won an Emmy as a Producer of “The Practice,” and his episode “Spirit of America” won a Silver Gavel Award from the American Bar Association. He also received a CableACE nomination for his “Cinema Verite” episode of the series “Strangers” for HBO. Born and raised in Greenwich Village, Redlich was a History and Literature graduate from Harvard University.  He spent most of his time at school acting, appearing in over twenty university productions, and taking time off to study at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center.  After college, Redlich attended New York University School of Law. He practiced corporate law in Manhattan for a year and a day, before leaving the firm to try his hand at writing. Ed is married to Sarah Timberman, who is also an Executive Producer of “SEAL Team.”  They both serve on the Board of Directors of Death Penalty Focus, a California abolitionist organization. They have two children, Noah and Zoe.

Ellen Hoffman has always been a team player. She is a non-linear thinker and enjoys exploring new ideas. It is important to her that she make a different and being a part of IKAR’s growth has been a privilege for her. Ellen was a member of the IKAR Board of Directors from 2009 until 2012. Professionally, Ellen is an interior designer. Ellen has also been an integral part of American Friends of The Israel Museum, MOCA and LACMA.

Rabbi Gary Greenebaum is a consultant, executive coach, writer and teacher living in Los Angeles.  He has expertise in organizational development, particularly leadership and board development.  He has worked as executive director of non-profit organizations for over 30 years. For more than two decades Rabbi Greenebaum worked for American Jewish Committee, an organization dedicated to protecting human rights and religious freedom in the U.S. and around the world. He served as the Los Angeles-based Western Regional Director of AJC from 1990-2006, and subsequently as AJC’s national Director of Interreligious and Intergroup Relations for four years. Long active in social policy issues, Rabbi Greenebaum served as President of the Los Angeles Police Commission, working to reform the LAPD in the wake of the Rodney King beating.  He has also served as a member of the Board of Governors of the State Bar of California.  He has worked extensively in international relations and as a result of his efforts to build bridges between the Jewish community and the French government, he was awarded the French National Order of Merit in 2006, which was presented to him by the French Ambassador to the United States. Greenebaum was Executive Producer of the 2007 feature length documentary film Darfur Now which was released by Warner Brothers and shown, by invitation, at the Toronto Film Festival. Until recently, Rabbi Greenebaum served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Claremont School of Theology, which is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Prior to working for AJC, Rabbi Greenebaum served as a congregational rabbi, as San Francisco Hillel Director, and then as the Regional Hillel Director for the San Francisco Bay Area. Ordained at HUC-JIR in Cincinnati in 1978, Rabbi Greenebaum also received an MA in Jewish Communal Service from HUC-JIR in Los Angeles. He completed intensive coach training sponsored by the Los Angeles Center for Non-Profit Management and accredited by the International Coach Federation.

