Meet the Board

From Talmud Brachot 6a:
How do we know that when ten people pray, the Divine Presence is with them?
“God stands in the community (edah) of God”  — Psalms 82:1

The root of the word community, edah, means witness: people who have seen the same things, they have a shared vision. They might not always agree, but they seek to see the same ultimate goal realized.

In this sprit, our Board of Directors shares our vision of community, hospitality, and Shabbat — an edah that continues to look ahead and see endless possibilities and promise around the Shabbat dinner table.

OneTable Board of Directors

Kari Alterman, Secretary

Kari is the Program Director, Jewish Life at the William Davidson Foundation where she works with the foundation board and to determine and award grant support to organizations that preserve and enhance Jewish life in SE Michigan, the United States, and Israel. A proud graduate of University of Michigan, Kari is also an adjunct lecturer for the University of Michigan's School of Social Work and serves on the board of Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Kari lives in Michigan with her husband and two daughters.

Sara Bloom, Immediate Past Chair

Sara chairs the Board of the Hebrew Charter School Center and serves on the Board of Directors of The Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life and the Board of Trustees of the Areivim Philanthropic Group. From 2004 to 2008, she was a columnist for The New York Sun focusing on raising children in New York City. She’s appeared on CBS Morning News and FOX News, and lectured at local schools. She graduated magna cum laude from Columbia University. Sara lives in New York City with her family.

Steven Boal, Director

Steven Boal is the CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Matia Mobility, a manufacturer of robotic standing wheelchairs. Prior to Matia Mobility, Steven founded Quotient (NYSE:QUOT) in 1998 and served as its CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors. Prior to founding Quotient, Steven served as VP of business development for Integral Development Corporation. Steven also previously was VP and head of global emerging markets derivative technology at J.P. Morgan. He is also the Founder and Chairman of electronic gift card company Cashstar (sold to Blackhawk). He has held board positions on the Oshman Family JCC, Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School, and Kehillah Jewish High School.

Lauren Chew, Director

Lauren is the Founder of Love + Chew Brands, a plant-based snack company based out of San Francisco. Before starting Love + Chew Brands, Lauren worked in renewable energy for companies such as Tesla and Stem for 6 years. She graduated from the University of California, San Diego. She currently sits on the Women’s Philanthropy Council for Jewish Nevada, and completed her Jewish conversion in 2018. She splits her time between Las Vegas and San Francisco with her husband and baby.

Jake Cohen, Director

Jake Cohen is a cookbook author and nice Jewish boy from New York. A former food staffer at Saveur, food editor of Tasting Table and Time Out New York, and editorial director of the Feedfeed, Jake wrote his first book, Jew-ish, about his love of Jewish food and Shabbat. When he isn’t writing about food, he’s posting challah-braiding videos and recipes on his Instagram and TikTok (@jakecohen).

Rabbi David Gedzelman, Treasurer

David is President & CEO of The Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life, which is dedicated to revitalizing Jewish identity through innovative initiatives that build connections with the richness of Jewish civilization, the Hebrew language, and the life and culture of Israel. He holds a B.A. from Hamilton College, an M.A. from Duke University in Comparative Religion, and Rabbinical Ordination from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. In addition to the OneTable Board, he serves on the Boards of The American Pardes Foundation and the Council for Hebrew Language and Culture. He lives in Harlem with his wife Judith Turner and their three children, Nomi, Anina, and Ziv.

Gregg Delman, Director

After completing his JD/MBA, Gregg built a career working with and contributing to the development of world changing start-up companies. In 2016, Gregg founded G Three Media - a media relations and strategic marketing agency focused on helping startups find their voice and communicate their vision to the world. He’s worked with renown tech companies including Face.com (acquired by Facebook), AOL, Docusign, Element AI, and Ripcord. Gregg lives in San Francisco and New York.

David Fisher, Director

David is the Executive Managing Director, Head of Family Office Services of Cresset Asset Management. From 2018-2021, he served as President of Berman Capital Advisors, which merged with Cresset in October of 2021. Previously, he was the President and CEO of the Birthright Israel Foundation. David serves on the board of the Atlanta Jewish Federation, The iCenter, and is a past member of Young Presidents Organization, Cincinnati. David and his wife, Stacey, are Founding Members of the Atlanta Greenlight Fund. David participated in Leadership Cincinnati Class XXII and was recognized as a Cincinnati ’40 Under 40’, by the Cincinnati Business Courier.

