Jakir Manela is the CEO of Hazon and Pearlstone. Born and raised in the Washington DC metropolitan area, he graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 2004 and went to work at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center as a Teva Jewish outdoor environmental educator. He then moved back to the Chesapeake region in order to establish North America’s first Jewish Community Farm, Kayam Farm at Pearlstone, in 2006. Jakir was promoted to become Pearlstone’s Executive Director in 2012, and for the past ten years, Jakir has helped lead Pearlstone to its perennial status in the Slingshot Guide as one of the most innovative Jewish organizations in North America- helping to lead an amazing team engaging over 22,000 participants each year in immersive retreats, experiential Jewish outdoor education, and community sustainability initiatives. Jakir also served on the Hazon board during that time, advising Hazon’s leadership as the largest faith-based environmental organization in the United States. Today, Jakir works collaboratively with wonderful staff and board members at Hazon and Pearlstone, as well as funders and partners across the country, leading the new Hazon-Pearlstone entity into a new chapter of growth and impact. Jakir lives just up the road from Pearlstone with his amazing wife, Nets, and their four boys. He coaches youth sports and loves building campfires and making music with friends.
Reisterstown, MD« Back to All Staff
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