CASJE Leadership: Staff & Affiliated Partners

 

The administrative home of CASJE is the Graduate School of Education and Human Development at the George Washington University, which is responsible for executive management and financial oversight of CASJE. In addition to our Advisory Board, CASJE's work is guided by a group of administrators that oversee day-to-day operations, manage research fellows and projects, and more. Our affiliated faculty, staff, and organizational partners serve as fellowship mentors, researchers, and volunteers.

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CASJE Staff

Dr. Arielle Levites headshot

Dr. Arielle Levites, Managing Director

Dr. Arielle Levites is the Managing Director of CASJE. Her research focuses on contemporary American Jewish education. She has conducted a number of applied studies on behalf of American Jewish educational enterprises, with a focus on young adults and teens. Her work has been recognized with awards from the Woodrow Wilson Foundation, the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, and the Network for Research in Jewish Education.

Dr. Levites has served as the Golda Och Postdoctoral Fellow at the Jewish Theological Seminary, a research fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, a visiting assistant professor at Hebrew College in the Shoolman Graduate School, and an affiliated scholar at Brandeis University’s Mandel Center. She holds a BA from Brown University in Religious Studies, a MSEd in Religious Education from the University of Pennsylvania, and a PhD from NYU in Education and Jewish Studies.

Dr. Levites is also an affiliated faculty member of the Global Food Institute at GW.


Naomi Gamoran headshot

Naomi Gamoran, Program Manager

Naomi oversees CASJE's operations and administration. Naomi is passionate about using evidence to improve Jewish education.

Prior to her work at CASJE, Naomi served as the DC Senior Program Director at Avodah: The Jewish Service Corps, where she developed the leadership skills of young Jewish adults and connected them to community-based organizations working for social justice. Naomi worked as a social studies teacher at Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter School, teaching world history, psychology, and sociology. Naomi holds a BA in History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Maryland-Baltimore. Additionally, Naomi has been involved in formal and informal Jewish education at synagogue and camp settings.


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Amy Smith headshot

Amy Smith, Program Coordinator

Amy Smith is a Program Coordinator with the Collaboratory: A Center for Jewish Education, and supports CASJE's administrative work.

Amy Smith was raised in the Midwest, lived for a decade in the southwest and has finally found her home in the DMV area. She earned a BA from University of Illinois at Chicago and her MPA/MSW at The Ohio State University. As a junior in college she spent 10 months studying at Ben-Gurion University. This experience cemented her passion for the region and ignited her love of travel and adventure. In this setting, she looks forward to assisting  colleagues in successfully accomplishing their professional goals. 
 

 

GW Affiliated Faculty and Staff

Dr. Michael Feuer headshot
Dr. Michael Feuer

The George Washington University

Dr. Maxine Freund headshot
Dr. Maxine Freund

The George Washington University

Dr. Benjamin Jacobs headshot
Dr. Benjamin Jacobs

Co-Chair, Advisory Board | The George Washington University

Headshot of Ilana Weltman
Ilana Weltman

The George Washington University

 

Applied Research Fellowship

     Faculty Mentors

Briana Barocas headshot
Dr. Briana Barocas

Fellowship Mentor

NYU

Dr. Adam Cohen headshot
Dr. Adam Cohen

Fellowship Mentor and Shabbat Study Research Team Member

Arizona State University

Dr. Jessica Hammer headshot
Dr. Jessica Hammer

Fellowship Mentor

Carnegie Melon University

Michal Kurlaender Headshot
Dr. Michal Kurlaender

Fellowship Mentor

UC Davis

Rebecca Lowenhaupt Headshot
Dr. Rebecca Lowenhaupt

Fellowship Mentor

Boston College

Dr. Yotam Shmargad headshot
Dr. Yotam Shmargad

Fellowship Mentor

University of Arizona

     Fellowship Seminar and Workshop Leader   

  

     Research Fellows: Cohort 1 (2023-2025)

       Research Fellows: Cohort 2 (2024-2026) 

 

 

Contributing Scholars

Ariela Keysar headshot
Dr. Ariela Keysar

Research Digest

Trinity College-Hartford

David Marker headshot
Dr. David Marker

Research Digest

Marker Consulting, LLC

Michelle Shain headshot
Dr. Michelle Shain

Research Digest

Jewish Nonprofit Planning and Research Institute

Laura Yares headshot
Laura Yares

Research Use Group

Michigan State University

 

Research Network

Dr. Lauren Applebaum headshot
Dr. Lauren Applebaum

CASJE Small Grants Recipient

Hebrew Union College

Dr. Adina Bankier-Karp headshot
Dr. Adina Bankier-Karp

CASJE Small Grants Recipient

Brandeis University

Briana Barocas headshot
Dr. Briana Barocas

Fellowship Mentor

NYU

Dr. Adam Cohen headshot
Dr. Adam Cohen

Fellowship Mentor and Shabbat Study Research Team Member

Arizona State University

Mindy Gold headshot
Mindy Gold

CASJE Small Grants Recipient

EdtechMMG

Eli Gottlieb headshot
Dr. Eli Gottlieb

Fellowship Seminar and Workshop Leader

GW

Dr. David Graham headshot
Dr. David Graham

CASJE Small Grants Recipient

Institute for Jewish Policy Research

Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad headshot
Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad

Shabbat Study Research Team Member

Brigham Young University

Michal Kurlaender Headshot
Dr. Michal Kurlaender

Fellowship Mentor

UC Davis

Julia Logan Labow headshot
Julia Logan Labow

Shabbat Study Research Team Member

OneTable

Dr. Jordan Lawson headshot
Dr. Jordan Lawson

Shabbat Study Research Team Member

Brown University

Dr. Hollen Reischer headshot
Dr. Hollen Reischer

Shabbat Study Research Team Member

University of Buffalo

Dr. Kathy Schwartz headshot
Dr. Kathy Schwartz

CASJE Small Grants Recipient

Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion

Dr. Sivan Zakai headshot
Dr. Sivan Zakai

CASJE Small Grants Recipient

Hebrew Union College

 

Practice Partners

Here are some of the many programs CASJE has partnered with over the last few years. We would love to partner with you!