Briana Arnold (she/her)
Carroll County Parent Connector
Briana Arnold (she/her)
Carroll County Parent Connector
- Multi-faith family
- Grew up in Owings Mills
- Lives in Westminster with her husband and their two boys
- Immigration Attorney, practicing in Pikesville for over a decade
- Owns a CrossFit gym in Eldersburg with her husband
FUN FACT:
Briana is a first generation American, both of her parents were refugees from Ukraine.
bvagatstein@gmail.com
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Brooke Berman (she/her)
Pikesville Parent Connector
Brooke Berman (she/her)
Pikesville Parent Connector
- Grew up in Pikesville and lives there with her husband, daughter, and labradoodle
- Former elementary school teacher
- Currently teaching ballet and jazz part time and choreographing for high school musicals
FUN FACT:
Brooke is passionate about organizing and color-coding
brookeleighberman@gmail.com
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Alana Brookfield (she/her)
North Roland Park And Towson Parent Connector
Alana Brookfield (she/her)
North Roland Park And Towson Parent Connector
- Multi-faith family
- Baltimore native currently living near Lake Roland with her husband, Eric, and sons Judah and Amitai
FUN FACT:
Farmer Florist with her own micro-flower farm
alanabrookfield@gmail.com
Timoth Copney (he/him)
Connector For Arts And Culture
Timoth Copney (he/him)
Connector For Arts And Culture
- Former dancer, still a singer, choreographer, and director
- Lives in historic Original Northwood with his husband of 25 years and 10-year-old fur-kid, Wolfie
- Born and raised in Ohio, previously lived in New York City, Montreal, San Francisco, and Reykjavik, Iceland
FUN FACT:
Timoth is the Chair of the Baltimore Playwrights Festival
tcopney56@gmail.com
Stuart Diamant-Cohen (he/him)
Connector for 55+ Community
Stuart Diamant-Cohen (he/him)
Connector for 55+ Community
- Married for 32 years, father of three adult children and proud grandparent of 2.
- Spent more than 20 years at Jewish National Fund before retiring.
- Served in the IDF and lived in Israel for nearly 20 years.
- Originally from London, England, he came to the United States with my family in 1998.
- Now that he is retired, he is looking for positive ways to occupy himself and do good deeds at the same time.
FUN FACT:
Stuart has triple citizenship - UK, US and Israel therefore he have one foot in three countries. Together with his family has 14 citizenships!
Sdiamantcohen@gmail.com
Adam Drutz-Hannahs (he/him)
LGBTQ+ Family Connector
Adam Drutz-Hannahs (he/him)
LGBTQ+ Family Connector
- Born and raised Baltimore County
- Lives in Owings Mills with his husband Paul, their foster daughter, two dogs and a lizard
FUN FACT:
Adam is a former Disney cast member
Connectoradam@gmail.com
Marci Elkin (she/her)
Connector for Grandparents
Marci Elkin (she/her)
Connector for Grandparents
- From Livingston, New Jersey
- Husband from Baltimore
- Live in Reisterstown
- Have four children and four grandchildren
- Worked as a preschool teacher at the Owings Mills JCC and directed their preschool camp program
FUN FACT:
Was in High School class with presidential candidate Chris Christie and author Harlan Coben
mhe325@gmail.com
Carmen Ezaoui (she/her)
Timonium Parent Connector
Carmen Ezaoui (she/her)
Timonium Parent Connector
- Multi-faith Family
- Sephardic
- Grew up near Ocean City, MD
- Lives with husband and two children
FUN FACT:
Picked up running in my early 30s and getting back into it now after having kids. Training for a half marathon.
cezaoui@gmail.com
Rob Goldstein (he/him)
Connector For Parents And Families Impacted By Disabilities
Rob Goldstein (he/him)
Connector For Parents And Families Impacted By Disabilities
- Certified Public Accountant
- Lives in Owings Mills with wife Rebecca and children – Sammy (24) and Sofia (22)
- Served as co-chair of Baltimore Jewish Abilities Alliance Task Force
FUN FACT:
Rob comes from a family of musicians and has won 2 singing competitions!
robgoldstein15@gmail.com
Stephanie Helfman (she/her)
30+ Singles and Thriving
Stephanie Helfman (she/her)
30+ Singles and Thriving
- Born and raised in Pikesville
- Currently lives in Reisterstown (first time home owner!) with her two cats, Cheddar & Mozzarella
- Supervises case managers who provide in-home services to those on Medicaid
FUN FACT:
Stephanie loves building stuff - furniture, Legos, model wood kits, anything and everything!
stephietheconnectie@gmail.com
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Stephanie Imanwelof (she/her)
Krieger Schechter Parent Connector
Stephanie Imanwelof (she/her)
Krieger Schechter Parent Connector
- Jewish/Israeli Family
- Born and raised in Owings Mills, currently lives in Owings Mills.
