Read praise from our former students about Jewish Studies at IU.
Jewish Studies alumni pursue careers in fields as diverse as education, political activism, administration, scholarly research, journalism, business, public relations, medicine, social work and the clergy. A degree in Jewish Studies enhances skills in research and writing, critical thinking, cultural awareness, creative thinking, public speaking, and persuasive communication. These are vital skills in today’s workplace and have helped Jewish Studies graduates find careers that meet their personal objectives.
Jewish Studies students (front row) with IU JSP alumni (back row-left to right) Rabbi Laurie Matzkin, Rabbi Philip Ohriner, and Jewish educator Emily Walsh.
Cantor Janet Roth Krupnick (1981) is Cantor at Summit Jewish Community Center in New Jersey.
Greta Friedman Rothschild (1984) is Director of Family Education at Aitz Hayim Center for Jewish Living in Chicago.
Renee Hasten Halevy (1986) is an artist in Israel.
Bekki Harris Kaplan (1987) is Executive Director of Beth Emet, the Free Synagogue in Evanston.
Laura Kepes Linder (1988) is Executive Director of the Jewish Foundation of Memphis.
Shelly Greenwald Malmon (1988) is Director of Program Operations for the BJE in Orange County California.
Leslie Kepes Pomerantz (1988) is Senior Vice-President of Development for the Associated Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore.
Rabbi Bruce Elder (1989) is Rabbi of Congregation Hakafa in Glencoe, Illinois.
JSP Alumni Wendy Rapport Grinberg, Jennifer Zwilling, and Andrea Fram Plotkin – Alumni Fellows at the 2011 Jewish Studies Career Night.
Rabbi Braham David (1991) is Rabbi of Temple Shalom in Medford, Massachusetts.
Debra Barton Grant (1991) is Executive Vice President of the South Bend Jewish Federation.
Nancy Brenowitz Katz (1992) is Director of the Dietetics Program at the University of Maryland.
Robyn Jacobs Cutler (1993) is President of Cutler Consulting in Florida.
Jill Laidman Davidson (1993) is Systems Analyst/Database Administrator for the Mandell JCC in Cleveland.
Stephanie Stern Fink (1993) is an Outreach Specialist for the Union for Reform Judaism.
Rabbi Eli Garfinkel (1993) is Rabbi at Temple Beth El Somerset in Somerset, New Jersey.
Wendy Rapport Grinberg (1993) is an Adult Learning Specialist for the Union of Reform Judaism.
Rabbi Yael Splansky (1993) is Associate Rabbi of Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto.
Jessica Bennett Mehlman (1994) is Assistant Director of Financial Resource Development at the Jewish Foundation of Central New Jersey.
Brian Shankman (1994) is Mid-Atlantic Regional Director for AIPAC.
Adam Tennen (1994) is Mid-Atlantic Area Executive Director for BBYO.
Jen Zwilling (1994) is Associate Vice President for Student Engagement at Hillel.
Shari Zitofsky Churwin (1995) is Education Director of Ansin Religious School of Congregation Ohebei Shalom, Brookline, MA.
Yosh Eisbart (1995) is Principal for NIMBL LLC in Denver.
Jessica Hazan Jundef (1995) is a teacher at the Solomon Schechter School of Greater Monmouth County in Marlboro, New Jersey.
Amy Allee Newman (1995) is Curriculum Development Facilitator for CSI 2 at JFMD Alliance for Jewish Education and Early Childhood Education Associate at the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.
Brad Olswang (1995) is president of Premier Medical Services, Inc. in Chicago.
David Podgursky (1995) is a real estate and mortgage broker in Boca Raton.
Ida Shapiro (1995) is Senior Vice President for Bank of America in Atlanta.
Cari Bleckner Bederow (1996) is Director of Financial Management Reporting at Chanel.
Jonathan Fass (1996) is Managing Director of Jewish Life and Learning at the Houston JCC.
Stacey Fenster (1996) is Creative Manager at Burrell Communications in Chicago.
Noah Garfinkel (1996) teaches English at Millennium Tribeca High School in Manhattan.
Gina Lewald-Fass (1996) is a Jewish Studies teacher at the Emery-Weiner Day School in Houston.
Alberta Comer (1997) is Dean of the Indiana State University Library.
Jennifer Hedderich Dubinsky (1997) is an elementary school teacher at Canty Elementary in Chicago.
Ken Fisher III (1997) is owner of Ken Fisher Realtors in Fishers, Indiana.
