Staff – Mandel Institute for Nonprofit Leadership

Eva Heinstein

Eva Heinstein is the Director of the Mandel Institute for Nonprofit Leadership. Eva joined the Mandel Foundation in 2020, as a Senior Research Associate to support development of the Foundation’s strategic plan for North America. In 2022, she led the design and launch of the Cultural Leadership Program, a fellowship for leading artists and cultural producers committed to revitalizing Jewish life. Prior to joining the Mandel Foundation, Eva worked at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership where she managed partnerships with the Center’s board, alumni network, and community organizations. She has developed a range of cultural initiatives over the course of her career, such as Entrepreneurial Musicianship at New England Conservatory, a university-wide program that offers students career navigation, leadership training, and support to develop new creative work. She also served as the Executive Director of Piyut North America, an initiative to revitalize Jewish musical and spiritual traditions from North Africa and the Middle East. Eva holds an MPA from Harvard Kennedy School, an MA in Ethnomusicology from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a BA in Music and Hebrew Literature from New York University.

Liana Brodsky

[email protected]

Liana Brodsky is the Associate Director of the Mandel Institute for Nonprofit Leadership. Previously she served as the Director of Programs at ShalomLearning, a nonprofit dedicated to providing technology-based Judaics and Hebrew curriculum for Jewish educational institutions. Previously, she was the Teen Program Manager at the Jewish Community Centers of Greater Boston, coordinating the Diller Teen Fellows. Ms. Brodsky currently volunteers with Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Boston, the Westwood Young Women’s Club, and Temple Beth David of Westwood on their security committee. She was selected as one of Combined Jewish Philanthropies “Chai in the Hub” winners; the top 18 most influential young Jews in Boston. Ms. Brodsky received her B.S. in Early Childhood Education/Child & Family Studies and her M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education both from Lesley University. Additionally, she received a certificate in Experiential Jewish Education from Yeshiva University.

Karen Spira

[email protected]

Karen Spira is the Director of the Executive Leadership 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.

Jethro Berkman

[email protected]

Jethro Berkman is the Director of the Educational Leadership Program and a Program Officer in Jewish Education at the Mandel Institute for Nonprofit Leadership. Before joining the Foundation, Rabbi Berkman 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. Prior to 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.

Hanna Paris

[email protected]

Hanna Paris is the Program Associate of the Mandel Institute for Nonprofit Leadership. Prior to joining the Mandel Foundation, she served as a Paralegal Specialist for the United States Department of Justice. Ms. Paris earned a BA in Political Science and International Studies from Case Western Reserve University in 2021.

Avital Habshush

[email protected]

Avital Habshush is the Operations Associate of the Mandel Institute for Nonprofit Leadership. Prior to joining the Foundation, Avital spent a year on the Dorot Fellowship in Israel exploring the complexities of the land, engaging in leadership development, and volunteering at a therapeutic plant nursery. Avital has a deep love of learning especially when it comes to Jewish studies and science. After receiving her B.A. in biology at Stern College, Avital spent a year studying Yeshiva University’s Graduate Program in Advanced Talmudic Studies (GPATS). Afterwards, she served as a Jewish Educator at Harvard Hillel and a Genetic Testing Coordinator at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Professional Team

Eva Heinstein

Liana Brodsky

Karen Spira

Jethro Berkman

Hanna Paris

Avital Habshush

Links / Social

Newsletter