RABBI YONATAN GORDIS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
ANN RASKIN, PROGRAM MANAGER
VICKI ROBINSON, OFFICE MANAGER
JUSTIN KORDA, DIRECTOR OF ISRAEL PROGRAMS
NURIT GLYN, OFFICE MANAGER- ISRAEL
ALIZA MAZOR, INSIGHT FELLOWSHIP CONSULTANT
RABBI YONATAN GORDIS
Yoni is the Executive Director at the Center for Leadership Initiatives. He is responsible for the strategic vision and implementation of CLI's various programs. While overseeing program design, Yoni maintains CLI's network of contacts with current and future leaders, assessing needs and working with the CLI team to determine methods of creating online and offline communities.
Prior to the launch of CLI, Yoni worked as a senior consultant to the CLSFF for eight years, primarily on the Foundation’s giving in the former Soviet Union. Yoni has served for the past ten years primarily as a consultant to philanthropic foundations in Israel and in North America, offering skills that maximized the donors’ impact and their engagement with the heart of their philanthropic efforts. Yoni has worked as a facilitator and strategist with numerous non-profit organizations, focusing on change management and facilitation of complex processes for organizations and their stakeholders.
Before consulting work, he was a founding member of the Elul Beit Midrash in Jerusalem and a teacher in numerous educational institutions throughout Israel. Yoni was born in the United States, lived in Israel for nearly twenty years, and currently lives in Vancouver, British Columbia with his wife and two daughters. A graduate of Columbia University, Yoni received private rabbinic ordination in Israel, has spent time as a midwife’s assistant, and is a teacher of Jewish text and creative writing, a translator of military history, and fan of live music.
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ANN RASKIN
Ann is the Program Manager at the Center for Leadership Initiatives. She is responsible for coordinating program design and implementation of a variety of programs, including the fellowship in Jewish communal service. Previous to joining the CLI team, Ann worked as a Social Planner with the City of Vancouver. This work involved managing community dialogue processes, running a major grants pool, focusing on youth involvement in the city, and representing the city at national and international conferences and forums. She has held positions with the International Institute for Child Rights and Development and with the Concerned for Working Children. Currently, Ann sits as Co-Chair for the Learning to Lead program of the Minerva Foundation.
Ann graduated in 1999 from Dalhousie University with a Bachelor’s degree in International Development Studies, and in 2003, completed a Masters in Planning from the University of British Columbia, School of Community and Regional Planning.
Ann was raised in Halifax where she was an active member of the Jewish community, serving as assistant director of a Jewish summer camp and as a birthright israel madricha. Ann enjoys most things that keep her physically active. As a certified mountain bike instructor, she teaches downhill riding to women. She is also an avid snowboarder, rock climber, and open water swimmer.
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VICKI ROBINSON
Vicki serves as the Office Manager of the Center for Leadership Initiatives. In this position she is responsible for the administrative and financial management of the organization and the logistical arrangements for a number of the programs sponsored by CLI.
Vicki has been involved for many years in social justice work around the world and at home in Canada. Of particular interest to her are issues of gender equity and advocacy for underrepresented groups in new and emerging democracies. She has designed and led training schools for politicians and activists in Canada, Central and Eastern Europe and the former Yugoslavia. Her most recent international work was with Roma communities in Slovakia, Bulgaria and Romania as they engaged more actively in the mainstream political process. She also works actively for the Tibetan Nuns Project.
Vicki is very involved with her Jewish Renewal synagogue. She is the proud grandmother of two and her personal interests include hiking, canoeing, qi gong, live music (from folk to opera) and bridge.
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JUSTIN KORDA
Justin is the Director of Israel Programs at CLI. He is responsible for design, planning, and implementation of CLI programs in Israel and Europe. Prior to joining CLI, Justin was the Managing Director and one of the creators of the ROI program.
Justin was raised in Montreal and was an active volunteer in the local Jewish community. While earning a BA at McGill University, Justin spent most of his time on various grass-roots student initiatives such as the Wake-Up Tour and Dateline: Middle East. In 2000, Justin joined the staff of the first Taglit-birthright israel program in Canada and served as the first Post-Program Coordinator in North America. In the following years Justin held several positions managing the national implementation of Taglit-birthright israel at the Canada Israel Experience (UIAFC) based in Toronto.
Since moving to Israel in 2004, Justin completed an MBA from the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya and worked as a Marketing Analyst in the Financial Services industry. Justin currently lives in a Moshav on the outskirts of Jerusalem with Yael, Noam and Buzz (wife, son, dog).
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NURIT GLYN
Nurit Glyn is the Office Manager for the Center for Leadership Initiatives branch in Israel. In this capacity, she is responsible for the administrative and financial management of CLI office in Israel.
During her Israeli national service, Nurit operated a pedagogical library in Tel Aviv while studying Journalism. Upon completion of her service, Nurit spent three years at Manchester University studying for her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology. In Manchester, Nurit worked in a local Jewish Community Center in the Aliyah Department.
After returning to Israel, Nurit worked as an Israeli Tour Operator and became an assistant to a Plastic Surgeon for hair transplants surgeries. Prior to joining the CLI team, Nurit worked as the Head of the Human Resources Department for a Maximum Global Development Company that is associated with IDT. She is currently pursuing additional studies in Human Resource Management at Bar Ilan University.
Nurit is married and mother of two children.
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ALIZA MAZOR
Mazor is an independent organizational consultant specializing in non-profit start-ups and the social change sector. She currently serves as Program Director for Bikkurim: An Incubator for New Jewish Ideas where consults to new non-profits on strategic planning, fundraising, program development, governance and management. Aliza has curricula in non-profit management for the Robin Hood Foundation and Joshua Venture: A Fellowship for Jewish Social Entrepreneurs. In addition, Aliza has provided organizational development assistance to organizations and philanthropies including American Jewish World Service, UJA Federation of New York, Working Films and the Mandel Leadership Institute.
Aliza holds an MSW from Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She spent 15 years living and working in Israel and was an Associate Director of the New Israel Fund and its capacity building center for social change non-profits, SHATIL.
Aliza is mother to Yihun (age 2). They reside in New York City.
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