Amy Adler
Director, Catalyzing Resources
[email protected]

Amy consults with day schools in the areas of Admissions, Marketing, Development, and Tuition Assistance. After enrolling her eldest son in a Jewish day school, she was inspired by the mission and rich educational experience that day schools give children, and she decided to leave her corporate career of 10 years in sales, marketing, and branding. Amy spent eight years working at The Jewish Day School of Metropolitan Seattle, where she held positions as the Director of Admissions and Tuition Assistance, and the Director of Development. Amy has a BA in Communication and Public Relations. She and her husband live in Dallas, Texas, and all three of their children are enrolled in Jewish day school.

Paul Bernstein
Chief Executive Officer
[email protected]

Paul is Prizmah's founding Chief Executive Officer—a position to which he brings a lifelong connection with Jewish day school education, and wide-ranging management experience in the fields of education, philanthropy, social impact, government and new media. Before joining Prizmah, Paul served as CEO of The Pershing Square Foundation in New York, and as the Global Managing Director of Absolute Return for Kids (ARK), a UK nonprofit focused on global health, education, and child protection. He holds an MA from Cambridge University and MBA from Cranfield School of Management.

Ilisa Cappell
Vice President, Leadership Development
[email protected]

Ilisa believes that inspired, informed, and supported Jewish day school leaders are the key to healthy schools, so at Prizmah, she works to help sustain and advance Jewish day school leadership. Ilisa works with lay and professional leadership in schools and is devoted to helping schools develop strong cultures of trust and transparency. Ilisa brings over 15 years of experience in Jewish education, having served as associate executive director at the Schechter Network, head of school at the El Paso Jewish Academy and is currently a board member at the J Center for Early Learning and the Jewish Federation of Greater El Paso. Ilisa is a graduate of Barnard College of Columbia University and holds a Masters in Jewish Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary where she is pursuing her doctorate in Jewish Educational Leadership.  Ilisa earned her Certificate of Non-Profit Board Consulting from BoardSource and consults regularly with schools on governance.

Machele Daye
Executive Assistant
[email protected]

Machele has over twenty years of experience working at non-profit organizations encompassing event and administrative management, human resource management, marketing and communications, donor relations, proposal writing, and prospect research. She has worked for the National Urban League, NADAP, Inc., American Friends of the Hebrew University and the Israel Tennis & Education Centers Foundation (ITEC). In her previous role at ITEC, Machele was the Manager of Donor Relations and Marketing. She holds an Executive MBA in business management, an MA in Organizational Management (both from St. Joseph’s College) and an MA in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from CUNY School of Professional Studies. Machele is excited to join the Prizmah team and will work closely with Paul Bernstein, Elissa Maier, and the development team.

Odelia Epstein
Director, Knowledge Center
[email protected]

Odelia directs our Knowledge Center work which includes research on Jewish day schools, our online Knowledge Center and evaluation.  She has worked in various organizations including the JCC Association and the Yeshiva University School Partnership. Through her involvement in benchmarking projects for both JCCs and Jewish day schools, Odelia is passionate about making research and data accessible to the Prizmah Network and greater Jewish community. She is a proud day school graduate, and her children are third generation day school students. Odelia has an MPA from Baruch College and BA from Queens College. She lives in Washington DC with her husband and three children.

Alisha Goodman
Senior Director, Operations and Technology
[email protected]

Alisha served as the development and finance director of the Schechter Day School Network. Her prior experience includes executive director of The Jewish Lens, a national Jewish experiential education program, and director of operations for Jewish Community Services, a division of JBFCS. Alisha is also an advisor for second-year social work students at Columbia University School of Social Work. She is a board member of JPRO Network and the founder of Advancing Jewish Professionals of NYC, a group for emerging Jewish communal professionals. She earned a master’s in social work with a focus in social administration from Columbia University and a master’s in Jewish studies from The Jewish Theological Seminary.

