Professionals

Brian Cohen

Brian Cohen joined the Kraft Center for Jewish Student Life, Columbia/Barnard Hillel, in January of 2012. Under Brian’s leadership, the Kraft Center increased student engagement by 100%, launched the Grad Network, a full time program that serves Jewish graduate students, tripled the size of Hillel’s budget, and secured more than $5.5 million in endowment funds. Columbia/Barnard Hillel is now recognized as one of the leading Hillels in the country, with programs that are scaled at Hillels nationwide. During his time at Columbia, Brian has advocated on behalf of Jewish students to ensure that they are supported on campus.

In addition to his responsibilities at the Kraft Center, Brian trains new Hillel Executive Directors and serves as a coach for aspiring Executive Directors. His career with the Hillel movement includes time at Hillel’s Schusterman International Center, the University of Virginia Hillel, and the Hillel at Binghamton. Brian was awarded the Richard M. Joel Exemplar of Excellence from Hillel International and in 2019, named a Schusterman Fellow by the Schusterman Family Philanthropies. In 2023, Columbia/Barnard Hillel presented Brian with the Gershom Mendes Seixas Award, bestowed on those who have made outstanding contributions to Jewish Life at Columbia University. Prior to working for Hillel, Brian was an Account Executive for an internet marketing firm.

Brian graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications.

Rabbi Yonah Hain

Currently on study leave

Yonah is in his 20th year with Columbia/Barnard Hillel! As our Campus Rabbi, he serves as a member of the Columbia University Office of Religious Life. Yonah leads religious, educational and interfaith initiatives at Hillel with a particular passion for interdisciplinary approaches to Jewish learning and living.

Rabbi Hain has served as teaching faculty across the Jewish world from the Shalom Hartman Institute and Yeshivat Sha’alvim to the Drisha Institute for Jewish Education, YCT Rabbinical School and the Hadar Institute. He has also been a recurring contributor to the TEXTing podcast. Most recently, Yonah was a doctoral fellow at Ben-Gurion University and a researcher at the National Library of Israel while writing his dissertation on the role of personal agency in Rabbinic Literature.

Previously, Yonah was at NYU’s Bronfman Center, making him a New York City university rabbi for over two decades! Yonah lives near campus with his better half, Elana, and their two wonderful children, Azzan and Navon!

Tymothy Jaddock

Tymothy Jaddock serves as the Director of Finance and Operations at Columbia/Barnard Hillel, where he has strengthened financial systems, implemented operational efficiencies, and enhanced organizational infrastructure. He brings extensive experience from his previous role as Director of Administration and Special Projects at Schechter Manhattan and has built a career in mission-driven nonprofit management. His academic background—a B.A. from the University of Alberta and an M.A. from New York University—has contributed to his interdisciplinary approach to his work and has helped shape his professional perspective. Beyond his work at Hillel, he remains active in the dance community—staging original choreography, teaching workshops, and adjudicating competitions across the U.S. and Canada.

Rebecca Kabat

Rebecca Kabat loves serving as Columbia/Barnard Hillel’s Senior Director of Development. Originally from Parkland, Florida, Rebecca came to New York to attend Barnard College, where she received her BA in Political Science. She later earned a Master’s in Political Management from George Washington University.

Hillel was a meaningful part of Rebecca’s own college experience, and working Kraft Center now feels like coming home every day. Before joining the team, she served as Director of Development Operations at Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter, where she led digital campaigns, managed donor communications, and developed systems to support fundraising and engagement. She is passionate about using storytelling, data, and automation to make development work both strategic and deeply personal.

Outside of work, Rebecca is a Broadway enthusiast, Peloton rider, and West Wing quoter. She’s happiest with Taylor Swift in her ears, an iced coffee in her hand, and sand between her toes.

Shana Zionts

Shana Zionts has spent nearly two decades working in the Jewish community with children, teens, and young adults, and is thrilled to serve as Columbia/Barnard Hillel’s Associate Director. Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Shana received her BA in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies from Brandeis University and then moved to NYC to pursue her masters degree in Experiential Jewish Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary. She has participated in trainings and certificates through M², the Shalom Hartman Institute, and the New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. In 2019 she received the Richard M. Joel Exemplar of Excellence Award from Hillel International. Shana’s greatest professional joy is getting to know students over coffee and being by their side as a cheerleader and mentor throughout college and beyond. Shana lives on the Upper West Side with her daughter Leora, who loves hanging out with her college friends.