- Married with two girls.
- Works as Admissions assistant for Krieger Schechter Day School.
FUN FACT:
Since Stephanie lived in Israel for ten years, she loves cooking Israeli food and making big Shabbat meals.
Simanwelof@ksds.edu
Corinne Janet (she/her)
Family Connector
Corinne Janet (she/her)
Family Connector
- Young Widow(er)
- Originally a Southern California native, but has called Baltimore County home since 2016
- A widow raising a funny, compassionate, and quick-witted 5-year-old daughter
- A Higher Education professional, who has worked at Johns Hopkins, UMBC, and UMD
FUN FACT:
Loves to hike and explore the beauty of the mountains by day and needlepoint by the TV with a glass of wine by night
corinneajanet@gmail.com
KeSean (Sean) Johnson (he/him)
Jews of Color Connector
KeSean (Sean) Johnson (he/him)
Jews of Color Connector
- Grew up in Chicago, IL
- Lives in Homeland with his wife, daughter and father-in-law.
- American Descendant of Slavery (Black American)
- Retired from the U.S. Army 2014
FUN FACT:
KeSean is an Emmy-Award winning Film Producer/ Civil Rights Activist
keseanjohnson007@gmail.com
Irine Loybman (she/her)
Russian Speaking Jewish Connector
Irine Loybman (she/her)
Russian Speaking Jewish Connector
- Grew up in Latvia, Riga.
- Happy wife and mom of two
FUN FACT:
Irene enjoys traveling, listening to music, sports and tasty, good food.
irineloybman@gmail.com
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Leia Neft (she/her)
PJ Our Way Connector (for families with children 8-12 years old)
Leia Neft (she/her)
PJ Our Way Connector (for families with children 8-12 years old)
- Lives in the Falls/Summit Park area with her husband and 2 sons
- Speech-Language Pathologist
- Loves reading, tennis, and hanging out with family
FUN FACT:
Leia’s favorite Jewish holiday is Sukkot because she loves having friends and family over and building a sukkah
Leianeft@gmail.com
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Heather Ralston (she/her)
Carroll County Parent Connector
Heather Ralston (she/her)
Carroll County Parent Connector
- Multifaith Family
- Born and raised in Owings Mills, currently lives in Westminster
- Now lives in Westminster with her husband, 2 sons, a daughter, and a crazy dog.
- Stay-at-home parent, but formerly a preschool teacher
FUN FACT:
If Heather's birthday falls on Passover, she loves the tradition of her family giving her an ice cream cake
heathermralston@gmail.com
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Rona Rubin (she/her)
Beth Tfiloh Partner Connector
Rona Rubin (she/her)
Beth Tfiloh Partner Connector
- Lives in Baltimore with her husband Mickey and her two children (2 and 6 years old). Her son is in Kindergarten at Beth Tfiloh.
- Spent the last 15 years as a development professional raising money and organizing events for nonprofits such as Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF).
