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. She graduated with Honors from Stanford University, and was ordained by the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles in 2010. Her first job out of school was as the first Revson Rabbinic Fellow at IKAR in Los Angeles. 

Meet our Rabbi & Founder

Full-Time Team

Rhonda Abrams

Rhonda Abrams

Director of Development and Engagement

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Full bio

Rabbi Deena Cowans

Rabbi Deena Cowans

associate rabbi

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Ashley Donohue

Ashley Donohue

Director of Communications

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Full bio

Rachel Cort

Rachel Cort

Executive director

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Full bio

Mady Frischer

Mady Frischer

Development & Engagement Associate

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Full bio

Anna Gelman

Anna Gelman

Live and Hybrid Events Producer

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Full bio

Amy Nadal

Amy Nadal

builder experience manager

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Full bio

Rabbi Steven Philp

Rabbi Steven Philp

Associate Rabbi

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Full bio

Keith Schnabel

Keith Schnabel

Communications Manager

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Full bio

Aviva Stein

Aviva Stein

Director of Mensch Academy

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Rebecca Stevens

Rebecca Stevens

senior Director of programs

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Seth Torres

Seth Torres

Rabbinic Assistant & Maggie's Place Coordinator

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Zach Weinberg

Zach Weinberg

Program and Operations Manager

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Full bio

Julie Wernick

Julie Wernick

Mensch Academy Program Coordinator

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Full bio

Part-Time Team

Hannah Antman

Hannah Antman

Shabbat Coordinator

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Claire Bergen

Claire Bergen

Mensch Academy Facilitator

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Patrick Budde

Patrick Budde

Lead Sound Engineer

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Will Burdin

Will Burdin

Shabbat Coordinator

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Ilana Gleicher-Bloom

Ilana Gleicher-Bloom

Educational Consultant

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Jordan Golding

Jordan Golding

Shabbat Coordinator

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Val Schlosberg

Val Schlosberg

Mensch Facilitator

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Rachael Jimenez

Rachael Jimenez

Davening Team Coordinator

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Ben Kaye

Ben Kaye

Shabbat Coordinator

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Nathan Kaplin

Nathan Kaplin

Family Programs Assistant

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Rachel Mylan

Rachel Mylan

Family Music Specialist

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Eli Newell

Eli Newell

BMitzvah Coordinator

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Leah Whiteman

Leah Whiteman

Build Your Village Co-Facilitator

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Sarah Hood

Sarah Hood

Caregivers of Neurodiverse Children Support Group Facilitator

she/her