Sara Adelman joined the J Los Angeles team in June of 2018. She has over 16 years of professional experience managing the finances and administration of midsize nonprofit organizations. She holds a master’s degree of fine arts in production management and technology from UCLA and a bachelor’s in theater studies from the University of Connecticut. Sara is a former religious school teacher, overnight camp counselor, and JCC Maccabi alumna. She currently lives on the west side with her husband and daughter.

Edana has been with J Los Angeles since 2015 and has grown JCamp into the thriving camp it is today! Born and raised in El Paso, Texas, Edana was an active member of the Jewish community throughout her life. She graduated from Brandeis University with a bachelor's degree in near eastern and Judaic studies and women’s and gender studies with a minor in Hebrew. She also completed her MBA in nonprofit management and master’s in Jewish professional leadership at Brandeis’s Hornstein program where she was both a JCCA Graduate Scholar and a Chizuk Fellow.

Ryan joined the J Los Angeles team in 2022. Although he is a Long Beach native, he is no stranger to the Los Angeles area as you will always catch him at a Laker game or a Dodger game. In 2022 he graduated from Cal State Dominguez Hills with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and an athletic coaching certificate. Before working at JLA, Ryan worked at many different non-profits helping to change the lives of children from the local area.

Liora is very excited to be part of the team at the JLA! Liora graduated with a dual master’s degree from Hebrew Union College’s Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management and the University of Southern California’s School of Social Work in Spring 2023. Upon graduation, she worked as a clinician and educator for BaMidbar, a Jewish mental health organization. Prior to moving to Los Angeles in 2021, Liora was one of four inaugural members of the first cohort of FJC Fellows at Foundation for Jewish Camp in New York, NY. In her two years at FJC, Liora worked as a Leadership Development Fellow on different mental health initiatives. Liora was a camper, counselor, and unit head at URJ Eisner Camp in Great Barrington, MA. Liora graduated with a BA in communication from George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Dan joined the J Los Angeles team in 2019. Born and raised in Mexico City, Dan grew up attending the JCC every week where he was part of the soccer and basketball teams. Dan has a bachelor’s degree in sports management and has worked at three different Jewish summer camps in various roles. Dan loves sports and the outdoors, and is thrilled to be working in Los Angeles with the incredible team at J Los Angeles.

Ari Cohen is a veteran of the Los Angeles Jewish community. He attended Shalhevet High School and was a long-time staff member at Camp Ramah in California.  Ari grew up swimming, playing basketball and even attending high school at J Los Angeles, so the building is in his blood and his blood is likely in the building.  Ari completed a masters degree in experiential Jewish education at  American Jewish University before beginning to work at J Los Angeles as an experiential teen educator. He is married to Tiffany whom he met at Camp Ramah, and they have three adorable children.

Jo joined the J Los Angeles team in March of 2017. Prior to stepping into the nonprofit world, Jo had a career as a fashion designer that included helming a knitwear company and teaching knitwear and textile design at FIDM in Los Angeles. She is a graduate of Dartmouth College and of the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Arya grew up in the landscape of Jewish Los Angeles as a first generation Persian Jew, attending AJ Heschel Day School, spending summers at Camp Ramah, and was president of his USY chapter. After graduating from UC Santa Barbara, Arya made aliyah and moved to Tel Aviv. Upon finishing his army service in the 932nd Infantry Battalion of the Nahal brigade, he worked in educational tourism leading US based school groups. Arya grew up playing soccer and volleyball, is an Eagle Scout, and loves the outdoors. He is thrilled to be leading his fifth Diller cohort.

Shinshinim are high school graduates who are selected to participate in a Year of Service Program that offers Israeli teens the opportunity to share their enthusiastic spirit with diaspora communities. As an Israeli “ambassador”, Adi looks forward to sharing her love and knowledge of Israel with our J Los Angeles community. Adi is from Tel Mond, near Netanya and she enjoys hiking and scuba diving. Over the past few years, she has guided 12-14 year-olds in the Scouts and coached gymnastics for young children. She has two siblings, Asaf and Tali.

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Lauren has truly grown up at the J. As a neighborhood native and J Los Angeles preschool graduate herself, Lauren has held a variety of professional roles at the J prior to assuming her current position in 2019. Lauren earned her undergraduate degree from Pitzer College and continued her graduate studies at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and the University of Southern California by earning master’s degrees in Jewish nonprofit management and social work. She also earned a third advanced degree in early childhood education at American Jewish University.

