הצוות שלנו

P2G’s Co-Chair, Gayle is originally from the Boston area, received her BA from Brown University and her MBA from Northwestern University.  She worked as a market research professional for a variety of organizations before switching to teaching, first providing instruction in business skills to refugees and others.  Gayle has been a member of the steering committee since its inception working, hands on, on a number of the programs offered through P2G.  
Gayle and her family (husband, son and two dogs) are  members of Bet Shalom synagogue.   She also teaches at Bet Shalom's Religious School.  She is a long-time participant of the synagogue's Torah and "After the Torah" study groups.  She is also a student in Grazt College's Jewish Studies Master's program.

I have lived in Minneapolis since 2011 - longer than anywhere else I've ever lived! I am a project manager at the University of Minnesota's Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain. My spouse Misha (who I met in Israel on a Masa program after college) and I have two boys - Aviv and Ilan - and two cats - Layla and Athena. I love to read, garden, bake (and eat), travel (especially to Israel) and learn foreign languages. A fact about me that I think is pretty fun is that I have lived abroad twice (in Israel and in Australia) and I am dying to do it again!

In her "8-5" life,  Anna is a detail-driven Marketing Program Manager known for turning complex ideas into organized, on-time, and high-impact campaigns. She’s passionate about clear communication, solving problems before they arise, and driving measurable results. 

Anna grew up in the Twin Cities, currently resides in Golden Valley and is very active in both the Beth El and Chabad communities. She and her husband Brian, have two kids who attend Smith Jewish Academy and spend their summers at Herzl Camp. Anna has a very strong passion for Israel and creating people to people connections! She is very excited about joining this group and continuing to evolve the P2G work. 

I grew up in the Minneapolis area attending Beth El synagogue and Armstrong High School and also being a part of BBYO.  As an adult, I have spent time in non-profit, staffing, media and marketing, e-commerce and Saas (Software as a service) and currently work with Vonage as a Senior Account Executive as a remote employee covering the upper midwest.  My family and I moved to Maple Grove in 2018 and my son goes to Wayzata Central Middle School.  We had his Bar Mitzvah a few summers ago which included going to Israel and  it was an amazing experience for all of us - especially those who had never been and prompted my son to look for additional avenues to return to Israel for a longer duration.  We have a cat and a dog, and my other interests revolve around cooking, movies and TV, and cars/racing.

I grew up and live in Minneapolis, and work at Target Corporation in Owned Brand product development. I am the daughter of an Israeli Sabra from Petach Tikvah and Oleh from Duluth (that eventually came back) – while residing in Minnesota most of my life; I grew up visiting friends and family in Israel and feel a part of both places. I am an output of the Twin Cities Jewish community, growing up in Reform Jewish Education, JCC Camping and participating in Israel programming from AMHSI to Semester Abroad at Haifa University. I have been on the P2G board about 1 year and look forward to continuing to partner with this awesome group.
Something Fun: I am 6’1’’ but am afraid of heights.

Dani Kopstein Fisher has lived in Minneapolis since 2007. With her husband Alex, who works for the Minnesota JCC, Dani is raising three children - Aviva, a recent high school graduate; Judah, who is in 10th grade at Washburn High School; and Ruben, 12, who is in 7th grade at HMJDS. All three will spend time on Israel programs during the 2024-2025 school year. Professionally, Dani has built a 25-year career at the intersections of international relations, advocacy, policy, and communications. Dani maintains strong connections to Israeli friends and family.

Ethan Roberts is the Deputy Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas (JCRC). During his tenure, he has secured significant state and federal funding for Twin Cities Jewish social service agencies and enhanced charitable giving incentives. In 2022, Ethan led bipartisan legislation to divest Minnesota’s state pension funds from Russia and Belarus.
Ethan graduated from Stanford Law School and Macalester College, and attended Hebrew University’s Rothberg International School. Originally from Massachusetts, he lives in Plymouth with his wife, Naomi, and their two children, Noah and Elsie. They are members of Bet Shalom Congregation in Minnetonka. Ethan is also a professional photographer; his work can be viewed at ethanrobertsphotos.com.

My name is Etta Barry and I have been on this Steering Committee since it first started and it has been an amazing experience.   Prior to joining the committee I have also been very involved in our Minneapolis Jewish Community being an active Board Member and/or volunteering in many different capacities.  Some of the agencies I have been involved with are the University of MN Hillel, Jewish Family & Children Services and at my synagogue, Adath Jeshurun Congregation.  Our family has a strong and deep love for Israel and we have all traveled there numerous times and always look forward to the next time.  

Jodi was raised in Minneapolis, where she returned after college to raise her family. Now, she splits her time between Minneapolis, California, and Israel. Her adult life has been dedicated to the Jewish community, serving on various boards and committees, including her synagogue and the JCRC. She has volunteered extensively with the Minneapolis Jewish Federation, focusing on overseas and Israel advocacy. Jodi  also volunteers annually with Sar-El in Israel. Professionally, she worked in financial services and insurance before retiring to start FreshlyCut, a personalized photocard design and photography business.

Raised in Minnesota, Michele returned to the Twin Cities in 2012 after spending several years engaged in public policy and advocacy initiatives in Washington, D.C. for several organizations, including AIPAC and the Embassy of Israel. Michele now works in the information security risk management industry, serving as an AVP for Cybersecurity Risk Management at Lincoln Financial.

Michele has volunteered and held lay leadership roles with both Jewish and non-Jewish organizations and is a recent alum of the Federation's Harry Kay Leadership Institute. Israel is a core tenet of Michele's Jewish identity and is excited to be part of this Partnership Steering Committee. She and her husband, Alan, have two daughters, two dogs and live in Hopkins.

