Lay Leadership
Executive Committee
Daniel Strouse, President
Daniel Strouse is a partner at the law firm of Cordatis LLP, representing Federal contractors, primarily small and mid-sized contractors as they face the challenge of government contracting. During law school, Daniel was a Board Member for the University of Pittsburgh School of Law’s Jewish Law Students Association; and, as an undergraduate at The George Washington University, Daniel was active in Hillel.
Outside of work and Gesher, Daniel spends his time with his wife, Laura, daughter, Abigail (Gesher class of 2026), son, Eytan (Gesher class of 2028), and dogs (no Gesher affiliation—yet). Daniel and his family are members of Congregation Olam Tikvah.
Ilana Rothberg, VP of Strategic Planning
Ilana Rothberg is a native of the Philadelphia suburbs and has lived in the DC metro area since attending college at the University of Maryland, College Park, where she earned a B.A. in Business and Marketing. She served in a variety of roles at Capital One, including marketing and sales strategy, product and project management, and recruiting. Ilana is also currently on the Board of Directors for the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, as well as at Agudas Achim Congregation in Alexandria.
Ilana resides in Arlington with her husband, Ira, their children, Rahm and Havi (both Gesher class of 2028), and miniature poodle, Chase.
Gregory Smolen, Treasurer
Gregory Smolen resides in Oakton, Virginia with his wife Amy and their three children including Elizabeth (Gesher class of 2031) and Henry (Gesher class of 2033) and a future Gesher student who cannot wait to join his siblings. Gregory leads the Trust & Wealth Department for Chain Bridge Bank, N.A. A financial professional and attorney by training, Gregory is a native to the Washington, DC area. Gregory received his A.B. from the University of Chicago before returning to the area for his J.D. from George Mason University School of Law.
Together, the Smolen family loves visiting area playgrounds, hosting Shabbat and having friends over for holiday meals.
Anne Continetti, VP of Development
Anne Continetti is a faculty member for the Tikvah Fund’s Truman Scholars Program and their Online Academy for middle-school students, and is the Program Coordinator at St. Albans’s School of Public Service, a summer program for rising seniors in high school. She was a history teacher at St. Albans School in Washington, D.C., the Madeira School in McLean, Virginia, and worked as a curriculum consultant designing common-core-aligned lesson plans to accompany the What So Proudly We Hail curriculum. Anne graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a degree in History and received her Master’s in Education from The George Washington University.
Prior to teaching, Anne worked as an advance staffer on a presidential campaign and was a political analyst at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
She lives in McLean, Virginia, with her husband, Matt, and their two children, Leo (Gesher class of 2028) and Charlotte (Gesher class of 2030), who love being students at Gesher.
Eitan Bernstein, Secretary
Eitan Bernstein is a native of Rockville, Maryland, but currently lives in Arlington, Virginia with his wife Laura and three sons, including Leo (Gesher class of 2029), Reed (Gesher class of 2032) and Peter (Gesher class of 2034). He is a graduate of Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, Yale University (B.S. in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology), Harvard Law School, and the Harvard School of Public Health.
Eitan currently serves as regulatory counsel in the Center for Devices and Radiological Health of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Prior to that, Eitan was an attorney at the law firm of Latham & Watkins LLP in Washington, DC.
Jason Levy, Immediate Past President
Jason Levy is a University of North Carolina and Boston University School of Law graduate and received an LLM in Environmental Law from UC-Berkeley School of Law. He recently retired as a Navy officer after 20 years and now works as a civilian environmental attorney for the Department of Defense.
Jason and his wife, Alison, have lived all over the world, but now get to call Gesher, Agudas Achim, and Northern Virginia home. Jason and Alison have a deep commitment to Jewish schools as their daughter, Shoshana (Gesher Class of 2020), and son, Isaiah, previously attended Gesher, San Diego Jewish Academy, Oakland Hebrew Day School, and Temple Emanu-El School in Hawaii.
Members at Large
Heidi Freeman
Heidi Freeman has been a science teacher for almost 30 years at her high school alma mater, The Madeira School. Her past board experiences include being Recording Secretary on the Olam Tikvah Preschool Board and Membership Vice President on the Olam Tikvah Sisterhood Board. Heidi and her husband, Ben, have two daughters: Ahava (Gesher Class of 2016) and Devorah (Gesher Class of 2019).
Ahava’s first year at Gesher was the first year in the current building (2007-2008), which was very exciting! Heidi and her family have loved being part of the Gesher community for 15 years and she is looking forward to working with everyone.
Sarah Hewson
Sarah Hewson is a Managing Director at Accenture where she has spent her career supporting clients in the energy industry. Sarah is a graduate of the University of Rochester where she earned a B.A. in economics, was a member of the equestrian team and active in Hillel. She lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with her husband, Ben, and their three children, Jack (Gesher Class of 2029), Audrey (Gesher Class of 2029), and Liam (Agudas Achim preschooler and future Gesher student), and two dogs, Sadie and Hank. The family attends Agudas Achim.