Daniel Infeld
Director, Conference and Gatherings
d[email protected]

Daniel leads the process to design and produce the Prizmah Conference and our other gatherings of the field, and he brings a love for creating powerful and purposeful experiences to this work. Prior to Prizmah, Daniel was the Executive Director of Limmud NY, and currently serves on the Board of Limmud North America. He has also worked at Hazon and Eisner Camp, and was a Safari Guide at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom. Daniel has a Masters Degree in Education and Jewish Studies from New York University, and is a graduate of Clark University. He lives in Brooklyn, NY, with his wife Rachel and sons.

Rachel Levitt Klein Dratch
Director, Educational Innovation
[email protected]

Rachel Levitt Klein Dratch is wholeheartedly invested in the Jewish world of education. Rachel has a masters degree in Jewish education from Yeshiva University, is a Mandel Jerusalem Fellow, participated in the Mandel Teacher Education Program, and has served as a scholar in residence in many communities. Rachel was a student teacher at Michlalah in Jerusalem before continuing her passion for teaching as a Hebrew school teacher and student leader at Stern College. Rachel has held the professional titles of Tanach and Prayer teacher, director of professional development, teacher mentor, dean of students, vice principal, student life coordinator, Israel guidance advisor and other meaningful roles at many day schools including: Frisch, Ramaz, Maimonides, Fuchs Mizrachi, Berman Academy and Beth Tfiloh. Rachel has also been director of SLED educational consulting, and spends her summers at Camp Moshava IO running drama and special programming. Between her husband and herself, they are blessed with 12 children and 4 grandchildren.

Elissa Maier
Chief Operating Officer
[email protected]

Elissa is Prizmah's Chief Operating Officer. Previously, Elissa spent many years in the Federation system, most recently serving as the JFNA Vice President of Financial Resource Development and the Mandel Center for Leadership Excellence. Her path to becoming a Jewish communal professional began as a college student, when she served as a UJA Campus Campaign Chair with the University Programs Department. Her passion for this work led to her lifelong commitment to work in the Jewish communal field. Elissa has done extensive work in fostering a commitment to the importance of investing in human capital as the foundation for a successful organization. Her expertise in the areas of effective communication skills, leadership development, and management skills have enabled her to serve as a resource to develop and facilitate programs to advance the skills of volunteer and professional leaders. Elissa is the past president of the Solomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County, where her daughters attended elementary and middle school. They both graduated from Golda Och Academy, where they attended high school. Elissa has a master’s degree in social work from Yeshiva University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami.

Hannah Strasser Olson
Vice President, Development
[email protected]

Hannah Strasser Olson was born and raised in California, where her passion for the Jewish community and Jewish communal work was ignited. After receiving her BA in Religious Studies from UC Santa Barbara and her Teaching Credential from the California State University, Sacramento, she spent 10 years teaching in public and private Jewish day schools. Her career path switched to fundraising and donor relations when she became the Executive Director of the Jewish Community Foundation of the West and then the Director of Major and Planned Gifts at the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. Hannah is the mother of two boys, an avid reader, chef, and committed Crossfitter. Hannah enjoys cooking for her family and friends, diving into a good book, and 6 am workouts.

Dan Perla
Senior Director, Catalyzing Resources
[email protected]

As Senior Director of Catalyzing Resources at Prizmah, Dan oversees a variety of training programs that help day schools optimize their revenues and achieve greater financial stability. Prior to joining Prizmah, Dan served as the Vice President for Program and Strategy at The Foundation for Jewish Camp and as a program officer in day school finance at the AVI CHAI Foundation. Dan spent nearly 18 years in the financial world. He worked as a security analyst and portfolio manager at leading investment firms, including Iridian Asset Management, Centurion Investment Group, and Soros Fund Management.

