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Ari’s passion for the environment began at a young age and has been a central focus in his life. He cultivated this passion during his time at The University of Michigan where he received an environmental sciences B.S. degree. While in Ann Arbor, Ari was fortunate to spend time with the Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council and the Erb Institute Undergraduate Fellows Program. Born and raised in SE Michigan, Ari enjoys growing a summer garden and spending time exploring Michigan’s outdoors. He is excited to be part of a team working to integrate environmental education and stewardship into Jewish life in Southeast Michigan and to work in support of environmental justice.
Detroit, MI | ari.cohen@hazon.orgRisa’s journey to Hazon began in 2005, when she joined Teva as an environmental educator. In 2008, she grew veggies, milked goats, and dabbled in the art of fermentation as an Adamah fellow. In 2009, Risa returned home and served for 13 years as the founding Executive Director of Shoresh, a Toronto-based non-profit committed to leading, inspiring, and empowering community members to be Shomrei Adamah, protectors of the earth, through nature-based Jewish education and environmental action. Risa holds a B.A. Honours from Queen’s University in Religious Studies, a M.A. from the University of Toronto in Contemporary Jewish Environmental Ethics, and is a certified Ontario Master Naturalist by Lakehead University. She currently lives in Toronto with her partner and two children and is happiest when frolicking in fields and forests.
Toronto, ON | 212.908.2503 | risa@hazon.orgAs Hazon’s Deputy Climate Action Director, Liore inspires and supports American Jewish communities in taking bold and just action to address the climate crisis. She most recently was CA Interfaith Power & Light’s NorCal Director, where she mobilized communities of faith & conscience to advocate for strong climate policy and green their congregations. With nearly two decades of experience in leading community-based sustainability programs, Liore is honored to return to Hazon with a focus on climate action. She earned an MPS in Environmental Economics and BS in Environmental Science, both from Cornell University. While not at work, Liore can be spotted with her family at myriad farmers markets, gardening at home or biking around San Francisco.
Julia is Hazon Detroit’s Seal of Sustainability Program Manager and is excited to help put more gardens and other sustainable projects into action. Julia fell into a relationship with urban farming during her time as a PeerCorps member (Repair the World’s teen program). She went off to the University of Michigan to obtain an environmental studies degree and then headed straight for Detroit. She had a wonderful experience working as an Americorps VISTA as a Youth Engagement Coordinator and the garden assistant at Yad Ezra. In her free time Julia enjoys reading, yoga, biking, and convincing all her friends to come to Shabbat dinner!
Detroit, MI | (248) 419-9083 | julia.cunnien@hazon.orgAs the Development Associate for Hazon, Aliza supports the goals of the Development Department, primarily focusing on managing and supporting the work within the database, grant proposals, and reports. Prior to joining Hazon, Aliza worked in development for the Mid-Atlantic Executive Director at the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science and the National Director of Development for the Israeli-American Council. Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Aliza immigrated to Israel after college and lived there for 10 years. She now lives in the metro DC area with her incredible husband and three amazing boys and when she’s not working, Aliza loves spending time with her family and enjoying all that the DMV has to offer, especially the museums, monuments, and outdoor excursions.
Silver Spring, MD | 212.908.2501 | aliza.blumenfeld@hazon.orgCarly is the Education and Program Manager for Hazon, working to develop and facilitate immersive outdoor experiences, environmental education and stewardship programming in Detroit. Prior to Hazon, Carly was the Director of Youth Programs at the Peninsula JCC, working to create transformative and engaging camp and afterschool programs. Carly has a Masters of Science in Environmental Studies, concentrating on urban environmental education and environmental justice and is excited to be back in Michigan (her home state) with her wife and two cats, after living in Bay Area, California for 10 years. When not at work, you can find Carly at the climbing gym, learning the banjo, planning her next camping trip, and trying new food.
Detroit, MI | 248.419.9446 | carly.silverman@hazon.orgEli Steinberg is an Adamah apprentice, from Memphis Tennessee, who has an undergraduate degree in cultural anthropology from Warren Wilson College in Asheville North Carolina, a work college where he also worked as a garden educator, waste/recycling worker, vegan chef, and daycare teacher. In college, he spent a semester abroad studying food security comparing and contrasting the food systems of Tanzania, India, and Italy. Eli has worked and volunteered on a number of farms across the country and is very passionate about regenerative agriculture, ecological land management, food, food/climate justice and education. Besides food and agriculture, Eli loves live music, outdoor recreation, his family and friends, Memphis basketball, and wild animals.
Falls Village, CT | eli.steinberg@hazon.orgAmit is the Director of Hazon, Detroit and for the past 15 years, Amit has supported collaborative teams committed to cultivating youth leadership and igniting young people to become involved in social and environmental movements. As the Camp Tavor Executive Director, Amit oversaw programs that empower and equip young people and young adults to act on critical social and environmental issues. Amit has a Masters of Social Work from the University of Michigan, focused on youth and community development. Amit lives in Hamtramck, Michigan and loves to spend time hiking, canoeing, picnicking and potlucking with her partner, Evan, her children, Raviv and Lior, and her extraordinary community of friends and family.
