advisory board
In addition to the Board of Directors, AJE is incredibly fortunate to have an Advisory Board whose role is to assist and advise it in its strategic decision-making. The Advisory Board is composed of highly respected and experienced leaders, each of whom brings a unique and critical perspective to AJE’s strategy.
Jonathan Bannet, Strategy
Jonathan Bannet is an entrepreneur and experienced management consultant. Jonathan received his MBA from the Harvard Business School. He has worked as a consulting case manager at Bain & Company, as a manager in corporate development at Primedia, and now serves as the CEO of TeKspire, a boutique consulting firm. Jonathan has worked extensively in the digital and education spaces and has a thorough knowledge of operational improvement and cost reduction methodologies.
Saul Orbach, Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Saul Orbach is a seasoned management professional with over 25 years of executive leadership experience in turning vision into reality and managing companies and business projects. He is accomplished in launching and building startups, accelerating emerging growth companies, turning around distressed companies, and is well versed in every aspect of project and institutional finance. Saul brings a track record of multiple successful company exits and bringing difficult situations to positive closure. He is highly skilled at creating and implementing strategic plans, managing P&Ls, building and growing strategic alliances, marketing, public relations and public speaking, and adept at raising capital.
Saul is currently developing the Elul Fund, a new venture fund focused on social impact investment and solving problems in the Jewish community. The fund is expected to launch later in 2013.
Yossi Prager, Philanthropy & School Change
Yossi Prager is the Executive Director for North America of The AVI CHAI Foundation. Under his leadership, AVI CHAI has been at the forefront of initiatives benefiting the Jewish day schools, particularly in its recent focus on day school finance and affordability, day school leadership, and online learning. A graduate of Yeshiva College and Yale Law School, Yossi practiced law at Debevoise & Plimpton in Manhattan before joining AVI CHAI.
Yossi writes and lectures extensively on Judaism, Jewish education and philanthropy. He edited a book on Judaism and philanthropy and has been published in Tradition, Jewish Action, Philanthropy Magazine, The New York Jewish Week and other publications. He is widely quoted in the areas of philanthropy and Jewish education.
Kenneth Rochlin, Administration & Fundraising
Kenneth Rochlin is the Director of Institutional Advancement at The Ramaz School, from which he graduated in 1986. Before assuming his current position, Kenny served as Ramaz Upper School Director of Student Services and Student Activities, Assistant Administrator, and Administrator. A graduate of Yeshiva University, Kenny has overall responsibility for the development and implementation of a long-range plan and program to meet the future needs of the school through the growth of the Annual and Capital Funds, as well as the Alumni Program. He also oversees the Communications Office.
Kenny has been involved in Jewish education for more than 25 years. He is a much sought after confidante and advisor to colleagues in day schools nationally and has spoken at a number of regional and national conferences where his presentations range from managing a development program to fundraising in independent schools.
Rabbi Elchanan Weinbach, School Leadership
An experienced educational leader and educational entrepreneur, since 2012 Rabbi Elchanan Jay Weinbach is the Executive Chairman of Project Kodachrome, a non-profit venture developing Blended Learning curriculum and alternative school models. He recently served of Head of School at Kohelet Yeshiva High School from 2010 until 2013, as well as Head of School of the Shalhevet School in Los Angeles, California, and Principal at both the Jewish Educational Center (J.E.C.) in Elizabeth, New Jersey and Hillel High School in Ocean, New Jersey. In each school he increased enrollment through broadening academic programs and academic supports, improved marketing, professionalizing the admissions process, and through speaking and teaching. Rabbi Weinbach received Rabbinic Ordination, a Masters Degree in Secondary Education, and a B.A. from Yeshiva University in New York, and has done doctoral coursework at Rutgers University in New Jersey as well as certificate work at Columbia University’s Center for Non-Profit Management and Harvard’s Principal Center. Rabbi Weinbach is the founding Rabbi of the Highland Lakes Shul in Florida and served as a congregational rabbi for eleven years in New York, Virginia, Florida, and New Jersey.
His personal interests include alternative school models, entrepreneurship, yoga, meditation and good music. He is married to Yocheved and has four children – Eliezer (psychology research at Yale), Ora Weinbach-Weiner (teaching LK at Heschel High School), Shimmy (in tzahal) and Yehuda (in 10th grade at Kohelet).