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

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Ashley Donohue

Ashley Donohue

Senior Director of Communications

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Rachel Cort

Rachel Cort

Executive director

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Anna Gelman

Anna Gelman

Live and Hybrid Events Producer

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Nathan Kaplin

Nathan Kaplin

Interim Director of Mensch

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Rabbi Ari Moffic

Rabbi Ari Moffic

Director of Youth and Teen Experience, The Cohen Kadima Program

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Rachel Mylan

Rachel Mylan

Director of Early and Elementary Family Life

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Amy Nadal

Amy Nadal

builder experience manager

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Rabbi Steven Philp

Rabbi Steven Philp

Associate Rabbi

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Keith Schnabel

Keith Schnabel

Communications Manager

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Rebecca Stevens

Rebecca Stevens

senior Director of programs

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Zach Weinberg

Zach Weinberg

Program and Operations Manager

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Michael Palmer

Michael Palmer

Development & Engagement Associate

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Jourdan Lewanda

Jourdan Lewanda

Administrative and Ritual Assistant

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Alex Harrity

Alex Harrity

Program Manager

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Ilana Abusch

Ilana Abusch

BMitzvah Education Associate

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Full bio

Part-Time Team

Leah Whiteman

Leah Whiteman

Build Your Village Co-Facilitator

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Patrick Budde

Patrick Budde

Lead Sound Engineer

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Will Burdin

Will Burdin

Operations and Venue Assistant

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Matthew Ellenwood

Matthew Ellenwood

music director

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Jordan Golding

Jordan Golding

Shabbat Coordinator

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Sarah Hood

Sarah Hood

Caregivers of Neurodiverse Children Support Group Facilitator

she/her
Ben Kaye

Ben Kaye

Shabbat Coordinator

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