Senior Team
David Bernstein, Executive Director
db@davidproject.org
617-428-0012 x1148
David Bernstein became Executive Director in August 2010, overseeing The David Project’s growth in its educational mission and institutional development. David spent 13 years at the American Jewish Committee, where he began as director of the Washington regional office and then served in management roles overseeing regional offices and national and local programming and advocacy. During his time at AJC, David was a leading advocate for Israel on the legislative, diplomatic, media and intergroup relations fronts. He was a founder of the Israel on Campus Coalition of Greater Washington.
During his college years, David was one of the leading Jewish student activists of the 1980s, serving as a leader nationwide in campus Israel advocacy and as a student organizer in the Soviet Jewry movement. He served two terms on the National Hillel secretariat, the executive committee for Jewish student activities on campus.
As a graduate student, David traveled the country leading seminars at Jewish youth conventions on how to effectively make the case for Israel. On both television and in front of large audiences, he has debated leading Palestinian activists, including American University Professor Rhonda Zaharna, who served on the Palestinian team to Middle East peace talks, and Hussein Ibish of the American Task Force on Palestine. He is author of AJC’s Israel in the Media, and dozens of op-ed pieces and letters appearing in numerous publications, including the Washington Post, the Jerusalem Report and the Washington Jewish Week. He has provided pro-Israel media training in cities across the country and to Israeli diplomats based in the U.S. David was a leading player in the successful nationwide effort to overturn the decision of the Presbyterian Church USA to divest its holdings from Israel.
David graduated The Ohio State University with a Bachelors of Arts in Philosophy and the University of Dayton with a Masters of Arts in International Relations, and attended the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He was a Nahum-Goldmann Fellow in the summer of 2002 in Melbourne, Australia and a graduate of Leadership Washington.
Marilyn Goldman, Assistant Executive Director, Operations & Finance
mg@davidproject.org
617-428-0012 x1146
Marilyn joined The David Project in 2006 as Assistant Executive Director Operations & Finance. Marilyn is responsible for implementing, managing and overseeing all of the human resource functions, administration and financial operations of the organization. In addition to her work at The David Project, Marilyn is an active volunteer in many local organizations
Marilyn joins our team with over 25 years of experience working in the Boston Jewish community. Prior to coming to The David Project, Marilyn served as the Director of Finance & Operations at Gann Academy for 8 years and as the Executive Director and Youth Director at Temple Emunah for 13 years. In addition, Marilyn has taught in various congregational religious schools for over 15 years in both Boston and New Jersey. Marilyn received her BA in Psychology and Education from Rutgers University and her MA in Counseling from New York University.
Lauren Dorn-Jones, Director of Institutional Advancement
ldj@davidproject.org
857-362-1142
Lauren Dorn-Jones joined The David Project in 2012 as Director of Institutional Advancement. Lauren is responsible for the development program and overseeing all of the marketing of the organization.
Lauren joins our team with over 15 years of fundraising in the Boston Community. Prior to coming to The David Project, Lauren served as the Director of Organizational Advancement at Jewish Family & Children’s Service. In addition, Lauren has extensive experience working in healthcare fundraising throughout Boston. Lauren received her BA in Broadcasting and Film from Boston University and her MED from Lesley University. Lauren lives in Bedford, MA with her husband Mike and son Charlie.
Todd Young, Director of Campus
& Educational Initiatives
tyoung@davidproject.org
857-362-1155
Todd Young joined The David Project in 2006 as an Educator and Middle East Analyst. In that position, he led workshops on the Arab-Israeli conflict for a diverse set of student and community groups across North America and Israel. In his current role as Director of Campus & Educational Initiatives, Todd oversees the organization’s curricular programs and campus team. He also works to expand program offerings to the more than 140 schools in The David Project’s network, build new relationships with organizations and institutions, and ensure that student leaders have the resources and skills to be effective campus activists.
