Adamah New York

Alexandra is a Sustainability Manager at Acme Smoked Fish Corporation. Alex brings her passion for sustainability and social impact to her professional work in the food industry and to her philanthropic endeavors. Through her engagement with Adamah NY, she seeks to bridge the urgent work of climate action with the teachings of justice and tikkun olam in the Torah. While she considers herself a lifelong New Yorker, she dreams about having a yard filled with citrus trees one day. She earned her Masters in Food Studies at New York University and her Bachelors at the University of Pennsylvania.

Brett Cohen is chair of the Adamah national board. He lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with his wife Heidi. Brett retired from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in 2021, after spending most of his career as a National Office partner in the Accounting Services Group.
Brett’s journey with Adamah began in 2007, when he and his entire family took part in their first Hazon NY Bike Ride (Hazon was the predecessor organization to Adamah). That ride kicked off a deep and lasting connection to the organization’s mission of sustainability, Jewish learning, and community. Brett also serves on the board of the Friends of the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, and as a trustee at Congregation B’nai Israel in Millburn, NJ. These days, you can find Brett frolicking around Central Park as part of the Central Park Conservancy landscaping team, or lending a hand at the Monday Night Hospitality soup kitchen. He’s an avid cyclist, a passionate environmentalist, and always up for a good bagel and a long ride.

Brett holds a bachelor’s degree in accountancy from the State University of New York at Albany.

David Schieren co-founded EmPower Solar in 2003 to make solar energy the dominant energy source in New York and beyond. This vision continues to drive every action the company takes. EmPower Solar installs home and commercial solar power and battery systems for bill reduction, back-up power and income generation.

David is the board Chairman of the New York State Solar Energy Industry Association (NYSEIA), Vice-Chair of the Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA) Distributed Generation Division, and Board Member of the Long Island Association and Vice Chair of its Energy Committee and board member of Vision Long Island.

He has a Master of Science in Energy Management from the New York Institute of Technology, where he received the Faculty Award for outstanding achievement. David co-led the 2005 US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon solar-hydrogen zero energy home project. He has a BA in Economics from the University of Vermont, where he received the Freeman Saltus Award in Economics. David was a North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) Photovoltaic Installer. David started his career as an Institutional Equity Advisor at Merrill Lynch where he sold Japanese equities to large US based investors.

David lives in Long Island City with his wife, Cristina Zancani, a sustainable architect and Urban Designer, and their young son.

In 2023, Emily retired from a 27-year corporate career, most recently at OUTFRONT Media, where she served as its SVP and Head of New York Real Estate. At OUTFRONT, she was primarily responsible for identifying and spearheading new business opportunities, managing key landlord relationships, developing new real estate and telecom assets, and handling complex zoning, permitting and compliance related matters. Prior to joining OUTFRONT in 2014, Emily spent seven years at Van Wagner Communications, LLC as a senior member of its Real Estate and Development team, and nearly five years at the NYC Economic Development Corporation in its Client Coverage group.

Emily holds a B.S. from Cornell University and is a licensed real estate broker in New York. She resides in Manhattan with her husband and their two children. She spends as much time as possible on her farm in the Hudson Valley, not too far from Isabella Freedman, where she enjoys gardening, cooking/baking, yoga and beekeeping.

In this next phase, Emily is seeking to channel her energies into giving back. She is excited to join Adamah’s NY Advisory Council, where she hopes to marry her passion for the environment and sustainability with various stakeholders to build awareness and raise funds through which to address the urgent need for climate related action.

Jessica is Secretary of the Board of Adamah, after serving as Vice Chair of the Board of Hazon for over a decade. At Adamah, she was founding Chair of the Climate Action Committee and the Advocacy Advisory committee, among others. She is formerly the Executive Director of The New Majority NYC, an organization building political power for women in NY. In her varied experience, Jessica was a candidate for NYC council on a sustainability platform, co-founded a Fin-Tech start-up, and co-founded a climate-tech start-up with a NASA climate scientist. She has an M.P.A. in environmental science and policy from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and the Earth Institute and a B.S. in Economics and Information Management from the Wharton School of Business. She is a Leader with The Climate Reality Project, trained and charged by Al Gore to speak publicly on the climate crisis. Jessica serves on the Board of JCRC-NY and the Riverdale Nature Preservancy. Jessica has been honored with the 2022 Jewish Week’s 36 to Watch and 2023 City & State Magazine’s Bronx Power 100 and Power of Diversity Women 100. Jessica lives in the Bronx with her husband and four children, two of them are pictured on the posters at Isabella Freedman.