I work for my family small business selling commercial window treatments and furnishings for hospitals. I love to discuss Jewish Peoplehood and the future of our people. I am active in small business forums for both Jewish business owners and non-Jewish groups. I have had the enjoyments of going on and planning new initiatives with Minneapolis Federation. I am married to a Saint and a father to three amazing humans.

My name is Noah Farber. I was born and raised in Mendota Heights, MN and I currently live by the lakes in Uptown. Growing up I had a lot of exposure to Israelis and Israeli culture. I first traveled to Israel at the ripe age of 2 and we often hosted Israelis who came to work at our various Jewish summer camps. I attended Butwin and Herzl camps, was involved with USY, and was active in Jewish life as a student at the University of Minnesota. As a young adult I'm tuned into how my peers are thinking about Israel and will try to bring that perspective to our group. Currently I work as a Salesforce consultant at a technology consulting company called Slalom. I love playing tennis, hiking, traveling, and spending time with family / friends. I also love learning languages and can speak 4 languages including English, Hebrew, Spanish, and Portuguese. I'm looking forward to working with all of you in the year to come. 

Sally Abrams co-directs the Speakers Bureau and The Letters Project for the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas (JCRC MinnDak). Sally has spoken about Israel and/or Judaism in thousands of churches, classrooms, and civic groups. Sally believes deeply in the power of words to educate, illuminate, and inspire. She strives to build bridges between the Jewish and non-Jewish communities. Her essays on Israel and Jewish life are widely read on The Times of Israel, Kveller, TCJewfolk, and shared across social media. Sally is a 3rd generation Minnesotan who still finds winter a shock every year. Together with her husband Mike, they cherish time with their big family-- four children and their spouses and a minyan of grandchildren. Being a grandparent is life’s greatest reward!

I'm a lifelong Minnesotan and long-time active member of the Minneapolis Jewish community and I attribute a significant part of that to the semester I spent at Tel Aviv University in 1982.  I have been involved at Adath in several interest areas including two terms as a Vice President. I've been on the Minneapolis P2G Steering Committee since it's inception and have loved building connections both in Minneapolis and Rehovot. Professionally, I have worked in the IT profession for over 30 years and currently work for Medtronic (sometimes with counterparts in Israel!). I've been married for 35 years to my wife Terri, and have two adult children, Ilan and Batia.  Ilan is getting married on September 18, 2022!
I am a very avid water skier and have been involved in organized water skiing as an official, coach and competitor for over 45 years.

Born & raised in Milwaukee, WI. Throughout my life, I've been involved in many aspects of the Jewish world. Grew up the son of a Conservative Hazzan, and a JCC preschool teacher/Asst Camp Director, attended Jewish Summer camp from 2-27, active in BBYO and Hillel, lived/volunteered in Israel (Hebrew U, Project OTZMA), worked for Gann Academy, a pluralistic Jewish High School in Boston as the Programs Coordinator for the Office of Jewish and Student Life and then as the Assistant Dean of Students. In 2020 I found myself creating two startups. The first is  Buddy Check, which came out of an innovation challenge by the Foundation for Jewish Camp. The second “startup”, Mayever, is only new in name and is the merging of two companies.My company Mayever is a labor of love that allows me to share the wonders of Israel with so many, but on a personal level allows me to work closely with my brother who is one of three co-founders.

I’m Sonya Rapport trained as an acute care Physical Therapist, and the founder of Thyme.Machine.Bookbinding - an artisan bindery dedicated to preserving written memories. I am currently carrying the torch and running the Heritage Judaica initiative for the Twin Cities chapter and am the Executive Director of Beth Jacob Congregation. As a kid I always loved spending my summers at Jewish day camp and have been an active member of the Twin Cities Jewish community ever since. In my free time I love hanging out with my husband Jacob, being creative, traveling (most importantly to Israel :)), camping, biking, and spending time with family/friends.

Valeria Chazin is the co-Founder of Students Supporting Israel (SSI), a non-profit focused on Israel education and activism, and is a member of the Zionist General Council of the World Zionist Organization. She is a speaker on the topics of Israel and Zionism and enjoys developing content and programming in this field. Valeria grew up in Israel, and after completing her IDF service, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business and marketing from the University of Minnesota and a JD degree from Mitchell Hamline School of Law. Valeria is a recipient of the Pfefer Memorial Award of the Twin Cities Cardozo Legal Society, of the Women of Intention World Saver Award of the Minneapolis Jewish Federation's Pearl Society, and of other national activism awards on behalf of SSI. She has been involved with several Jewish and non-Jewish community organizations and pro-bono legal services. 

Zehorit was born in 1964 Israel, to a Yemenite immigrant family. Growing up in multi-cultural Givat Olga, she experienced Israel’s rich ethnic diversity, participating in youth movement leadership roles and volunteering in JAFI’s Project Renewal. Following high school graduation, Zehorit Joined the Israeli army, where she became an officer, finishing her service as a lieutenant. She then moved to Tel Aviv where she majored in English Literature and Political Science at the Tel Aviv University. During her studies Zehorit worked as a translator for a Dutch company stationed in Tel Aviv and volunteered in a program helping Ethiopian new immigrants acclimate to Israeli life. she has found a passion for teaching cooking classes in both the Jewish and the general communities as a vehicle to facilitating conversation, curiosity, and Israel education.  she developed a food line and for a while was creating Israeli & Mediterranean food to order. As the business grew, she decided to focus on teaching and connecting with people, rather than on food production.