Liana serves as Associate Director of the Mandel Institute for Nonprofit Leadership. Since 2017, Liana has provided oversight of Mandel Institute for Nonprofit Leadership (MINL) operations, including budgeting, policy development, and team management, while driving strategic initiatives to enhance efficiency and program effectiveness. She also leads the MINL Graduate Program, designing engagement opportunities and professional development for alumni, and contributes to the Executive and Educational Leadership Programs through admissions, advising, and experiential learning projects. Additionally, Liana manages key external partnerships and logistics for institute events and convenings. Previously, Liana served as the Director of Programs at ShalomLearning, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching children Jewish values and Hebrew in a relatable and engaging way. She was also the Teen Program Manager at the Jewish Community Centers of Greater Boston, where she coordinated the Diller Teen Fellows program. An active volunteer, Liana is involved with Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Boston and the Westwood Young Women’s Club. She was recognized as one of Combined Jewish Philanthropies’ “Chai in the Hub” winners, honoring the top 18 most influential young Jews in Boston. Liana holds a BS in Early Childhood Education/Child & Family Studies and an MEd in Early Childhood Education from Lesley University. She also earned a certificate in Experiential Jewish Education from Yeshiva University. She lives in Westwood, MA, with her husband and two daughters.

As Program Director for Jewish Education at the Mandel Institute for Nonprofit Leadership, Rabbi Jethro Berkman has led the design and launch of two programs: the Educational Leadership Program (2021), a fellowship for leaders in Jewish education, and the Early Career Educators Program (expected, 2026), a fellowship designed for promising Jewish educators. Before joining the Foundation, Jethro worked at Gann Academy for eleven years, most recently as Dean of Jewish Education. He is a graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and a member of the Reform movement’s Central Conference of American Rabbis. He also studied at the Yakar Center for Tradition and Creativity, the Harvard Divinity School, the Hebrew University, the Pardes Institute, the Conservative Yeshiva and Machon Schechter. Before his studies at RRC, Rabbi Berkman spent three years living in Israel, both studying and working for Seeds of Peace, an organization that helps teenagers from regions of conflict learn peacemaking skills. Rabbi Berkman also worked with children with special needs in the Boston Public Schools and volunteered for the community service program City Year Boston. He lives in Newton, MA with his wife, Rabbi Audrey Marcus Berkman, and their three children.

Karen was appointed Director of the Executive Leadership Program in July 2024, where she oversees the ongoing development, implementation, and improvement of all aspects of the program, including faculty and advisors, curriculum, recruitment and admissions, and serves as faculty within the program. Prior to joining the Mandel Foundation, she was the Assistant Director of the Crown Center for Middle East Studies at Brandeis University. She holds an MA and PhD in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies from Brandeis. Her dissertation examined orphanhood, the care and education of Jewish children, and the development of child welfare systems in the Yishuv. Her areas of expertise include modern European Jewish history, Holocaust Studies, and Israel Studies. As a doctoral student, she was a Schusterman Fellow at the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies. She also holds an MA in Religion from the University of Georgia and a dual BA in English and Religious Studies from the University of Arizona. She has taught courses on the Holocaust, Zionism, and the history of the State of Israel at Brandeis and as a community educator to high school students, in synagogues, through adult education, and senior life throughout the greater Boston area and New York. Karen and her husband Eran live in Waltham, MA with their two children.

Sharon is the Operations Associate at the Mandel Institute, where she supports financial processes, office coordination, and technical operations. She plays a key role in managing logistics for seminars and events, maintaining internal systems, and ensuring the smooth day-to-day functioning of the Boston office. Prior to joining the Institute, Sharon held executive support roles in corporate settings and earned a master’s degree in international relations, which included a year of study at the Paris Institute of Political Studies through a merit-based scholarship.

As Program Associate, Andrew provides comprehensive support for the Institute’s Cultural Leadership and Early Career Educators Programs, coordinating logistics for seminars in Boston and abroad and assisting with the evaluation and recruitment process. Andrew also works on the Institute’s communications strategy. Prior to joining the Mandel Foundation in 2024, Andrew was the Development Manager for Boston Opera Collaborative and performed and taught chamber music for six years as the pianist of Trio Gaia, an award-winning classical piano trio. Andrew is passionate about building connection and community in educational, cultural, and communal settings, whether through interdisciplinary concerts or events for young Jewish adults as a resident of the Brookline Moishe House. Andrew holds BM, MM, and GD degrees in piano and chamber music performance from the New England Conservatory. Both at home and when traveling, Andrew can usually be found searching street-by-street for the best bakeries and consignment stores—recommendations are gladly accepted.

As Program Associate, Neta supports the Institute’s Executive and Educational Leadership Programs by planning and coordinating seminars in Boston and abroad as well as contributing to recruitment and evaluation efforts. Before joining the Institute, Neta worked as a lawyer and case manager at the Israeli Competition Authority and interned at the State Attorney’s Office. She holds a Bachelor of Laws and Humanities degree from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where she also mentored students from underrepresented backgrounds. Originally from Jerusalem, Neta now lives in Cambridge with her husband and enjoys exploring the Boston area and traveling.