Prior to joining The David Project, Todd worked for the Raleigh-Cary Jewish Federation in North Carolina, where he served as both the Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council and Editor of the Federation News. He previously served as the Communications Manager for the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA) in Washington, DC. Todd received his MA in International Studies from North Carolina State University and his BA in International Affairs from The George Washington University. Originally from St. Louis, Todd now lives near Boston with his wife and three daughters. He is a passionate Cardinals fan who believes that rock music starts and ends with Bruce Springsteen.
Campus & Educational Initiatives Team
Ari Applbaum, Director of Israel Operations
(Israel Office)
aa@davidproject.org
+972-54-444-8654
Ari Applbaum has been with The David Project since July 2007. In his role as Director of Israel Operations, Ari manages all aspects of the organization’s work in Israel. This includes overseeing operations and budget, a staff of three, strategic partnerships with other organizations and all educational programming. He also lectures to thousands of Americans visiting the Jewish state each year. From 2008 to 2010, Ari served as a Middle East Analyst for The David Project. Based out of Boston, MA, Ari travelled extensively throughout the U.S. and Canada to educate and inspire effective supporters of Israel. He spoke to thousands of adults and students and lectured at Ivy League universities such as Harvard and prestigious conferences such as AIPAC’s Saban Leadership conference. While in Boston, Ari also served as marketing and communications manager for The David Project. In this role, Ari was responsible for the organization’s overall media, public relations and marketing activities.
Prior to The David Project, Ari served as Senior Account Executive at the Israel branch of Ruder Finn, one of the world’s largest marketing and communications consultancies. There he specialized in strategic planning, media and analyst relations, marketing material development, market research, and branding. Ari provided these services to non-profit organizations, global telecommunications and technology companies (including several Fortunate 100 companies), Israeli start-ups and financial institutions. As a student activist, Ari was sent numerous times by the MFA, The Jewish Agency for Israel, and other organizations to represent Israel in the U.S., Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, and The Netherlands. Ari holds a Master of Arts degree in Security and Diplomacy from Tel Aviv University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication & Journalism and Islam & Middle-East Studies from Hebrew University. Ari is currently working on his first book, a compilation of inspirational Zionist quotes. He is married to Na’ama; their twin sons Yuval and Roni (though born in Boston) are privileged to be seventh-generation Jerusalemites.
Zeev Ben-Shachar, Educator/Program Manager
(Israel Office)
zeev@davidproject.org
+972-54-588-3181
Zeev Ben-Shachar has been a Educator/Program Manager in the Israel office since 2006. He has taught The David Project’s curriculum on the Arab-Israeli Conflict in over 20 schools and to hundreds of gap year students. Zeev also leads workshops on Zionism, Jewish Identity and Israel advocacy to a variety of audiences from the U.S., Europe and Israel.
Prior to joining The David Project, Zeev worked as an organizational consultant and as a teaching fellow at Harvard University’s Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations Department, where he received Harvard’s certificate of distinction for excellence in teaching. Zeev has an MA in Middle Eastern Studies from Tel Aviv University, and a BA in Psychology from Harvard University. In the IDF he served with the infantry unit Sayeret Givati, first as a combat soldier and then as a commander. He lives in Jerusalem.
Phillip Brodsky, Campus Director
pb@davidproject.org
857-362-1147
Phillip Brodsky joined The David Project in June 2010 after graduating from the Hornstein Heller Graduate Program at Brandeis University. As the Campus Director, Phillip works with the campus coordinators to reach out to student leaders to help them engage their peers with Israel in new and exciting ways. He believes that every student has the potential to make a difference for Israel and seeks to develop programs that will help students gain the leadership skills to be successful now and in the future.
Before earning his MBA and Master’s in Jewish Professional Leadership at Brandeis, Phillip was the director of Jewish programming for Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity. With AEPi, Phillip taught student leaders how to organize successful philanthropic programs, bring Jewish enrichment programming into their chapters and talk about Israel within the fraternity and sorority community. His pro-Israel work while with AEPi was recognized by the Israel on Campus Coalition, AIPAC and the North American Interfraternity Conference. Phillip grew up in North Carolina and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He lives in Brookline with his wife, Kali.
