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 sits on the board of T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, as well as the rabbinic cabinet of AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corp. She is an alumnus of Rabbis Without Borders Fellowship and the Clergy Leadership Incubator.

Meet our Rabbi & Founder

Full-Time Team

Rhonda Abrams

Rhonda Abrams

Senior Director of Development and Engagement

she/her

Full bio

Ashley Donohue

Ashley Donohue

Senior Director of Communications

 she/her

Full bio

Rachel Cort

Rachel Cort

Executive director

 she/her

Full bio

Mady Frischer

Mady Frischer

Development & Engagement Associate

they/them

Full bio

Anna Gelman

Anna Gelman

Live and Hybrid Events Producer

she/her

Full bio

Nathan Kaplin

Nathan Kaplin

Programs and Operations Associate

he/him

Full bio

Rabbi Ari Moffic

Rabbi Ari Moffic

Director of Youth and Teen Experience

 she/her

Full bio

Rachel Mylan

Rachel Mylan

Director of Early and Elementary Family Life

 she/her

Full bio

Amy Nadal

Amy Nadal

builder experience manager

 she/her

Full bio

Rabbi Steven Philp

Rabbi Steven Philp

Associate Rabbi

 he/him

Full bio

Keith Schnabel

Keith Schnabel

Communications Manager

they/them

Full bio

Rebecca Stevens

Rebecca Stevens

senior Director of programs

 she/her

Full bio

Seth Torres

Seth Torres

Rabbinic Assistant & Maggie's Place Coordinator

 he/they

Full bio

Zach Weinberg

Zach Weinberg

Program and Operations Manager

 he/him

Full bio

Part-Time Team

Hannah Antman

Hannah Antman

Shabbat Coordinator

she/they
Penina Beede

Penina Beede

Mensch Academy Facilitator

they/she
Patrick Budde

Patrick Budde

Lead Sound Engineer

he/him
Will Burdin

Will Burdin

Shabbat Coordinator

he/him
Matthew Ellenwood

Matthew Ellenwood

music director

they/them
Jordan Golding

Jordan Golding

Shabbat Coordinator

he/him
Sarah Hood

Sarah Hood

Caregivers of Neurodiverse Children Support Group Facilitator

she/her
Rachael Jimenez

Rachael Jimenez

Davening Team Coordinator

she/her
Ben Kaye

Ben Kaye

Shabbat Coordinator

he/they
Eli Newell

Eli Newell

BMitzvah and teen organizer

any pronouns

Full bio

Leah Whiteman

Leah Whiteman

Build Your Village Co-Facilitator

she/her