Our Team

Rabbi Barbara Aiello is Italy’s first woman rabbi. She currently resides in Calabria, Italy where she leads Ner Tamid del Sud, a Reconstructionist “”b’nei anusim”” congregation– the region’s first active synagogue since the Inquisition.

A graduate of Bryn Mawr College, Barbara earned a Ph.D. in sociology from Boston University and conducted postdoctoral work in human development at Harvard. Formerly a research associate at Hadassah-Brandeis Institute at Brandeis University, she has authored and edited several works including: 100 Jewish Brides: Stories from Around the World and Today I am a Woman: Stories of Bat Mitzvah Around the World. As a long-time researcher in gerontology at the US Department of Veterans Affairs and Boston University School of Public Health, Barbara has published widely on lifestyles, attitudes, and experiences of mature Americans.

A committed leader in the Tampa and global Jewish community, she helped redefine women’s roles in philanthropy through personal endowments. With a background in science and research, she brought focus to her work in business, parenting, and Jewish life. She co-founded Tampa’s second Reform congregation and held major roles in the Jewish Federation. Now on the Jewish Agency for Israel, she’s fostered deep connections with African Jewish communities, including linking Arusha, Tanzania with Kulanu.

Since 2023, Kulanu’s board has benefited from the expertise of Rabbi Michael Chernick, Professor Emeritus of Rabbinics at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. With a Ph.D in Rabbinics from the Bernard Revel Graduate School, and rabbinic ordination from R. Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, both affiliates of Yeshiva University, he brings a wealth of knowledge to his role.

Capers C. Funnye, Jr. is the Chief Rabbi of the International Israelite Board of Rabbis and the spiritual leader of Beth Shalom B’nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation in Chicago, Illinois. He earned a B.A. in Hebrew Literature and recieved rabbinic ordination from the Israelite Board of Rabbis in Queens, New York, in addition to eraning a B.A. in Jewish Studies and an M.S. in Human Service Administration from Spertus Institute in Chicago.

Judi Kloper, originally from Boston, graduated from Oregon State University with degrees in Child Development/Family Studies and Home Economics and Health Education. Judi has been traveling almost yearly to India since 1987 and her trip to India in 2014-2015 included living with the Bene Ephraim in Andhra Pradesh, a Kulanu partner community. During 2015-2016, she lived in Nicaragua, immersing herself in the life of Congregacion Israelita de Nicaragua; in 2017, she assisted the beit din in Nicaragua as two new Jewish communities were born. She maintains close ties to Kulanu’s partner communities in Nicaragua and India, as well as other Jewish communities in India. Judi is also the editor of Kulanu’s magazine.

Clive Lawton, who lives in Bristol UK, helped to found Tzedek, the UK Jewish development agency. Currently, he serves as CEO of the Commonwealth Jewish Council (CJC). Working with both CJC and Kulanu, he helped draw together the Sub-Saharan African Jewish Alliance (SAJA).

Modreck Maeresera, a Kulanu Board member from Zimbabwe, is President of the Harare Lemba Synagogue, a congregation of Lemba Jews in Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital. He also serves as a Vice President of the Commonwealth Jewish Council, representing Zimbabwe, and as President of The Sub-Saharan African Jewish Alliance (SAJA), an organization that represents African Jewish communities across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Jack Zeller, Founder and President Emeritus of Kulanu, is a clinical pathologist and Jewish activist. A graduate of Columbia College, New York Medical College, and the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City, his activism began as a board member for the American Association for Ethiopian Jews. After Operation Solomon’s 1991 airlift of Ethiopian Jews to Israel, Jack and his wife Dr. Diane Zeller, an African history specialist, took on the broader issue of dispersed and isolated Jewish communities. Following work with Israel’s Amishav organization, Jack founded Kulanu in 1994, serving as its president for 14 years.

Executive Director Molly Levine has been with Kulanu since 2018, previously serving as Communications Director and Deputy Director. Her extensive nonprofit experience includes work with StrongMinds, The Partnership for Jewish Learning and Life, Global Nomads Group, Peace Corps, and Seeds of Peace. Molly oversees Kulanu’s operations, communications, fundraising, and online programs. She holds an M.A. in Global Marketing Communications from Emerson College and a B.A. in Communication Studies from Ursinus College. Molly’s leadership and diverse background in international organizations make her uniquely qualified.

Jo Ann Friedman, a Wellesley College and Harvard Divinity School graduate, found her calling in the nonprofit world after earning her law degree at Northeastern University. Before joining Kulanu, she developed the “”Family to Family”” program, integrating Soviet refugees into Montreal’s Jewish community and served as Director of the Montreal Mizrachi Organization, supporting Israel’s Hesder Yeshivot.

Harold Cromartie joined Kulanu in August 2023, bringing over four decades of nonprofit sector experience to the organization. With a B.A. in Business Administration and Accounting from Southeastern University, he has dedicated his career to social justice causes like homelessness, mental health, substance abuse treatment, rental assistance, food distribution, HIV/AIDS prevention, and transportation safety.

Oksana Rosenblum joined Kulanu as an Administrative Assistant and Database Manager in 2020. Oksana’s passion for nonprofit work has driven her career, including roles as an administrative/operations assistant for the American Friends of the Ghetto Fighters’ House Museum and a visual researcher at the Ukrainian-Jewish Encounter. With an M.A. in Visual Art from the Jewish Theological Seminary in NYC, she is also a talented translator of poetry, fiction, and academic articles from Ukrainian into English.