CEO / Executive Director
Naomi Adler
CEO and Executive Director
Ellen Finkelstein
Chief Financial and Operating Officer
Ron Aloni
Chief Development Officer
Judith Alperin
Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel
Sheryl Zeligson
Director of Education and Advocacy Division
Naomi Brunnlehrman
Director of Organization Division
Lindy Ettin
Division Co-Director, Marketing
Sheryl Hoffman
Director of Engagement Division
Maureen Mandel
Chief Human Resources Officer
Bart R. Minsky
Division Co-Director, Communications
Sharon Scalora
Naomi Adler joined Hadassah with more than 18 years’ experience leading large nonprofit organizations. As President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, she led a team that served the sixth-largest Jewish population in the United States. Prior to her tenure at the Philadelphia Federation, she was President and CEO of two United Way organizations in New York State for a total of 13 years.
After graduating from Mount Holyoke College and SUNY Buffalo School of Law, Naomi worked first in private practice and then as Assistant District Attorney for Monroe County, New York. Her reputation as a successful prosecutor in cases of violence against women and children, and later as a community advocate for families living in poverty, earned her several honors.
Naomi has testified as an expert on charitable giving, antisemitism and global public health in local and national legislative forums, including the Ways and Means Committee of the United States Congress. She was recognized by President Obama for her efforts during Hurricane Sandy and by FEMA for her service to the community during Hurricanes Irene and Lee.
Ellen Finkelstein is the CEO and executive director of Hadassah, partnering with Hadassah’s national president to build on the organization's achievements, increase our impact across the globe and lead Hadassah into the next phase of our growth.
A powerful leader, Ellen has a strong track record in Jewish communal work, development and in transforming strategies into measurable success.
Prior to joining Hadassah, Ellen served at Yeshiva University (YU) as chief strategy officer in the Office of Institutional Advancement, playing a pivotal role in shaping the institution’s growth and outreach.
At YU, Ellen was responsible for a wide range of external-facing areas, including annual, corporate and foundation relations; alumni services and engagement; event fundraising; community engagement, and philanthropy marketing and communications.
Early in her career, Ellen built a strong foundation in strategic thinking and business development as an advisor to Fortune 500 clients at Accenture Consulting. She then brought those skills to the Jewish nonprofit sector, holding various roles at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades, Jewish Federation of Northern NJ and Jewish Family & Children’s Services.
A graduate of the University of Virginia, Ellen has said that as a Jewish woman and a Zionist, there is no place she would rather be than at Hadassah.
Ron Aloni is Hadassah’s Chief Financial and Operating Officer responsible for all financial and operational aspects of the organization.
Prior to Hadassah, Ron served as Chief Financial Officer for the Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces (FIDF), and previously was Vice President for Finance and Controller for Pace University. As a senior manager at KPMG and later at Ernst & Young, Ron specialized in the firm’s non-profit market sector.
A CPA in both the US and Israel, Ron received his BA in accounting and psychology from the University of Tel Aviv and his MBA in strategic management from the Lubin School of Business at Pace University. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Not-For-Profit Expert Panel and the New York State Society of CPAs Not-For-Profit Committee.
Prior to his professional career, Ron served three years in the Israeli army intelligence forces.
During his time with Hadassah Ron has played a key role in the organization’s strategic plans and helped address the business disruption caused by COVID-19 as well as manage the challenges related to the October 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel and its aftermath. Additionally, Ron led the implementation of a Data Analysis and Impact Center and a new model for an organization-wide operations department with unified supervision for better donor and member customer service and improved management of transactions. He also served twice as Co-Interim CEO.
Judith Alperin is Hadassah’s Chief Development Officer leading the organization’s Philanthropy Division.
Her career has featured a variety of leadership roles with Jewish communal organizations. She served for seven years as CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven and led the organization in rebuilding its facilities and programs after a devastating fire. During the pandemic Judith worked with local philanthropists to found Masks for Heroes and Masks for CT, which distributed over 1.5 million surgical masks to frontline workers, first responders and vulnerable populations.