Stephanie Hoffman, Pre-Collegiate Programs Manager
sh@davidproject.org
857-362-1133
Since July 2010, Stephanie Hoffman has worked for The David Project; first, as the Curriculum/Program Manager and now as the Pre-Collegiate Programs Manager. She develops, facilitates, and coordinates programming at the pre-collegiate level, including the Be A Voice High School Leadership Seminar. Additionally, Stephanie is responsible for the development and management of the People, Place & Self: The Jewish Connection to Israel curriculum, the management of the Israel & the Middle East: The Conflict in Context curriculum, and other educational materials geared toward middle and high school students.
Prior to joining The David Project, Stephanie taught Rabbinics and was the Director of Jewish Student Life at the Frankel Jewish Academy in West Bloomfield, MI. She holds an MJEd from Hebrew College, with a Certificate in Day School Education, and a Certificate of Advanced Jewish Studies from the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem.
Jason Horowitz, Senior Campus Coordinator
jh@davidproject.org
857-362-1158
Jason Horowitz joined The David Project in September 2011. As the Senior Campus Coordinator for the midwest region, Jason works with all of his schools, promoting strong Israel programming at each one. Jason works with students from as far east as Penn State and as far west as Wisconsin. He helps empower students to strengthen Israel’s standing on campus and to personally never stop learning about Israel’s many great facets.
Before working at The David Project, Jason served two years as an AmeriCorps member in Boston, working with older adults who helped elementary school students improve their literacy. Jason graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2009 and has been to Israel three times. He is originally from Allentown, PA and would love to talk about who the best hockey team in the NHL is. He currently lives in Jamaica Plain with his three roommates.
Avital Kranz, Senior Campus Coordinator
axk@davidproject.org
857-362-1160
Avital Kranz is the Senior Campus Coordinator at The David Project. She joined The David Project in January 2011, and she is very excited to support the Pro-Israel community in this region. She works with students from Virginia to Florida to Texas, helping to bolster their voices for Israel on campus. Through brainstorming and strategic planning, Avital motivates students to think creatively about their campus environment and devise effective Israel programming for their schools.
Prior to her work at The David Project, Avital went to Vanderbilt University in Nashville. She spent her junior year in undergraduate school studying at Tel Aviv University and interning at Save a Child’s Heart, providing her with experiences that have inspired work in the Jewish community today. She graduated in 2009 with a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Jewish Studies. Upon graduating, she worked in hospital administration at Tufts Medical Center until transitioning to The David Project. Avital is originally from the North Shore area and currently lives in Brookline.
Courtney Kravitz, Campus Coordinator
ck@davidproject.org
857-362-1161
Since July 2012, Courtney Kravitz has worked on The David Project’s Campus Team as a Campus Coordinator for the Southwest region. She will be working with college students in Southern California, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, and Colorado. She is excited to be implementing The David Project’s new approach to advocacy. She will working with college students to help them build relationships and really expand support for Israel on campus. She is also eager to build The David Project name on the west coast.
Prior to working at The David Project, Courtney attended University of California, Irvine, where she graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science. While in school, she interned at the Israeli Embassy, was on Hillel’s social media team, and had the opportunity to participate in a great program called Building Bridges, which brought Jews and Latinas together on a trip to Israel. Being from California, Courtney is excited about moving to Boston and can’t wait to see all that the city has to offer!
Kelly Krinsky, University Relations Manager
kk@davidproject.org
857-362-1145
Kelly Krinsky joined The David Project in September 2011 after graduating from Brandeis University’s dual MA program in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and Jewish Professional Leadership. In her role as University Relations Manager, Kelly works closely with university professors, staff, and administrators. She focuses on building networks within campus communities to facilitate macro-level discussions around Israel, bringing key university stakeholders together to tackle challenging questions and develop solutions. Kelly also works with lay leadership to address strategic understandings of The David Project’s goals and objectives as they connect to campus and community relationships.
