Leadership and Staff
Board of Directors
Esther Safran Foer, President
Esther Safran Foer founded FM Strategic Communications in 2002. For 10 years she was the CEO of Sixth & I, where she helped develop a nationally recognized model for young professional engagement within a historic synagogue and cultural center. She was named one of the Forward 50 Jewish leaders. In 2020 she published the post Holocaust memoir I Want You to Know We’re Still Here, which has been translated into 8 languages.
“The Board of Directors and I can’t wait to welcome the local community and visitors from around the world to Washington’s first Jewish museum.”
Officers
Alexandra Horowitz, Vice President
Stuart Youngentob, Treasurer
Melissa Hausfeld, Secretary
Sherry Bindeman Kahn, At Large
Marlene Singer, At Large
Chris Wolf, At Large
Albert H. Small, Jr., Special Advisor
Stuart Zuckerman, Immediate Past President
Board Members
Nancy Alper
Andrew R. Ammerman
Gerald Bass
Nancy Robinson Breuer
Stacy Burdett
Jodi Cafritz
Dorothy Canter
Thea Cohen
Diane Lipton Dennis
Ricki Gerger
Elisa Glazer
Lawrence Neff
Jules Polonetsky
Lauren Racoosin
Lisa Reiner
Dee Sanae
Yolanda Savage-Narva
David Silver
Pat Silverman
Eugene Sofer
Gigi Sohn
Diane Wattenberg
Past Presidents
Robert Shosteck*
Hyman J. Cohen*
Bernard I. Nordlinger*
Hon. Milton S. Kronheim, Jr.*
Henry Brylawski*
William B. Wolf, Jr.*
C. Haskell Small*
Nathan I. Silberberg*
Bernard S. Glassman*
Donald Wolpe*
Dr. Jonathan Grossman*
Dr. Jonathan P. Siegel*
Robert I. Silverman*
Leonard Abel*
Dr. Michael L. Goldstein*
James Goldberg*
David Burka
Samuel Flax
Paula Goldman
Richard S. Alper
Frank Gilbert *
Dr. Peggy Pearlstein
Sidney J. Silver
Samuel Brylawski
Russell Smith
Howard Morse
Stuart Zuckerman
*Of blessed memory
Museum Staff
Dr. Beatrice Gurwitz, Executive Director
Dr. Beatrice Gurwitz brings to this position ten years of nonprofit management experience and an academic background in Latin American and Jewish history. Prior to joining the Museum, she served as the deputy director of the National Humanities Alliance—an organization dedicated to bolstering the humanities on college campuses, promoting public engagement with the humanities, and increasing funding for humanities organizations. In her role, Gurwitz worked to broaden the organization’s mission, cultivated and grew multiple streams of revenue, oversaw federal advocacy and engagement with legislators, and managed a wide range of programs and conferences designed to support humanities professionals and their work.
Additional career highlights include consulting with the National Endowment for the Humanities and the United States Department of State. She has also taught at the University of Maryland and the University of California, Berkeley, and in the New York City public school system. Gurwitz’s academic work focuses on the history of Jewish communities and other ethnic groups in Latin America, and she is the author of Argentine Jews in the Age of Revolt (Brill, 2016). She holds a BA from Wesleyan University and a PhD in History from the University of California, Berkeley.
Dr. Beatrice Gurwitz, Fall 2024. Photo: Chris Ferenzi Photography
Anna Barr, Education Manager, School, Youth, and Family Programs
Anna Barr, a Virginia native and recent DC transplant, comes to the Museum with experience in both museums and classrooms. Anna graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in History and a Masters in Education, and looks forward to welcoming learners of all ages to Connect, Reflect, and Act.
In her free time, Anna can be found rooting for any and all DC sports teams, shopping at the Eastern Market, and being a step-mom to her beloved dog Pepper.
