Team Mishkan

Meet our well-oiled machine (running on coffee and love).

From our home-grown, local Rabbi and founder, to our super-human staff of professionals and clergy, Mishkan’s team has (collective) decades of experience envisioning, creating, growing, sustaining and organizing community.

Rabbi Lizzi Heydemann

Lizzi Heydemann catalyzed the founding of Mishkan Chicago in September of 2011.

Meet our Rabbi & Founder

Full-Time Team

Rachel Cort

Executive director

she/her

Full bio

Anna Gelman

Creative Producer and Director of Livestream

she/her

Full bio

Nathan Kaplin

Director of Mensch

he/him

Full bio

Rabbi Ari Moffic

Director of Youth and Teen Experience, The Cohen Kadima Program

she/her

Full bio

Rachel Mylan

Director of Early and Elementary Family Life

she/her

Full bio

Rebecca Wellisch

Director of Marketing and Communications

she/her

Full bio

Rabbi Steven Philp

Associate Rabbi

he/him

Full bio

Sylvie Schnabel

Communications Manager

she/they

Full bio

Rebecca Stevens

Managing Director

she/her

Full bio

Zach Weinberg

Director of Programs

he/him

Full bio

Michael Palmer

Development & Engagement Associate

he/they

Full bio

Jourdan Lewanda

Rabbinic and Ritual Assistant

she/her

Full bio

Ilana Abusch

BMitzvah Education Associate

she/her

Full bio

Lily DeKoven Weidenbach

Programs and BMitzvah Associate

they/them

Full bio

Ronan Goforth

Finance & Administrative Associate

she/they

Full bio

Margo Ascher

Program Administrative Assistant

she/her

Full bio

Part-Time Team

Leah Whiteman

Baby and Beyond Facilitator and Fertility Journey Support

she/her

Patrick Budde

Lead Sound Engineer

he/him

Will Burdin

Operations and Venue Assistant

he/him

Matthew Ellenwood

music director