Detroit, MI | 248.275.1950 | amit.weitzer@hazon.orgRachel Siegal loves bringing big ideas to life. She steps in as Hazon’s Chief Development Officer having served as the Managing Director of The Alvin & Lois Lapidus Center for Healing & Spirituality, aka The Soul Center, since 2016. From 2010-2016, she served as the Development Director for the Pearlstone Center. Prior to that, she was a Vice President at The Associated (the Jewish federation in Baltimore), for four years, focusing on financial resource development. Born and raised in Cleveland, Rachel holds an MBA and a Masters in Jewish Communal Service from Brandeis University and an undergraduate degree in Judaic Studies and Africana Studies from Brown University. She and her husband Sam Andorsky have three children. She is an active volunteer with JPRIDE Baltimore, Mitsui Collective, Eden Village Camp, and Baltimore Station. She loves live music, being active, reading historical fiction, and cooking vegetarian meals.
Baltimore, MD | rachel.siegal@hazon.orgFrom 2008-2021, Yoni Stadlin served as founding director of Eden Village Camp, the Jewish environmental sleepaway camp with locations in New York and California as a place where Jewish education is synonymous with fostering each child’s self-confidence, empathy and social responsibility. Yoni’s recognitions include the Covenant Foundation’s Pomegranate Prize and Jewish Week’s “36 under 36”, and he holds a BS in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh and an MA in Informal Jewish Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary. Prior to founding Eden Village, Yoni traveled extensively as an environmental educator and activist. He worked for many Jewish organizations including American Jewish World Service, Birthright Israel, Teva, the 92nd Street Y, and six Jewish summer camps. As a formative experience of environmental activism, in his mid-20s, Yoni spent several months living aloft in ancient redwood trees that were slated to be cut. Yoni lives in Philadelphia with his wife and two children. He acknowledges the extensive privilege he has been given and aims to leverage it toward meaningful change.
Philadelphia, PA | 212.908.2516 | yoni.stadlin@hazon.orgSonja Sugerman loves creating order and systems. As the Chief of Staff at Hazon she works with the Senior Executive team to actualize and communicate the strategic priorities of the CEO. Her prior roles at Pearlstone include the Director of HR and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Culture and the Director of Programs. She brings a love of systems, project management, and a sense of humor to her role as well as extensive knowledge and experience in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Sonja received a BA from Barnard College and an M.Phil from the University of Glasgow/Christie’s both in Art History and an M.A.T in Museum Education from George Washington University, and from 1997-2017 worked in various facets of the art and museum world. A New York native, she has lived in Baltimore since 2004. She enjoys spending time with her husband, three boys, and two dogs cooking, playing board games, travelling, and spending time with friends. In her spare time, she is also a board member at the Krieger Schechter Day School and loves volunteering and doing Pilates.
Baltimore, MDAdam Berman founded Urban Adamah, a Jewish community farm and environmental education center in Berkeley, CA, and served as its first Executive Director from 2010 – 2019. Prior to that he served as the Executive Director of the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center (2002 – 2009), where he also founded and served as the first director of the Adamah Fellowship. From 1996 – 1999, he served as an educator at the Teva Learning Center and subsequently became its Director. Adam currently runs a non-profit consulting practice, leveraging his experience in the JOFEE world to support other organizations seeking to maximize their impact. His focus areas include organizational development and culture, pedagogy, greening of physical infrastructure, Jewish Environmental education, fundraising and Nonviolent Communication (NVC). He’s delighted to serve in a part-time role as Hazon’s Chief Strategy Officer. He has an undergraduate degree from Brown University in Environmental Policy and an MBA from the Haas Business School at UC Berkeley. He currently lives in Berkeley, CA, with his wife Deena Aranoff and two children, Shira and Maya.
Berkeley, CA | adam.berman@hazon.orgEve Wachhaus (WALK-HOUSE) builds hospitality systems. She is an experienced hospitality director, a former non-profit executive director and a foodie. Eve’s lively past includes Principal Investigator on a dirt-eating research project for National Institutes of Health, sole proprietor of her own catering company, and management positions with Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company, Hyatt Regency Baltimore, and several museums. Eve has managed over a dozen food and beverage operations, banquets, catering, restaurants, entertainment catering venues, in the corporate, social and Kosher markets, and loves bringing meaning to people’s simchas. As Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Harrisburg Area, Eve earned her place in Harrisburg’s top Movers and Shapers list and was a recipient of both the Distinguished Service Award and the Excellence in Public Beautification Award from the City of Harrisburg. Eve was a frequent webinar and conference presenter for Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) with expertise in community engagement, home preservation, marketing and ReStore leadership. She also served in her community’s Long Term Disaster Recovery Committee. As a side hustle, Eve owns Do What Ema Says, a Mediterranean Food Blog and catering company, where you will find she heaps on the spices and encouragement, and also, she’s got a killer Baba Ganoush recipe. When not working, Eve is happiest cooking and dancing around her kitchen with her husband, adult kids, and foster dogs.