Marcelo Bronstein was born in Argentina. He earned a degree in Clinical Psychology at the Universidad de Belgrano, and after concluding two postgraduate trainings he emigrated to the US to complete his rabbinic studies. He obtained a BA and MA in Jewish studies and attained Rabbinic ordination from The Hebrew Union College in New York City. He also studied at the Seminario Rabínico in Argentina and in Israel. Upon ordination, he moved to Santiago de Chile where he founded a congregation at the Estadio Israelita Maccabi. After six intense and wonderful years in Chile, Bronstein moved back to New York where he became one of the senior Rabbis for the next 23 years full-time and 3 additional years part-time, at the world-renowned Congregation B’nai Jeshurun, better known as “BJ”. Together with his dear friend and colleague Rabbi Rolando Matalon, they revitalized their congregation which then had a significant impact in synagogue life in America and the world at large. As a way to amplify this innovative model, Steven Spielberg’s Righteous Persons Foundation decided to enable the creation of a rabbinic fellowship providing training and support to newly ordained rabbis. Bronstein has served on the boards of health, ecology, interfaith, special needs and social justice organizations in America and abroad. Although his successful career, Marcelo in essence is a seeker. He never stopped learning and he never will. He always looks for immersive experiences that put him in places of discomfort and growth. This has taken him to do Vision Quests with native Americans, a Spiritual Trek in Nepal, participate in The Hoffman Process for change, to learn with Professor Otto Scharmer at MIT’s Presencing Institute and with educator and activist Parker Palmer at the Center for Courage and Renewal among other trainings. As a part of his duties as a pulpit rabbi, Marcelo brought his passion for Jewish mindfulness to his congregation in partnership with his dear friend Rabbi Rachel Cowan. Today Jewish mindfulness at BJ is practiced in the form of retreats, Shabbat, and High Holiday services. The English translation of the word Rabbi means “teacher”, and Marcelo is truly the embodiment of a teacher. While his education and interests in spirituality were originally rooted in Judaism, he now finds a high calling in combining life experience, psychology, and strategic human design into his work. A true miracle worker in his mentoring, Marcelo’s reverence for nature led him to move together with his wife, Karina Zilberman to “La Ecovilla”, Costa Rica, a 21st-century sustainable community, that he now calls home. He has his private practice as a Mentor/Coach online and leads Jewish Mindful. Bronstein is currently part-time rabbi at congregation B’nai Jeshurun in New York City. He has his private practice as a Mentor/Coach in Costa Rica where he sees clients in person and online. The act of seeking guidance can be one of the most courageous decisions we make. Change is inevitable, and as Marcelo Bronstein says, “Change is a courageous act of radical imagination.”

When she was eight years old, Jacqui Lewis hid under her bed as bullets flew in her Chicago neighborhood following the assassination of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In that moment, she felt called to work for racial equality in the United States. Her 1,100-member congregation, Middle Collegiate Church in New York City, is celebrated in Robert P. Jones’ book, The End of White Christian America, as an example of what revolutionary love can do to combat racism and xenophobia. She is a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary and earned her Ph.D. in Religion and Society/Psychology and Religion at Drew University. Ordained in the Presbyterian Church (USA), Dr. Lewis is the first African American and first woman to serve as senior minister in the Collegiate Church of New York, founded in 1628. She hosted “Just Faith,” an on-demand program on MSNBC.com and is a frequent media commentator. Her books include The Power of Stories: A Guide for Leaders in Multi-racial, Multi-cultural Congregations, The Pentecost Paradigm: Ten Strategies for Becoming a Multiracial Congregation (April 2018), and the children’s book, You Are So Wonderful! She is currently at work on a book about a path to revolutionary love.

Joel Mogy is President and Founder of Joel R. Mogy Investment Counsel Inc. Joel is a Past Chairman of Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services, one of California’s largest comprehensive mental health agencies. He previously chaired Vista’s Investment Committee. He is a former member of both the Board of Governors of AJC (the American Jewish Committee) and its Executive Council. As a member of the Executive Council, he Co-chaired its National Governance Committee and served as a member of its Investment Committee. He is a Past Chairman of AJC Los Angeles where he was involved for many years in its regional International Relations program. Joel is an elected member of the Stanford Associates and is involved with the RAND Policy Circle. Joel received his AB from Stanford University and earned his MBA at Columbia University.

Jon Turteltaub has been a leading producer and director of hit movies for the past 25 years. He is known for the films Cool Runnings, While You Were Sleeping, Phenomenon, National Treasure, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Last Vegas, The Meg and many others. He has been married to Amy Eldon since July 6, 2006. Together they work extensively with The Creative Visions Foundation, supporting artists and activists. Jon has served on the DGA Western Directors Council, with the Jewish Federation, and on the board of the Inner-City Filmmakers program. Jon and Amy have spent considerable time in Africa where they have funded an orphanage in Kenya for the past 12 years while also working to protect and rehabilitate child soldiers in Uganda. Jon and Amy have three children, Jack, Daniel and Arabella…in that order.