- Passionate football fan of the great Philadelphia Eagles
FUN FACT:
Spent most of her childhood living in Texas, wearing cowboy boots and listening to country music
ronarubin17@gmail.com
Stan Scherr (he/him)
Connector for the Next Chapter (55+)
Stan Scherr (he/him)
Connector for the Next Chapter (55+)
- Born and raised in Baltimore, lives in Mt. Washington with his partner, Bill
- Graduate of Talmudical Academy, Baltimore City College and University of Baltimore
- Bolton Street Synagogue congregant
- Former CCBC Special Needs Adjunct professor
FUN FACT:
Stan is a music and art lover
Stanbalto@aol.com
Sam Kahn Strakes (she/her)
Reistertown/Finksburg And Multi Faith Family Parent Connector
Sam Kahn Strakes (she/her)
Reistertown/Finksburg And Multi Faith Family Parent Connector
- Grew up in Reisterstown
- Lives in Finksburg (Reisterstown) with husband and two kids, Zoey and Ezri
- Worked professionally in the Jewish community for over 10 years before deciding to take some time to stay at home with her two girls
FUN FACT:
Sam is an escape room enthusiast and has even created her own escape rooms for events
sgkahan@gmail.com
Marina Vurgaftman (she/her)
Russian Speaking Jewish Connector
Marina Vurgaftman (she/her)
Russian Speaking Jewish Connector
- Lives in Pikesville with her husband and her two sons
- Grew up in Kiev, Ukraine
- Completed her teacher’s education in Moscow
- Works as a special education teacher
FUN FACT:
Marina has her own travel agency
Flamingofamilytravel@gmail.com
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Dr. Harriette Wimms (she/her)
Jews of Color Connector
Dr. Harriette Wimms (she/her)
Jews of Color Connector
- She is a proud Black, queer, disabled, Jew by choice, and is most proud of being a mother to her neurodiverse 19-year-old
- Founder and executive director of the Jews of Color Mishpacha Project
- the inaugural Jews of Color Engagement Fellow at The Associated, Baltimore Jewish Federation
- a prayer leader in both the Kohenet community and at Hinenu: The Baltimore Justice Shtiebl
FUN FACT:
Harriette is a Maryland licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in providing compassion-infused mental health care to people of color, queer people, and neurodivergent children, adolescents, adults, and families.
hwimms@associated.org
Jacob Wolf (he/him)
Parent Connector
Jacob Wolf (he/him)
Parent Connector
- Lawyer and Mediator in Lutherville, MD
- Lives in Pikesville and has 3 boys, Hirsh, Judah, and Shai
- Loves to coach kids sports and cook for friends!
FUN FACT:
Received Varsity Letters in Cheerleading for being the school mascot (Go Vikings!)
ejacobwolf@gmail.com
Debbie Wolff (she/her)
Lutherville Parent Connector
Debbie Wolff (she/her)
Lutherville Parent Connector
- Multifaith Family
- Lives with her two sons, her partner, and 2 dogs
- She grew up in Pikesville then lived in Texas for 16 years
- Teaches at KSDS
FUN FACT:
Every year for Chanukah Debbie makes eight different types of cookies, one for each night, all with a holiday theme
debbie.wolff@gmail.com
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Jennifer Wolff (she/her)
Parkville Family Connector
Jennifer Wolff (she/her)
Parkville Family Connector
- Multifaith Family
- Lives in Parkville with her husband and son
- Is not Jewish, but married into a Jewish family.
- Loves the diversity of her family and learning new things about Judaism
- Works for non-profit organization in Baltimore City that educates families on how to prevent child abuse and neglect.
FUN FACT:
Jennifer loves to read, garden, crochet, craft, travel, explore, see new places, and meet new people!
jlyelam@gmail.com
Connect on Facebook
Julie Altman Wolff (she/her)
4Front Partner Connector for parents of teens
Julie Altman Wolff (she/her)
4Front Partner Connector for parents of teens
- Lives in Pikesville with her husband, five children, and two dogs.
- Licensed psychotherapist and parenting coach
- Grew up in Buffalo, NY (Go Bills!) and has lived in Baltimore for the past 23 years
- Has worked in the Baltimore Jewish Community for the past 16 years
FUN FACT:
Julie is an avid music fan, festival-goer, and spontaneous road trip aficionado, and loves roping her teens, tween, toddlers, and husband into lots of new adventures!
juliealtmanwolff@gmail.com
Erica Zippert (she/her)
JCC Partner Connector
Erica Zippert (she/her)
JCC Partner Connector
- Grew up in Reisterstown
- Lives in Owings Mills with her husband Alon and 2 kids, Talia and Judan
- Education Researcher, Consultant, and Trainer
- Lived in Nashville for 6 years
FUN FACT:
Erica still misses the southern sweet tea, banana pudding, and hot chicken from living in Nashville
ezippert@gmail.com
Connector for Israelis
Hebrew Speaking & Israeli Famlies
Connector for Israelis
Hebrew Speaking & Israeli Famlies
- Originally from Israel
- Lives in Baltimore County with her family
FUN FACT:
Loves to read, hike and travel
smadarhf2020@gmail.com