Gabby Deutch
Symposium Moderator
Gabby Deutch is the senior national correspondent at Jewish Insider, where she covers politics, foreign policy, and a diverse array of stories across the Jewish world. Her work has been published in the Atlantic, Politico Magazine, Tablet, and the Washington Post. Gabby lives in San Francisco.
Ariel Frenkel
Keynote Speaker
Ariel Frenkel is a dynamic content creator known for her work in beauty, fashion, dating, and activism, and as the first outspokenly Jewish contestant on The Bachelor.
A passionate human rights activist and motivational speaker, Ariel has a robust journalism background. Over the past year, she reported from conflict zones in Israel, revealing the stark contrast between Western media narratives and the realities on the ground in the Middle East.
Dr. Marcy Gringlas
Marcy B. Gringlas, PhD, is co-founder and president of Seed the Dream Foundation. STDF is an education foundation working with schools, organizations, and programs to advance academic achievement through high-quality education in underserved communities in the United States and Israel; fight contemporary antisemitism and meaningfully integrate lessons on this critical focus into Holocaust education; foster positive and meaningful life-long connections with Israel in high schools, on college campuses, and beyond; support programs to prevent and address gender-based violence in the United States and Israel; address the critical emergency needs of thousands of Holocaust Survivors living at or near poverty in Israel and the United States, responding to humanitarian crises across the globe, and ensuring individuals have access to the care they require to lead healthy lives; and invest in projects that provide opportunities for underserved communities in the United States and Israel.
Dr. Gringlas formerly served on the USC Shoah Foundation’s Board of Councilors, as the chair of the Bearing Witness Program at the Anti-Defamation League, on the executive committee of The Baldwin School, and as a member of the trusteeship committee for Steppingstone Scholars, Inc. and the Children’s Crisis Treatment Center.
Dr. Gringlas is a child psychologist and served as a faculty member in the Department of Pediatrics at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Debbie Isaacs
Debbie Isaacs is the founder of Unshakeable and this year’s Loribeth Weinstein Changemaker honoree.
Originally from New York, Debbie Isaacs relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1994, where she initially worked at The Trade Show Group.
While in Las Vegas, Isaacs honed her production and storytelling skills, and began working for local production companies, as well as Caesars Entertainment, as an executive producer. What began to set her apart from others were her creativity, vision and ability to parlay human connection into an authentic story.
“Looking back, I wasn’t completely certain of what I wanted to do long term. But I knew I cared about people … and their stories.” says Debbie. “It’s no wonder I landed a leadership role in production. Every day I set out to tell someone’s story, in the most influential way possible. It seems everything comes full circle in the end.”
It was while wearing her producing hat that Isaacs’ life was forever changed, when in 2009, she found herself in Las Vegas Specialty Courts listening to a group of women who were coming out of trauma with the intent of telling their stories. While listening to these women from all races, ages and economic backgrounds struggling to reclaim their self-identity, she realized that she shared that same struggle. She left that courtroom knowing her purpose wasn’t to tell their stories, it was to change their stories.
It was this realization that led Isaacs to found and lead UNSHAKEABLE, a non-profit that serves women in recovery from homelessness, domestic violence, substance addiction and human trafficking. UNSHAKEABLE partners with other nonprofit organizations that are providing housing and therapy and brings their clients the ‘Empower to Employ’ program to support their return to the workforce into a sustainable career and achieve financial independence.
Since launching UNSHAKEABLE in 2016, Isaacs and the organization have been the recipients of several awards, including ‘The Bob Gray Community Partner Award’ and winner of ‘Google Impact Challenge Nevada’ and the ‘Google People's Choice Award’ in 2019, the ‘AARP Purpose Prize Award Fellows’ in 2022, the ‘Women of Distinction Award’ from NAWBO in 2023, and Nevada’s Business Magazines ‘The Overcomer Award’ in 2024. Additionally, in 2021, Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman declared October 28, 2021 as UNSHAKEABLE Day in the City of Las Vegas.
Andi Israel
Andi Israel is the founder and chief executive officer of RxLA, an innovative affordable housing development company committed to ending homelessness in Los Angeles. With over 15 years of experience in this space, Andi started RxLA with a vision to create an efficient and scalable private financing model to produce high-quality, lower-cost affordable housing. The company’s flagship development, built at half the average cost of comparable projects, opened in 2023; It provides 55 permanent homes coupled with on-site supportive services for formerly unhoused individuals with medical complexities and special needs.
Andi is a third generation Angeleno and holds a B.A. in Human Services and Sociology from George Washington University, an M.A. in Urban Planning from NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service, and an M.S. in Social Entrepreneurship from the USC Marshall School of Business. She was named the USC Grief Center’s 2015 Social Entrepreneur of the Year and she is a member of the CORO Women in Leadership Program.
