Community Connectors
Our Community Connector program unites Jewish individuals with similar interests and life stages, offering meaningful conversations and programs that build networks of friends and introduce you to the richness of Jewish life
Meet Our Connectors
Our Community Connector program is at the heart of our mission, building bridges of friendship and engagement. Through our Connectors, we unite Jewish individuals with similar interests and life stages, offering meaningful conversations and programs that build networks of friends and introduce you to the richness of Jewish life.
Nomi Adams (she/her)
Pearlstone Partner Connector
- Born in Philadelphia, grew up in Silver Spring and Pikesville.
- Lives in Charles Village with husband Keith, two kids, Bina and Hallel, and dog, Milo.
- Worked at McDaniel College and Pearlstone Center before going back to school for a master’s in social work. After doing clinical work for 5 years, decided to go back to working for the Jewish Community!
FUN FACT:
Nomi loves to crochet in her free time and has been known to pop up at markets from time to time!
Lisa Akchin (she/her)
Multifaith Intergenerational Connector
- Born in Baltimore, then raised in the 1960s Deep South
- Returned to Charm City with husband Don in 1984
- Member and Past President of Beth Am Synagogue
- Following a full-time career in communications and marketing, she now consults for mission-driven organizations
- Board member of the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies
FUN FACT:
I create and deliver “Challah Days,” an at-home Jewish learning experience for my four Catholic grandchildren.
Brooke Berman (she/her)
Pikesville Parent Connector
- Grew up in Pikesville and lives there with her husband, daughter, and labradoodle
- Former elementary school teacher
- Currently a part time dance teacher/choreographer and stay-at-home mom
FUN FACT:
Brooke is passionate about organizing and color-coding
Megan Brantley (she/her)
LGBTQ+ Adult Connector
- Grew up in Baltimore County
- Currently lives in Reisterstown with her cat and 2 dogs
- Director of Community Relations at Baltimore Jewish Council
- Teaches in The Atid Teen Program at Har Sinai-Oheb Shalom Congregation
- In her free time, loves hiking with her dogs and playing guitar
FUN FACT:
Megan was a Drag King in college
Sarah Brodsky-Simon (she/her)
E.B.Hirsch Preschool Partner Connector
- Grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland
- Lives in Mount Washington with husband Ari, two daughters Dalia & Amiya, and dog Zelda
FUN FACT:
Sarah is a craft artist who loves refinishing and building furniture, repurposing materials and keeping her hands busy working on projects.
Alana Brookfield (she/her)
North Roland Park And Towson Parent Connector
- Multi-faith family
- Baltimore native currently living near Lake Roland with her husband, Eric, and sons Judah and Amitai
FUN FACT:
Farmer Florist with her own micro-flower farm
Timoth Copney (he/him)
Connector For Arts And Culture
- Former dancer, still a singer, choreographer, and director
- Lives in historic Original Northwood with his husband of 25 years and 10-year-old fur-kid, Wolfie
- Born and raised in Ohio, previously lived in New York City, Montreal, San Francisco, and Reykjavik, Iceland
FUN FACT:
Timoth is the Chair of the Baltimore Playwrights Festival
Barri DeFrancisci (she/her)
Pearlstone Partner Connector
- Pikesville native, attended Krieger Schechter Day School K-7th grade
- Currently lives in Lake Walker with partner Steve, daughter Lily, and cats Tom and Lula
- Yoga and Pilates teacher, women’s circle facilitator, and retreat host
- Former professional dancer, and attended boarding schools for ballet from 8th-12th grade, danced professionally in Israel, DC and Baltimore, and was the
Director of Dance at the JCC of Northern Virginia from 2014-2017.
FUN FACT:
She loves hiking, travelling, and creating hand-made projects!
Marci Elkin (she/her)
Grandparent Connector
- From Livingston, New Jersey
- Husband from Baltimore
- Live in Reisterstown
- Have four children and four grandchildren
- Worked as a preschool teacher at the Owings Mills JCC and directed their preschool camp program
FUN FACT:
Was in High School class with presidential candidate Chris Christie and author Harlan Coben
Carmen Ezaoui (she/her)
Timonium Parent Connector
- Multi-faith Family
- Sephardic
- Grew up near Ocean City, MD
- Lives with husband and two children
FUN FACT:
Picked up running in my early 30s and getting back into it now after having kids. Training for a half marathon.
Lindsay Fundakowski Feldman (she/her)
Baltimore City Adult Connector 20’s-40’s
- Proud Marylander, matrilineal Jew and Jew-By-Choice
- Lives and works in Baltimore City where she teaches health and art
- Spends time outside watching her chickens, growing food, and whitewater kayaking
- Speaks Spanish at roughly a 3rd grade level
FUN FACT:
Lindsay has hiked over 2,000 miles of the Appalachian Trail.
