About Us

Rabbi Menachem Schrader studied at Yeshivat Har Etzion and Yeshiva University. He has a BA in Philosophy from YU, an MA in History from NYU, and received his Smicha from Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. He is married to Rina, and they have five children. In 1981 Rabbi Schrader and his family moved to Israel, and have been living there since. He was on the Torah studies faculty of  Yeshivat Hamivtar, teaching Talmud, Bible, and Halachah. He was the director of the Aliza Flatow program at Nishmat. He has been community rabbi of Moshav Carmel in the Judean Hills and of Congregation Tiferet Avot in Efrat. In the year 2000 he founded the Orthodox Union’s Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus of the Orthodox Union, and continues to serve as its Founding Director. 

To speak to Rabbi Schrader, email him at Menachemschrader@gmail.com

Rabbi Josh Ross earned a double BA in History and Philosophy from Dalhousie University in Canada before dedicating eight years to Yeshiva learning in Israel. Upon returning to North America, Rabbi Ross and his wife Rivky began their impactful work as JLIC Directors on campus, first spending three transformative years at Cornell, followed by another three at Princeton, where they became beloved fixtures in the campus Jewish community.

Rabbi Ross’s journey with JLIC has been one of natural progression and deepening impact: from hands-on campus work to Deputy Director, and now as Executive Director, where he continues to guide and inspire Jewish students across university campuses in North America and Israel.

When he steps away from his rabbinic duties, Rabbi Ross brings genuine curiosity to everything he does. He loves deep philosophical discussions about Sun Tzu’s The Art of War (fair warning: he’s always game for a spirited debate about ancient military strategy) and spends time in his woodworking shop crafting intricate resin art, where wood and colorful resins transform into striking pieces. When he’s not pondering ancient wisdom or creating beautiful pieces, you’ll find him powerlifting and coaching others in strength and conditioning. Turns out that balancing 550 pounds on your back teaches you a thing or two about balance in life too.

To speak to Rabbi Ross, email him at Rossj@ou.org

Rabbi Pinny Rosenthal is OU-JLIC’s National Development Director. A veteran educator, Seattle-born Rabbi Rosenthal was the Dean of the Torah Academy of Long Island for ten years and has taught in various local communities for the past twenty-five years (over 975 of his classes are available on YUTorah.org). He was also the lead guitarist for Shlock Rock for many years. Rabbi Rosenthal most recently served as senior director of the Manhattan Jewish Experience, a role that combined management, development, teaching, program planning and counseling. He received a BS in Finance from Touro College, a masters in education administration from Columbia University and semichah from Yeshiva B’nei Torah in Far Rockaway, New York. Rabbi Rosenthal lives in West Hempstead, New York with his wife Marie and their six children. 

To contact Rabbi Pinny Rosenthal please contact rosenthalp@ou.org

Rabbi Jonathan Shulman served as Director of the Orthodox Union’s Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus at the University of Pennsylvania from 2010-2014, before transitioning into his new role as Associate Director of JLIC and Director of JLIC Israel. He received his BA in Foreign Affairs from The University of Virginia and studied at Yeshivat Mir in Jerusalem. Rabbi Shulman has worked in international development in northern India, restaurant management and development, and is an Iyengar yoga instructor. He is originally from Washington, DC and now lives with his wife Jenny and their three children in Jerusalem.

To speak to Rabbi Shulman, email him at rabbishulman@yavneh.us

Tal Attia is JLIC’s Chief Operating Officer. In addition broader oversight over the organization, Tal drives the recruitment and placement of JLIC’s all-star staff. She previously served as JLIC Director at Brandeis and Binghamton Universities with her husband Isaac. Tal is passionate about community-building, Jewish and Experiential education, and mentorship. After learning in Michlelet Mevaseret Yerushalayim (MMY), Tal received a BA in Psychology from Stern College for Women, and an MA in Nonprofit Management & Leadership from Hebrew University. In Israel, she worked for Ayeka Center for Soulful Education, and MMY as an Activities Coordinator (Rakezet). While on campus, Tal participated in the Matan-Eshkolot Professional Development Fellowship for Jewish educators. She is an avid reader, enjoys hiking (especially in Israel!), and can often be found perusing studies about Psychology or Adaptive Leadership. Tal and Isaac live in Modiin with their adorable (if they do say so themselves) children.

To contact Tal Attia please email  attiat@ou.org

Leora Fadlun is originally from Hendon (London, England) and moved to New York when she was 3 years old. Leora attended SKA for high school, followed by a gap year at Midreshet Harova. Leora graduated from Baruch College in 2021. Prior to this role, Leora interned for the Claims Conference, where she found her passion for working in non-profit organizations. In her spare time, Leora loves listening to music, spending time with family, and any activity that involves creativity. Leora has been part of the JLIC team since October 2021 and recently moved into her new role as the FP&A.

To contact Leora please email fadlunl@ou.org

Rabbi Elie Weissman comes to JLIC with over twenty years of Jewish communal experience, serving as rabbi of the Young Israel of Plainview and having taught at the Yeshiva of Flatbush and Yeshiva University High School for Girls. After studying at Yeshivat Har Etzion, Rabbi Weissman earned a Bachelors in English literature and a Masters in Bible from Yeshiva University, where he also received his rabbinic ordination. Rabbi Weissman enjoys Jazz music and believes, with all due respect to Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong is the greatest trumpet player of all time.  Rabbi Weissman lives in Plainview with his wife Avital and their five children. 

