Our Team

Shuli Karkowsky is Chief Executive Officer at Moving Traditions (she/her/hers).  Both Judaism and feminism have been core facets of her identity since birth; working at Moving Traditions has felt like coming home. Shuli has extensive experience in non-profit management, including at legacy institutions like UJA-Federation of New York and innovative start-ups like 70 Faces Media and Hazon. She joined the nonprofit world after litigating at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. Shuli graduated summa cum laude from the University of Maryland and from Harvard Law School. Shuli is a notoriously voracious reader and eater, consuming nearly all variety of books and food with gusto. She lives in Westchester with her husband and three children, all of whom are so deliciously adorable that they, too, face constant risk of being consumed.

Eve Berger is Vice President of Partnerships (she/her/hers), responsible for building the programmatic reach of Moving Traditions in North America through managing our field staff and identifying new partnership opportunities to reach more Jewish youth and their families. Eve believes engaging tweens, teens and their families through their Jewish community lifts us all up and creates lasting connections. She has been a community health educator, camp director and lifelong non-profit professional. She holds a BS in Psychology from Syracuse University and an MA in Health Education with a focus in Human Sexuality from NYU. In her spare time, Eve delights in experimenting with new recipes, curling up with a juicy thriller, chilling with her two adorable cats Buster and Bella, traveling abroad with her husband Jon, hanging out with her two adult children, and lounging at the beach!

Beckee Birger is the Director of DEIJ Initiatives (she/her/hers) and Fellowship Director for Kumi.  Beckee’s passion for social justice has led her through a variety of jobs, such as special education attorney, AmeriCorp program manager, and career advisor at an education non-profit. She believes engaging people of all ages, but especially youth, in political education and community organizing is critical to our future, and she’s proud to celebrate her Judaism through a deep commitment to social change. In her free time, she’s a co-founder of JCUA’s Kol Or Jews of Color Caucus, a former co-facilitator of Tzedek Lab’s Political Educators kabal, and she’s an avid board game player.

Rabbi Daniel Brenner serves as the Vice President of Education (he/him/his), where he weaves together ancient wisdom, developmental psychology, social pedagogy, embodied practice, and pop culture to help a diverse network of rabbis, educators, and volunteer leaders who mentor teens. Prior to joining Moving Traditions in 2011, Daniel led educational programs for CLAL-The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, Auburn Theological Seminary, and the Birthright Israel Foundation. Brenner is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College; he furthered his studies with Rabbi Yitz Greenberg and Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (z’l), and for the last five years he has been obsessed with studying and teaching shtetl dance. He lives with his beloved, Dr. Lisa Brenner, in Montclair, New Jersey and they are the proud parents of three young adults.

Adam Broms, Chief of Finance and Operations (he/him/his), is responsible for building organizational culture and developing sustainable financial systems. Adam believes that nurturing our youth is the best investment we can make. He has served in financial, HR, operational, and programmatic roles in positions across the Jewish educational world–in camps and day schools, and with Hillel International. He has a Masters and Bachelors of Business Administration from the George Washington University and has served on several local community boards. Adam is an avid runner (his preferred race is the 10-miler), and at home, he is a consumer and critic of all baked treats (cheesecake is a favorite).  

Rosie Cohen, Communications Manager (she/her/hers), expresses Moving Traditions’ core messages through graphic design and digital media. After growing up in the middle of the woods in Maine, where there were more moose than Jews, she’s thrilled to help Jewish teens find community. She honed her skills through handling communications for Reconstructing Judaism and Graduate! Philadelphia, as well as freelance graphic and web design consulting for non-profit organizations and political candidates. She earned a B.A. in psychology at Haverford College. When not at work, Rosie can be found taking care of her garden, traveling around the world, writing creative fiction, and exploring new neighborhoods in Philadelphia. She has also learned how to do almost every craft, including glassblowing, ceramics, and sewing.

