Leadership
Elise Bernhardt is the founder and Director of Jerusalem International Fellows. She initiated the residency program as the American Academy in Jerusalem during her tenure as CEO of the Foundation for Jewish Culture. Prior to her work at the FJC, Bernhardt was Executive Director of The Kitchen and before that the Founder and Executive Producer of Dancing in the Streets.
Advisory Board
Prof. Arch. Senan Abdelqader is the owner and Head of Senan Architects and Founder and Head of the Institute for the Study of Arab Culture in Arts, Design and Architecture
Lynne Avadenka is an American artist/printmaker known for her works that explore text/image and the physical and philosophical idea of the book. AAJ Fellow 2011
Donald Byrd is a choreographer and Artistic Director of Spectrum Dance Theater in Seattle. AAJ Fellow 2011
Ruth Cummings founded and directs a capacity building initiative for the arts, Jerusalem Culture Unlimited (JCU). This pilot project targets next generation artists who run emerging to mid-size Jerusalem-based arts groups to assist them with professional development.
Dr. Judith Ginsberg has served as the Executive Director of several Jewish philanthropies for over 30 years.
David Herskovits is Artistic Director, Target Margin Theater, AAJ Fellow 2011
David Karnovsky is a Land Use Attorney, previously with NYC Dept. of City Planning. Now a Partner at Fried Frank Shriver and Jacobson. AAJ Fellow 2011
Joel Levy, a former Senior Foreign Service Officer, is a longtime activist in the Jewish community, most recently serving as President and CEO of the Center for Jewish History.
Aline Khoury is an independent curator of Palestinian art and artists. She directs an artists residency in Bethlehem and works with Jerusalem Culture Unlimited and other non-profit cultural organizations.
Joseph V. Melillo is the Executive Producer Emeritus at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) which is the USA’s oldest performing arts center.
Dean Moss is an inter-disciplinary choreographer and video artist; Director of Gametophyte. AAJ Fellow 2013
Evi Musher is a collector and supporter of many international artists.
Davidson Norris is an architect and a principal at Carpenter Norris Consulting. CNC does daylight. Since 1995 David has collaborated on daylighting projects large (the Israel Museum) and small (the Griffith Observatory noon mark). AAJ Fellow 2013
Tracey G. Riese provides strategic counsel to public and private companies and not-for-profit organizations in the fields of arts, culture and education.
Diane Samuels, is a visual artist living in Pittsburgh and co-founder of City of Asylum which provides sanctuary to endangered literary writers. AAJ Fellow 2013
Josh Sirefman is President of Sidewalk Labs. He is an Urban Planner with a focus on Public/Private Partnerships. AAJ Fellow 2010
James Snyder – James S. Snyder is Executive Chairman of The Jerusalem Foundation, Inc., after twenty-two years as Director and then International President of The Israel Museum, Jerusalem