Julie Franklin, Vice Chair

Julie is an education advocate and philanthropist. She is actively involved in numerous organizations focused on children, education, and social justice. She has mentored over 100 students through the Posse Foundation, Teach for America, Women of Tomorrow, and Achieve Miami. Julie is a member of The Trustees’ Council of Penn Women, an advisor to The Arthur Project, and sits on the board of SP2, The Center for Jewish Entrepreneurial Philanthropy, Ransom Everglades and Teach for America in Miami. Julie graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and currently resides in Miami, Fl.

Emeri Handler, Director

Emeri is a parent education and mental health consultant, community volunteer, philanthropist, and life-long learner. Focusing on developmental and clinical psychology for over 30 years, Emeri works with families to create long-term, healthy relationships. She previously worked as the Associate Director/Director for Education at the Anti-Defamation League in San Francisco. Emeri is active on various boards and committees, including regional theater companies, education and mental health organizations, and Jewish non-profits. She is also passionate about collective grant-making, having co-founded and managed a women’s philanthropy fund that granted over $400,000 in 5 years. Emeri resides in Boulder, CO with her husband Brad; they are the proud parents of three young women.

Deborah Hochberg, Director

Debbie is Senior Advisor at The Paul E. Singer Foundation where she works with organizations and partners seeking to increase their impact. She served as Director of Investor Relations for Multex, Inc., where she built investor relationships and ran corporate strategy. Debbie began her career at Merrill Lynch & Co. She serves on the Board of The Harold Grinspoon Foundation, the Women’s Leadership Initiative at BBYO and the Jewish Food Society. Debbie has an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and an A.B. in Biology from Harvard College. She lives in Westchester with her family.

Rena Kopelman, Director

Rena is an advisor, strategist, and philanthropist in the non-profit community. In the Philadelphia area, she serves on the Board of Perelman Jewish Day School and is a member of the University of Pennsylvania’s Trustees Council for Penn Women and of the Thomas Jefferson University Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center President’s Advisory Council. Nationally, Rena is an advocate for Jewish identity-building programs and cochairs Changemakers, a global young adult leadership initiative for Jewish Federations of North America, upon whose Board of Trustees she sits. She has been involved in several Israeli television and film productions, using the power of storytelling to change perspective. Rena received her BA from the University of Pennsylvania and her MBA and law degree from Villanova University. She practiced corporate law and was a consultant to several non-profit women’s organizations before devoting her energies to family and volunteerism. Rena and her husband created the Kopelman Foundation, which funds early-stage, entrepreneurial social projects.

Adam Levine, Director

Adam is president of Circle of Service Foundation based in Chicago. He has served on the board of COSF since 1997, and joined COSF professionally as president in 2007.  Prior to 2007, Adam practiced corporate law as a partner at Kirkland & Ellis.  He is a member of the boards of the Partnership for College Completion, OneTable, Jewish Funders Network, and Chicago Jewish Day School.

Rob Orley, Chair

Rob Orley serves as a Principal at O2 Investment Partners, LLC. He’s a Real Estate Developer and a seasoned executive and private equity investor with more than 35 years of experience. Rob holds a J.D. degree from Detroit College of Law, Bachelor’s Degree in Business from the University of Michigan and an L.L.M. in Taxation from Boston University School of Law. Rob has served as an advisor to OneTable, helping us secure a match for Detroit funding and hosting a Shabbat dinner to introduce OneTable to the Detroit community with his wife Marcie Hermelin Orley. Rob is an active JFNA Cabinet alum.

Kylie Unell, Director

Kylie is a Dean's Doctoral Fellow at NYU concentrating in Jewish philosophy. Her research focuses on the intersection between the Black and Jewish community through the philosophies of Moses Mendelssohn and Booker T. Washington. In 2021, Kylie was named an "aspiring Jewish philosopher" by the New York Jewish Week for their annual 36 Under 36. Kylie has hosted two #1 Jewish podcasts with Tablet Studios: "How to Fix a Soul in 30 Days" and "49 Days to Stretch My Soul." She has also hosted a YouTube series on the history of the relationship between the Black and Jewish communities with Unpacked which has amassed over 1.2 million views. She currently lives in Upstate New York with her canine sidekick, Miley.