The Rev. Dr. Katharine R. Henderson is president of Auburn Seminary, a 200-year-old institution that equips bold and resilient leaders of faith and moral courage to build communities, bridge divides, pursue justice, and heal the world. Author of “God’s Troublemakers: How Women of Faith are Changing the World” (Continuum, 2006), Henderson is an internationally known speaker and has been featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, MSNBC, NPR, TEDx, and more. Henderson was named co-recipient of the Guru Nanak Interfaith Prize for her lifelong passion to create spaces for authentic interfaith engagement, including spearheading the creation of “MountainTop,” a national gathering of 80 faith leaders to catalyze a multifaith movement for justice. Past recipients include His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet. She earned her Masters of Divinity degree at Union Theological Seminary and her doctorate at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is ordained in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A).

Kathleen Levin lives in New York City.  She is the immediate past chairperson of the American Jewish World Service board of trustees and has been on the AJWS board since 2007. During her time as chair, she oversaw the implementation of a major organizational strategic plan and the transition from a long time executive director to a new CEO and President. Prior to her move to New York in 2006, Kathleen lived in Los Angeles for many years, where she served on the board and executive committee of the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles and the chairperson of its government relations committee. She is a past chair of the American Jewish Congress Pacific Southwest Division and the Los Angeles Regional Family Planning Council. She also worked for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the California State Senate and the U.S. Congress.

Marta Kauffman is an Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning television writer, producer and showrunner. She recently completed shooting the seventh and final season of her Netflix comedy Grace and Frankie, which stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. Prior to Grace and Frankie, Kauffman was best known for creating NBC’s long-running hit Friends with David Crane (with whom she also created HBO’s Dream On). The iconic series, which ran for 10 seasons, earned 63 Emmy nominations, winning Outstanding Comedy Series in 2002. The Writers Guild of America, West awarded Kauffman and her Friends partner David Crane the 2016 Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for lifetime achievement in television writing. She also earned the 2016 Outstanding Television Writer award at the 23rd annual Austin Film Festival & Screenwriters Conference as well as the Kieser Humanitas Award. Kauffman is a long-time member of the Oakwood School’s Board of Trustees, having served as its Chair for three years. She has also served on the Board of Big Sunday (as its first Chair after becoming a 501c3) as well as currently serving on the board of Jewish Story Partners and The Lung Cancer Foundation of America. As a board member, Marta brings energy and is an avid protector of an organization’s mission. She is a tireless ambassador and a moral compass for the institutions she has served. Marta met Rabbi Brous on a trip to Israel a number of years ago. She had the incredible opportunity to learn from Rabbi Brous and, on many hours on a bus, got to hear her perspective on Israel. A number of years later, Marta was looking for a new spiritual home.  But she was also looking for home that stood for equity and social justice, not just in word but in action.  IKAR was that place. Marta is grateful for having been accepted into this extraordinary community and realizes that the best way to get something out of a place is to put something into it.

Marty Longbine received a BA in Special Education and taught in Riverside at the residential California School for the Deaf.  Years later, she returned to school to earn a masters degree in Architecture.  Soon after she began working in architectural design, she and Jeff Ayeroff married and had two daughters.  While making a Jewish home Marty became more involved and active in the Jewish community.  After joining IKAR, she served on the Board for six years and now is on the Advisory Board.  She joined in the advocacy efforts when the minyan tzedek paths were initiated and eventually became the co-chair of the IKAR Organizing path which has redirected her focus and energy to community organizing and leadership.

Michael joined the IKAR board in 2010 and has been instrumental in launching a partner school project in the developing world to pair with IKAR’s own educational efforts, the Early Childhood Center and Limudim.  Michael is a Senior Vice President at HBO, overseeing dramatic series production.  Prior to HBO, Michael served as Senior Vice President at Scott Free Productions, where he served as a producer on such films as Prometheus, Robin Hood and Cyrus.  Before that, Michael was Vice President at Scott Rudin Productions. He received his A.B. from Dartmouth College in Government, and J.D. from New York University School of Law.