Lisa is the vice president of development for Winrock International. She leads Winrock’s development strategy, building philanthropic partnerships to support the organization’s mission to empower the disadvantaged, increase economic opportunity and sustain natural resources.
She recently served as senior director of institutional partnerships at the Columbia Climate School, where she developed and led fundraising initiatives for Columbia University’s newest school. Previously, as director of development at RMI, she helped drive significant philanthropic revenue and managed fundraisers on a global team in support of the clean energy transition. Her earlier career includes leadership roles at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and the Earth Institute, where she was executive director of the Lenfest Center for Sustainable Energy.

Michael retired after a 25-year career on Wall Street, and now devotes the majority of his time and energies toward non-profit & impact-related enterprises. Prior to retiring, Michael spent most of his career at the asset management firm BlackRock, where he was Managing Director overseeing Structured Mortgage & Derivative Products trading and acted as advisor/portfolio manager for the Federal Reserve’s Global Financial Crisis-related managed assets. Michael is a Board Member/Trustee of: Taub Center for Social Policy Studies in Israel, American Friends of Ogen, Israeli Forum for Impact Economy, the Baron de Hirsch Fund, Jewish Community Relations Council of NY, Columbia/Barnard Hillel, the Hillel International Office of Innovation, AJC-NY, and Congregation Shearith Israel. Michael is a graduate of Columbia College, Columbia University, and is Adjunct Professor of Finance at NYU | Stern School of Business, and a Lecturer at the College for Management Academic Studies in Rishon LeZion/Israel, the Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo, and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, teaching fulltime elective courses for MBAs in Fixed Income, Capital Markets, and Impact Finance. Michael serves on the Board of GigaWatt Global (the Israel-based solar energy company that built the first large-scale grid-connected fields in East Africa [with more in-process!]), jiritsu.network, and Nature Growth (a new AgriTech Incubator in Sderot, Israel), as well as maintaining several other corporate Advisory & Board positions through his Impact and Technology-focused investments. He has curated several exhibits at The Society of Illustrators and is a Licensed NYC Sightseeing Guide. Michael is the author of JFN’s Greenbook, A Guide to Jewish Impact Investing. He lives in Manhattan with his wife Rachel, and their three wonderful children.

Mindy Germain is the founder of Eco Leap, a firm dedicated to driving behavior-based decarbonization and sustainability solutions. With over 20 years of experience in environmental advocacy, she helps municipalities and businesses achieve climate resilience and greenhouse gas reduction goals. Eco Leap’s approach combines climate science, behavioral research, and community engagement, particularly in at-risk communities facing air quality and extreme weather challenges. A recognized leader in New York’s Climate Smart Communities program, Mindy has been honored as a NY State Woman of Distinction and Nassau County Trailblazer of the New Millennium. She also serves as Commissioner of the Port Washington Water District and Vice President of Residents Forward, working to enhance environmental sustainability in her hometown. Mindy also volunteers as the Director of Education for an environmental nonprofit, where she has planned and executed three Youth Climate Summits, with a fourth scheduled for this March. Additionally, she has volunteered extensively for environmental programs at her synagogue, fostering sustainability within the Jewish community.

Rand Manasse is the owner of Green Lane Partners, a private equity company specializing in Cleantech. His firm owns multiple solar farms and previously owned a solar installation company. Recognized by Who’s Who in America for his expertise in renewable energy, finance, engineering, and technology, Rand brings a unique blend of business development and financial strategy to his work, optimizing operations, increasing revenue, and ensuring financial stability.
He currently serves as Board President of the Federated Conservationists of Westchester County (FCWC), a 60-year-old organization that unites sustainability groups to drive collective impact. He is also a member of New Rochelle’s Environmental and Natural Resource Advisory Committee (ENRAC), contributing to the city’s environmental sustainability efforts.

Tracy obtained her law degree from the University of Virginia, and began her career in commercial litigation in NYC. After a hiatus to raise her three children, Tracy obtained a Master’s of Science from NYU on global energy and environmental policy. She currently serves as a Visiting Lawyer with Environmental Law Institute where she has spearheaded studies and policy papers on international environmental peacebuilding and policy. She also serves as Chair of the Board of TheatreWorks USA and is a board member of Earth Day Initiative and Friends of Chappaqua Performing Arts Center. Tracy has been involved with UJA for over a decade. She currently serves on the Board of Directors, and has served in numerous other executive committees, including a member of UJA’s Green Policy Task Force, the Network Department, and chair of Women of Westchester.

