Long-time AVI CHAI Foundation Senior Program Officer, Rachel Abrahams, to Join the Mayberg Foundation

Chevy Chase, Md. -- Rachel Mohl Abrahams, an AVI CHAI Foundation senior program officer specializing in Jewish education and day school initiatives, will join the Mayberg Foundation’s professional staff in January 2020 as senior advisor for education grants and programs.

As senior advisor, Abrahams will advance the impact and scope of the Foundation’s Jewish education-related grantmaking. She will further the Mayberg Foundation’s high impact, entrepreneurial approach to philanthropy by managing grants and partnerships, conferring with staff and trustees on organizational strategy and elevating positive change initiatives in the field of Jewish education.

To achieve these ends, Abrahams will direct her efforts to the Mayberg Foundation's core grantmaking program, as well as the day school improvement program it initiated and incubates, the Jewish Education Innovation Challenge (JEIC), which draws support from multiple philanthropic partnerships for its pursuit of lasting school change.

Abrahams brings more than two decades of experience in Jewish educational project design, program management and evaluation.

“We are eager to bring Rachel into the initiatives we believe are transforming Jewish education,” said Todd Sukol, Mayberg Foundation Executive Director. “Rachel’s depth of experience will be a tremendous asset to our grantmaking team and will help pave the way for JEIC’s next phase of efforts to transform Jewish day schools.”

As part of her new role, Abrahams will build on AVI CHAI’s important work in personalized learning by continuing to champion these methodologies in Jewish education. 

“Personalized Learning is one of many areas in which Rachel has become an expert during her 21 years at AVI CHAI,” noted Yossi Prager, AVI CHAI’s North American Executive Director. “She is uniquely positioned to guide the Mayberg Foundation in this arena. Knowing Rachel and the Mayberg staff and trustees as I do, I think she is going to be a wonderful addition to their team and their work.” 

Abrahams holds an M.A. in Bible from Bernard Revel Graduate School and a J.D. from the Cardozo School of Law, and she previously worked as an attorney specializing in family law. She lives with her family in New York.

The Mayberg Foundation proliferates Jewish wisdom and values in the contemporary world through both grantmaking and incubating operating programs including the Jewish Education and Innovation Challenge and MyZuzah. Guided by four core values entrepreneurial philanthropy, foundational Judaism, connectedness of all Jewish people and collective effort — the Mayberg Foundation propels organizations with bold ideas that inspire, educate and strengthen the Jewish community.

For questions about the Mayberg Foundation or JEIC, please contact Rebecca Weisman, senior communications officer, at communications@mayberg.org.