Sarah Timberman and her Timberman/Beverly Productions partner, Carl Beverly, are currently in production on the first season of their new CBS series, SEAL TEAM, starring David Boreanaz. They recently completed the fifth season of their series ELEMENTARY. Timberman-Beverly’s other credits include their critically acclaimed SHOWTIME series MASTERS OF SEX (based on Tom Maier’s biography of noted sex researchers William Masters and Virginia Johnson), the award-winning FX series “Justified” (based on Elmore Leonard’s Fire in the Hole), “Kidnapped,” and “Unforgettable,” “The Odd Couple” and DOUBT, all on the Network. Prior to starting the company, Timberman served as the president of Universal Network Television. She oversaw all comedy, drama, long-form and reality programming for the company, including the “Law & Order” franchise and the series “American Dreams.” She played a key role in acquiring the rights to the British series “The Office” for NBC. Timberman joined Universal from Columbia TriStar Television, where she served as executive vice president of Drama Development. Some of the series she oversaw include “Dawson’s Creek” and “Party of Five.” Prior to working in television, Timberman was an assistant editor at Random House in New York. Timberman serves on the board of directors of the Hollywood Radio and Television Society, the board of directors of Death Penalty Focus, the advisory board of LAANE (Los Angeles Alliance for A New Economy), the NRDC’s Los Angeles Leadership Council, and the board of trustees of the “I Have a Dream” Foundation, Los Angeles. Timberman grew up in Greenwich Village, New York, and is a graduate of Brown University, with a B.A. in History. She is married to writer/producer Ed Redlich and they have two children.

Shifra Bronznick is a strategist to social sector networks, organizations and leaders. Her ongoing partnership with Auburn has deepened its influence and impact on the multi faith movement for justice. Shifra created the groundbreaking Better Work, Better Life paid leave campaign. The Men as Allies initiative she launched has influenced creative approaches to diversifying thought leadership across sectors. The leadership programs she designs support hundreds of women in cultivating their full potential and advancing social change, gender equity and racial justice. She is developing a new Philanthropic Leadership Curriculum for Women Moving Millions, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Shifra was Founder and President of Advancing Women Professionals & the Jewish Community, recognized annually by the philanthropic guide, Slingshot, for leadership and innovation. She co-authored Leveling the Playing Field with Didi Goldenhar and Marty Linsky. Her action research projects with the Nathan Cummings Foundation, including Visioning Justice, strengthened the field of faith rooted social justice and led to the establishment of the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable. Shifra has been chosen three times by The Forward as one of the fifty most influential Jews. She received the Leading Lights award from the Future Work Institute, the Distinguished Leader award from A Better Balance and is a Ford Foundation Public Voices Fellow. The leadership strategist to the White House Project for over a decade, Shifra has been a senior fellow at the Research Center for Leadership in Action at NYU/Wagner Graduate School where she teaches strategic leadership for the Executive Masters in Public Administration program.

Steven Rubenstein got his Ph.D. in British Literature from Columbia and is now a teacher and owner of a software business catering to the entertainment industry (The Industry Edge).  Originally from the Philadelphia area, Steven moved to California after the Northridge quake and worked as a reader, development executive, and producer at Turner Pictures, Landscape Entertainment, and Mace Neufeld Productions, among others.  Steven has served as co-chair of the Jewish Federation’s Entertainment Division, and is an avid swimmer and hiker.

Yavilah McCoy is the founder of Ayecha, a nonprofit Jewish organization that provided Jewish diversity education and advocacy for Jews of color in the United States. Raised in an Orthodox family, McCoy studied at Yeshiva University High School and Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She has taught Judaic Studies, Hebrew, and English Literature in elementary and secondary schools. In directing Ayecha from 2000–2008, she worked with rabbis, synagogues, schools, federations and multiple agencies to increase awareness of Jewish diversity and expand inclusion for Jews of color. As an anti-racism activist, she has provided training and consulting to numerous social justice agencies both within and outside of the Jewish community. In 2008 she became director of the New England Curriculum Initiative, a non-profit educational consultancy that services 600 prep schools across the nation with religious diversity resources. In 2009 McCoy co-wrote and performed The Colors of Water, a Jewish gospel musical describing the matriarchal journey of four generations of her African-American Jewish family. In 2014 she established Dimensions Educational Consulting, through which she continues to support organizations in expanding their relationships across race, religion, identity and culture.