Kelly holds a BA from The George Washington University in International Affairs with a concentration in the Middle East and a minor in Judaic Studies. She was a Ginsburg Scholar at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, focusing her studies on the emergence of Israeli civil society and Israeli domestic and foreign affairs. Before moving to Boston, Kelly worked in higher education administration in Washington, DC, and also taught English at a Bedouin grammar school in the Negev. She lives just outside Boston with her husband, Jesse. When Kelly isn’t attending Bruce Springsteen concerts, she volunteers at a local animal rescue center and with Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Jacob Levkowicz, Senior Campus Coordinator
jml@davidproject.org
857-362-1156
Since June 2012, Jacob Levkowicz has worked on The David Project’s Campus Team as a Campus Coordinator for New England. He is responsible for working with students in his region to help them develop their advocacy skills and plan and implement effective Israel programming. His responsibilities include working with students to embrace The David Project’s model of relationship-driven advocacy, helping students think strategically about their campus environment, providing advocacy training to students, and helping students build relationships with their peers. He is excited to tap into the incredible level of activity and energy in the region and to work closely with students to make a difference on campus.
Prior to joining The David Project, Jacob held summer internships at several organizations. He worked in the Research and Development department at Facing History and Ourselves in Brookline, Massachusetts, where he was responsible for providing research and writing support to several team projects. Prior to his time at Facing History, Jacob worked as a Research Associate at The Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs in Washington, D.C., where he conducted research on Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system and Israeli-Indian relations. In 2012, Jacob graduated from Wesleyan University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Government. He lives in Brookline, Massachusetts, and would love to talk or play soccer with anyone who wants to!
Alex Mishkin, Campus Engagement Manager
(New York Office)
am@davidproject.org
212-223-2098 x222
Alex has worked at The David Project since March 2011, first as a Campus Coordinator, then as a Senior Campus Coordinator and now as a Campus Engagement Manger. In his current role, Alex looks to build and cultivate relationships between the pro-Israel community and various ethnic and racial groups throughout the country. He works closely with The David Project’s campus team to provide the resources and knowledge to our student partners so they are better able to develop and cultivate these relationships on their respective campuses.
Before becoming part of The David Project, Alex spent two years in Israel after graduating from Colgate University in 2008 with a double concentration in History and Political Science. It was Alex’s growing interest in international relations and his passion for Israel that led him to take a position as a research intern at the International Institute for Counter Terrorism (ICT) in Herzliya, Israel, where he was involved in numerous research and analytical projects. Alex also completed a Master’s degree in Government with a specialization in Diplomacy and Conflict Studies at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, Israel. Alex lives in New York City and enjoys pairing his background in international relations with his love for Israel at The David Project.
Ze’ev Orenstein, Educator/Program Manager
(Israel Office)
zo@davidproject.org
+972-54-631-3066
Ze’ev Orenstein has been with The David Project since September 2007, working as an Educator/Program Manager. Ze’ev has been involved in both formal and informal Israel education and activism for over a decade. Ze’ev is responsible for developing The David Project’s Israel in Jewish Identity curriculum, currently being taught in over 70 institutions throughout North America and Israel, the goal of which is to provide students with an understanding of the foundations for the centrality of Israel to the Jewish people. In Israel, Ze’ev lectures on the Middle East conflict, highlighting the justice behind the aims of Zionism, as the national liberation movement of the Jewish people, and of the inalienable rights of the Jewish people to a sovereign Jewish state in the Land of Israel. Ze’ev has also written extensively about the Middle East conflict, the Jewish connection to the Land of Israel, and of the challenges to the fulfillment of the aims of Zionism today and what must be done to overcome those challenges.
Prior to joining The David Project, Ze’ev served as the Director of Yavneh Olami, an organization committed to inspiring, educating and empowering Jewish students from all around the world to strengthen their connection to Israel and the Jewish People. Having made Aliyah in 2003, Ze’ev lives with his family just outside Jerusalem, Israel, and is pursuing an MA in Government with a specialization in Counter-Terrorism and Homeland Security Studies from the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) in Herzliya.
