Mishkan’s Board of Directors

Our rocking Board of Directors is leading our organization as we grow and realize our vision.

Meet the incredible group of smart folks who love this organization and are going above and beyond to put their time, talents, and treasure to ensuring our long-term sustainability. Our Board’s primary role is to help envision Mishkan for the present and future and ensure our financial sustainability and stability. They keep us motivated and grounded as we continue to pioneer new entryways into Jewish life.

Learn More

If you’re interested in learning more about the Mishkan Board, we’d love to talk to you.

Email Rachel Cort

Lisa Portnoy

Lisa Portnoy

Board Chair

Lisa (she/her) is a retired partner with Ernst & Young. Lisa spent many years in the San Francisco Bay Area and relocated to Chicago in 2012. She has been an active community volunteer in Jewish and secular organizations including the Executive Board of Directors of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco and the audit committee of Jewish Federations of North America. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Orot: Center for New Jewish Learning and a member of the International and Chicago regional councils of New Israel Fund. She is also a member of the advisory council for the Institute for Business and Professional Ethics at DePaul University. Since retiring, Lisa spends her time traveling and cooking for friends.   

Adam Case

Adam Case

Treasurer

Adam Case (he/him) was drawn to Mishkan for its vibrant vision of Judaism, and is thrilled to support this community by serving on the Board. He lives in Lincoln Square with his wife Alicia and children Elsa and Ben, who both attend the Mensch Academy. He works for Right At School, an organization that provides high-quality after-school programs across the country.

Hannah Bloom-Hirschberg

Hannah Bloom-Hirschberg

Board Member

Hannah Bloom-Hirschberg (she/her) is the Director of Strategy and Outreach for JECELI @ JTS, a program for Jewish early childhood education professionals which seeks to transform Jewish education through collaborative leadership. Prior to this role, she developed professional development curricula for daycare providers and taught young children. Hannah holds a Bachelor’s  from Vanderbilt University and a Master’s from Erikson Institute. She serves on a number of JUF committees as well as the Board of Vanderbilt Hillel. Hannah lives in Andersonville with her husband, Gary, and their children.

Stephanie Cohen

Stephanie Cohen

Board Member

Stephanie (she/her) has experience in Brand Strategy and Marketing and has worked at both Media and Creative agencies, as well as a Global Brand Consulting firm. Nowadays, you can find Stephanie on a myriad of Chicago stages, as she pursues her passion for improv and comedy. Stephanie holds an MBA from The Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and a B.S. from New York University. When she’s not Yes And-ing her fellow performers, Stephanie and her wife, Anita, are busy chasing after their two kids and dog. 

Antonio García

Antonio García

Board Member

Antonio García (he/him) is Head of Design at TXI, founder of Dadwell & Co. and Board Advisor to AIGA Chicago. In addition to design leadership, Antonio is a mentor, educator, and lecturer. If he’s not hard at work, Antonio is most likely DJing, drawing, or training for his next marathon. Antonio is a long-time Mishkanite and dad to two Mensch students.

Sarah Garza Resnick

Sarah Garza Resnick

Board Member

Sarah Garza Resnick (she/her) is Chief Deputy Assessor for Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi. Resnick graduated from Cardozo School of Law, where she worked at the Innocence Project. She received her undergraduate degree in Political Science and Economics from Brandeis University and her master’s degree in Political Sociology from the London School of Economics. Sarah lives with her husband, Paul Miller and their two sons (Abe and Zeke) in Bridgeport.  

Rabbi Lizzi Heydemann

Rabbi Lizzi Heydemann

Board Member

As the founding Rabbi of Mishkan, Rabbi Lizzi (she/her) is also on the board. Read more about her here. 

Michael Kornick

Michael Kornick

Board Member

Chef Michael Kornick (he/him) is a nationally recognized leader in the culinary arts. Kornick graduated in 1982 from the Culinary Institute of America and went on to work with some of the most influential chefs and restaurant operators in the United States. In 1998 Kornick and his wife Lisa opened mk The Restaurant. Condé Nast Traveler selected mk as one of the “Hottest Restaurants in the World,” and Esquire chose mk as one of the “Top Restaurants to Open in 1999. Although known primarily for his accomplishments as a chef, Michael Kornick has developed into one of the country’s leading restaurateurs. Kornick lives with his wife Lisa in Golden, Colorado. They have four wonderful adult children.

Abigail Kuchnir

Abigail Kuchnir

Board Member

Abigail Kuchnir (she) is a second year law student at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, focusing on land use law and commercial litigation. Before law school, she worked as a paralegal in a small law firm focusing on property tax appeals. Abby moved to Chicago from Massachusetts in 2015 and fell in love with Mishkan as an undergraduate at the University of Chicago. She now lives in the Southport corridor with her husband Jacob and enjoys playing board games with friends, practicing yoga, and spending time with family in Chicago and New England.

Avi Lewittes

Avi Lewittes

Board Member

Avi (he/him) is excited about helping to create opportunities for progressive and spiritual engagement in the Jewish community. He and his family moved to Chicago in 2010 from New York City, where they had been longtime active members of B’nai Jeshurun, a leading synagogue community with similar values, passion and impact as Mishkan. Avi is the Chief Investment Officer of The Scion Group, a national owner and operator of student housing communities located in major university campus markets across the US. Originally from Montreal, Avi graduated from McGill University and received an MBA from Columbia Business School. He is also on the Board of Hillel at Northwestern University, and proud dad to Dani, Eitan, and Orly.

Josh Turnbull

Josh Turnbull

Board Member

Josh (he/him) is a vice president at TransUnion, responsible for the company’s business with 5,000 banks and credit unions in the United States. Recognized as an industry innovator and a frequent speaker, his career in financial services technology and data has focused on business management, strategy, and marketing roles. Josh lives in Portage Park and has a passion for travel and the culinary adventures that come with it.

Katherine Linzer

Katherine Linzer

Board Member

Katherine Linzer (she/her) is originally from Pittsburgh and moved to Chicago in 2013 by way of San Francisco and London, and attended a Mishkan service on her first Saturday in Chicago. She has been an enthusiastic and devoted community member ever since then. Katherine is a partner at the management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, where she focuses on health and human services with an emphasis on Medicaid. Katherine is a member of Mishkan’s finance committee and also serves on the board of Junior Achievement Chicago. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, travel, writing, and meditation