About : Meet Our Staff

David joined the Bronfman Center team in May of 2007. As Director, his duties involve managing many aspects of the Bronfman Center operation, including overseeing the vision and scope of programming at the Bronfman Center and working with staff and students to implement that strategy. David’s career path has included two other Hillel institutions: The University of Arizona and Stanford. David is passionate about his work and is constantly amazed by the creativity, innovation, and work ethic of NYU students. His interests outside of work include his family and friends, music (guitar specifically), fitness, sports (NY sports specifically), food, and fun. Originally from Binghamton, NY, David received a BS in Marketing from the Smeal College of Business Administration at Penn State University.

david.rittberg@nyu.edu 212.998.4117

Rabbi Yehuda Sarna is a visionary, inspiring and highly personable rabbi known for his passion, sensitivity, creativity, and openness. A communal leader, teacher and innovator, he serves as the Rabbi of the Bronfman Center and University Chaplain of NYU. Rabbi Sarna and his family live in Gramercy Green, where he is Chaplain-in-Residence, and maintain an "open home" to students. He is married to Dr. Michelle Waldman Sarna and father to Batya, Maayan, Moshe, David and Amital.

rabbi.sarna@nyu.edu  212.998.4120

Tracy joined The Bronfman Center team in December of 2007. She is from Charleston, SC and received her BA from Hampshire College in Amherst, MA. Tracy began her career in the non-profit world as an educator at The Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust and from there went on to work as an administrator at Park Avenue Synagogue's Congregational School. Tracy's responsibilities at The Bronfman Center include budget, development, administration, working with NYU to maintain our beautiful brownstone and the list goes on and on. Tracy is a proud Brooklyn resident, and it is only because of her love for our students that she travels daily to the "outer borough" of Manhattan. She loves working at NYU with such a dynamic, diverse and exciting student body.

tfigueroa@nyu.edu  |  212.998.4113

Rabbi Dan Smokler is the Senior Jewish Educator at the Bronfman Center and the Educational Director of Hillel International's Senior Jewish Educator Project. Rabbi Dan specializes in helping you get more out of your Judaism on your terms…even if you never went to Hebrew School (or hated it), don't know how you feel about G-d, Israel and tradition, or just want to learn more. He teaches classes regularly at the Bronfman Center, leads smaller study groups around campus, and meets one-on-one with students to talk about anything from music and culture to life's big questions. You can always email him to set up a time to meet or study. Want to hear some interesting stories? Ask Rabbi Dan what he did before he was a Rabbi...Rabbi Dan also thinks he is pretty serious about working out. He is always looking for someone to join him on a run. Just drop him a line.

dan.smokler@gmail.com

Erica Frankel joined the Bronfman Center staff in 2008 after graduating from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and Linguistics. In 2010 she was selected as one of the first cohort of LAPID - the Leadership and Professional International Development Initiative for Early Career Hillel Professionals. In addition to her role at NYU, Erica also works as a professional dancer with companies, SINecdoche Dance, Vabang!, MELD/ Danceworks and others, in addition to dancing freelance, teaching, and choreographing. In her spare time she enjoys reading novels, learning more about jazz music, and eating frozen yogurt.

erica.frankel@nyu.edu 212.998.4122

Rebekah is thrilled to join the Bronfman Center team! Some of her responsibilities include Shabbat and holiday planning and overseeing students in various groups here at the BC. She graduated from NYU in December 2010 where she double-majored in History and Jewish Studies and minored in Politics. While a student at NYU, Rebekah was a member of the NYU Purple and White Dance Team, studied abroad with the pioneer group to NYU Tel Aviv, was an Eryk Spektor scholar in Jewish Studies, and interned at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. Originally from Austin, Texas, Rebekah is the oldest of five and adores her family, 100-degree weather, Texas Longhorn baseball, Tex-Mex, the beach, coffee and her Persian cat, Kobi. In her free time, she loves to watch football and funny movies, write in her journal, and read. If you need anything or just want to chat, please feel free to contact her or come by the 4th floor to say hi!

ret247@nyu.edu 212.998.4111

Melanie is excited to be a part of the Bronfman Center team! Originally from Southern California, Melanie graduated from the University of California, Riverside with a BA in English and Dance and worked briefly as Assistant to the Director of Student Life at UCR. She moved to New York in 2003 and continues to have a hand in the arts community through volunteer work and occasional performances. She now lives in Prospect Park, Brooklyn.

melanie.meadows@nyu.edu 212.998.4123

Bradley is a third year Rabbinical Student at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah and a first year Doctoral Student at Yeshiva University’s Ferkauf Graduate School for Psychology in the Combined School-Clinical Child Psychology PsyD program. He is originally from Great Neck, New York and attended North Shore Hebrew Academy for elementry school, RAMAZ for high school, and then spent a year in Israel at Yeshivat Reishit Yerushalayim. He attended New York University (2009), including a semester abroad in Israel at Hebrew University, where he studied Psychology and Jewish History. Some of his professional experiences include: Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus Fellowship at Binghamton University, Clinical Pastoral Education as a chaplain intern at North Shore University Hospital, and Rabbinic Intern at Hunter College. Bradley looks forward to returning to his Alma Mater and is particularly excited about the opportunities to teach, sing, pray and learn with the incredible NYU Jewish community.