Rabbi Tamara Cohen, Chief of Program & Strategy (she/her/hers), guides and supports Moving Traditions’ strategy, program development and partnership work in collaboration with her fabulous colleagues. Tamara, a proud recipient of a 2023 Covenant Award, knows that Jewishly-engaged, intersectional feminists of all genders can and will change the world. She is especially proud to have initiated Tzelem, Kol Koleinu and Kumi. Tamara is on the steering committee of the JWFNetwork and the Tikkun Olam Task Force of Reconstructing Judaism where she is focusing on helping synagogues around racial harm and teshuva. She is a member of the Bnot Esh Jewish feminist spirituality collective and a past participant in the Selah Leadership Program, Gen Now Fellowship and Rabbis without Borders a former Barbara Bick Fellow at The Shalom Center. Tamara was ordained at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and earned an MA in Women’s History from Sarah Lawrence College and a BA in Women’s Studies and English summa cum laude from Barnard College. When Tamara isn’t moving traditions and the Jewish community, she can be found reading and writing poetry, organizing community ritual, walking in Carpenter’s Woods, or having fun with her partner, Dr. Gwynn Kessler and their two children (preferably off screen but also, often, on).

Ally Durlester, West Coast and Midwest Development Director (she/her/hers), will build long-lasting relationships with major individual funders and stakeholders and focus on ongoing donor engagement in large West Coast and Midwest cities. She is a seasoned and passionate advancement services and fundraising consultant and professional with more than 15 years of experience in the independent private school sector. She progressed from six years of award-winning work as an assistant admissions director of a private Los Angeles art school with campuses nationwide to over a decade of experience as the director of annual giving and alumni relations in a variety of private schools including her alma mater, Milken Community Schools ’05, Mirman School, Brentwood School, and Phillips Academy Andover. Growing up in the Jewish community in Los Angeles at Stephen S. Wise Temple, it is an understatement to say that she is excited to come back to her roots and do her part to make a difference in the lives of Jewish youth and their families. In her free time, Ally enjoys running, hiking, dancing, yoga, meditating, and snowboarding.

Bex Ehrmann (they/them) is the Senior Program Manager for jGirls+ Magazine, a teen-edited literary magazine that gives Jewish girls and gender-expansive teens a creative outlet for self-expression. Bex holds a decade of experience as a storyteller and educator, and they have been awarded fellowships from Luminarts Cultural Foundation and Lambda Literary for their poetry and fiction. They graduated summa cum laude from Northwestern University with a BA in Theatre and earned their MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Hamline University. When Bex isn’t advising the jGirls+ teen staff, guiding magazine production, or developing feminist curriculum, they enjoy escaping Chicago to immerse in nature.

Jillian Finkelstein Brownstein, Individual Giving Manager, (she/her/hers) is truly a “Jill of all trades.” She is responsible for managing Moving Traditions’ fundraising initiatives and development operations. Jill is also a Salesforce guru. Prior to Moving Traditions, she worked as a marketing professional for several Jewish organizations, including Lilith Magazine, Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, Jewish Publication Society, and Tablet Magazine. Jill holds a BA. in Psychology and Women’s Studies, with a concentration in Women in the Global Perspective, and a minor in Jewish Studies from the University of Delaware. She lives in the Main Line Philadelphia suburbs with her husband, rescue dog, and adorable kids. In her spare time, she can be found managing her dog’s Instagram account, dragging her family to craft fairs, and enjoying time down the shore.

Sarah Fox (she/her/hers) is the Director of Partnership & Program Operations who keeps Moving Traditions moving forward by managing the operations of the Program & Partnership Team in our work with Jewish youth, families, and communities. She oversees the departmental budget, project manages all major team projects, and ensures that the team systems are operating smoothly. With this broad skillset, she is affectionately known as MacGyver (skills she honed growing up in Saskatchewan). At the age of six, Sarah tapped Pierre Trudeau on the back, insisting that he shake her hand. That handshake with a leader must have influenced her life of leadership: starting with youth groups, a Hillel, then synagogues, and now to her current role at Moving Traditions. Sarah is a certified Youth Mental Health First Aid provider, and a certified Disciplined Agile Scrum Master.  She holds a BA, Honours in Religious Studies with a minor in Music from the University of Saskatchewan.  Sarah’s wide-ranging interests are: playing board games with her family, crocheting, reading, singing, chanting Torah, and dreaming of Canadian chocolate.

Stephanie Freedman, Director of Organizational Development & Culture (she/her/hers), is responsible for cultivating the staff experience and facilitating organizational success by aligning structural, cultural and strategic realities of work. She is also a trained project manager and serves as a member of the Project Management Office. Stephanie believes that a strong and inclusive culture which demonstrates our organizational values is key to employee success and engagement. Prior to Moving Traditions, Stephanie managed the development and implementation of training for a mission-driven technology company that helps people access income supports and financial wellness services, as well as for a broad-based media company serving business and education professionals. She holds a BA in English Literature from the University of Pittsburgh and an MS in Organization Development & Leadership from Saint Joseph’s University. In her spare time, you can find Stephanie getting lost in a novel, cooking with love, on neighborhood walks with her pup, having impromptu dance parties with her kids, and visiting her family at overnight camp in the summer months.