Prior to her time in New Haven, Judith served as both the Assistant Executive Director and Director of Development of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. In 2013 she was a member of the inaugural class of the JFNA Fundraising University and most recently was selected as a Mandel Institute for Nonprofit Leadership Fellow.
Sheryl Zeligson has been with Hadassah since 1992. Prior to Hadassah, Zeligson served as an associate at the law firms of Fulbright and Jaworski, LLP and Kelley Drye & Warren, LLP. She graduated from Barnard College, Columbia University with a BA in political science. Sheryl was awarded a JD degree from Fordham University School of Law. She is a member of the New York and New Jersey State Bars, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and the District of New Jersey. Sheryl has also served as an adjunct Professor of Law at Cardozo School of Law.
Sheryl is proud to be a key member of the Hadassah team and, along with the Legal Department, is dedicated to advising Hadassah and its related entities on a wide range of legal issues.
Naomi has been the director of the Education and Advocacy Division since its inception in 2013. Under her leadership, Hadassah re-opened our Washington, DC, lobbying office, launched our annual list of 18 American Zionist Women You Should Know and initiated our Hadassah for Choice campaign following the overturn of Roe v. Wade. An advocate in the wider Jewish community for over 40 years, she is the former education director at DOROT, the past assistant vice president of the financial institution Key Corp, a co-founder of the Jewish Deaf Resource Center and a tri-lingual interpreter. Naomi is a passionate Zionist with an MA from The Jewish Theological Seminary of America.
Lindy Ettin is the Director of the Organization Division. She has worked in Jewish non-profit for over 15 years and specializes in Organizational Development and Strategic Planning for Hadassah. Within the Organization Division, Lindy has directed the staff support teams within the eight Geographic Areas to focus on how to maximize staff resources, share best business practices and enhance the services provided to our donors, members and volunteers nationwide.
Lindy volunteers for numerous organizations, including the Jewish Federation of Orange County, JCC Maccabi Games and Planned Parenthood. Lindy graduated from the University of Vermont with a BA in English and holds an MBA from Baruch College, Zicklin School of Business in New York City.
Sheryl's marketing experience spans 40 years in marketing agencies and corporate and non-profit organizations. Prior to joining Hadassah, Sheryl was the Director of External Affairs at Teachers College, Columbia University and the Executive Director of Marketing and Communications at Jewish National Fund. Sheryl is a past president of her synagogue and has also served on various boards and committees, including at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City. Sheryl graduated from Rutgers University with a BA in Communications.
In her additional role as director of special projects, Sheryl explores opportunities and produces events where Hadassah can reach and cultivate new audiences, elevating Hadassah to be one of the most influential women's and Zionist organizations in the country.
Maureen Mandel is the director of the Engagement Division, Hadassah’s national division committed to fostering deeper connections between current members and the national organization, building a sense of national community, and expanding Hadassah's membership base via membership outreach programs and campaigns. Prior to her current role, she served as the division’s director of membership development.
She brings with her extensive experience working with member- and volunteer-based organizations. Prior to coming to Hadassah in March 2019, she served as director of programs for the Deep Foundations Institute, a 3,500-member international association of contractors, engineers, manufacturers, suppliers, academics; and as director of marketing and sales for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. She was a marketing and membership consultant for several health-related organizations such as the Bone and Cancer Foundation and the U.S. Bone and Joint Initiative.
Maureen holds a bachelor of business administration in marketing from Hofstra University.
Bart R. Minsky is the Chief Human Resources Officer. He has over 30 years of Human Resources experience, including Chief Human Resources Officer and other senior HR leadership roles. Prior to joining Hadassah, Bart served as a Human Resources consultant to the healthcare industry and before that was Vice President of Human Resources at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. He graduated from the University at Albany with a BA in economics and from the New York Institute of Technology with an MS in labor and industrial relations. Bart holds Senior Human Resources certifications from the HR Certification Institute and the Society for Human Resources Management.
Through joint volunteer and staff collaborative processes, in 2019, three workgroups were formed to study volunteer and partnered leadership positions. Project goal is to ensure the appropriate volunteer/staff role definition and maximize skills and interests of each.
