Our Team

Abby (she/her) is the first executive director of the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable. Under her leadership, the Roundtable has tripled in size, supported sector-wide efforts on civic engagement and racial equity, inclusion, and diversity, and organized two conferences of 150 people from across the network. Previously, Abby led a coalition of 30 local progressive organizations in Columbus, Ohio, with America Votes, served as the founding San Francisco staff member for Progressive Jewish Alliance, now Bend the Arc, and worked in development for DC Vote, which works for DC voting rights and statehood. Abby received a Human Rights Award from the Jewish Labor Committee in 2019 and is a Senior Schusterman Fellow, a Jewish leadership program. She has a BA in political science from Yale University and lives in Washington, DC, with her husband and two children.

Roberta Ritvo

Deputy Director

Roberta (she/her) joined the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable in June 2019 as the first deputy director. A lawyer by training, she spent most of her career working as senior pro bono counsel and director of programs at a large law firm in Washington, DC. Roberta also has worked as a field organizer supporting a statewide ballot initiative to increase public education funding, a community organizer of businesses supporting paid family and medical leave, a federal judicial law clerk, and a sixth-grade teacher with Teach for America. Roberta received an Abraham Joshua Heschel award from Jews United for Justice in 2015. She holds a JD from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law and a Master of Public Affairs from UT's LBJ School of Public Affairs. She earned her BA from Smith College. She lives in Denver, Colorado.

Rachel Gottfried-Clancy

Senior Director of Organizational Change and Culture

Rachel (she/her or they/them) is an organizer, facilitator, and strategist who believes that by supporting groups to center their values in their projects and internal processes we can practice creating the future we all want to live in. She comes from a background of housing justice, policy creation, and nonprofit management. As a consultant, she has assisted dozens of organizations to create liberatory strategies, move through conflict, and implement equitable governance practices. Previously, they worked as the Executive Director of Jewish Youth for Community Action (JYCA). During that time the 25-year-old organization tripled in size, developed its first strategic plan, and shifted focus from youth leadership development to youth organizing. Based in the Bay Area, Rachel is currently a Wexner Field Fellow, a Member of the Nonprofit Democracy Network’s Collaborate to Co-liberate intensive, and certified wilderness first responder who is always excited to learn new things. 

Leili Herlinda Davari

Director of Racial Equity and Inclusion

Leili (she/her) joined the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable with 11 years experience of grassroots organizing, facilitation, and leadership development. She previously organized state-level campaigns in support of labor rights for domestic workers in California as well as local school funding formula campaigns in Los Angeles. Most recently, Leili was the Selah Program Director at Bend the Arc where she led two cohorts dedicated to Jewish People of Color. Three core values that guide her life and work are: (1) To honor that each human being is created in the image of the Divine and should be treated as such, (2) Accountability is core in creating the world we want, and (3) There is a place for love within conflict. Leili joined the team to support the Jewish social justice field and its journey towards honoring race equity and inclusion within its organizations. She has a BA in Political Science from New Mexico State University and an MA in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. As a woman of Mexican and Iranian heritages, Leili takes pride in cooking family recipes including Khoresh Bademjan that her Iranian late father taught her, as well as her mom’s enchiladas. She lives on the ancestral land of the Kikapoo tribe (Dallas, TX). 

Sophia (she/her) joined the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable as the Events and Operations coordinator in late 2019. She comes to the Roundtable after many years of living in Israel running operations in start-ups and tourism, developing programming and protocol for a wide range of events and diverse groups of visitors to Israel. Sophia has always loved to study Judaism and religion, and participated in one of the first Moving Traditions Rosh Chodesh groups. She became especially committed to inclusive progressive Jewish education as a teacher in the Washington, DC, area while completing her Bachelor's degree in Religious Studies at American University. She considers herself exceptionally lucky to have had the opportunity over the years to study religion in Spain and Argentina, learning Spanish along the way. Her commitment to and passion for social justice took root early as a camper and counselor at Habonim Dror’s Camp Galil, where she discovered the joy of using her skills as an administrator and logistician to support leaders and visionaries affecting change. Sophia returned to Philadelphia after 10 years away to practice progressive inclusive Judaism and live closer to many of her family and friends.

Pippi (she/her) is a nationally recognized organizational psychologist, facilitator, trainer, and leadership coach who has trained thousands of people at nonprofits, universities, schools, and activist groups across the country. Her coaching approach draws on ethical leadership techniques, systems theory, and social psychological research to help people translate their principles into concrete practices and behaviors and work towards building a personal life and work life that they love and feel proud of. She received her MA in Social-Organizational Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University. To learn more about Pippi's work or access her free social justice education resources, visit pippikessler.org.

Eleni Zimiles

New York Regional Coordinator

Eleni (she/they) is a social worker, educator, and organizer working at the intersection of individual and societal transformation. Eleni most recently came from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene where she coached leaders in Brooklyn public school districts in building holistic, equity-centered student supports, family engagement and staff training. Prior to DOHMH, Eleni worked in schools, youth shelters, and community centers facilitating mental health and advocacy work with NYC youth. Her work is grounded in two decades of participation in racial justice movement spaces, primarily supporting the development of political education and healing-centered leadership development models. Eleni is an adjunct professor at several schools of social work across NYC, where she teaches on contemporary social issues and community well-being, community organizing, and practice implications within systems of oppression. Eleni is a licensed clinical social worker in New York State. She received her Master's in Social Work from Columbia University and BA from Macalester College. A fifth generation Brookynite, Eleni is dedicated to cultivating a more just city where everyone can thrive.