Lisa Gersten, VP of External Relations (she/her/hers), is responsible for managing and developing key stakeholder relationships including major individual and institutional funders and supports the CEO and Board in their donor engagement and board development efforts.   Prior to Moving Traditions, Lisa worked as an Assistant District Attorney, senior policy specialist, and most recently spent 11 years as a Senior Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Planning in the legal services industry.  Lisa received her BA from Barnard College and holds a JD from Columbia Law School. She lives in New York City with her husband and has three fabulous daughters.  A lover of Broadway musicals, Lisa also enjoys her morning walks in Riverside Park with her dog Honey and spending time at the Delaware beaches.

Paige GoldMarche (she/her) is the Director of the Meyer-Gottesman Kol Koleinu Teen Feminist Fellowship and understands the power that is feminist teens bonding over the drive to change their communities for the better. Sitting in a circle with Kol Koleinu fellows as they bask in the feminist community they’ve built together and the change they have learned to make over the program year is inspiring. Paige uses her experience community building and leadership developing over 10 years at Hillels in Boston and Chicago to empower her fellows in Kol Koleinu. Paige holds an MA degree in Jewish Communal Service from Baltimore Hebrew Institute at Towson University, a Certificate in Non-Profit Studies from Johns Hopkins University, and a BA in International Development and Social Change from Clark University. When Paige isn’t connecting educators and teens to changemaking curriculum, she can be found with her wife and kids and hosting Shabbat and holiday meals, and building community amongst her friends and neighbors in Philadelphia.

Steven Gross (they/them/theirs) is an Operations & Program Coordinator who creates and manages efficient and helpful processes for the entire organization’s work to flow smoothly. Steven knows that by ensuring success and ease internally, we expand the possibilities for the Jewish youth in our programs to flourish and grow. They hold a BFA in Directing, Playwriting, and Production from the University of the Arts and have worked at numerous theatrical institutions in the Philadelphia region as a stage manager, director, and teaching artist. In their spare time, you can find Steven leading communal singing and writing a musical.

Andi Kaufman, Midwest and Canada Regional Director, (she/her/hers), is excited to bring Moving Traditions programs and opportunities to her local community. Andi firmly believes in engaging local teens on a lifelong path of Jewish involvement. A native of Nebraska, she has spent the bulk of her professional career in the Jewish non-profit space. Andi has been heavily influenced by her experiences at overnight camp and in youth groups which she attributes to establishing her strong connection to Judaism. She holds a B.A. in Telecommunications and Jewish Studies from Indiana University and is an alumna of USY’s Nativ program. In her spare time, you can find Andi playing board games, crafting and listening to Broadway showtunes with her husband and twin boys in Buffalo Grove, IL. 

Talia Andron Kushnick (she/her/hers), Southern Regional Director, is thrilled to bring Moving Traditions to the south!  Talia is passionate about engaging people in Jewish life and has spent her career supporting kids, teens, and adults as they explore their Jewish identity.  Talia graduated from Binghamton University and holds an MA in experiential Jewish Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary.  A native of New Jersey, Talia now lives in Plano, Texas, but she does not yet own a cowboy hat!  In her free time, Talia can be found reading, hiking, or playing board games with her husband Michael, her two sons Nadav and Levi, and her dog Ranger.

Elizabeth Mandel (she/her) is the Vice President of Feminist Programs at Moving Traditions. Prior to joining Moving Traditions, she founded jGirls+ Magazine to give girls and nonbinary teens a place to lift their voices, practice feminist leadership, and build community. She believes that young people are experts in their own lives and the key to a more just, equitable, and feminist Jewish future. Mandel is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, writer, editor, and community activist. She has built a successful record of using media to raise awareness and create change around social justice, gender, and Jewish community issues. Her films have screened on public television and at organizations and film festivals around the world. She worked for the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee in Mumbai, India, and for the United Nations and the Asia Foundation, as well as in Japan, Cambodia and Nepal on a variety of women’s security and empowerment projects. Mandel holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Columbia in Religion, and a Master’s in International Affairs, also from Columbia, with a focus on Women’s Economic and Political Development. When she isn’t focused on thinking about feminism and/or supporting young people, Elizabeth can be found traveling, attending the theater and dance performances, hanging out with her delightful children, or snuggling her cat named Cat. Elizabeth lives in New York City with her husband and three children.

