MEET OUR TEAM

SARAH OSBORNE, FOUNDING DIRECTOR

Sarah Osborne is the founding Executive Director of A Mitzvah to Eat. Sarah has a Master’s degree in Jewish Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary. She has over ten years of experience as an educator in Jewish day schools and informal Jewish educational settings. She has engaged in intensive Jewish learning programs at the Conservative Yeshiva and Drisha Institute. Sarah is also a writer. She was selected to write for the 2023 cohort of Maharat’s Vatichtov: She Writes fellowship.

Through her work and projects, Sarah enjoys connecting with Jews around the world. She is proud of her collaborations and partnerships with Jewish leaders and community members with diverse Jewish identities. She lives in the Washington DC area.

RABBI MARIANNE NOVAK, RABBINIC ADVISOR

Rabbi Marianne Novak received her semikha, rabbinic ordination from Yeshivat Maharat in 2019. She served her rabbinic internships at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, New York and Congregation Netivot Shalom in Teaneck, New Jersey. Rabbi Novak has been on the faculty of the Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning for over 25 years. Additionally, she has served as gabbait for the Skokie Women’s Tefillah Group and has prepared numerous young women for their Bat Mitzvah celebrations for the group. Rabbi Novak writes a popular blog on the Times of Israel, has served as Scholar-in-Residence and lecturer at various congregations. She is also on faculty of the Jewish Learning Collab and recently became the Program Director for Va’tichtov: She Writes, a writing cohort through Yeshivat Maharat. Rabbi Novak received her B.A. cum laude from Barnard College and her J.D. from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis. Currently, Rabbi Novak is on Judaic studies staff at Akiba-Schechter Jewish Day School in Hyde Park.

ADVISORY COMMITTEE

RABBA MELISSA SCHOLTEN-GUTIERREZ, ADVISORY COMMITTEE CHAIR

Rabba Melissa Scholten-Gutierrez is a Jewish educator, community builder, and visionary leader who works to ensure that our Jewish communal organizations are more intentional - more intentionally Jewish, more intentionally diverse, more intentionally equitable. Rabba Melissa currently serves as the Director of Family Education and Engagement at the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta and in communal volunteer roles including with the Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta, MACoM (Metro Atlanta Community Mikvah), National Council for Jewish Women (NCJW), and A Mitzvah to Eat. Rabba Melissa received rabbinic ordination from Yeshivat Maharat, the first institution to train and ordain orthodox women to be clergy, and has a Masters in Social Work from the University of Illinois.

LIZZIE FRANKEL, ADVISORY MEMBER

Lizzie Frankel is a meaning-seeker with a passion for cultivating healing in creative ways. She comes to A Mitzvah to Eat's advisory board with a background in Jewish leadership, elder care, eating disorder recovery advocacy, and social media management. Lizzie is pursuing rabbinic ordination at Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion with a concurrent MA in Jewish Nonprofit Management at the Zelikow School.

JONATHAN KAHAN, ADVISORY MEMBER

Jonathan/Yoni Kahan had a long career in senior financial roles in various media companies. In 2016, his life changed dramatically when he was diagnosed with Acromegaly, a very rare, chronic, neuroendocrine condition. In addition to collecting other rare diagnoses, he volunteers for Acromegaly Community to help raise awareness and support those with the disease.

Yoni is passionate about learning Torah. He reads numerous books and articles, attends several weekly shiurim (Torah learning classes) and enjoys studying with his havrutot (learning partners). He holds an MBA from Northeastern University in Finance and International Business and a B.S. in Accounting from Yeshiva University. In his spare time, he roots for the New York Yankees, enjoys consuming Star Wars content and watching movies The most important things in his life are his four wonderful children - he is incredibly proud of them and their accomplishments.

LAURIE SCOP, ADVISORY MEMBER

Laurie Scop longs to live in a world where all who have been oppressed can heal and live their respective truths, a desire governed by spiritual activism, social justice, and moral courage. After recovering from a serious illness that left her in a nursing home as a young woman, Laurie’s story of escaping death and starting a new life was featured in media outlets including The Huffington Post, The Miami Herald, and on CBS Path. A public servant at heart, Laurie has a background in social work and currently works for the State of Florida. Laurie brings both professional and lived experience to her advocacy work on local, state, and national boards including MUJER, League of Women Voters of Miami-Dade County, Miami NOW, Medicare for All Florida, and National Workplace Bullying Coalition. She is a graduate of National Council of Jewish Women Miami’s Listen & Engage Leadership Development Program, a contributor to At The Well’s Moon Manual, and she currently serves on the Natan Fund’s Confronting Poverty Committee.

LUZ TOFF, ADVISORY MEMBER

Luz Toff takes a holistic approach to everything she does, from learning and teaching Torah to sharing about healthy living. Having had the opportunity to learn and teach in a variety of Jewish educational settings, Luz is currently a student at Yeshivat Maharat. She is passionate about making Jewish learning and practice meaningful, relevant and accessible. Luz currently lives in England.