Lisa Del Sesto, Education Manager for Programs
Lisa Del Sesto was born and raised in Cincinnati, OH. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in history from Kenyon College, she moved to Washington D.C. in 2013 to earn a master’s degree in Jewish Cultural Arts from The George Washington University. She comes to CJM after 6 years at the Bender JCC of Greater Washington as the Director of Arts and Ideas.
Lisa spends most of her free time with her nose in a book only to be interrupted by her other great love of frequenting new restaurants around D.C.
Brady Daniller, Director of Operations
Brady Daniller, a Maryland native, comes to the Museum from the National Museum of American Jewish Heritage with experience in both visitor services and retail operations. As the Director of Operations, Brady oversees the event rental program, visitor services, security, retail operations, and more.
Jonathan Edelman, Collections Curator
Jonathan Edelman was born and raised in Kansas City, moving to D.C. in 2016 to work with the curatorial team at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. He has a Masters in Museum Studies from The George Washington University and a Bachelors degree in Cultural Studies & Communications from Clark University.
Jonathan also serves on the board of the Edlavitch DC JCC and is a member of Adas Israel Synagogue.
Michelle Gleaton, Events Coordinator
Michelle joins the Capital Jewish Museum with over fifteen years of experience in events in both the nonprofit and for-profit realms. She has had the opportunity to pursue her passion all over the world, from California to Israel. Most recently she lived in Germany while coordinating programming for the U.S. military stationed overseas.
She is excited to return to the home of Nationals baseball with her husband and two young daughters (and two cats).
Lauren Hoffman, Curatorial Assistant
A Maryland native, Lauren has spent her life enjoying all the museums and cultural institutions that Washington, DC, Baltimore, and the surrounding Mid Atlantic has to offer. She received her BA in English Literature and Theory from American University and studied Museum Studies at Drexel University.
When not wandering through museums, Lauren can be found hiking local trails with her dog, Maggie, rock climbing, or reading a book somewhere cozy.
Malki Karkowsky, Chief Advancement Officer
Karkowksy brings nearly 20 years of experience in fundraising and audience development, the majority for local and national Jewish non-profits, including Federation of Greater Washington and Hillel International. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland, and an MBA from Indiana University’s Kelly School of Business.
In her free time, Karkowsky enjoys cooking, reading, and spending time with her husband and three children.
Sarah Leavitt, Curator
Sarah, who hails from Wisconsin, moved to Silver Spring, Maryland in 2000. She holds an MA in Museum Studies and a PhD in American Studies from Brown University, and has worked in museums for over 30 years.
Sarah comes to CJM most immediately from 13 years at the National Building Museum in DC. Her publications include several books and articles; some of her favorites cover the history of the pregnancy test kit and the TV show Veronica Mars. She is also Event Review Co-Editor for American Quarterly, a member of Temple Shalom, and loves to run when her knee cooperates.
Raven Orlikoff, Membership and Development Operations Manager
Raven Orlikoff is a native of Norristown, Georgia. After completing a Bachelor’s in History at the University of Georgia, Raven relocated to Norfolk, Virginia, where she served as Assistant Director of the Hunter House Victorian Museum. Prior to joining the Museum, she worked in development and events at the National Sporting Library & Museum in Middleburg, Virginia.
Raven can often be found exploring the many cultural institutions of Washington, DC as a lifelong admirer of art and architecture.
Maura Scanlon, Communications Specialist
A Northern Virginia native, Maura has more than 20 years of museum communications experience, including three capital projects. Highlights of her career include being a docent at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, promoting the Jewish Museum in NYC, and supporting the opening of the expanded Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven, Connecticut.
Hally Silberg, Education Coordinator
A New York native, Hally Silberg received her B.A. in International Studies from the University of Michigan. After her studies, she pursued teaching opportunities in both New York and Israel. She then relocated to D.C. to attend George Washington University, receiving her master’s degree in museum studies. She joins the CJM team after working for Dumbarton House, the Indianapolis Children’s Museum, and The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
When not exploring museums or nature, Hally can be found reading, learning about history, or enjoying new foods in the District.