I’m an educator, researcher, and writer.
As an anthropologist, I’m trained to pay attention to the daily experiences of everyday life, and what these can tell us about larger social processes and trends. I’m fascinated by the messy, complicated, and contradictory ways our humanity expresses itself, and how that complexity plays out in our organizational and communal lives.
I have been involved with social change organizations – at the local, national, and international levels – for over 30 years, as a researcher, program director, funder, fundraiser, board member, and consultant.
I hold a BA in Anthropology from Vassar College, a Master’s in Public Health and a PhD in Sociocultural and Medical Anthropology, from the University of Arizona. I also completed a certificate in Congregational Health Ministry at Andover Newton Theological School, and the training program for educators with the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.
I serve as the Director of Jewish Learning at Siegal Lifelong Learning, Case Western Reserve University, and have been a Visiting Scholar at The Hadassah-Brandeis Institute, Brandeis University, and at the Center for Judaic Studies, University of Arizona.
My writings have appeared in various publications, including Contemporary Jewry, Culture and Religion, The Forward, the Arizona Jewish Post, and Fresh Ideas: The HBI Blog, and have won awards from the American Jewish Press Association, the Arizona Press Club and the Conference on Medicine and Religion.