Julia Jassey
Julia Jassey is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Jewish on Campus, the leading voice for Jewish students in the United States, combatting antisemitism, engaging in grassroots activism, and advocating for the Jewish community. Her work has been recognized widely in the Jewish community and beyond, featured on CNN, CBS, Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and other international news outlets. Working together with students around the country, she has advocated for students at every level—from university administrators to the White House as a contributor to the National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism. She was awarded at the Anti-Defamation League’s Concert Against Hate for her leadership in the Jewish community, and she was considered one of Algemeiner Magazine’s “Top 100 People Positively Influencing Jewish Life” in 2021. She currently serves as a board member of American Jewish Committee ACCESS New York, a Brume and Allen Scholar at the American Sephardi Federation, and she was formerly the host of the "Nice Jewish Girls" feminist podcast. She graduated from the University of Chicago in 2023, where she studied Political Science and Jewish Studies.
Lily Kanter
Lily Kanter is a serial entrepreneur with extensive experience in the home design industry. She has founded and led four very successful companies as a co-founder and CEO in the past 20 years; including Mill Valley Baby & Kids, Serena & Lily, Boon Supply, and Averylily. Lily spent the early part of her career in accounting and technology leadership. While at Microsoft she was awarded the Chairman’s award from Bill Gates for innovating their first Retail presence in San Francisco. She left Microsoft in late 2000 to start a family and focus her time and energy on philanthropic causes. She was featured on the cover of Time Magazine in July 2000 as part of the cover story “The New Philanthropists” for sponsoring and mentoring disadvantaged young adults into technology careers. After having her first child, Lily decided to leave the corporate world and open Mill Valley Baby & Kids Home which ultimately led to the founding of Serena & Lily. She built and led Serena & Lily as the CEO for thirteen years. After leaving Serena & Lily she went on to start two more startups. Boon Supply a commerce focused fundraising platform gave back $104 Million to Schools and other non-profits. Lily’s partnership with Avery Solmssen (Averylily) is focused on designing soulful spaces through interior design, products and lived experiences. In addition to the Design Studio, Averylily also introduced a capsule collection of curated home basics with a focus on local makers in Hawaii and global women artisans.
Lily is a Wexner Heritage Fellow as well as a Henry Crown Fellow from the Aspen Institute. She guest lectures at Stanford on the case study she authored on Serena & Lily. She currently serves as the Chair of the Diller Tikkun Olam Awards. She and her husband, Marc Sarosi, live in Mill Valley and have 3 college aged sons. During time off Lily and her family love to travel to Africa and play tennis.
Diane Kessler
As a senior wealth advisor at Citi Personal Wealth Management with over 25 years of experience, Diane has deep knowledge of the financial markets and how to align her clients’ portfolios to maximize their financial goals. Many of her clients span generations of families, attesting to her ability to build strong relationships by earning their trust. These clients rely on her substantial experience for wealth management, estate planning, retirement, trust and financial planning (that she works in conjunction with her client’s legal and tax advisors). Diane focuses her efforts in these areas on the long term, with customized investment strategies that are especially important during periods of market uncertainty.
Leading financial publications such as Forbes continue to recognize Diane as a top wealth advisor, including Best-in-State Wealth Advisors (Maryland) and Top Women Best-in-State Wealth Advisors.
A graduate of Drexel University, Diane has also completed three executive education programs in financial services at the Wharton School of Business. She lives in suburban Maryland with her husband and two daughters.
Dr. Logan Levkoff
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Logan Levkoff of New York, N.Y., is an internationally-recognized expert on sexuality and relationships. Logan frequently appears on national television and was the host of CafeMom’s Mom Ed: In the Bedroom, the sexuality expert for A&E/FYI’s Married at First Sight, and host of Shape Magazine's video series, "The Sexpert." A popular sex columnist nationwide, she currently blogs for The Huffington Post. Logan speaks on a range of issues related to sexuality and has designed education programs, faculty development, and parent education in many secular and religious schools, universities, medical schools, and community organizations. She is the author of three books on sexual health, including Got Teens? The Doctor Moms’ Guide to Sexuality, Social Media, and Other Adolescent Realities with Dr. Jennifer Wider (Seal Press, 2014). She has been an AASECT certified sex educator and board member.
2018 Women to Watch Honoree
Dahlia Lithwick
MSNBC analyst and a senior legal correspondent at Slate, Dahlia Lithwick is one of the nation’s foremost legal commentators. She is the host of Amicus, Slate’s award-winning weekly podcast about the law and the Supreme Court, and author of the instant New York Times bestseller Lady Justice: Women, the Law, and the Battle to Save America, which recounts the gripping and heroic story of the women attorneys who fought the racism, sexism, and xenophobia of Donald Trump’s presidency—and won.