Jordana Ornstein, Campus Coordinator
(New York Office)
jmo@davidproject.org
212-223-2098 x225
Since October 2012, Jordana Ornstein has worked on The David Project’s Campus Team as a Campus Coordinator for the Northeast region. She will be right at home with the college students in the Tri-State Area: New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Jordana is excited to be implementing The David Project’s new relationship-driven advocacy on campuses. By reaching across the table and strengthening existing relationships, Jordana hopes to inspire students to promote Israel proactively through development of friendships that will last beyond the campus years. Jordana is a fan of to-do lists and tackling big challenges in “bite sizes pieces.” She can’t wait to build a supportive network of student leaders on campus.
Prior to working at The David Project, Jordana spent a year and a half in New York City working with Big Brothers Big Sisters, helping Bigs and Littles bond in mentoring partnerships. She graduated from Rutgers School of Social Work in 2011 with a degree in Clinical Social Work. Jordana is a double-Rutgers alumna, in 2009 having also received a BA in Jewish Studies with a focus on modern day Israel through language, culture, and politics. She traveled to Israel four times during college; the most intensive trip was when she spent the Spring of 2007 at Ben Gurion University in Beer Sheva studying and volunteering at the Mei’tarim Elementary School. Jordana is a Jersey Girl, currently living in Hoboken with roommates and a hipster cat. No, Jordana does not know Snooki.
Aviva Roland, Educational Resources Manager
ar@davidproject.org
857-362-1139
Aviva Roland joined The David Project in June 2007 as a campus coordinator for the New England region. She served as the Campus Team Manager from 2008-2010 until moving to Israel, where she earned an MA in Government with a focus on Diplomacy and Conflict Studies at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya. While there, she continued to work for The David Project as the US/Israel Campus Liaison. In her current role as the Educational Resources Manager, Aviva manages the research and production of The David Project’s educational materials, such as primers and discussion guides on topics relevant to our campus constituents. She also writes and leads workshops on the topics of Zionism, the Arab-Israeli conflict, Israeli history, campus activism and related issues for student and adult audiences.
Aviva holds a BA in Middle East Studies, Anthropology and Religion from Rutgers University where she was a leader in the pro-Israel community. Her experiences as a campus activist were the catalyst for her professional path. She is passionate about helping students improve the discourse about Israel on their campuses. Aviva lives outside Boston with her husband, Scott, her daughter, Moriyah and the best dog in the world, Ms. Tikvah T. Roland.
Bella Shapiro, Campus Manager
bella@davidproject.org
857-362-1134
Bella Shapiro started working at The David Project in June 2012; first as the Northwest and UPenn Campus Coordinator and now as the Campus Manager. She is responsible for managing the daily tasks of the Campus Team and ensuring that the campus coordinators have all the support and resources necessary to be successful on campus. In addition, Bella is managing the Core Partnerships with UC Davis and Stanford University. Bella is eager to help students build relationships on their campuses and approach Israel advocacy in a strategic and nuanced manner. Whether it’s leading a goal-setting meeting or presenting on Israeli history/politics, Bella is committed to providing whatever support students need.
Bella completed her undergraduate education in 2009 in Integral Liberal Arts at St. Mary’s College of California and spent a semester at Oxford University, England. After undergrad, she lived in Jerusalem for a year and participated in an Israel Government Fellows program. While in Israel, Bella worked at the Israeli Ministry of Tourism in the new media department, as well as the non-profit organization MEMRI where she did media translation and monitored Jihad in the Caucus region. Upon her return to the states, Bella entered the Hornstein program at Brandeis University and earned a Dual Masters in Jewish Professional Leadership and Israel Studies. Bella is a native Russian speaker and loves reggae music.
Operations Team
Miriam Anzovin, Administrative/Design Assistant
ma@davidproject.org
857-362-1153
Miriam joined The David Project in November 2011. In her role as the Administrative Assistant, she works directly with the Senior Team. Miriam helps to organize the office and staff, manage travel, and work with The David Project’s donor database. As the Design Assistant, Miriam supports the Marketing & Communications Department by making t-shirt designs, memes, development appeals, and other creative pieces.
