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.

Meet our Mensch Academy Team

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

Rachel Cort

Rachel Cort

Executive director

Rabbi Deena Cowans

Rabbi Deena Cowans

associate rabbi

Ashley Donohue

Ashley Donohue

Director of Communications

Ilana Gleicher-Bloom

Ilana Gleicher-Bloom

Director of Mensch Academy and family programs

Hannah Rehak

Hannah Rehak

Communications Specialist

Ellie Spitz

Ellie Spitz

Director of Programs

Aviva Stein

Aviva Stein

Family Program Coordinator

Rebecca Stevens

Rebecca Stevens

Director of strategy and Design

Zach Weinberg

Zach Weinberg

Rabbinic and operations Assistant

Part-Time Team

Steven Chaitman

Steven Chaitman

Music Fellow

Arielle Dubowe

Arielle Dubowe

Shabbat Coordinator

Shterna Goldbloom

Shterna Goldbloom

Mensch Academy Facilitator + Art Specialist

Jordan Golding

Jordan Golding

Shabbat Coordinator

Katy Ibur

Katy Ibur

Shabbat Coordinator

Rachel Mylan

Rachel Mylan

Family Music Specialist

Amy Nadal

Amy Nadal

Development and Engagement Associate

Essie Shachar-Hill

Essie Shachar-Hill

Maggie's Place Specialist