Dan was privileged to serve as a Wexner Heritage Fellow and currently serves as board chair of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah. He also serves on the boards of Mechon Hadar and SAR Academy, and the advisory board of the Jewish New Teacher Project. Dan is a graduate of NYU’s Stern School of Business and has a master’s of business administration in management from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Elliott Rabin, PhD
Director, Thought Leadership
[email protected]

Elliott works to promote thought leadership in the field of Jewish day schools, in particular as editor of Prizmah’s magazine, HaYidion. At RAVSAK’s director of project and content development, he initiated programs such as Project ROPE: Roots of Philanthropy Education, Moot Beit Din, JCAT, the Hebrew Poetry Contest, and Judaic Art Contest. Previously, he was the director of education at Makor, a program of the 92nd Street Y. He has taught classes in Jewish studies, Hebrew language and literature, and world literature in universities, JCCs, and synagogues. Elliott holds a PhD in comparative literature, with a specialty in Hebrew, from Indiana University. He is the author of Understanding the Hebrew Bible: A Reader’s Guide and The Biblical Hero: Portraits in Nobility and Fallibility.

Brandon Reed
Accounting Coordinator
[email protected]

Brandon Reed is currently serving as the accounting coordinator for Prizmah. Originally from The Postgraduate Center for Mental Health, Brandon has over six year of accounting and bookkeeping experience as well as experience in financial service. He has his B.A. in Accounting, Finance, and Business Management from Brooklyn College. Brandon currently resides in Brooklyn, NY.

Tricia Richardson
Manager, Grants and Data
[email protected]

Tricia oversees all general operating and programs support grants for the organization. She has a diverse background in compliance, project management, strategic sourcing and marketing for consumer product companies. She grew up in Virginia, started her career in the garment industry in NYC, and now lives in New Mexico with her husband and young son. Tricia is a Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional and graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts.

Cheryl Weiner Rosenberg
Senior Director, Marketing and Communications
[email protected]

Cheryl Weiner Rosenberg is a marketing and communications professional with a strong background in the field of Jewish nonprofits. Cheryl has spent the last 10 years immersed in the Jewish day school arena as a parent and a lay leader. Cheryl lives in Englewood, NJ, where she serves as a city councilwoman representing Ward 1. She has four children who attend Ben Porat Yosef, where Cheryl served as the president of the board of trustees from 2014 until 2017. Cheryl recently completed the Berrie Fellows Leadership Program. She is an executive committee member of Teach NJS and on the leadership council of the Jewish New Teacher Project. Cheryl has a degree in communications and commerce from the University of Pennsylvania.

Debra Shaffer Seeman
Director, Network Weaving
[email protected]

Debra brings a depth of experience in nurturing learning communities, building institutions, and network weaving throughout the Jewish community. Before moving to Atlanta in 2003, Debra lived in Jerusalem, where she was a founding administrator of Tal Torah, a center for intergenerational Torah learning. As an avid teacher of classical Jewish texts and an educational entrepreneur, she has served in a variety of educational settings in Israel and North America including Dror Elementary School, Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, Florence Melton Adult Mini School, Rambam Atlanta Day School, Yeshiva Atlanta High School, and RAVSAK. She is a proud graduate of both Mandel Jerusalem Fellows and Harvard University. A mother of four, Debra is married to Rabbi Dr. Don Seeman.

Lauren Stanley
Manager, Gatherings, Marketing and Communications
[email protected]

Lauren is the convenings and marketing manager for Prizmah. She works on behind the scenes details regarding the planning and execution of all Prizmah gatherings. In addition, she manages content on the website and assists in creating and designing marketing content. Lauren served seven years in the United States Air Force, where she was assigned to duty in several locations in the U.S. and Great Britain. She studied at Texas Tech University, where she earned a bachelor’s of business administration in marketing, and a bachelor’s and master’s in communication disorders specializing in audiology. Lauren lives with her son, Liam, in the Dallas, Texas area.