Baltimore, MDMadeline Canfield is the Jewish Youth Climate Movement Organizing Coordinator. She joined Hazon with a background in youth climate justice activism, having previously organized with the Sunrise Movement, co-founded Houston Youth Climate Strike, co-led the Youth Working Group for the City of Houston Climate Action Plan, and served on the Zero Hour Partnerships Team. She is also a co-founder of the anti-sexual assault organization Jewish Teens for Empowered Consent. She is currently an undergraduate at Brown University, where she spends her breaks from schoolwork sitting outside, either reading or writing.
Providence, RI | madeline.canfield@hazon.orgHazon means vision and Hazon’s vision is to create a vibrant, healthy Jewish community in which to be Jewish is to help create a more sustainable world for all. So what is your vision for how we can repair the earth and how do you play a role in that?
One of the reasons that I think it’s so hard for people to live sustainably is cost and convenience. Mostly convenience. But also cost. It’s just really, really convenient to get disposables and get things to go and most of the things that you have access to are disposable or just not good for the environment. I think that making sure that we have more sustainable options available is important. Obviously, it would be optimal if we got to a point where there were more sustainable options and not unsustainable options, but if there’s at least a comparable amount of both I think that is something that would make a huge impact.
Also, a huge thing that we do is equity and being sustainable can be really expensive.
Finding biodegradable or compostable cutlery or plates is a lot more expensive than buying a bajillion solo cups. So then obviously with the access and the process there’s a certain amount of privilege to being able to live sustainability. So I think that working with other companies and organizations, and helping them make more sustainable choices will end up having ripple effects. And I think that my role is, it’s actually interesting, because I read this article recently that was saying how someone living a low waist life is potentially not as impactful as living a regular waist filled life and reaching out to large companies who generate a lot of waves is important and actually asking them to make changes. I don’t know whether or not I agree with that, but it’s definitely something I’ve been thinking about. I try myself to live as minimally wasteless as possible. But something that I definitely want to work on is reaching out to different companies and organizations that are widespread or that have an impact on me and seeing if they can make more sustainable choices.
What role does tikkun olam play in your life and how is that connected to the Brit Hazon?
So many ways. One of the things that I love about Hazon is our three things that we call out for what we want for this world. We want a healthy, sustainable and equitable world. And I think that a lot of the different ways that we practice and improve and incorporate health, sustainability and equity is a form of tikkun olam. Making sure that animals are treated fairly and in doing so, doing away with factory farming, which is kinder to the earth, and abolishing all of these terrible practices, making the norm be ethical practices that would lower the cost of things. And I just think that it’s all tied together so that we’re helping the planet and animals and humans all be able to have the same access to live a healthy, sustainable and equitable life.
Hazon means vision and Hazon’s vision is to create a vibrant, healthy Jewish community in which to be Jewish is to help create a more sustainable world for all. So what is your vision for how we can repair the earth and how do you play a role in that?
One of the reasons that I think it’s so hard for people to live sustainably is cost and convenience. Mostly convenience. But also cost. It’s just really, really convenient to get disposables and get things to go and most of the things that you have access to are disposable or just not good for the environment. I think that making sure that we have more sustainable options available is important. Obviously, it would be optimal if we got to a point where there were more sustainable options and not unsustainable options, but if there’s at least a comparable amount of both I think that is something that would make a huge impact.
Also, a huge thing that we do is equity and being sustainable can be really expensive.
Finding biodegradable or compostable cutlery or plates is a lot more expensive than buying a bajillion solo cups. So then obviously with the access and the process there’s a certain amount of privilege to being able to live sustainability. So I think that working with other companies and organizations, and helping them make more sustainable choices will end up having ripple effects. And I think that my role is, it’s actually interesting, because I read this article recently that was saying how someone living a low waist life is potentially not as impactful as living a regular waist filled life and reaching out to large companies who generate a lot of waves is important and actually asking them to make changes. I don’t know whether or not I agree with that, but it’s definitely something I’ve been thinking about. I try myself to live as minimally wasteless as possible. But something that I definitely want to work on is reaching out to different companies and organizations that are widespread or that have an impact on me and seeing if they can make more sustainable choices.
What role does tikkun olam play in your life and how is that connected to the Brit Hazon?
So many ways. One of the things that I love about Hazon is our three things that we call out for what we want for this world. We want a healthy, sustainable and equitable world. And I think that a lot of the different ways that we practice and improve and incorporate health, sustainability and equity is a form of tikkun olam. Making sure that animals are treated fairly and in doing so, doing away with factory farming, which is kinder to the earth, and abolishing all of these terrible practices, making the norm be ethical practices that would lower the cost of things. And I just think that it’s all tied together so that we’re helping the planet and animals and humans all be able to have the same access to live a healthy, sustainable and equitable life.