Stacey Gerstenblith (she/her)
Shalom Baltimore Connector
- Grew up in Bucks County, Pennsylvania outside of Philadelphia
- Lives with her husband and 3 children in the Pikesville/Mount Washington area
- Works as a school social worker for Baltimore County Public Schools
FUN FACT:
Stacey enjoys spending time with friends and family, and loves to take walks and watch movies. Although she is from the Philly area, she has become a Ravens fan and has even met Jon Harbaugh in the parking lot at Wegmans!
Steve Goldstein (he/him)
Pearlstone Partner Connector
- Grew up in Montgomery County
- Lives in Lake Walker (North Baltimore) with his partner Barri, 8-year old daughter, and 2 cats, Tom and Lula.
- Certified personal trainer, corrective exercise specialist, and stretching & flexibility coach running a bridge program at a physical therapy clinic.
FUN FACT:
Loves spending time in nature, playing piano and guitar, and singing around campfires
Talia Griffin (she/her)
Baltimore City Parent Connector
- Originally from Western Massachusetts, has been living in Maryland for almost 10 years
- Lives in Baltimore City with husband, 1 year old son, and dog
- Works as a psychiatric nurse practitioner
- Multifaith family
- Loves walking, running, outdoor activities
FUN FACT:
Talia makes a delicious gluten free challah!
Stephanie Helfman (she/her)
Suburban Singles 30+ Connector
- Born and raised in Pikesville
- Currently lives in Reisterstown (first time home owner!) with her two cats, Cheddar & Mozzarella
- Supervises case managers who provide in-home services to those on Medicaid
FUN FACT:
Stephanie loves building stuff - furniture, Legos, model wood kits, anything and everything!
Stephanie Imanwelof (she/her)
Krieger Schechter Parent Connector
- Jewish/Israeli Family
- Born and raised in Owings Mills, currently lives in Owings Mills.
- Married with two girls.
- Works as Admissions assistant for Krieger Schechter Day School.
FUN FACT:
Since Stephanie lived in Israel for ten years, she loves cooking Israeli food and making big Shabbat meals.
Corinne Janet (she/her)
Young Widow(er) Connector
- Young Widow(er)
- Originally a Southern California native, but has called Baltimore County home since 2016
- A widow raising a funny, compassionate, and quick-witted 5-year-old daughter
- A Higher Education professional, who has worked at Johns Hopkins, UMBC, and UMD
FUN FACT:
Loves to hike and explore the beauty of the mountains by day and needlepoint by the TV with a glass of wine by night
KeSean (Sean) Johnson (he/him)
Jews of Color Connector
- Grew up in Chicago, IL
- Lives in Homeland with his wife, daughter and father-in-law.
- American Descendant of Slavery (Black American)
- Retired from the U.S. Army 2014
FUN FACT:
KeSean is an Emmy-Award winning Film Producer/ Civil Rights Activist
Jen Lieberman (she/her)
JCC Preschool Partner Connector
- Grew up in the Baltimore suburbs
- Lives with her husband, son, and dog
- Baltimore County English Language Development Teacher
FUN FACT:
I am an aspiring Mahjong player!
Ilissa Nelson (she/her)
Carroll County Parent of Tween and Teens Connector
- Lives in Eldersburg with her husband Christian and 2
daughters (Joy and Peyton). - Works as Youth and Education Director at Beth Shalom
Congregation in Columbia, MD. - Moved here in July 2024 from Lake Worth, FL.
FUN FACT:
Ilissa loves to do yoga, take walks, read and listen to music. She loves traveling, especially going on road trips with her family.
Melissa Nevid (she/her)
Harford County Parent Connector
- New Jersey transplant
- Grew up as an active participant in NFTY, the Reform movement’s youth program
- Multifaith family, lives with husband and 6 year old daughter in Joppatowne
- UMD, College Park Alumni
- Practicing dentist in Perry Hall and a classroom helper at Beth El Congregation
FUN FACT:
Melissa loves live music and anything nerdy.
Heather Ralston (she/her)
Carroll County Parent Connector
- Multifaith Family
- Born and raised in Owings Mills, currently lives in Westminster
- Now lives in Westminster with her husband, 2 sons, a daughter, and a crazy dog.
