Board of Directors

Julie Appel is a lawyer, author and social worker. Most recently, she was the co-founder and Director of Project Impact at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, a program that serves students impacted by the criminal legal system. She is the co-author of 10 best-selling children’s books and previously was a partner at a Manhattan law firm. Julie currently provides consulting services to not-for-profits working in the criminal justice sector. Julie received her JD from Hofstra University, a MSW from Hunter College Silberman School of Social Work and a BA in Economics from Washington University.

Miriam Bader is the founder of miriam bader consulting. As a learning designer, Miriam partners with people and organizations to design impactful programs, leadership, and organizational structures that strengthen the ability to lead, learn, and make social impact. A seasoned expert in human-centered design, organizational-wide systems, and coaching, she has supported diverse NGOs and cultural organizations to develop their leadership capacity. Her experience spans work at JDC, the leading Jewish humanitarian organization, to the National Park Service, Tenement Museum, Singapore Tourism Board, Brooklyn Children’s Museum, and Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, among others. She received her Master’s degree in Museum Education at Bank Street College and a Certificate in Leadership & Public Service at NYU Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.

Rebecca Binder is President of RF|Binder. She oversees strategic planning, expansion of products and services to meet emerging client needs, new business development, talent and culture development, operational efficiency, and strategic communications consulting. Over the course of her career, she has worked with Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, international organizations, nonprofits, and start-ups. Prior to RF|Binder, Rebecca worked at Corporate Executive Board, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Innosight, a growth strategy consulting firm, where she advised C-suite executives on developing long-term transformational growth strategies in the face of disruption. She has been recognized as an honoree in the PRNEWS Top Women Awards, Ragan/PR Daily Top Women in Communications awards and PRWeek 40 under 40 award. She was also recognized as a 2019 Next Gen to Watch by Family Business Magazine for her work at RF|Binder. Rebecca received her M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and her B.A. with honors in International Relations from Brown University.

Grace Bronstein is the CEO and founder of Spill Foods, LLC, a new plant-based food company slated to launch in 2025.  Previously, she was a Vice President at AllFinancial Group LLC, an asset management firm focused on life settlements, and a litigation associate at Schulte Roth & Zabel.  Grace earned her JD from Columbia Law School, where she provided pro bono legal services for the Suspension Representation Project and the Domestic Violence Courtroom Advocates Project. She also worked in the New York Access to Justice Program, representing litigants in Kings County, and in the Columbia Law School Environmental Law Clinic. Grace received a BA from Columbia University in Political Science. 

Robyn Cimbol’s 50 year career in the not-for-profit world includes serving for 30 years as the Senior Director of Development and Philanthropy for Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York. She has also been an active volunteer.  Robyn is a Founder and Past Chair of ATID (Association for Temple Institutional Development), an association for fundraising professionals working on behalf of synagogues.  She is also a former Vice Chair of the Metropolitan New York District of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, past Chair of its Education Commission, and a former Vice President and Board Member of Women in Development. She is a graduate of Trinity College in Hartford, CT, and also attended The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Her career began at the Jewish Labor Committee, and also included UJA-Federation and United Way.

Wendy Cohen is the managing partner of Katten Muchin Rosenman’s New York office. For over three decades, Wendy has helped asset managers navigate the minefield of regulation that governs the structuring and operation of private investment funds. Wendy is also an active member of the Women’s Leadership Forum at Katten, which supports the retention and advancement of women attorneys at the firm through mentorship and professional development. She also has a long-standing relationship with 100 Women in Finance as an Angel Member. Wendy received her B.A. from University of Pennsylvania, magna cum laude, and earned her J.D. from New York University.

Yuliya Feldman is a Partner at Mayer Brown LLP specializing in insurance regulatory and transactional work. She graduated from NYU School of Law and Macaulay Honors College, where she was a JFEW Scholar.

Becky Klein is a partner at Phillips Oppenheim, an executive search firm specializing in recruiting leadership for nonprofit organizations. With a broad range of interests and expertise, Becky has combined search experience with the arts during her professional career and has conducted searches for a broad range of cultural, advocacy, social justice, and direct service organizations as well as foundations. Before entering the search world, she spent nine years as a freelance theatrical stage manager. Klein is a cum laude graduate of Brandeis University.

Lisa Liman is a native New Yorker. She is past President and Chair of JFEW’s Board. In addition, she a member of the Board of the Immigrant Justice Corp, a non-profit organization dedicated to training fellows in immigration law and providing quality legal representation to low-income immigrants. She formerly worked in Development and Alumnae Affairs at Barnard College, the women’s division of Columbia University; and served as Interim Development Director at The Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. Lisa received a B.A. from Barnard College and an M.A. in Romance Languages and Literatures from Harvard University.