bradley.hercman@gmail.com

Jodie is a second year rabbinical student at Hebrew Union College, here in the West Village. Before joining the Bronfman Center team, Jodie spent the last year living and studying in Jerusalem. Jodie is originally from Rockville Centre, NY and graduated from Brandeis University (with a quick stint at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland). Previously, Jodie worked at the Hillel at the University of Wisconsin, before she spent a year traveling around the world. After moving back to New York in 2005, Jodie worked at The JCC in Manhattan, and at Ma'yan: The Jewish Women's Project. Jodie loves living in Brooklyn, cooking elaborate meals, and plotting the next stamp in her passport.

kesherjodie@gmail.com

Justin Rosen Smolen is the assistant coordinator of CLIP.  A native New Yorker, Justin is a graduate student at NYU, where he is pursuing a Master in Public Administration and a Master of Arts in Judaic studies.  Alongside his studies, Justin is participating in the Wexner Graduate Fellowship.  Prior to graduate school, Justin worked full-time as a part of Insight, a two year fellowship program that brought Justin to three Jewish non-profit organizations for seven month-placements, including the Hillels at Baruch College and the College of Staten Island.  As an undergraduate, Justin attended the dual-degree program between Columbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary, where he received bachelor's degrees in philosophy and Jewish thought. In his spare time, Justin loves traveling, reading, and running in Riverside Park.

justin.rosen@nyu.edu

Jay Herman is the assistant coordinator of CLIP, a competitive undergraduate internship program that cultivates emerging professional and lay leaders in the Jewish community. Originally from the beautiful state of Colorado, Jay is a master’s student in Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, pursuing a degree in music education which will include certification to teach K-12 music in New York public schools. At his alma mater, University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington, Jay revitalized the Jewish community as president of Hillel and as Interfaith Coordinator for Jewish Life. In these capacities, he increased membership and Jewish programing on campus and worked with administration to make Puget Sound an appealing option for prospective Jewish students. At NYU, Jay often leads services for Kesher, the Reform Jewish organization on campus, and 10th Street Minyan, a monthly gathering for Jewish students and young professionals in the Village. Outside of work and school, Jay enjoys practicing marimba, vibraphone, and piano, listening to National Public Radio, and skiing the Rocky Mountains.

clipnyuac@gmail.com 212.998.4125

Gideon was born in Glasgow, Scotland and grew up in London, England. In 2007 Gideon moved across the pond to pursue his rabbinic ordination at Yeshiva University. Gideon received his law degree from University College London, after starting his undergraduate studies at the London School of Economics. Gideon also has an MA in Jewish Philosophy from YU’s Bernard Revel Graduate School. Before college, Gideon spent two years studying at Israel at Yeshivat Har Etzion (Gush). At NYU, Gideon serves as a campus rabbi, representing the Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus (JLIC) – a program of the Orthodox Union. Aside from being a huge soccer and golf fan, one thing Gideon is more passionate about than anything is people. He is here for you anytime, so if you would like to chat over a cup of coffee (chances are he’ll order tea), or you’re looking for someone to learn with or you want to join him and his wife Aliza for a Shabbat meal please don’t hesitate to get in touch!

rabbiblack@nyu.edu

Aliza is a true New Yorker. She was born in Manhattan (at NYU Hospital!) went to school here all her life (Ramaz all the way!) and after a year in Jerusalem where she studied at Midreshet HaRova, she moved back to the City to attend Yeshiva University’s Stern College for Women where she majored in Biology. It is fitting therefore that Aliza now finds herself at New York University, and is excited to be living right here in Greenwich Village with her husband and baby boy Judah. At NYU, Aliza co-directs the Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus (JLIC) with her husband Gideon. Aliza is also pursuing her dream of being a Physician Assistant as a graduate student at Pace University and Lennox Hill Hospital. If you want to get together with Aliza drop her a line or catch her on the treadmill at Palladium or Coles!

alizabblack@gmail.com

Jordan Hersh is the third-year rabbinical student at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America who recently returned from a year of living and studying in Jerusalem at Machon Schechter. During this year in Israel, he interned with the Mesorti (Conservative) Congregation, Kehillat Eshel Avraham, in Be'er Sheva, studied at the Conservative Yeshiva and participated in the Shalom Hartman Rabbinical Students Seminar. Currently, Jordan is a fellow of the Gladstein Fellowship in Entrepranureal Rabbinics and of the Rabbis Without Borders Student Fellowship through CLAL. When not working or studying, Jordan loves spending time hiking in nature and both playing and going out to see music with his his wife Shulie.

johersh@jtsa.edu