Jewish Futures 2025

Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin’s son, Hersh, was taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, 2023, after having his dominant forearm blown off. Since then, the couple, who are dual American-Israeli citizens, have become full-time hostage advocates. They have been speaking worldwide about Hersh's abduction and fighting for all of the hostages to be freed. Almost a year after being stolen, on day 330, the IDF announced that Hersh had been murdered by Hamas, in a tunnel in Gaza, along with 5 other young people with whom he was being held. Despite the devastating loss of their son, Jon and Rachel remain steadfast in their quest for the freedom of every hostage held by Hamas.

Oded Adomi Leshem, PhD, is a political psychologist who has been fascinated by the concept of hope for at least a decade. His interest in hope (and its absence) began in 2012 with his first experimental studies on hope inducement. Since then, he’s published numerous articles and book chapters on hope and despair as political phenomena and lectured on hope to a wide range of academic and non-academic audiences. In 2024 he founded the International Hub for Hope Research (ReHOPE) at the Hebrew University's PICR Lab, serves as a Senior Research Associate at the Hebrew U, and teaches BA, MA, and PhD-level courses, including a new graduate-level course titled: Theoretical, Emiprical, and Applied aspctes of Hope. Oded was born and raised in Jerusalem and currently resides with his family in Tel Aviv. Before turning to research and teaching, he worked as a documentary filmmaker and news cameraman covering conflict and war. 

Rabbi Marc Margolius is a Senior Core Faculty member and Senior Advisor for the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, where he directs programming for lay leaders as well as the alumni of its Clergy Leadership Program. He hosts the “Daily Sit,” IJS’s online daily mindfulness meditation sessions, and teaches courses for IJS, including Awareness in Action: Cultivating Character through Mindfulness and Middot, its online program in tikkun middot practice, integrating Jewish mindfulness with attention to core middot, character traits. Previously, Rabbi Margolius served as spiritual leader at West End Synagogue in Manhattan and Congregation Beth Am Israel in Penn Valley, PA, where he pioneered a Shabbat-centered model of congregational engagement. He developed and led the Legacy Heritage Innovation Project at the Legacy Heritage Fund from 2005-2010, an initiative to promote systemic educational change in congregations around the globe. Long active in social justice activism, Rabbi Margolius is a graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and of Yale Law School and lives in New York City.

Jimmie Briggs is an author, journalist and lecturer who co-founded the Man Up Campaign, a global initiative to activate youth to stop violence against women and girls, in 2010. As a journalist, he has written for scores of publications following staff tenures at The Washington Post, The Village Voice, LIFE magazine, and others. His 2005 book Innocents Lost: When Child Soldiers Go To War took readers into the lives of war-affected children around the world in half a dozen countries. His next book project is an exploration of manhood and masculinity in the 21st century. He currently contributes to Vanity Fair, AARP Magazine, and The New York Amsterdam News.

Mollie is the Senior Program Director of Fellowships at M²: The Institute for Jewish Experiential Education. She has over 18 years of experience teaching in a variety of Jewish educational settings – from formal classroom teaching to nature education, from theatre education to collaborative philanthropy education. Mollie enjoys being in the field as well as building programs and trainings to support others. She holds a double Master's in Midrash and Jewish Experiential Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary, a BA in Religion from Bard College and is a graduate of M²’s Senior Educators Cohort. Mollie lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and children.

Rabba Yaffa Epstein is the Senior Scholar and Educator in Residence at the Jewish Education Project. Formerly, she served as the Director of the Wexner Heritage Program at the Wexner Foundation. Epstein has also served as the Director of Education, North America for the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies and was a member of the faculty. She has served on the faculties of Yeshivat Maharat and the Drisha Institute. Epstein has served as an Educator and Scholar in Residence for the Dorot Fellowship, Moishe House, Jewish Federation of North America, the Covenant Foundation, the Nahum Goldmann Fellowship, Repair the World, the Meorot Fellowship, and the KADIMA Fellowship. She has lectured at numerous Limmud events around the globe, has written curriculum for the Global Day of Jewish Learning and has created innovative educational programming for Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life. She received Rabbinic Ordination from Yeshivat Maharat, earned an additional private Ordination from Rabbi Daniel Landes, holds a Law Degree from Bar-Ilan University, and studied at the Talmud Department at Hebrew University.