Melissa Zeman Wachsman (1997) is Director of Social Services at the Bethesda Home in Chicago.
Bradley Finkel (1998) is Associate Director of Camp Chi, the camp of the JCC of Chicago.
Jessica Feder Gamlin (1998) is Operations Project Manager at St. Andrews Resources for Seniors in St. Louis.
Rachel Murov Greenberg (1998) is Director for AIPAC in Palm Beach.
Dan Hart (1998) is Program Manager for the Center for Global Education Services-Study Abroad at Arizona State University.
Allen Ketchersid (1998) is the Minister at the Unionville Church of Christ.
Lisa Kohnke (1998) is Deputy Director of Special Events, Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmenal Affairs at the White House.
Andrea Fram Plotkin (1998) is Special Events Director for Jewish Home in New York City.
Stephanie Kreitzman Rhodes (1998) is Director of Member Services and Foundation Professionals at the Jewish Funders Network.
Rabbi Scott Segal (1998) is Director of Youth Programs at Beth Emet Free Synagogue in Evanston.
Ilene Scholnick Ausubel (1999) is Assistant Director for Major Gifts for Hadassah.
Amanda Borschel-Dan (1999) is Editor of Jewliciousu.com Website for Jewish College Students.
Simon Braune (1999) is librarian at the Middle East Institute’s George Camp Keiser Library in Washington, D.C.
Sean Herstein (1999) teaches Jewish Studies at the Amos and Celia Heilicher Minneapolis Jewish Day School.
Marci Ackerhalt-Price (2000) is Manager of Foundation Relationships at Feeding America.
Robin St. Cyr Anderson (2000) is Associate Director for Camp Young Judaea Midwest.
Pam Berkowitz (2000) is an Associate Attorney with Hoogendoorn Talbot LLP in Chicago.
Julie Rubinfeld Brodsky (2000) is Assistant Director for the Gan Shalom Early Childhood Center at Temple Sholom in Chicago.
Mia Budescu (2000) is a doctoral student in Developmental Psychology at Temple University.
Jonah Geffen (2000) is a rabbinical student at The Jewish Theological Seminary.
Rachael Petru Horowitz (2000) is Director of Development at the UCLA Hillel.
Leslie Cohen Kastner (2000) is Coordinator for the Create a Jewish Legacy Partnership for the Jewish Federation of St. Louis
Jennifer Baumel Kramer (2000) is Project Director at Lieberman Research Worldwide.
Shauna Replane Leavey (2000) is Principal at Temple Emanuel in Reisterstown, Maryland.
Wendy Gossman Margolin (2000) is Communications Director for Ida Crown Jewish Academy.
John Meyers (2000) is an IT Security support specialist for IBM.
Rabbi David Roth (2000) teaches at the Pardes Institute in Jerusalem.
Kate Breiter Uslan (2000) is Writing Manager for Alliance for a Healthier Generation.
Jessica Auerbach Burgoon (2001) is Assistant Director of Development for Jewish Home and Hospital Life Care System in NYC.
Rachel Brand (2001) is Area Development Officer for the Northern Area for Hadassah Southern California.
Michael Ecker (2001) is an English Teacher at Earl Warren Middle School in Solana Beach, California.
Dr. Debora Sasso Herold (2001) is Assistant Professor of Psychology at IUPUI.
Emily Malinowski (2001) is Director of Strategic Planning at Rubenstein Public Relations in New York.
Rabbi Laurie Matzkin (2001) is Assistant Rabbi and Director of Lifelong Learning at Congregation Kol Emeth in Palo Alto.
Cantor David Reinwald (2001) is Cantor at Temple Beth Sholom in Santa Ana, CA.
Dr. Joanne Weingarten (2001) is a mental health counselor in Los Angeles.
Rabbi Alissa Wise (2001) is the Program Director at Ma’yan: The Jewish Women’s Project in NYC.
Chantelle Aspey (2002) is vice president for public relations for Endemal USA, a producer of tv shows.
Shira Behar (2002) is a teacher at the Orchard School in Indianapolis.
Dr. Robert Cating (2002) is Director of Biotechnology Research at Twyford International.
Shoshana Yaffe Cenker (2002) is Director of Communications for Greenfield Hebrew Academy in Atlanta.
Miriam Pullman Friedman (2002) is Director of Development for the Jewish Family & Career Services of Atlanta.
Joel Goldsmith (2002) is a Sourcing Manager for General Mills.
Andy Kastner (2002) is the Rabbi at Washington University Hillel.
Josh Kocher (2002) is Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in Hamilton County.