Adalis Marrero, CPA is proud of her role as the Controller, VP of Finance (she/her/hers) for Moving Traditions and enjoys her work very much. She is in charge of closely monitoring the company’s financial health, and maintains, manages, and analyzes financial statements, and budgets for the daily accounting operations.  Adalis has a bachelor’s degree from Rowan University and 25+ years’ experience in corporate and non-profit accounting.  She has worked in performing arts organizations where the main focus was working with youth.  She gets energized by volunteering for food banks and other organizations, taking long walks in parks near her home in Marlton, NJ, cooking Italian and Puerto Rican dishes, baking, and frequently sharing time with friends and family.

Debra Michael is the VP of Marketing & Communications (she/her/hers) who helps more people know and love Moving Traditions. Debra prioritizes communicating about causes that matter, especially those that help youth succeed. She is a 15+ years’ MarCom expert—profit and not-for-profit, Jewish and secular, local and national. Debra is a trained Rosh Hodesh group leader and a former Board member of the American Marketing Association Philadelphia. She holds a BA in Communications from Temple University. When she isn’t helping embolden Jewish teens, she can be found chasing her energetic toddlers and crazy dog in the Philly suburbs with her husband.

Brian Mono is Chief of Advancement of Moving Traditions (he/him/his). Leading a talented Development & Communications team, Brian works with staff, board members and other stakeholders to make the case for increased funding, media coverage, and program participation.  He brings 20+ years of planning and development experience at the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia and at Reconstructing Judaism/Camp Havaya, as well as creating award-winning journalism at the Jewish Exponent. Brian holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan – Go blue! – and an M.A. from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.  Brian is proud to cochair the Lead Fundraiser Cohort of Dlead.  When not raising money or awareness, Brian enjoys reading anything by Michael Chabon, completing a tough crossword puzzle, and hanging out with his wife and two adolescents in Philadelphia.

Tali Moscowitz, Mid-Atlantic Regional Director (she/her/hers), is thrilled to be part of the Moving Traditions team working to continue to grow and build relationships within the Mid-Atlantic region. She is passionate about building connections and relationships within the Jewish community. Tali has spent most of her career working with Jewish teens and loves to help teens find their own Jewish path. She holds a BA in Elementary Education from American University, a post-baccalaureate certificate in pre-medicine from American University, and an MS in Nonprofit Management with a Certificate in Jewish Communal Service from Gratz College. Tali was part of the year long Senior Educator Learning Fellowship cohort at Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies with educators from across North America. She is a certified yoga teacher (RYT-200) and loves any yoga class that isn’t heated. In her spare time, you can find Tali watching the latest Broadway musical, completing a jigsaw puzzle, or enjoying her husband’s cooking. 

Julia Papiyan is the Western Regional Director (she/her/hers) who oversees Northern and Southern California partnerships. Julia believes that teens want, and need, a safe space to explore topics relevant to them, which is why the expansion of Moving Traditions’ programs is so important to her. She has supported the work by piloting new programs, creating innovative and collaborative partnerships, and volunteering her time as a trained Rosh Hodesh group leader and teen girl mentor. She holds a B.S. in business from the University of Michigan and is working on the completion of her executive Master’s Degree from Columbia University. When she isn’t expanding Moving Traditions’ work in California, Julia can be found traveling across the globe in search of new sites and new flavors of ice cream.

Jonah Peretz-Lange is the Manager of Curriculum Design (he/him/his), responsible for maintaining and designing curriculum for our family, teen, and pre-teen programs. Jonah is passionate about creating engaging resources based on pedagogical best practices and situated within our trove of tradition. He is a former day school, b’nei mitzvah, and summer program educator, having taught grades 5-12 in a variety of settings in Boston and New York City, as well as a Talmud tutor for adults. He has learned at Yeshivat Hadar in NYC and Pardes in Jerusalem, and earned his master’s of Jewish Education at Hebrew College. Jonah lives in the Hudson Valley where he spends his free time writing, gardening, reading Llama Llama books to his toddler, and mediating conflicts between his two cats.