Ana Levy-Lyons is a writer, speaker, and rabbinical student in the Aleph Ordination Program. She holds an MDiv from the University of Chicago Divinity School and served as a Unitarian Universalist minister for almost two decades. She is the author of No Other Gods: The Politics of the Ten Commandments and The Secret Despair of the Secular Left. Ana’s work focuses on cultural transformation and religious-ecological consciousness. She has developed and taught courses such as Justice and Ecology in the Hebrew Bible, led an experimental shmita group and has participated in grassroots environmental activism in NYC. She was a GreenFaith Fellow and took part in Union Theological Seminary’s Ministry in the Time of Climate Change program.

Anneliese Zausner-Mannes work is at the intersection of community, education, and environmentalism as an education and program specialist at Big Reuse NYC. She has a background in science education and nonprofit environmental work. After 15 years of teaching math and science in the U.S., Asia, and Europe, she transitioned to environmental justice advocacy. She co-founded Nurture BK Compost, a community-led initiative promoting composting and waste reduction. She collaborates with NYC Council members to advance sustainability programs and environmental justice efforts. Anneliese specializes in community-based climate action, circular economy solutions, and youth education in sustainability.

Bonnie Hagen is the co-founder and principal at Bright Energy Services, an energy efficiency consulting firm dedicated to helping commercial, institutional, and multi-family buildings transition to more sustainable energy solutions. She has extensive experience in securing financial incentives for energy-efficient projects and guiding organizations through regulatory compliance. Bonnie works closely with Jewish institutions and other nonprofits to integrate climate-conscious facility management practices. Her focus is on reducing emissions, increasing operational efficiency, and expanding access to clean energy solutions. Bonnie currently serves on the City of White Plains’ Conservation Board and served on the City’s Sustainability Committee. Bonnie is a Board Member of UJA-Federation of New York Westchester Business and Professional Division, Westchester Jewish Council where she chairs the Greening Committee, and Congregation Kol Ami where she is the Chair of the Green Team.

David Arfin is the CEO and co-founder of NineDot Energy, where he leads the company’s mission to accelerate the clean energy transition in New York City through innovative urban energy solutions. He drives strategy, financing, and stakeholder engagement across business, government, and community sectors.
David previously served as VP of Strategy at SolarCity, where he created the SolarLease—transforming solar adoption in the U.S. SolarCity was later acquired by Tesla. He also co-founded Ener-Pacte (France) and SolarVento (Mexico), and has advised or served on boards of cleantech ventures globally, including Simpa Networks (India), WattzOn (Palo Alto), and Tigi Solar (Israel). He has consulted for the U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative and was Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Israel Cleantech Ventures.
David holds a BA from UCLA, an MA in Public Policy from Claremont Graduate University, and an MBA from Stanford. He currently serves on the NYCEDC Green Advisory Council, the board of Friends of the Arava Institute, and is a member of the Cleantech Leaders Roundtable.

David Kahn is the Global VP, Cloud ERP Customer Success Leader at SAP, with over 27 years of experience in IT transformation, customer success, and supply chain solutions. He drives customer adoption, value realization, and renewals for SAP’s ERP, Supply Chain, and Finance Solutions. He holds degrees from Cornell and Columbia. Beyond his professional work, David has been actively involved in environmental advocacy since high school, launching neighborhood and school recycling programs and spearheading sustainability initiatives in Jewish communities. He founded the Shul Green Team at RJC, helped standardize Green Kiddushes, and served on the board of Canfei Nesharim. Currently, he is Treasurer of Grow Torah, an organization that develops experiential & environmental Torah education programs for Jewish institutions. Passionate about sustainability, David is eager to explore Israel’s innovative environmental technologies and regional climate solutions.

Eli Kintisch is a climate journalist, filmmaker, and educator specializing in environmental media. He serves as the Ted Turner Professor of Environmental Media at George Washington University and works for PBS NewsHour and Science magazine where he’s a correspondent covering climate science and the environment. Eli’s reporting has taken him across the globe, covering carbon capture, geoengineering, and climate adaptation. His expertise lies in using storytelling to make complex environmental topics accessible to the public. He is eager to explore how Israel communicates its sustainability efforts and climate innovations.