Diana Kogan (2002) is a Program Office for the Claims Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany in New York City.
Jonathan Lipnick (2002) is living in Jerusalem and completing a doctoral degree in Religious Studies at Harvard University.
Jennifer Micon (2002) is Assistant Principal at Officer Donald J. Marquez School in Chicago.
Rabbi Philip Ohriner (2002) is Assistant Rabbi at Congregation Beth David in Saratoga, CA.
Amanda Meyer Radman (2002) is Administrative Assistant to Rabbi Burg at Anshe Emet Synagogue in Chicago.
Ruth Schachter (2002) is pursuing a master’s in Jewish education at the Hartman Institute in Jerusalem.
Emily Sonenshine (2002) is a second grade teacher at the Davis Academy in Atlanta.
Dr. Jennifer Steiman (2002) is a cardiothoracic anesthesia Fellow at the University of Chicago.
Sarah Strnad (2002) is Assistant Director of Meretz USA for Israeli Civil Rights and Peace.
Dr. Yuval Asner (2003) is a psychiatric resident at Johns Hopkins University.
Jennifer Bell (2003) is Development Associate at Birthright Israel Foundation in NY.
Mat Bloom (2003) is Associate Attorney at Scott, Halsted & Babetch in Chicago.
Rabbi Seth Cook (2003) is the Aish Rabbi at Indiana University.
Cantor Asa Fradkin (2003) serves Temple Sholom, a Conservative congregation, in Greenwich, CT.
Marie Harf (2003) is media spokesperson for the CIA.
Rabbi Drew Kaplan (2003) is Rabbi for Alevy Jewish Student Services at Long Beach and Orange County Hillels.
Rachel Conroy Pereles (2003) is a Campaign Associate for the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta.
Ashley Plotnick (2003) is Hebrew School Principal at B’nai Jehoshua Beth Elohim in Deerfield.
Leah Hedrick Aft (2004) is the Assistant Director at the IU Helene G. Simon Hillel Center.
Jonathan Azulay (2004) is Associate Director of Studley, Inc. in Chicago.
Emily Eisenberg (2004) is Assistant Director of Development, Chicago Region of the American Jewish Committee.
Sarina Fogel Gerson (2004) is a graduate student in Business at the University of Maryland.
Jaime Katz (2004) is Prevention Coordinator at Regional Prevention Center in Olathe, KS.
Daniel Kuperstein (2004) is an attorney with Fox Rothschild LLP in New York City.
David Lizzo (2004) completed an M.A. in International Affairs at Washington University.
Leah Nahmias (2004) is a graduate student in public humanities at Brown University.
Sam Rodin (2004) is Youth Director at Congregation B’nai Tikvah in Chicago.
Jory (Daniel) Wall (2004) is a Staff Account with Welenken, Himmerlfarb & Co. in Louisville.
Emily Walsh (2004) was a Wexner Fellow while a student at Hebrew Union College in Jewish Communal Service and now is Assistant Director of Education at Congregation B’nai Jeshurun in New York City.
Dr. Brooke Lipman Weingarden (2004) is a psychiatric resident at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit.
Rabbi Elizabeth Wood (2004) is Associate Rabbi at Reform Temple of Forest Hills in Queens.
Julie Avchen (2005) is Assistant Director for Operations for the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Skokie.
Henry Bernstein (2005) is Youth Director at Moriah Congregation in Deerfield, Illinois.
Lauren Shideler Blacher (2005) teaches 4th grade in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Stephanie Clark and Jen Gubitz (2005) are rabbinic students at Hebrew Union College.
Jonathan Ginsburg (2005) is Account Supervisor at the Dalton Agency in Atlanta.
Miles Roger (2003) is Assistant Director of the Bureau of Jewish Education in Indianapolis.
Jen Kraus Rosen (2005) is Corporate Financial Officer for Moishe Houses.
Laura Siegel Perpinyal (2005) is Director of Congregational Learning at Temple Chai n Long Grove, IL.
Rabbi Sarah Smiley (2005) is the Rabbi at Ohio State Hillel.
Lauren Weinberg (2005) is Farm Manager at the Isabella Freedman Retreat Center.
Sonya Weisburd (2005) is Chapter Coordinator (Western U.S.) for Active Minds, Inc. which promotes mental health on college campuses.
Justin Bender (2006) is a sales analyst for United Airlines.
Jonathan Bubis (2006) is a rabbinical student at American Jewish University.
Melissa Dress (2006) is a nurse at Tufts New England Medical Center.