Oldine Saint-Hilaire
Program and Operations Administrator
[email protected]

As a Program and Operations Administrator, Oldine ensures that the office is running smoothly on a day-to-day basis by providing administrative support to all Prizmah’s staff. Oldine graduated from St. Francis College with bachelor in psychology and a minor in business management. During her undergraduate studies, she worked as a Spanish note-taker for students with special needs, which greatly impacted her life by making her even more passionate about helping others. Oldine also worked as a Donor Relation Caller for the development office at St. Francis College, where she assisted with communicating with donors (mainly alumni) to enlist them for financial commitment to the SFC Annual Fund. While attending St. Francis College, Oldine interned as an after School counselor at Congregation Beth Elohim. Prior to working at Prizmah, Oldine spent 4 years working as an office manager at Nodaylays Tax Multi Services, where she performed various administrative duties, and assisted tax preparers/consultants in handling taxation matters. While working at Prizmah, Oldine earns her MBA in Human Resources Management.

Traci Stratford
Associate Director, Catalyzing Resources
[email protected]

Traci consults with school leaders on fundraising and governance. As a BoardSource certified governance consultant, she works extensively with school boards advising them on strategic planning, the boards role in development and governance best practices. Traci also completed the CAEP (Certified Admission & Enrollment Management Program) and is certified by AISAP, the Association of Independent School Admission Professionals. Before joining Prizmah, she worked in Jewish nonprofits with a focus on experiential education, youth engagement, leadership, and Jewish camping. Traci holds a master’s degree in organizational leadership from St. Mary's University of Minnesota, received her BA in Jewish studies and nonprofit management from Indiana University and has a certificate in fund development for nonprofit organizations from the IU School of Philanthropy.

Erin Tasman
Controller
[email protected]
Erin is Prizmah’s Controller and loves all things accounting and finance related. Bringing 15 years of experience within the public accounting and nonprofit sectors, Erin believes wholeheartedly that mission-based organizations benefit immensely from an efficient, accurate, dependable financial infrastructure. Erin received her bachelor’s degree in International Business at Rhodes College, in Memphis, Tennessee and her Masters in Accountancy from The University of Virginia. Prior to joining Prizmah, Erin worked as the Controller for The Juilliard School, in Manhattan, as the Senior Director of Finance for the Rheumatology Research Foundation and American College of Rheumatology, and in public accounting for E&Y, in Atlanta, Georgia. Erin enjoys spending lots of time with her family, cooking healthy food, watching HGTV and reading.

Amy Wasser
Senior Director, Field Advancement
[email protected]

Amy is the Senior Director of Field Advancement. She is a native of Philadelphia and a graduate of Akiba Hebrew Academy, the impetus for her dedication to Jewish day schools. Amy earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at JTS and Columbia, respectively. Her career began at United Synagogue, where she was director of USY on Wheels and National Assistant Director of USY. Amy served at Hillel Academy in Tampa for 20 years, 13 years as head of school. She was active in the accreditation process of the Florida Council of Independent Schools. Amy devoted more than 20 summers serving on the staff of Ramah camps, and her three adult children are all day school and Ramah alumni. As a BoardSource certified governance consultant Amy works with schools on leading practices of governance in independent schools. Amy is an executive coach, leads our school accreditation work, engages with communities in strengthening their day schools and oversees our field advancement work. Amy works on our initiatives for small schools and builds relationships among our team and our school  leaders. Amy resides in Tampa, Florida.

Rabbi Marc Wolf
Vice President, Program Strategy and Impact
[email protected]

As Vice President for Field Advancement, Marc works with the Prizmah Network, seeking ways to capitalize on the knowledge and resources of the field through strategic partnerships, gatherings, data and research, and educational innovation. Previously Marc served as Vice President, East Coast at Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, where he remains a member of the North American faculty, and held several major leadership roles at the Jewish Theological Seminary, including Vice Chancellor, Director of Community Engagement and Chief Development Officer. Marc is a day school parent and passionate advocate for day schools and has dedicated his career to the importance of Jewish Education. He serves on the board of the Play Group Theatre, a children’s theater company in White Plains, New York where he lives with his wife, Rebecca Boim Wolf, and their three children.