Raised in Western Massachusetts, Miriam began engaging in Israel activism in her early teens. She graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2007 with a degree in Judaic and Near Eastern Studies and attended Butera School of Art in Boston. Miriam previously worked at Mayyim Hayyim Living Waters in Newton, and also exhibits and sells her neo-Judaica surrealist artwork in the Boston area and on her website, www.miriamanzovin.com. She lives with her husband in Melrose, MA.
Seth Kroll, Video & New Media Manager
sk@davidproject.org
857-362-1132
Seth started working for The David Project as the Video & New Media Coordinator in January 2012. In addition to navigating The David Project through a maze of social media, Seth is primarily responsible for creating original video content for the organization. These videos range from serving as tool and resources for Analysts, Campus Coordinators and Curriculum Program Managers, as well as videos documenting the impact The David Project’s relational model has on positively shaping discourse on Israel.
Seth graduated from American University in 2005 with a degrees in International Relations and Communication. After graduation, he moved to Boston and has since served as the Senior Program Associate at the Boston University Hillel House (2005-2009) and a Youth Educator at Temple Shalom in Newton, MA (2009-2012). During this time, Seth also became an award-winning music video producer and has assisted many non-profits in expressing their organizations through video. In 2010, Seth released “Mifgash: Encountering Jewish Identity in the 21st Century,” a feature-length documentary he directed and produced about Taglit-Birthright Israel. Seth currently lives in Jamaica Plain with his girlfriend, two dogs and a cat.
Jamie Lacroix, Director of Marketing
& Communications
jl@davidproject.org
857-362-1138
Since November 2010, Jamie Lacroix has worked in The David Project’s Marketing & Communications department; first as Marketing & Communications Manager and now as the Director of Marketing & Communications. She is responsible for developing and managing an annual comprehensive marketing plan. Her responsibilities include a re-branding of the organization based on a new strategic plan, development and maintenance of a new website, the design and creation of development and marketing materials, advertising and press inquiries, and working with staff members to embrace The David Project’s brand.
Prior to her position at The David Project, Jamie served as the Associate Director of Communications at JCDS, Boston’s Jewish Community Day School. She was responsible for the creation of marketing and public relations pieces, including articles, press releases and the design and production of support and campaign materials. In both 2009 and 2010 she received an APEX award for communications excellence for her design work. Prior to her time at JCDS, Jamie worked at the Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Boston as a Development and Marketing Assistant. In 2002, Jamie graduated from Union College with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology and later earned her Master of Science Degree in Advertising from Boston University’s College of Communications. Jamie lives with her husband Matt and their fat cat Artemis in Stoughton, Massachusetts.
Juan G. Pardo, Accountant
jp@davidproject.org
857-362-1152
Juan joined The David Project in October 2010 as the accountant. He is responsible for keeping the accounting up to date and tracking the financial records. Among a number of other responsibilities, Juan prepares and submits weekly budgets and financial reports to the senior team, keeps track of receivables and payables, and provides any information requested by external auditors.
Prior to his position at The David Project, Juan lived in South Florida where he served as a CPA Administrative Assistant, Office Manager, and Accountant/Bookkeeper for a Jackson Hewitt (JH) franchise. In these roles, Juan was responsible for assisting the CPA in the preparation of various types of tax returns, for managing all aspects of a tax office through several tax seasons, and for running the bookkeeping for many of the CPA clients – while at the same time helping with the in-house accounting. Prior to his time at JH, Juan worked at Coopcafer, located in Colombia, South America, as a Coffee Marketing Supervisor, where he unexpectedly fell in love with accounting. In 2000, Juan graduated from UCP (Formerly known as UCPR) with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Juan loves to be outdoors and very much enjoys downhill skiing, mountain biking and taking pictures when traveling. He currently lives in Waltham, Massachusetts and is pursuing a Master’s of Science in Accounting at Bentley University.