Abramson’s tenure as OneTable’s second CEO will begin in August

May 14, 2025 — After an extensive five-month search, undertaken in cooperation with global firm Heidrick & Struggles, OneTable is pleased to announce Dr. Sarah Abramson as its next chief executive officer (CEO). Abramson will officially join the organization on August 11, 2025.

Abramson brings with her a wealth of experience and a passion for building Jewish community. Most recently she has served as executive vice President for strategy and impact at Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP) where she oversees grantmaking and partner relationship management both in the US and in Israel, as well as CJP’s vision and strategy design and crisis response work — most recently managing CJP’s $60m Israel Emergency Fund.

Her extensive experience also includes roles at Yad Chessed, Board of Deputies (London), Jewish Care, Jewish Women’s Aid, and the Institute for Jewish Policy Research.

Abramson is a recent graduate of the Wexner Field Fellowship, and holds a master’s degree in gender and public policy as well as a Ph.D. in sociology from the London School of Economics.

“I couldn’t be more excited to be joining the exceptional team at OneTable, following in the shoes of the incomparable Aliza Kline,” she said.

“OneTable is a wonderful blend of tradition and innovation, centered around Shabbat. It serves as a unifier across our people, yet it’s delivered in dynamic ways that allow us to each bring our Judaism to life in our own unique, personal way. At a time where there seems to be more ‘oy’ than ‘joy’ for us as a global Jewish people, OneTable represents a future filled with hope, a table full of new and old friends, and a path forward at an incredibly painful time.”

Julie Franklin, chair of OneTable’s board of directors, echoed the excitement.

“Throughout our search we were continuously impressed with Sarah’s experience, expertise, and passion for growing OneTable’s community. We are looking forward to working with Sarah to nurture OneTable as we enter our second decade.”

Franklin also thanked Irit Gross, OneTable’s chief advancement officer, for stepping in as interim CEO for the past five months. Gross will continue as interim through August.

“The OneTable community is thriving, and bigger than ever before,” noted Franklin. “We’re looking forward to continued growth to serve the record numbers joining us for OneTable Shabbats and as clients of our Powered By OneTable services. We facilitated more than one million engagements in our first decade, and I have no doubt we’ll help facilitate many more in the years to come.”

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About OneTable

OneTable is a North American non-profit empowering people who don’t yet have a consistent Shabbat dinner practice to build one that feels authentic, sustainable, and valuable. OneTable was initially funded to support people aged 21-39ish to find and share this powerful experience and has expanded to include those 50ish+ via OneTable Together. Through its private-label technology and consulting services, Powered By OneTable, it enables other engagement-oriented organizations to experience the power and benefits of peer-led, DIY events. Learn more at www.onetable.org.