Josh Kraushaar
Josh Kraushaar is the editor-in-chief of Jewish Insider and the author of Axios’ weekly Sunday Sneak Peek newsletter, which focuses on the big-picture forces driving American politics. He also appears as a political analyst across television and radio networks with Fox News. He is a prolific commentator on issues impacting the American Jewish community. He is a regular guest speaker at synagogues in the Washington area, and moderates Olam Tikvah’s annual election brunch featuring interviews with top local candidates.
Along with Ha’aretz Washington correspondent Amir Tibon, he served as a scholar-in-residence at Agudas Achim Congregation in 2019, leading discussions on political polarization, the impact of social media on political discourse, and the future of American Jewry.
Josh is a Gesher alumnus (Gesher Class of 1994) and lives in Annandale with his
wife, Hannah, and two children, Shana (Gesher Class of 2029) and Avi (Gesher Class of 2032).
Adam Kulawy
Adam Kulawy resides in Burke, Virginia with his wife Jennifer and their three children, Jacob (Gesher Class of 2029), Ezra (Gesher Class of 2032), and Lisa (future Gesher student). Adam works for Arlington County Government within the Department of Environmental Services leading the Facilities Management Bureau, helping maintain the continuous operations of the County’s facilities. While not at work, Adam and his family are members of Agudas Achim Congregation, enjoy exploring the DMV area and visiting historic sites. Jennifer is currently actively serving with the US Navy, which has afforded the family the opportunity to live in Yokosuka, Japan and northern San Diego County. While living in Japan, Adam was appointed as the Jewish lay leader for the Navy base and hosted shabbat services, high holiday services, and organized the annual regional Passover seder. He also coordinated with Jewish liaisons visiting the region to provide tours of the base, focus groups with Jewish service members, and was the Jewish subject matter expert for the base chaplain. Adam is a native of North Woodmere, NY, located on Long Island, where he attended the Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway (HAFTR) from kindergarten through high school. He attended Stony Brook University, where he met Jennifer, and graduated with his Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering. He has his Master’s Degree in Engineering Management from Stevens Institute of Technology. Adam also has his professional engineering license in Virginia and California.
Lina Landsman
Lina Landsman is a Managing Director at Carlyle, a global investment firm based in the Washington, D.C. area. She joined Carlyle in 2010 and has spent her career focused on driving innovation and operational efficiencies within the organization. In her current role as the head of Partnership Accounting, she is responsible for a team of over 80 accounting professionals who manage the financial reporting and day-to-day operations of the over 150 funds. Prior to joining Carlyle, she worked at Ernst & Young LLP in the Assurance Services practice. Lina received her B.S. in Commerce and an M.S. in Accounting from the University of Virginia. Lina is originally from Colombia, where she visits often with her family. She lives in McLean with her husband, Roger, their three children, Caleb (Gesher Class of 2028), Ezra (Gesher Class of 2030) and Nora (Gesher Class of 2033), and their fur baby Maya.
Amy Lummer
Amy Lummer is a dedicated member of the Northern Virginia Jewish community, serving as Director of Family Engagement at the Pozez JCC, volunteering at Gesher Jewish Day School, and being an active member at Congregation Adat Reyim. Through her leadership at the Pozez JCC, she strengthens and connects families to Judaism and to each other by organizing programs and events throughout the year for families raising young children in a Jewish environment. This same passion for creating bonds and connecting people to Judaism is carried out through her volunteer work at Gesher, where she served as PTO President for 5 years, and her synagogue. In addition, Amy has a Masters of Education from George Mason University in Curriculum and Instruction. Amy and her husband Dory met at Johns Hopkins University as undergraduates and live in Springfield with their children Moira and Owen (Gesher Class of 2028).
Rabbi Daniel Novick
Rabbi Daniel Novick grew up in Herndon, VA and is currently the Executive Director of George Mason University Hillel. Prior to leading Mason Hillel, Daniel was the Assistant Director at George Washington Hillel. A graduate of the University of Virginia and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, Daniel brings a wealth of experience with particular strengths in building pluralistic and innovative communities. Daniel is married to Rabbi Sarah Krinsky who currently serves as the Associate Rabbi of Adas Israel Congregation in Washington, DC.
Lili Oconnell
A Connecticut native, Lili Oconnell, attended the University of Connecticut for college and law school before relocating to Northern Virginia in 2013. She works as a criminal defense attorney and is active in the Prince William and Fairfax County Bar Associations. She also devotes her time as a volunteer for the Lamb Center, a drop in homeless shelter in Fairfax, Virginia, where she offers free legal counsel to those in need. Outside of the courtroom, Lili enjoys spending time with her husband, Jim, and two children, Evie (Gesher Class of 2031) and Caleb (Gesher Class of 2034). The family recently joined Olam Tikvah and is so grateful for the warm Jewish communities that both Gesher and OT offer. The O’Connells reside in Clifton, Virginia and have two dogs, two cats, and a horse.