Matthew Dunn (2006) completed an MSW at Yeshiva University in 2009 and is the Volunteer in JASA’s Caregiver Member Cooperative.
Michael Kushnick (2006) is a rabbinic student at The Jewish Theological Seminary. .
Philip Sherman (2006) is a rabbinic student at Hebrew College in Boston.
Joanna Blotner (2007) is the Religion & Faith Program Coordinator at Human Rights Campaign in Washington.
Ben Ellerin (2007) is a cantorial student at Hebrew Union College.
David Fliesher (2007) is Fixed Asset Accountant and Cost Analyst for the Kiln at Monsanto.
Julia Franks (2007) is a grant writer for Facing History and Ourselves in Boston and a graduate student at Brandeis Heller school.
Jake Ginsburg (2007) is a law student at Temple University.
Amanda Dudley Goldstein (2007) is Project Coordinator of TORCH (Torah Outreach Resource Center of Houston).
Margaret O’Connor (2007) is pursuing a master’s degree in International Relations at Johns Hopkins University.
Abigail Schachter (2007) is a medical student at St. Louis University.
Rachel Schonwald (2007) is Registration Manager for Authentic Israel.
Ayesha Athar (2008) is a doctoral student at IU in History and Jewish Studies.
Sarah Beren (2008) is Ohio/Pittsburgh Area Director for AIPAC.
Lainna Cohen (2008) is Camp Administrator at Capital Camps based in Rockville, Maryland.
Rachel Harrison (2008) is a cantorial student at Hebrew Union College.
Rachel Kaplan, Jonathan Kleinman, and Deana Sussman (2008) are rabbinic students at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.
Inna Kolesnikova-Shmukler (2008) is the Donor Relations Manager for the Indianapolis Jewish Federation.
Mallory Saks (2008) is Teen and Tween Program Director for the JCC or Central New Jersey.
Nina Loftspring (2009) is a graduate student in Jewish Education at HUC-JIR in Jerusalem (2010-11) and NY (2011-13).
Jennifer Queen (2009) is Health Promotion Assistant at American University.
Andrew Schwimmer (2009) is a graduate student in Near Eastern Studies at NYU.
Traci Stratford (2009) is Educator and Youth Director at Temple Beth Israel in Jackson, Mississippi; NFTY Southern Regional Advisor; and Summer Education Director at Jacobs Camp.
Emily Berman (2010) is National Field Organizer for AIPAC.
Brittany Cohen (2010) is Administrative Assistant to two regional directors at AIPAC in Chicago.
Shelly Farahan (2010) is studying at Touro College to be a Physician’s Assistant.
Lauren Jacobson (2010) is the Development Coordinator for the Chicago Jewish Day School.
Sarah-Beth Kirshner (2010) is Admin. Asst. at the Jewish Coalition against Domestic Abuse.-
Rachel Schatz (2010) is pursuing an M.A. in Education/Bachelor of Literature in Jewish Education and Hebrew at American Jewish University. She teaches 7th grade at Sinai Temple and is the Temple’s Youth Advisor for USY.
Marc Silberstein (2010) is Director of Jewish Life at the Frankel Jewish Academy in Detroit.
Mark Swick (2010) is Community Coordinator for the Jewish Studies Program at the College of Charleston.
Jessica Wainer (2010) is Program Associate for the American Zionist Movement in Chicago. Next year, she will begin rabbinic studies.
Aren Wilson-Wright (2010) is a Ph.D. student in Hebrew Studies at the University of Texas.
Avi Zimmerman (2010) is a medical student at the University of Cincinnati.
Hannah Cohen (2011) is a Development Associate for Empowered Women International in Washington, D.C. through Americorps.
Matthew Levitt (2011) is Operations Manager for Ramah Outdoor Adventure.
Allison Shipper (2011) is Head of Outreach at CommunityNEXT, an initiative of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, that aims to attract and retain young Jewish adults through social, cultural, and professional opportunities.
Rachel Silverstein (2011) has begun rabbinical studies at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem.
Lily Tash (2011) the first student to complete the JSP's Jewish Sacred Music curriculum, is Music Specialist for the Early Childhood Center and Confirmation teacher at Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation.
Carly Valfer (2011) is working at the Arie Crown School before beginning rabbinical school at Hebrew Union College in Summer 2012.
Lauren Vandersluis (2011) is a student at John Marshall Law School in Chicago.
Sarah Wilensky (2011) is an Executive Assistant at the U.S. Senate and in Fall 2012 will begin studies at Columbia University Law School.
