Adamah Detroit

Rabbi Ari Witkin is the director of leadership development at the Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit. He holds a MS in Nonprofit Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania and was ordained at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College where he was a Wexner Fellow. Fun Adamah fact, Ari and his Liz Traison met at Pearlstone where he worked, when she was working for Hazon. Basically the merger before the merger.

Rabbi Blair Nosanwisch is passionate about building loving and nourishing communities through care, prayer, Torah, and food. She was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2021, joining the Adat Shalom team that same year, and bringing with her an emphasis on spiritual care.

Hi, I’m pleased to be a part of the group and look forward to meeting everyone. I have a garden on the east side of Detroit (Marjorie Street Garden) and also take care of a the formerly orphaned B’nai David Cemetery. I’m originally from Chicago but have been a proud Michigander for over 25 years. .

Recognized twice by Crain’s Detroit Business, first as one of Metro Detroit’s Most Influential Women and more recently as a Notable Woman in Nonprofits, Jodee has led significant organizational growth and transformation as a professional and volunteer at some of Detroit’s finest institutions, including COO of New Detroit, Executive VP of Programs at the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation, Director of The Jewish Fund, and Program Officer at The Skillman Foundation. Jodee is a past President of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue and Co-Founder SukkahxDetroit. Jodee has a J.D. from Wayne State University and practiced nonprofit and corporate law at Bodman PLC.

Involved in Jewish education and engagement for over 40 years. My Masters Degree is in Library Science. I took a hiatus 12 year from Jewish communal work to go into the travel business. I was a travel writer for five years.

Karla Goldman is Sol Drachler Professor of Social Work and Professor of Judaic Studies at the University of Michigan where she directs the Jewish Communal Leadership Program.  She is a historian of American Jewish communities and author of “Beyond the Synagogue Gallery: Finding a Place for Women in American Judaism (Harvard University Press).

Marni is the development director for the National Ramah Commission. Prior to joining the National Ramah Commission, Marni spent 15 years at Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit, most recently as the director of annual giving. She is passionate about the importance of Jewish education and Jewish camping and works hard to ensure these opportunities are available to the community. She holds a BSBA in Finance and an MBA.

Real estate and building management professional employed by Newmark. Responsible for managing the Max M. Fisher Federation Building and supporting my counterparts at Camp Tamarack, the Jewish Community Center and several other properties affiliated with JFMD.

Rachel Jacobson is a cross-sector collaborator with 15 years of experience in the climate adaptation, resilience, and environmental fields. As Acting Director at the American Society of Adaptation Professionals (ASAP), she stewards a social impact network of 1,000 individuals and 45+ organizations to advance effective climate adaptation practice, build cohesion across the field of climate change adaptation, and increase the resilience of communities, ecosystems, and economies across North America. Rachel previously worked with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and with the White House Council on Environmental Quality to enact the climate adaptation goals of the Obama administration. She has also consulted with private sector companies on ESG training and staff development and conducted research and planning efforts in coastal watersheds across the U.S. Rachel is an active participant in Jewish communal life in her current home of Ann Arbor and in the communities she previously lived: Seattle, Washington DC, and Boston. She has served as an Interfaith Sanctuary Coalition volunteer coordinator, taught Jewish text classes for people of all ages, regularly serves as a Shabbat and High Holiday prayer leader, and welcomes people from all backgrounds into her home for Shabbat and holiday meals alongside her spouse and children.

Rebecca Starr is the Director of Regional Programs for the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, where she also oversees all program development, management, and partnerships in the Midwest region. In this role she manages strategy and organizational synergies throughout North American regional hubs. Raised on a sheep farm in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Rebecca is a proud product of the University of Michigan where she earned undergraduate degrees in education and Judaic studies as well as a master’s degree in social work and a certificate in Jewish communal service. Rebecca channeled her love for fitness into certifications as a personal trainer and indoor cycling instructor. She serves on the board of Camp Ramah in Canada and is a member of the steering committee of Adamah Detroit. Rebecca is married to Rabbi Aaron Starr and they are the proud parents of two sons.

Ryan has served in homeless and human service agencies in Metro Detroit for more than 15 years. He joined South Oakland Shelter (SOS) as CEO in 2010, assuming the role at Lighthouse in 2019 as the two organizations merged. Ryan and his team have expanded Lighthouse’s scope of services to encompass emergency shelter and food distribution; financial assistance; affordable housing and community development; supportive service solutions; and crowdfunding technologies that have contributed to thousands of displaced people getting back on their feet and finding a renewed sense of purpose. He has focused Lighthouse on meeting the critical and escalating emergency and longer-term needs of the working poor, homeless, and otherwise impoverished members of our community who face immense systemic challenges against the backdrop of a pandemic and hyperinflation.

Sam Stolper is an assistant professor at the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability, where he teaches and does research on environmental economics, policy, and justice. His research spans several topics, including transportation, energy efficiency, renewable power, air quality, water affordability, and carbon neutrality. He currently serves on Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Council on Climate Solutions.

Zach Berg is a Co-owner and operator at Mongers’ Provisions’. He has grown up in the food industry starting with kosher catering. Zach eventually received his BA in Hospitality Business before receiving a Culinary Arts Certificate from the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley. He is lucky to live with his wife Rabbi Megan Brudney and their son Dov Berg.