Our Board

Adam Strauss is Co-CEO and Portfolio Manager at Pekin Hardy Strauss Wealth Management, where he leads the firm’s investment team. Since 2004, he has worked closely with individuals, families, and institutions to develop customized financial plans and disciplined, long-term investment strategies aligned…

Originally from Boston, Jenna now resides in Chicago with her partner and their dog, Baby Ruth. She is a graduate of Agnes Scott College, Northeastern University School of Law, and SOAS, University of London. Jenna began her career in refugee resettlement and…

Sam Cone comes from a long lineage of philanthropists and community advocates. His great-great-grandfather, Ceasar Cone, co-founded what became the world’s largest denim manufacturer after fleeing religious persecution in Germany — a legacy that continues to shape Sam’s commitment to human and…

Dan Libenson is the President of the Lippman Kanfer Foundation for Living Torah. He believes we are in a time of great transformation for Judaism and the Jewish people, and his goal is to empower and prepare Jews and fellow travelers to…

Joanna (Jo) Ware is an organizer, facilitator, and educator. As the Founding Executive Director of the Jewish Liberation Fund, she organizes money and donors to build power and mobilize resources to sustain and grow a progressive Jewish movement for justice and liberation.…

Mati is a student rabbi at the École Rabbinique de Paris and the Educational Director and Peer Support Director of the Jewish Autism Network, where he leads educational programs and support groups for hundreds of autistic members of the Jewish community each month. An…

Sandy Sussman, contrary to Benay’s often-quoted statement, first came to Svara in 2017 “primarily to learn Talmud.” Recently retired and having studied Talmud in translation for more than 20 years, she literally was “sitting at home, wishing [she] could learn Talmud” in…