Lithwick is the recipient of a 2013 National Magazine Award for her columns on the Affordable Care Act. She has been twice awarded an Online Journalism Award for her legal commentary and was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2018, Lithwick received the American Constitution Society’s Progressive Champion Award and the Hillman Prize for Opinion and Analysis. By 2021, she was named an honoree of the Women’s Media Center’s Exceptional Journalism Awards. In that same year, she was a recipient of a Gracie Award for Amicus Presents: The Class of RBG, which featured the last in-person audio interview with Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Lithwick has held visiting faculty positions at the University of Georgia Law School, the University of Virginia School of Law, and the Hebrew University Law School in Jerusalem. She was the first online journalist invited to be on the Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press. She has testified before Congress about access to justice in the era of the Roberts Court and how MeToo impacts federal judicial law clerks.
She has appeared on CNN, ABC, The Colbert Report, and The Daily Show and is also a frequent guest on The Rachel Maddow Show. Lithwick co-authored Me Versus Everybody with Brandt Goldstein and I Will Sing Life with Larry Berger, and her work has been featured in numerous anthologies. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Harper’s, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, The New Republic and Commentary, among other places.
Lauren Shenkman
Lauren Shenkman is honored to be the director of partnerships and programs at Riley’s Way Foundation. Lauren is a nonprofit professional with a background in camp, educational and cultural programming, community building, program strategy, and partnership development. As Director of Partnerships and Programs, she oversees strategic partnerships and program strategy and implementation.
Riley’s Way invests in and supports the next generation of kind leaders. It works with emerging young leaders who are leading social impact projects in areas like food insecurity, homelessness, and education equity, through the lens of kindness, empathy, and connection. The Foundation has invested in more than 3,500 young people across the country to envision and achieve change, with over $4 million in grants and programming.
Lauren previously served as the Director of Membership and Community Engagement at Brooklyn’s Congregation Beth Elohim, where she helped launch CBE Feeds after Hurricane Sandy and acclaimed author series Brooklyn by the Book with the Brooklyn Public Library and the Community Bookstore. She was the Director of the Educational Alliance’s Downtown Community Center, the Director of Youth Programs at the 14th Street Y, and the Beacon Director at Moshulu Montefiore Community Center. In each role, Lauren is a connector who brings diverse communities and individuals together to make a difference. Lauren lives in Brooklyn with her husband, actor Ben Shenkman, and their two kids. She currently sits on the Steering Committee for the NYC Civic Engagement Coalition. She loves swimming in the ocean, theater, a consuming novel, introducing fabulous people to each other, and goes everywhere with too many bags.
Amanda Segal
Event Chair
Amanda’s connection to the Jewish community started back in Cape Town, South Africa where she attended Herzlia Jewish Day School. When she emigrated to the Washington DC - Maryland area in 1991, she began her career, continuing with her Jewish connection working for the newly created congregation of B’nai Tzedek in Potomac, Maryland. Amanda worked alongside Rabbi Stuart Weinblatt in helping the synagogue prepare for its buildout.
In 1993 Amanda moved on to work at Shady Grove Fertility, today the largest fertility practice in the country. Within a year she helped market an innovative financial program for patients seeking in vitro fertilization treatment and helped thousands of patients understand the financial side of the process. In 2008 she helped create an international Egg donation program enabling patients from the UK, Ireland, Canada, Europe and China seek treatment in the US. Having needed fertility treatment herself to conceive her 3 children she was a source of comfort as well as a wealth of information for prospective patients. In 2013, Amanda was awarded employee of the year for her dedication, passion and expertise in her field.
With covid changing the landscape for international travel and after almost 30 years of service, Amanda found a new home within the Peloton community becoming a Peloton influencer in encouraging hundreds of people to join the platform. Her passion for promoting a healthy lifestyle and her love of her peloton workouts led her to joining a community based podcast called Pelobuddy TV. Pelobuddy is a weekly podcast with well over a 100K followers, and focuses on the world of Peloton.
Amanda lives between Potomac, Maryland and Florida, with her husband Mark. Her greatest pride and joy are her 3 children Aaron, Kayla and Nicole.
Mara Smith
Mara Smith is the founder of Inspiro Tequila. She is a mother of three and a former attorney and corporate strategist. Mara began her legal career at Mayer, Brown & Platt in Chicago before joining the corporate strategy team at McDonald’s Corporation. After her twins were born prematurely, Mara made the difficult decision to leave the corporate world to focus on her family and charitable work.
She never stopped thinking about what was next. Mara always envisioned running her own company and in February of 2020 she set out on her journey to create a new tequila brand.
Mara is on the advisory board of Cradles to Crayons and on the Women's Board of the Illinois Holocaust Museum. Mara shared her Grandmother's Holocaust story on If You Heard What I Heard.
Carol Burman, Courtenay Burman Wallach, Madison Wallach and Sophie Wallach
Women of the Burman and Wallach family are this year’s Sondra D. Bender Community Leadership honorees, representing three generations of stepping up as leaders and advocates.