Rachel Barnehama

Rachel is so excited to have joined the Columbia/Barnard Hillel team as the Senior Director of Engagement! For over a decade, Rachel has worked as a Jewish professional, working in synagogues, teen programs, Israel engagement, and summer camps. Rachel is thrilled to be returning to the Hillel community since she got her professional start at Queens College Hillel. She has a Masters in Religious Education from Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion. In 2023 Rachel was a recipient of the Robert M. Sherman Young Pioneer Award and is a current M² fellow.

In her free time Rachel loves going for walks in Central Park, exploring new Broadway shows, going out for sushi, and can’t resist a good milkshake.

Mimi Broches

Mimi Broches is in her second year on the Student Life Team at Columbia/Barnard Hillel, serving as a Student Life Associate. Originally from Seattle, Mimi graduated in 2024 from the Joint Program between Columbia GS and the JTS with degrees in Film & Media Studies and Jewish Text. At Hillel, Mimi leads the First Year Leadership Fellowship and oversees several of our Israel-focused groups. She is passionate about Jewish learning and text study, and loves creating spaces where students can engage deeply with Judaism and build community. Before rejoining Hillel, Mimi worked at the Jewish Education Project.

Eliana Hallegua

Eliana is thrilled to join the Columbia/Barnard Hillel team as the new IACT/Engagement Coordinator. Eliana is originally from Los Angeles, California and studied abroad at the Alexander Muss High School in Israel, which strengthened her connection to Jewish life and culture. She went on to graduate from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Science in the Bandier Program for Recording and Entertainment Industries at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. After graduation, Eliana worked at Capitol Music Group as an A&R Administration Assistant, gaining valuable major-label experience.

Outside of work, Eliana enjoys cooking and baking (especially anything with chocolate and caramel), going to pilates, karaoke, playing guitar and drums, and is very passionate about finding the best sushi spots in her city.

Eliana is excited to help students strengthen their Jewish identity through the Birthright trip and build lasting relationships on campus.

Melissa Kansky

Melissa happily joined the Columbia Barnard Hillel team in 2021 as the Director of The Grad Network. She describes her professional path as a series of unexpected U-turns, moving between Jewish communal work and museum education. After a few years working in contemporary art museums, Melissa is thrilled to be working in the Jewish community again. In 2013, she began her career with Hillel as the Engagement Associate at the University of Florida and then moved to Charlottesville to work as the Director of Jewish Engagement for the Brody Jewish Center Hillel at the University of Virginia. In 2016, she received the Richard M. Joel Exemplar of Excellence Award for her contributions to Jewish life at UVA. Melissa is driven by a strong commitment to experiential education, community development, and relationship building. She strives to foster a Jewish community that honors tradition and supports innovation. In 2023, Melissa completed the Seven Steps Mikveh Guide training through Rising Tide, an egalitarian mikveh movement.

In her role as Director of The Grad Network, Melissa is most excited to build community among graduate students, while also helping each student access Jewish experiences that are personally meaningful. Reach out to Melissa to talk about accessible ritual, hiking recommendations, your favorite book, vegetarian recipes, contemporary art, and, of course, The Grad Network.

Navah Kogen

Navah Kogen has served the Columbia/Barnard Jewish community as Senior Director of Student Life since 2017. Originally from Fair Lawn, New Jersey, Navah is a proud alumna of the Double Degree program between Barnard and JTS. She loves all things camp, and spent several summers as a camper and decade on staff at Camp Ramah Darom. A dual American/Israeli citizen, Navah spends as much time as possible in Israel, and both participated in the Nativ gap year program prior to college, and studied at Midreshet Bruria after. Before returning to NYC to earn her masters degree in Experiential Jewish Education, Navah served as Program Director at the University of Florida Hillel. She has also worked with the alumni community of the Bronfman Fellowship, directed experiential education at Golda Och Academy in West Orange, New Jersey, and is an alumna of the Ruskay Fellowship of UJA-Federation of New York.

In her spare time, Navah enjoys hiking, yoga, and far too many podcasts – send her your recommendations! – and is a big fan of both coffee and accidental naps. She is an ardent recycler and semi-professional challah baker, and is always happy to help anyone on campus with either of those tasks. She feels equally passionate about green juice and vanilla milkshakes. Life is about balance, after all.

Rachel Laufer

Originally from New Orleans, LA, Rachel graduated from Florida State University with a BA in Theatre and minor in Communications. Following graduation, Rachel spent the year working in London as a Program Assistant for Florida State University’s International Programs and its Theatre Academy London. She spent three summers working at Northwestern University’s National High School Institute Theatre Arts Division as the Assistant Dorm Director where she absolutely loved witnessing the growth and development of young theatre makers. Rachel has so enjoyed being a part of the CBHillel team as the Senior Director of Development and looks forward to more wonderful moments here at the Kraft Center.