Brian Greene has served as the Executive Director of J Los Angeles since 2004. Prior to joining JLA, Brian was the International Director of the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization. He served as the Director of Camp Ramah in California for eight years, and was the Director of Education at Congregation B’nai Emunah in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He has also worked as a JCC program staff member and Camp Director in Vancouver, Canada.

A graduate of American Jewish University’s undergraduate and graduate education programs, Brian has taught on the faculty of the Fingerhut School of Education at AJU and online for Gratz College in Philadelphia. Brian is married to Lisa Feldman, and they have three sons - Sam, Noah, and Yoni.

Annabelle has been a part of the J Los Angeles Early Childhood Center since 2019 before starting her current role. As a former parent in our preschool, Annabelle brings a valued perspective to the process of selecting a school for one’s child. With a firm understanding of our school’s Jewish values, traditions and philosophies, Annabelle brings her wonderful way of connecting and communicating the needs of both children and parents as they join our school community.  When not at work, you will likely find Annabelle at home with her husband, teenage daughter and devoted dog Biscuit. She enjoys long walks, hiking, traveling, cooking and baking.

Bringing over ten years of experience in Jewish nonprofit fundraising, Melanie joined the J Los Angeles team in 2019. Prior to that Melanie spent five years in development at a multi-campus Hillel. She is a native of the San Fernando Valley and holds a bachelor’s degree in political science with a concentration in civic engagement from Arizona State University. Melanie is a huge Los Angeles sports fan and enjoys cheering for the Lakers and the Dodgers. When not at work, Melanie enjoys traveling.

Tenija Moton is the front office associate at the J where she engages with members and keeps them up to date with all that goes on with JLA programs. She has a background in office administration. She attended Davenport University where she obtained a bachelor’s in business administration. When she’s not working as a Membership Registrar, she enjoys hiking and writing music.

Dan joined the J Los Angeles team in December 2022. Before joining the J, Dan honed his skills as a digital marketing freelancer for five years. His freelance journey allowed him to cultivate an understanding of diverse marketing channels, from social media and content marketing to search engine optimization and email campaigns. He holds a bachelor's degree in management information systems from San Jose State University and spent the early part of his career working in business development and customer success at multiple Bay Area marketing software startups before pivoting to a career in marketing.

Rachel helps connect community members with J Los Angeles programming that fits them. After graduating from Northwestern University with a BA in theater and a certificate in integrated marketing, Rachel accepted a prestigious Luce Scholar Fellowship for a year of community development through theater work in Thailand. With Rachel’s subsequent move to LA came a natural transition from theater into film and television. A 2020 Census worker, Bend the Arc 2021 Jeremiah Fellow, and now J Los Angeles staff member, Rachel leans into work that fulfills their passion for inclusion, justice, and access pursued through Jewish values. Outside of work, Rachel can be found making content online that explores the Jewish and queer experience, recognized by the BBC, ACLU, Jewish Women's Archive, and Forward.

Cindy has been an integral part of the Early Childhood Center since 2016, before becoming the Assistant Director in 2022. Cindy has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in political science from Temple University, and recently completed her master’s degree in early childhood education from American Jewish University. In addition to her role as the Assistant Director, Cindy has developed a variety of professional development programs for early childhood educators which focus on bringing social justice into the classroom and creating inclusive early childhood spaces.

Nathan has been with the J Los Angeles since 2022, working in the Front Office. He has an Associate’s Degree in Computer Science from Santa Monica College. Nathan was born and raised in the Jewish Community of Los Angeles, California. Outside of work, Nathan is an aspiring writer. He recently published his first novel, The Language of the Universe, which is currently available on Amazon. He enjoys socializing with friends and family, hiking in the hills around Los Angeles, and role-playing games like Pathfinder and Amber Diceless.

Oscar Yglesias has been with J Los Angeles since December 2013 and is responsible for overseeing the JLA building, facilities, and operations. He brings over 40 years of experience in the building design and construction industry to the role and has held numerous past management positions with companies ranging from a boot-strapped start-up to a large fortune 100 enterprise company. When not at work Oscar enjoys spending time with his wife and two children.

Laura has been the face at the front desk in the Early Childhood Center since 2001. She assists ECC families with all day-to-day needs and questions.