Email: adam@18doors.org

Adam Pollack wakes up every day asking himself how he can bring meaning and purpose to the world. He sees 18Doors’ mission as the answer to that call, equipping Jewish communal leaders with the knowledge, skills and tools they need to engage and empower multi-heritage individuals, couples and families. Adam brings a wealth of experience in philanthropy, organizational development, Jewish education and young adult engagement. He’s grateful to work alongside talented colleagues dedicated to a shared vision of a more inclusive, vibrant and diverse Jewish community. Adam holds a MA in Experiential Jewish Education from JTS, a graduate certificate in Nonprofit Leadership & Management from ASU and a BA from Muhlenberg College.

In his spare time, Adam can be found running trails across the Bay Area and hanging out with his husband, Nathan, and their dog, Stewie. 

Email: dierdre@18doors.org

After a successful 15-year career in Operations, Event, and Program Management, Deirdre took a step back for a while to be home with her (now 20 month old) son. But, missing the adult world and having the opportunity to contribute to a mission-driven organization, Deirdre is thrilled to have found the perfect balance and be working part-time at 18Doors as Program and Operations Manager.

Email: ellen@18doors.org

Ellen brings over 20 years of non-profit management experience to her role as Managing Director. She loves translating strategy into concrete steps, and leveraging project management to make work easier for the entire team. Ellen lives in Western Massachusetts with her husband and their two dogs, Panko and Ruckus. When she doesn’t have her nose buried in a spreadsheet, she loves walking her dogs, cooking, and trying to keep track of her three grown sons.

Email: rabbimiriam@18doors.org

As Senior Director of Professional Development at 18Doors, Rabbi Wajnberg works with Jewish organizations, clergy, professionals and lay leaders across North America to create communities of belonging for multi-heritage couples and families. She believes firmly that every interaction with an individual, couple, or family has with the Jewish community and its leadership has the potential to be transformative, a moment of invitation into deeper engagement.

Rabbi Wajnberg lives in Hamilton, ON with her husband, Rabbi Beni Wajnberg, their two children and their rescue dog Tucker. She has served Jewish communities and organizations throughout North America and in Singapore. Rabbi Wajnberg was ordained by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 2016. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, yoga, baking challah and sourdough and hosting Shabbat dinners.

Email: rabbishena@18doors.org

Rabbi Shena Potter Jaffee loves exploring the intersection where personal identity and belonging in Jewish community connect. She received rabbinic ordination and her Doctorate of Divinity from Hebrew Union College. 

She is thrilled to be part of a team dedicated to helping clergy deepen belonging across North America. Shena champions the work of clergy and directs the Rukin Rabbinic Fellowship, which equips rabbis across movements and fields to center the voices of multi-heritage individuals, couples, and families in their work. 

Growing up in a home with a Catholic mother and a Jewish father, Shena has always been drawn to the places where Jewish pride and varied family traditions meet. She also serves as part-time spiritual leader of Temple B’nai Israel in Monroe, MI. 

Shena has held leadership roles in several local and national organizations, including as founding Director of Jewish Life at the Mayerson JCC and Director of Rabbinic Talent Development for Honeymoon Israel. 

Shena lives with her husband, two daughters, and Slinky the Wonder Dog in Cincinnati, OH. She enjoys aspirational cookbook reading, Shabbat dinners with new friends, hiking, and family time.