Jeff Skigen
Jeff Skigen lives in Vienna, Virginia with his wife Lauretta and is the grandfather of Max (Gesher class of 2026) and Evan (Gesher class of 2028). The Skigen’s founded and led a media content distribution company for over 20 years, servicing hundreds of clients that included Associations, Fortune 100 companies and Government Agencies. He has a strong volunteer background in organizations like Congregation Beth Emeth, The Virginia Bar, Virginia State Golf Association, The United States Youth Soccer Association and many more. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Mr. Skigen attended the Pennsylvania State University.
Allan Sloan
Allan Sloan lives in New Jersey and is the grandfather of Gesher students Cora and Noah. Allan, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., is a graduate of Jewish elementary school and high school. He attended the Seminary College of the Jewish Theological Seminary part-time during his first two years at Brooklyn College, which is part of the City University of New York. After graduating from BC, he got a master’s degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. (He has no degree from JTS.)
Allan was a business writer for numerous publications for almost 50 years and has won many business writing and lifetime achievement awards. Since retiring from Fortune magazine in 2014, he has been a business columnist for The Washington Post. He and his wife, Nancy, are members of Congregation B’nai Israel of Millburn, N.J.
Jonathan Stahl
Jonathan Stahl is a native of Fairfax, VA, and a graduate of Gesher Jewish Day School and Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality from Syracuse University. Jonathan is the Vice President of Nationals Park Events for the Washington Nationals. Prior to working for the Washington Nationals, Jonathan worked for Kimpton Hotels and Renaissance Hotels in various front office positions. In his free time, Jonathan enjoys traveling and spending time in his carpentry shop. Jonathan has also served on the board of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and been involved with FIDF. He currently resides in Bethesda, MD with his wife Cara.
Bianchi Suárez
Bianchi Suárez is originally from Costa Rica and has been living in the United States since 2004. She is a Licensed Master Social Worker who has worked as a therapist providing psychosocial assessments and counseling to children, adolescents, and their families. Currently, she works as an adoption social worker conducting home studies and providing post-adoption services to families entering the adoption process.
Moreover, Bianchi is president of the Costa Rican Association Board in Washington, D.C. In this role, she is in charge of helping organize activities that help bring Costa Ricans and friends of Costa Rica together to learn and experience Costa Rica’s cultural traditions and values. The Costa Rican Association manages a small annual budget and works closely with the Costa Rican Embassy in the U.S. on different projects throughout the year.
Bianchi and her husband, Jamie Tabb, are the proud parents of Eli (Gesher Class of 2023) and Izzy (Gesher Class of 2027). They have been committed members of the Gesher community since 2014 and members of the Temple Rodef Shalom in Falls Church since their son entered preschool in 2012.
Jeffrey Tureck
Jeffrey Tureck is a retired United States Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”). He is a graduate of Brooklyn College, where he met his wife Sharyn, and Rutgers Law School, where he was an editor of the Law Review. Jeff and Sharyn moved from the New York City area to Northern Virginia in 1969 so Jeff could begin work as a trial attorney for the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. He was an ALJ for the Department of Labor from 1979 until he retired the first time at the end of 2010. While working for the Department of Labor he was asked to take on the agonizing task of adjudicating cases for the 9/11 Victims’ Compensation Fund, which he did for two years. After he retired from DOL he received an offer he couldn’t refuse to return to work as an ALJ for the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, retiring for the second time near the end of 2012. Since then, Jeff has worked part-time for the Office of Personnel Management and now for the Department of Labor, where he is a mediator.
Jeff and Sharyn have lived in the same house in West Springfield since 1977, about the same time they joined Agudas Achim Congregation. They have three children, all of whom were raised at Agudas and where our daughter Debbie was the Preschool Director. Debbie’s 14 year old son Seth was a student at Gesher, and her son Jacob started Gesher in 2021. When he wasn’t at work, Jeff spent many years coaching boys and girls youth sports and judging high school debate and forensics tournaments. He also volunteered at the Zoo from the time he first retired until Covid ended most volunteer work there.
Hannah Kraushaar, PTO President (non-voting)
Hannah is an enthusiastic program and operations manager and active member of the Northern Virginia Jewish community. After growing up in a small college town outside of Akron, Ohio, Hannah moved to the Washington, DC area to pursue degrees in International Relations and Security at American University and The George Washington University before settling in Northern Virginia. Hannah spent eleven years working in research, program operations, and project management for the Department of Defense at National Defense University and the past five years in the private sector managing partnerships and programs with top tier universities seeking to create online degree offerings. As of May 2024, she is the Executive Director of Congregation Beth Emeth in Reston, Virginia. Hannah has been a volunteer leader in the local Jewish community for a decade, serving on boards and committees at both Congregation Olam Tikvah and Agudas Achim Congregation, as well as being a member of the PTO board and PTO President at Gesher Jewish Day School. Hannah now lives in Annandale, VA with her husband Josh, and their two children, Shana and Avi, who are Gesher students. Outside of work and volunteer leadership, Hannah can often be found rediscovering her love of figure skating at Fairfax Ice Arena or baking in the kitchen, where she loves to make sweet and artful treats and try out increasingly complicated challah braids.