Jane Lebowitz

Originally from Schuylerville, New York, Jane earned dual bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Jewish Studies from the University of Rochester before completing a Master of Science in Human Resource Law at Albany Law School. Before entering the non-profit sector, Jane studied wine and was certified through the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, reflecting a love of lifelong learning, good conversation, and the art of hospitality.

Jane began her career in the Hillel movement as a Springboard Fellow at North Carolina State University in 2023. At the conclusion of her fellowship, she served as Operations Manager on the statewide team at North Carolina Hillel. As the new Engagement Manager for the Grad Network at Columbia/Barnard Hillel, Jane is excited to cultivate a vibrant and inclusive community for Jewish graduate students. 

In her free time, you can find Jane refinishing antique furniture, cooking, and hanging out with her fiance Samuel and their cat, Mayo.

Stephen Marks

Stephen Marks is thrilled to join the Columbia/Barnard Hillel team as Data and Finance Coordinator. New to the nonprofit world, Stephen comes from a career in the entertainment industry, where he worked on television series such as And Just Like That, FBI, and American Horror Stories, as well as Broadway and regional theatre productions. In these roles, Stephen helped manage budgets and logistics to keep large creative projects running smoothly. While working behind the scenes on these productions, Stephen developed a deep appreciation for the role that strong financial stewardship and organizational systems play in empowering a team’s creativity and mission. He is excited to bring this passion to Hillel, supporting the vital work of the student life team and helping ensure a vibrant Jewish community on campus.

Originally from Richmond, Virginia, Stephen holds a MFA from the Yale School of Drama and has a longstanding love of art and culture. When not knee-deep in spreadsheets, he can be found wandering an art museum, baking something new, or going for a hike.

Rabbi Daniel Peled-Schwartz

Daniel is honored to serve the amazing Columbia/Barnard community as JLIC co-director. He is passionate about Torah and community-building, and aims to help all Jews find their place in the richness of Jewish tradition. A native of Newton, MA, Daniel studied at Yeshivot Maale Adumim and Har Etzion. He went on to Princeton, majoring in philosophy and Arabic. Daniel completed his rabbinical studies (semicha) at RIETS after learning on YU’s campuses in New York and Jerusalem. He previously taught at Berman Hebrew Academy (Maryland) and Yeshivat Eretz Hatzvi (Jerusalem), and has served as rabbinic intern at several synagogues. Daniel loves hiking, skiing, and nerding out about public transportation.

Jasmine Peled-Schwartz

Amaury Perez

Amaury has been working at The Kraft Center – Columbia/Barnard Hillel since 2015. He makes sure that all is running well and that the various rooms and spaces in the building are set up properly for our numerous programs.

Reb Sarah Pollack

Reb Sarah Pollack (she/her) was ordained in 2025 by the Rabbinical School of Hebrew College, a pluralistic and non-denominational seminary in Newton, MA, where she also earned an MA in Jewish Studies. She holds a BA in Forensic Anthropology from the University of Florida (Go Gators!). She currently lives in Maplewood, NJ with her wife, Elana, and their two kiddos.

During rabbinical school, Reb Sarah held internships at Temple Beth David (Westwood, MA), the Bronfman Fellowship, and Boston University Hillel.

As a child, Sarah felt a strong sense of Jewish identity but lacked formal ways to articulate her spiritual yearning. After spending a summer in Uganda as part of a volunteer program with AJWS and a semester abroad at the University of Haifa, Sarah was eager to continue her exploration of Judaism and Jewish Peoplehood. She moved to Jerusalem, where she spent two years learning at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, first as the Social Justice Fellow, and then on the Judaism and Conflict Resolution track. As a Pardes Fellow, Sarah organized volunteer opportunities and facilitated community- building programming. Her professional journey started at Encounter Programs, where she spent the next four years exploring the ways that Jewish American professionals and lay leadership engage with Palestinians and reckon firsthand with the Israeli–Palestinian reality. Right before enrolling at Hebrew College, Reb Sarah worked for Honeymoon Israel as the Director of Community Engagement, empowering young Jewish families to explore their relationships to Jewish community and identity.

Reach out to Reb Sarah if you are looking for pastoral care, want to hang a mezuzah at your home, were not raised Jewish and have questions about Judaism and Jewish practice. Come chat about Shabbat Hosting Lab, Judaism and Queerness and the B Mitzvah Cohort.