Elizabeth Stein is the State Policy Director at the Institute for Policy Integrity at NYU School of Law. She specializes in state energy policy, advocating for climate-conscious utility regulations and supporting legislative efforts to decarbonize the energy sector. Her research includes market-based climate solutions and energy justice policies. She has been involved in legal and policy analysis related to NYC’s Local Law 97 (building decarbonization act), helping ensure that local and state governments implement effective sustainability measures. Before joining Policy Integrity, she was Lead Counsel, Energy Transition, at Environmental Defense Fund. She is currently serving as co-chair of the Energy Committee of the NYC Bar Association and as a board member for Earth Day Initiative, an entity that partners spearheads major Earth Day events in New York As well as year round environmental educational programming.

Michael Gilbert is an energy and sustainability professional with expertise in technology, policy, and finance. At Fairstead, multi-family real-estate owner/operator/developer, he serves as Executive Director of Energy & Sustainability, optimizing both sustainability and economic performance across the entire real estate portfolio. He also serves as the Managing Director of Fairstead Ventures, a corporate venture capital (CVC) firm focused on Cleantech, Proptech, and Decarbonization solutions for the built environment and its residents.
Previously, he led energy efficiency and demand management programs at Con Edison and held various corporate and consulting positions in ESG, sustainability, energy, and environmental management. Michael is a frequent conference speaker and has lectured at Cornell, Columbia, and in Israel and India on Cleantech, Proptech, Real Estate, Corporate Venture Capital, and ESG. He holds a BS in Agricultural Engineering, an MS in Environmental Engineering from Cornell University, and an MBA from UConn. He serves on the White Plains Sustainability Committee, manages his synagogue’s building, and holds certifications as a Professional Engineer, Certified Energy Manager, and Certified Energy Auditor.

Mor Keshet is a Founder and Integrative Eco Art Therapist whose work bridges creativity, ecology, and collective healing. Rooted in a trauma-informed, relational approach, Mor supports individuals and communities in navigating intergenerational dynamics, climate emotions, and consciousness development. She is the creator of the Climate Emotions Mandala Project, a participatory Climate Café model in partnership with the Climate Mental Health Network. Mor serves as the Long Island Regional Coordinator and Expressive Arts Committee Co-Chair for the Climate Psychology Alliance of North America, and is on faculty with the Climate Emotional Resilience Institute. She is also an affiliate of the Complex Trauma Institute. Mor’s work invites a culture shift where healing is not solitary, but shared. Through art, Nature, and presence, she helps people repair their connection to self, each other, and the Earth.

Rachel Landsberg is a Jewish climate educator and activist deeply involved in synagogue-based sustainability efforts. She was an educator at Beit Rabban and Heschel Jewish day schools for two decades before deciding to pursue full-time engagement in the climate movement.
She is currently a lay leader at JCAN NYC, serving as a Climate Torah teacher and a member of the legislative team. She co-founded and co-facilitates a Dayenu Circle based out of her synagogue, Darkhei Noam on the Upper West Side. At her synagogue, she also co-chairs the Climate Action Committee and mentors Darkhei Noam’s Jewish Youth Climate Movement kvutzah.
Rachel has been learning, teaching, volunteering, lobbying, developing and sharing Climate Torah, recruiting fellow Jews to the climate movement, and building community around climate issues. She studied at the Pardes Institute in Jerusalem and the Drisha Institute.

Robert Politzer is the Founder & CEO of GreenStreet Global, Inc a NYC-based company focused on providing innovative green building and energy efficiency solutions to reduce operating expenses (OPEX) and increase net operating income (NOI) for commercial real estate properties. Robert’s expertise focuses on building operational efficiency, energy optimization, and compliance with evolving decarbonization regulations, particularly those like NYC Local Law 97. A long-time advocate for achieving net zero goals and environmental responsibility, Robert’s work aligns with the increasing global focus on sustainable building practices, contributing to economic and ecological goals. With nearly 30 years of experience, he has been instrumental in shaping NYC’s sustainability sector. His company’s projects span LEED consulting, renewable energy integration, and decarbonization efforts. Robert has served as Chair of the NYS Sustainable Business Task Force and remains an advocate for advancing clean energy in urban development.