Yossi Katz, the Direct Maestro, is the Chief Marketing Officer for JLIC, bringing over two decades of marketing experience to connecting with Jewish students on campuses worldwide.

Yossi has spent 15 years in for-profit education and dozen plus years in startups, where he experienced it all: one successful exit, contributing to a unicorn company, helping two businesses that are still thriving today, and yes, a few failures that taught him more than any success ever could. Through it all, he developed a direct response marketing philosophy that shapes everything he does: every dollar spent needs to show measurable results, and every campaign must work harder when budgets are tight.

His approach is rooted in accountability. It’s not about flashy campaigns or vanity metrics, it’s about driving action while maximizing every marketing dollar. Whether working with a startup’s shoestring budget or larger resources, Yossi obsesses over getting the most impact from the least spend.

When he’s not working, Yossi loves cycling scenic routes or pushing through tough Peloton rides, brewing loose tea, enjoying good dark chocolate, and experimenting with fermenting vegetables. There’s something about the patience required for fermentation that reminds him good marketing takes time too.

For Yossi, marketing is about making a real difference while being a careful steward of resources, one measurable campaign at a time.

To speak with Yossi Katz he can be reached at: katzj@ou.org

Eliana Strauss is JLIC’s Managing Director of Fundraising Operations, with a strong focus on fundraising operations and high school engagement. Originally from Teaneck, NJ Eliana spent a year learning in Israel at Tiferet in Ramat Beit Shemesh. She received her Bachelor’s from CUNY Queens College where she majored in psychology and minored in business. Eliana completed a Masters program in Public Administration, with a focus on nonprofit management at Rutgers University. Eliana was involved with JLIC at Queens College from its beginnings on campus in 2012!

To speak to Eliana Strauss, email her at steinreiche@ou.org

Rabbi Shmuli Zema is OU-JLIC’s Senior Director of Development. He received his BA in Psychology from Lander College, his MBA in Finance & Operations Research from the Zicklin School of Business (Baruch College) and his semicha from Yeshiva University. Born and raised in New York, Rabbi Zema served as Assistant Rabbi of The Hampton Synagogue for four years, Rabbinical Educator at Manhattan Jewish Experience during the COVID pandemic, and most recently, as Executive Director of Friends of JCT (Machon Lev), a role that combined development, strategy, and management. Some of his hobbies include kiruv work, sports, and exercise. Rabbi Zema lives in Miami, Florida with his wife – and better half – Mazal-tov.

To contact Rabbi Shmuli Zema please contact ZemaS@ou.org

Bringing her decades of campus experience to enrich JLIC nationally, Sharona Kaplan serves as JLIC’s Executive Coach and is a valued member of JLIC’s Senior Management Team. Sharona and her husband, Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, lead a thriving community of UCLA students and alumni while successfully expanding the OU’s presence to other West Coast campuses. The Kaplans live in Westwood with their children, Shalva, Barak, Rivky, Yakir, Yosef and Tzahala.

To contact Sharona please contact kaplans@ou.org

Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan is the Executive Director of OU-JLIC West Coast.  He has served as the campus Director at UCLA since 2004 and has since grown OU-JLIC’s West Coast program to service Jewish students on six other Los Angeles campuses.  Rabbi Kaplan is part of the OU-JLIC Senior Management Team, functioning as a Senior Fundraiser, Campus Supervisor and member of the  Executive Leadership Cohort.

Rabbi Kaplan is celebrated for his optimism, creative programming, visionary lens, financial prowess and energized teaching.  He gives weekly classes to undergraduate students, Medical Students and Law students, while offering mentorship to students and Campus Directors alike.  Originally from Teaneck, NJ, Rabbi Kaplan lives in Los Angeles with his wife Sharona and their six optimal children.

Dr. Peyser is a clinical psychologist practicing for over 25 years in Israel. She joined JLIC in 2021 in the role of psychological consultant for campus directors. In addition to her work for JLIC, Dr. Peyser also maintains a private practice and serves as the clinical supervisor for Hakshiva, an organization providing psychological services to teens and their families in Ramat Beit Shemesh. Dr. Peyser and her husband served for 11 years as the spiritual leaders of a congregation in their hometown of Efrat where they live with their three children.

To contact Dr. Peyser please email cpbollag@gmail.com

Hani Lowenstein was born in New Haven, Connecticut and grew up in Washington, DC. She received a BA from the Stern College for Women Honors program where she majored in Judaic Studies and minored in Psychology. She subsequently completed an MA in the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Yeshiva University in Modern Jewish History. Hani has studied at Nishmat, Michalah and the Gruss Midrashiya program. She is certified by Machon Puah as a Yoetzet l’refuah v’halacha. Hani has experience in the world of education in different settings in the US and Israel ranging from elementary school age children to women’s adult education and everything in between. As the Associate Director of Community Projects (for almost a decade), Hani’s work at JLIC currently focuses on a range of different projects relating to educational resources and JLIC’s work in Israel. Hani made aliyah in 2018 and is blessed to live in Jerusalem with her husband, Daniel, and their six wonderful children.

To speak to Hani Lowenstein, email her at lowensteinh@ou.org