Ariela Press

Ariela joined the Columbia/Barnard Hillel team as the Executive Assistant in September, 2024 and was promoted to Office Manager in October, 2025.

After completing a gap year in Israel, Ariela returned to her hometown of Richmond, Virginia where she graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a BFA in Theatre with a concentration in Performance/Musical Theatre. At VCU, Ariela was involved in a cappella, improv, and Greek life. During her undergraduate career, she taught religious school at Congregation Or Ami and staffed for BBYO Passport Israel.

Ariela is passionate about collaboration, community-driven work, and storytelling. Outside of the office, she enjoys spending time on her yoga mat and at the theatre. Find Ariela on Kraft 3 to discuss ordering food, reserving space at the Kraft Center, and all of your supply needs!

Pedro Rios

Pedro has been working at The Kraft Center – Columbia/Barnard Hillel since 2000 (a new comer). He knows all the students’ faces in that he has the most interaction with everyone who comes to the building. If you have a question, then Pedro will direct you.

Roxanna Sikavi

Roxanna serves as the Executive Assistant at Columbia/Barnard Hillel.  Originally from Seattle, Roxanna moved to New York City in April 2025 after serving as the Marketing Specialist at the Seattle Hebrew Academy.

Roxanna’s passion for Jewish non-profit work began early. During her time at the University of Washington, where she earned a BA in Anthropology, she worked as an afterschool teacher at Kavanah Cooperative, teaching Jewish studies to 4th and 5th graders.

A PNW girl at heart, she loves rock climbing and hiking. She spent the summer of 2024 living in a van and traversing the West Coast, visiting 12 National Parks and 8 National Forests along the way. She is currently on a mission to hike every National Park in the United States and is always happy to swap trail recommendations or travel stories.

Liana Slomka

Liana is in her third year on the Student Life Team at Columbia/Barnard Hillel. She graduated from Princeton University in 2023 with a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and is now pursuing a Masters in Jewish Education in the Davidson School at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Originally from Atlanta, Liana has spent 18 summers at Camp Ramah Darom, and also worked as a counselor for a year on the Nativ gap year program in Israel.

At Hillel, Liana advises E-Board, along with many other student leadership initiatives. She loves meeting students over challah and soup at Kraft Shabbat Dinner, and is excited to chat about travel opportunities (Rwanda! Poland!), Mega Shabbat, and learning about the intersection of Judaism and outer space!

Eliana Sugarman

Eliana joined the Columbia/Barnard Hillel team as Assistant Director of Development in June 2024. Prior to joining the Kraft Center, she was an Event Planning Executive at UJA-Federation of New York in Westchester. She previously served as Senior Development Associate at DOROT and as Youth and Family Coordinator at the JCC of Greater New Haven.

Eliana lives in Riverdale, NY, with her husband and kids. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading everything from historical fiction and mystery thrillers to beach reads, and cooking!

Ben Weiner

Ben Weiner is excited to join the Columbia/Barnard Hillel team as an Engagement Associate. Originally from Montgomery County, Maryland, Ben recently graduated from Clemson University, where he studied Communication with minors in Youth Development Studies and Brand Communication.

Before joining Hillel, Ben worked as a Chapter Specialist with BBYO, supporting Jewish teens in building meaningful community experiences across the Washington, DC area. He also spent several summers working at Jewish sleepaway camps, including Capital Camps and Camp Barney Medintz. In addition, Ben served as a RootOne Fellow, helping lead educational travel experiences for Jewish teens across Europe. These experiences shaped his passion for relationship-based engagement and for helping young people find a sense of belonging in Jewish life.

Ben is passionate about meeting students where they are, helping them discover community, and providing support throughout their college experience. He is excited to be part of the Kraft Center team and contribute to the vibrant student life at Columbia and Barnard.

Outside of work, Ben enjoys pickleball, watching college and professional sports, trying new restaurants, working out, traveling, and listening to everything from Drake to Hamilton.

Audrey Klepser

Audrey is CB Hillel’s Reform rabbinic intern, and a 5th-year rabbinical student at Hebrew Union College. Originally from Elmhurst, Illinois, she has found a sense of home in Michigan, Jerusalem, and now New York. Audrey has been shaped by her learning at URJ Camp OSRUI, Hillel at Kalamazoo College, and the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies. She lives in the Upper East Side with her husband Nick, where she brings her book to every park and coffee shop she can find. Find Audrey to talk about Reform Judaism, taking on a new Jewish practice, or finding your place in our vibrant, pluralistic community.