Rabba Epstein is passionate about making Jewish learning accessible and exciting, and creating learning environments that are welcoming, diverse, and inclusive to all who wish to participate. She has taught educators, rabbis and lay leaders from across the spectrum of Jewish denominations. Rabba Epstein is the winner of the prestigious Covenant Award.

Kelly grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and earned Bachelor’s Degrees in Religious Studies, Comparative Literature and International Studies with a minor in German from Penn State University. Kelly went on to earn her Masters of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary and her Doctorate of Ministry from Andover Newton Theological School which is housed at Yale Divinity School. Kelly was ordained in 2007 and began her call as Sr. Minister of Scarsdale Congregational Church and started there January 29, 2018. Kelly resides in Scarsdale, NY with her husband Jon and their two sons Sammy and Simon and their two dogs – Steven and Chewbacca. She is a proud member of the Next Generation Leadership Initiative of the United Church of Christ in partnership with her denomination and the Pension Board of the UCC. Her most recent publication outside of denominational work was a chapter in Still A Mother: Journey's Through Perinatal Bereavement which was published in February of 2016 by Judson Press. On December 14, 2012 – Kelly was a first responder at the Sandy Hook school. Kelly was then serving as the Chaplain of the Weston Volunteer Fire Department and Ambulance Core. She currently serves as Chaplain for both the Police and Fire Departments of Scarsdale, New York. She has been a tireless advocate for ending gun violence through common sense legislation and universal background checks. She is active in Moms Demand Action and other interfaith coalitions to end gun violence. Kelly is also active on the local and national level with her denomination, the United Church of Christ. Her passion for Interfaith, Culturally Responsive Ministry, Racial Justice work and allyship of the LGBTQIA+ community is paramount in her ministry.

Dr. Danielle Thau is a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice in Stamford, CT for more than 20 years. She has a specialty in treating patients and families experiencing chronic or acute medical crises (including cardiac incidents, strokes, cancer, infertility and degenerative diseases) as well as preparing for end-of-life, grief and mourning. In addition, Dr. Thau treats anxiety and depression in adults, individuals and couples, and helps to manage life stressors, relationship conflicts and parenting challenges. Beyond her clinical practice, Dr. Thau is an active educator, lecturing on the unique challenges associated with Medical Crisis Therapy and end-of-life emotional issues to community members, students, and fellow clinicians. She serves as the Officer of Education on the planning committee of the Jewish Community Mental Health Initiative (JCMHI), where she also facilitates multiple, varied support groups. Additionally, Dr. Thau is a member of the Board of Overseers at the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, contributing her expertise to the advancement of psychological education and practice.

Dr. Liberman is a licensed psychologist in private practice in New York City, specializing in individual psychotherapy for adults, children, and their families. She serves on the faculty of the Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy Training Program at the William Alanson White Institute (WAWI), where she teaches and supervises psychology and social work trainees. Dr. Liberman has extensive experience collaborating with both public and private schools as an in-house psychologist and external consultant. In these roles, she has supported school communities in responding to crises, processing loss, and fostering collective healing. Following the events of October 7th, Dr. Liberman spearheaded the initiative to mobilize and train mental health clinicians to offer free virtual support groups for the Jewish community. She is the Founder and Executive Director of the Jewish Community Mental Health Initiative (JCMHI) at the American Psychological Foundation, which has since facilitated approximately 2000 support groups serving thousands of Jewish individuals worldwide. JCMHI also conducts research on the mental health impacts of antisemitism.

Dr. Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath, Ed.D., is the Senior Director of Knowledge, Ideas and Learning at The Jewish Education Project. A lifelong Jewish educator and learner, Samantha has lived and worked in Jewish communities in Israel, Washington DC, Cleveland, and New York. Samantha is a recognized expert on Israel education, Jewish teens, antisemitism education, and Jewish peoplehood. She is the author of #antisemitism: Coming of Age During the Resurgence of Hate, a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award in the category of Education and Jewish Identity. She is an alumna of the University of Pittsburgh, the Jewish Theological Seminary, and Gratz College. Samantha lives in Westchester with her husband, two children, and two beloved rescue dogs.