Until May 2014, Reeva S. Mager directed DOROT East (a social service agency supporting independence and reducing isolation among the elderly). She was a panelist and presenter at conferences on issues concerning New York City’s aging population.  She is past Chair of the East Side Council on the Aging, and is an active alumna of Barnard College, where she chaired Project Continuum, a cultural and informational program for alumnae. She received her M.S.W. from the Silver School of Social Work, New York University.  Reeva is a former President and Chair of JFEW.

Stacey is a Managing Principal and Chief Strategy Officer and Global Head of Client Partnerships for Monarch. Stacey joined Monarch in 2004 as a Senior Research Analyst after two years working as an Associate at Quadrangle Capital Partners. Prior to joining Quadrangle in 2002, Stacey was an Analyst in the Mergers & Acquisitions / Media & Communications Group at Morgan Stanley where she worked on advisory assignments for clients in the media and communications industries. Stacey graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, magna cum laude, with a B.S. in Economics and concentrations in Finance and Accounting. Stacey is Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and sits on the ESG Committee at Monarch.

Judy Mandelbaum began her career as a corporate associate at the law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher and later worked as a management consultant in the Financial Institutions Group at McKinsey & Company.  She left the paid work force to raise her three children in Summit, New Jersey.  An active volunteer in her community, Judy served for many years as a member of the City of Summit Planning Board, its Environmental Commission and as Treasurer of the Summit Conservancy.  She is a graduate of Columbia Law School and holds undergraduate degrees from the College of Arts and Sciences and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.  Judy and her husband Joel currently reside in New York City and Miami Beach.

Peggy Segal is a career advisor and seasoned finance professional, working to bridge the gap between college students from under-resourced communities and careers in the business sector. At Hunter College, she led a team, creating and building professional development programming for students, and worked with workforce development programs. She serves as an active Board Member at Echoing Green, an organization that finds and funds social innovators and entrepreneurs.

Ann Tanenbaum has been in book publishing for over 50 years, working for Abrams, The Viking Press, Random House, Doubleday International, and Newsweek Books. She has held executive positions in marketing, editorial, and management. In 1980, Ann established Tanenbaum International Publishing Services (TIPS), an agenting and consulting practice that created alliances between art, illustrated, and reference book publishers worldwide. In 2000, Ann founded with two partners LTD Editions LLC, a visual book agenting and packaging company. In 2010, Ann folded TIPS and LTD Editions into what is now Tanenbaum International Literary Agency. In addition to representing books on the arts and illustrated children’s books, Ann has a commitment to nurturing non-fiction projects on current affairs and humanitarian concerns. Ann’s family helped to found and lead the Hebrew Technical School for Girls, JFEW’s predecessor organization. She currently serves on the Boards of The Rose Art Museum (Brandeis University) and the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. Ann is a graduate of Brandeis University and is an active supporter of Brandeis, Barnard College, Stanford University, and the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Jason Tauber, CFA, is a Portfolio Manager and Managing Director at Neuberger Berman and has been at the firm since 2004.  Prior to Neuberger, Jason was an investment banking analyst at Cowen and a product manager for a financial software startup.  Jason received an MBA from the Johnson School at Cornell University, where he was a Park Leadership Fellow, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Haverford College with a BS in Molecular Biology.

Becky Tolson is a philanthropic consultant who assists social justice foundations and non-profits with strategy and program development and evaluation.  Her prior experience includes over 20 years as a grantmaker at the Open Society Foundations, with a particular focus on human rights, women’s rights and health,  and access to justice for marginalized communities globally.   Becky began her career in government relations at the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, advocating for Soviet Jews and other refugee populations seeking entry to the United States.  She holds a B.A. in History from University of Pennsylvania, and an M.A. in International Affairs from Columbia University.     

Beth C. Weitzman is Professor of Health and Public Policy and former Vice Dean at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.  Beth was privileged to receive support from JFEW while an undergraduate at Vassar College and went on to receive her PhD from NYU. In her research, Beth has evaluated a range of programs and public policies aimed at meeting the health, social service, housing, nutritional and educational needs of Americans. Her national evaluation of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Urban Health Initiative won the 2010 Outstanding Evaluation Award from the American Evaluation Association. Her work has been published in such journals as the American Journal of Public Health, the Journal of Adolescent Health, and the American Journal of Evaluation. She has conducted evaluation workshops for the Wiener Educational Center of UJA/Federation and other related organizations. For many years, she served as a member of the board for Care for the Homeless of NYC.