Rachael Perice (she/her/hers) is a Foundations Relations Manager who helps build impactful relationships between Moving Traditions and its generous foundation supporters. Rachael believes that when people are empowered to be their best selves at a young age, their potential to do good is limitless. She is a 10+ year communications and development professional and is excited to take on organizational puzzles. Rachael won a Gracie Allen Award for her radio interview with Miss America 2010, Caressa Cameron, and built the podcasting program at Reconstructing Judaism. She holds an MBA with a specialization in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from Temple University’s Fox School of Business, an MA in Public Relations and a BA in Radio/Television/Film Production from Rowan University. When she and her husband are not chasing after their toddler, Rachael is exploring West Hollywood, CA coffee shops, sweating through a yoga or Pilates workout, solving NYT puzzles, reading anything she can find, or writing.

Zoë Shannon (she/her/hers) serves as the New Jersey Regional Manager, dedicated to cultivating and sustaining meaningful relationships with our New Jersey partners.  A graduate of Binghamton University, Zoë’s journey includes serving with City Year New York, studying Arabic in Morocco, and working at a Holocaust memorial site in Germany. Despite these experiences being seemingly disparate, Zoë sees them as interconnected reminders of the significance of serving the Jewish community. For her, repairing the world (tikkun olam) starts at home, wherever that may be. Beyond her professional commitment, Zoë’s favorite role is as ‘Tante’ to an abundance of immensely loved children.

Stacy Shapiro is the Northeast Regional Director (she/her/hers) who loves engaging with current and prospective partners to advance our work. Stacy believes that helping teens thrive is inspiring work. She has been a Rosh Hodesh leader for over 10 years, has used B-Mitzvah and Kulam in her work with teens and has started Tzelem groups, for LGBTQ+ and gender-expansive teens, in NY and MA. Stacy has the title of Reform Jewish Educator from ARJE, has served as faculty at several Reform Jewish camps and has been involved in Jewish leadership since High School. She holds a BA in Psychology from Brandeis University, an MS in Social Work from Columbia University, and an MA in Jewish Education from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Stacy loves reading, baking challah, and planning beach vacations. She lives in Yorktown, NY with her husband and has two remarkable adult children.

Jennifer Stoltz (she/her/hers) is the Finance Coordinator for Moving Traditions and provides financial data management and tracking for the Finance & Operations team. Jenn has more than twenty years of experience in accounting departments in the rental car industry and at a Philadelphia area law firm. She holds a BA degree in Speech Communications with a Business Minor from Penn State University, as well as an Accounting Certificate from Philadelphia University (now Jefferson University). Jenn has two sons in college and can be found in her spare time exploring local walking trails with her husband, reading, spending time with friends and family, packing food at a local food bank, and enjoying her favorite past times – watching her older son perform on the Indiana University musical theatre stage and cheering on her Nittany Lions.

Deborah Meyer, Founding CEO, Emerita (she/her/hers), has dedicated her career to building change-making organizations focused on gender and the Jewish community, including Moving Traditions. She founded the organization in 2005 with then Board Chair Sally Gottesman. The vision: to embolden teens to explore who they are and wish to become as human beings—and to help create the world they wish to live in— by drawing on Jewish teachings and resisting limiting ideas about gender and identity from society and culture. Deborah credits her commitment to feminism, social justice, and Jewish life to her activism as a teen and young adult in the Habonim youth movement and Camp Moshava. Deborah holds an MA from Emerson College and a BA from Connecticut College. She serves on the boards of the Covenant and Hadassah Foundations, and on the Executive Committee of Philadelphia’s Women of Vision. Deborah and her husband, Matt love sharing with friends and family endless pots of her homemade Moroccan chickpea soup, dancing to the beat of (almost) any music anywhere, and exploring Philadelphia’s architecture and green spaces. She survived the pandemic by reconnecting with camp and school friends, and by playing virtual games with Matt and their daughters and sons-in-law.

Elizabeth Kaufman Taylor is a Salesforce Administrator (she/her/hers), who manages data for Moving Traditions – from CRM architecture through reporting, evaluation and analysis. Liz believes in Moving Traditions and has the data to prove it! Prior to Moving Traditions, Liz worked in the Jewish community for more than two decades in both Israel and North America in various arenas including development, Jewish camping, Israel programming, and family education. An avid community organizer, Liz received a BA from Rutgers University and master’s degrees from the Hornstein Program of Jewish Communal Service and the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, both at Brandeis University. In her spare time, Liz can be found on the tennis court, playing mah jongg, or researching and exploring new places with her family.