- Stay-at-home parent, but formerly a preschool teacher
FUN FACT:
If Heather's birthday falls on Passover, she loves the tradition of her family giving her an ice cream cake
Amanda Rudin (she/her)
Single Parent Connector
- I have a daughter named Emma
- I grew up in NJ but have been in the Baltimore area since 2008
- I am working on my Doctorate in Educational Leadership
FUN FACT:
My birthday often falls on Father's Day
Stan Scherr (he/him)
Connector for the Next Chapter (55+)
- Born and raised in Baltimore, lives in Mt. Washington with his partner, Bill
- Graduate of Talmudical Academy, Baltimore City College and University of Baltimore
- Bolton Street Synagogue congregant
- Former CCBC Special Needs Adjunct professor
FUN FACT:
Stan is a music and art lover
Jill Silbert (she/her)
Beth El Preschool Partner Connector
- Grew up in Potomac, MD but moved to Baltimore for nursing school and stayed!
- Currently working as a school nurse but used to work in the hospital.
- Married to Jeremy and has a 5 year old son and a 3 year old daughter AND a 14 year old puggle named Simba.
- Loves the Beth El community and so excited to connect with all the families there!
FUN FACT:
Loves coffee, music and being with my friends. Recently have rediscovered my love of running and have been training for half marathons.
Sam Kahan Strakes (she/her)
Carroll County Parent Connector
- Grew up in Reisterstown
- Lives in Finksburg (Reisterstown) with husband and two kids, Zoey and Ezri
- Worked professionally in the Jewish community for over 10 years before deciding to take some time to stay at home with her two girls
FUN FACT:
Sam is an escape room enthusiast and has even created her own escape rooms for events
Marina Vurgaftman (she/her)
Russian Speaking Jewish Connector
- Lives in Pikesville with her husband and her two sons
- Grew up in Kiev, Ukraine
- Completed her teacher’s education in Moscow
- Works as a special education teacher
FUN FACT:
Marina has her own travel agency
Staci Weber (she/her)
Hunt Valley/Sparks Parent Connector
- Staci grew up in Reisterstown, MD
- Recently moved to the Cockeysville/Hunt Valley area with her husband and daughter
- Background is in higher education administration and works with nonprofits
FUN FACT:
Starting to learn all about gardening and woodlands now that we're living in Baltimore County
Jacob Wolf (he/him)
Parent Connector
- Lawyer and Mediator in Lutherville, MD
- Lives in Pikesville and has 3 boys, Hirsh, Judah, and Shai
- Loves to coach kids sports and cook for friends!
FUN FACT:
Received Varsity Letters in Cheerleading for being the school mascot (Go Vikings!)
Debbie Wolff (she/her)
Lutherville Parent Connector
- Multifaith Family
- Lives with her two sons, her partner, and 2 dogs
- She grew up in Pikesville then lived in Texas for 16 years
- Teaches at KSDS
FUN FACT:
Every year for Chanukah Debbie makes eight different types of cookies, one for each night, all with a holiday theme
Jennifer Wolff (she/her)
Parkville Family Connector
- Multifaith Family
- Lives in Parkville with her husband and son
- Is not Jewish, but married into a Jewish family.
- Loves the diversity of her family and learning new things about Judaism
- Works for non-profit organization in Baltimore City that educates families on how to prevent child abuse and neglect.
FUN FACT:
Jennifer loves to read, garden, crochet, craft, travel, explore, see new places, and meet new people!
Julie Altman Wolff (she/her)
4Front Partner Connector for parents of teens
- Lives in Pikesville with her husband, five children, and two dogs.
- Licensed psychotherapist and parenting coach
- Grew up in Buffalo, NY (Go Bills!) and has lived in Baltimore for the past 23 years
- Has worked in the Baltimore Jewish Community for the past 16 years
FUN FACT:
Julie is an avid music fan, festival-goer, and spontaneous road trip aficionado, and loves roping her teens, tween, toddlers, and husband into lots of new adventures!
Melissa Zim (she/her)
BT Schools Partner Connector
- Grew up in Snohomish, Washington, and now lives in Pikesville with her husband, Adam, their two kids, her father-in-law, and their dog.
- After receiving a degree in golf management, she worked as a buyer and manager for Wynn Resorts golf shop and managed two retail stores for 10 years. She later returned to school for physical therapy.
- She and her husband now own a home physical therapy practice, a2z Physical Therapy.
FUN FACT:
Melissa grew up in a log house without heating or air conditioning. The only way to heat their home was with two fireplaces, so during the summer she and her brothers would chop and stack wood to prepare for the winter.
Erica Zippert (she/her)
Owings Mills/Reisterstown Parent Connector
- Grew up in Reisterstown
- Lives in Owings Mills with her husband Alon and 2 kids, Talia and Judan
- Education Researcher, Consultant, and Trainer
- Lived in Nashville for 6 years
FUN FACT:
Erica still misses the southern sweet tea, banana pudding, and hot chicken from living in Nashville