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.

Pamela Barkley, Chief Growth Officer (she/her/hers), is in charge of overseeing the development and implementation of Moving Traditions programmatic offerings. Pam works with a team of gifted educators to bring the magic of caring connection and Jewish insight to teens, teachers, parents and clergy. She brings over 25 years of experience in facilitation, education, training and coaching as well as a deep passion for finding opportunities for personal growth in herself and others. Pam has a BA from Brandeis University and an MSW from NYU and is a certified Youth Mental Health First Aid Trainer. When not engaged in all things Jewish, Pam can be found dancing anywhere and everywhere, hiking in the woods listening to podcasts, or walking on the beach with her husband and twin daughters.

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 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.

Shoshana Canali is a Program Coordinator (she/her/hers) who uses her years of experience in the art and nonprofit worlds to support the Program and Partnership Team. Shoshana believes that keeping things running smoothly behind the scenes is essential to program success. She has worked as an educator and support staff member in career services, public schools, private studios, and on numerous individual projects. She has a BFA from Webster University. In Shoshana’s spare time, you may find her exploring New York in search of the city’s greatest bagel!

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).

Outline of a head

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, snowboarding, and spending quality time with her fiancé Ryan, her Bernedoodle named Wicket, and her family.

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 toddler. 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, a certified Disciplined Agile Scrum Master, and an aspiring member of the DAR.  She holds a BA, Honours in Religious Studies (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/hers) is the Director of Kol Koleinu, a year-long fellowship that gives teens across the country the skills to take part in Jewish, feminist social change-making. 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 life-changing curriculum, she can be found hanging out with her wife and amazing kids, hunting down the best playgrounds in their new neighborhood in Philadelphia, and appreciating new and funky beers!

Steven Gross, Operations & Program Coordinator (they/them/theirs), ensures that Moving Traditions’ work flows successfully by supporting the Finance & Operations and Program & Partnership Teams in too many ways to list. Steven believes that creating intentional spaces for community building and collective care opens the imagination and possibility for lasting growth, change, and liberation. They are a Philadelphia-based problem solver, theater artist, and community builder with a BFA in Directing, Playwriting, and Production from the University of the Arts. Before Moving Traditions, Steven provided systems and team support for a variety of theatrical productions at companies including the Academy of Vocal Arts, Pig Iron Theatre Company, Theatre Horizon, and New Light Theatre. When they’re not solving organizational puzzles, you can find them writing music, going on adventures, or thrifting.

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. 

Robyn Kotzker, Counsel and VP of Operations (she/her/hers), serves as in-house legal counsel, directs the organization’s internal operations functions, and leads its project management team. Robyn believes that clear goals, smooth processes, and positive approaches to collaborating with one another enhance everyone’s work experiences and lead to stronger programs for our communities. Before joining Moving Traditions, she spent 13 years in business litigation, having been named by Philadelphia Magazine as a Super Lawyer. She also previously worked to enrich the lives of Jewish teens as a staff member of BBYO. Robyn holds a BA summa cum laude in History and Environmental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania and a JD from Temple University School of Law, where she served as the Law Review’s Managing Editor. She is also trained in project management. For fun, Robyn gets absorbed in historical fiction novels, loves taking candid and nature photos, and gets her groove on by singing and dancing to music with her two teenagers in their suburban Philadelphia living room.

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.

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 Director 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.  When not raising money or awareness, Brian enjoys reading anything by Michael Chabon, completing a tough crossword puzzle, and picnicking in parks in and around Philadelphia with his wife and teenage children.

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 Tali 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.

Rachael Perice is a Foundations Relations Manager (she/her/hers) 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, the world’s future will be brighter and more beautiful. She is a 10+ year professional with communications and development experience in for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. In 2011, Rachael won a Gracie Allen Award for her radio interview with Miss America 2010, Caressa Cameron, and launched the podcasting program at Reconstructing Judaism. She holds a BA in Radio/Television/Film Production and an MA in Public Relations from Rowan University. In her spare time, Rachael is studying for her MBA, and satisfies her insatiable curiosity by rotating through multiple hobbies such as New York Times crossword puzzles, hiking in state parks, crocheting kippot, knitting blankets, and reading anything with a good story. She lives with her husband and adoring cat in southern New Jersey.

Zoë Shannon (she/her/hers) serves as the New Jersey Regional Manager, dedicated to cultivating and sustaining meaningful relationships with our Metrowest 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 through the Congress-Bundestag Exchange. 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 commitments, Zoë enjoys creating culinary chaos in her own or her loved ones’ kitchens with her spoiled dog-child, Goose. Outside of dog-mom, her proudest identity is as the ‘weird aunt,’ endearing herself to four cherubic, chaotic, and immensely loved children.

Stacy-Shapiro

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.

Founder

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.

Consultants

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.