The Burman, Burman-Wallach, and Wallach women are esteemed pillars of the greater Washington community. Carol Burman, the family matriarch, stands out as a dedicated community leader and philanthropist whose commitment to Jewish causes and charitable organizations spans over four decades. With more than 45 years of active involvement at Washington Hebrew Congregation and a decade at B'nai Tzedek Congregation, Carol has deep roots in her Jewish community.
Carol’s leadership has been crucial in numerous successful events and initiatives. She co-chaired the 2008 Charles E. Smith Next Generational Retreat and led a 2011 mission to Israel for 36 first-time visitors. Her organizational expertise was further showcased when she chaired Jewish Federation's 2014 Good Deeds Day, the FIDF Gala, and two Capital Camps Galas. In recognition of her tireless efforts, Carol received the 2019 Irene and Abe Pollin Humanitarian Award from the Bender JCC. Carol is also a Federation Lion of Judah, underscoring her commitment to Jewish philanthropy.
Carol’s involvement with Capital Camps has been remarkable. She served on the original Scholarship and Special Needs Committee and collaborated with FIDF and Capital Camps to host legacy campers from Israel. Over the years, Carol and her husband, Robert, have played a pivotal role in transforming the camp, raising essential funds to rebuild both the camp and the Retreat Center. Carol strongly believes that attending a Jewish summer camp is vital for instilling Jewish identity in young children and fostering a lasting commitment to Judaism. Recognizing that not all children have access to such experiences, she is dedicated to making these opportunities available to as many as possible.
As a founding member of the Washington Chapter of Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF), Carol has devoted the past 12 years to supporting the IMPACT! Scholarship program. This transformative initiative pairs donors with former combat and combat support soldiers from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, offering them a full four-year scholarship and covering all living expenses. Carol’s support has had a profound impact on their lives, empowering these brave individuals to pursue higher education and achieve their dreams. To this day, Carol and Robert cherish lifelong friendships with each of the Impact Soldiers they have sponsored and other soldiers they have met through the program.
Carol Burman’s life is a testament to the power of dedicated leadership. Through her numerous roles and contributions, she has significantly shaped and strengthened her community, leaving a lasting legacy of service and compassion.
On a personal note, Carol is a loving mother to Courtenay, Jennifer, and Kimberly, and she takes great pride in her role as grandmother to Madison, Sophie, Eliza, Ava, Ryan, and Kate. Her family undoubtedly benefits from the same warmth and dedication she brings to her community service.
Carol’s daughter Courtenay Burman-Wallach, a Potomac native, has spent her life fostering community in the Greater Washington area. A lifetime member of Washington Hebrew Congregation, Courtenay serves on various committees and is a current Sisterhood Board Member.
Courtenay’s involvement with The Federation of Greater Washington began after a 2014 JWRP trip to Israel. She subsequently participated in a 2015 Campaigner's Mission to Israel with Jewish Federation North America and led a 2019 Women's Philanthropy Mission to Budapest and Prague. Courtenay serves on The Women's Philanthropy Advisory Board, is a Lion of Judah, and belongs to The Women's Brigade of the local FIDF chapter. In March of 2024, she joined a transformative mission to Israel with B'nai Tzedek Congregation.
In 2022, Courtenay embarked on a new career as a Luxury Travel Advisor for Smartflyer. She applies her passion for research and commitment to excellence in curating ultimate travel experiences for her clients, whether to familiar or unexplored destinations.
Courtenay’s two daughters, Madison and Sophie Wallach, are already following in their grandmother and mother’s footsteps with impressive accolades themselves.
Madison Wallach, 26, currently works at an experiential and influencer marketing agency in New York City, where she has lived for the past four years. In her philanthropic role, she serves as an Executive Board Member of FIDF Young Leadership New York and is chairing the 2024 FIDF Young Leadership Gala. Recently, she led a FIDF Young Leadership Solidarity Mission to Israel with 60 other young professionals from across the country. Before graduating from the prestigious Cornell Hotel School in 2020, Madison spent ten years at Holton-Arms, an all-girls school in Bethesda. At Cornell, she was actively involved in the Sigma Delta Tau sorority and the dance troupe Base Productions.
Sophie Wallach, 24, is a Wisconsin Business School graduate and a member of the Sigma chapter of the Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority. Her deep love for Israel began during the three months she spent there with her graduating class from Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in 2018, where she lived and volunteered on Kibbutz HaZore'a in Northern Israel. She currently works as an Executive Assistant and handles Human Resources for a luxury skincare company in New York City. In May 2024, Sophie participated in the FIDF Young Leadership Solidarity Mission to Israel with her sister Madison to bear witness to the October 7th attacks. She is also serving as a committee member for the 2024 FIDF Young Leadership Gala.