Our Team
Avrum Rosensweig
President and Executive Director
Avrum Rosensweig, Founding Director and President of Ve’ahavta, is motivated by the ethics of Judaism and the importance of hands-on volunteerism, and believes that by working with interfaith partners, both Jews and non-Jews rediscover the beauties of Judaism, its universal ethical message, and how Jewish inspired acts of charity make the world a better place.
For thirteen years, Avrum has directed Ve’ahavta, Canada’s only Jewish humanitarian and relief organization. Avrum and his team have designed and supervised projects in Israel, and have created and continue to oversee projects in Canada with Native peoples, in South America with Jewish, Amerindian, and Afro Caribbean peoples, in Asia with communities affected by the Tsunami, and with the peoples of rural Africa.
Avrum was a talk show host and performed on television for ten years as one of the Food Guys. He writes a weekly newspaper column for the Canadian Jewish News and is also Ve’ahavta’s most popular public speaker. In this capacity, he was one of the first Canadian notables to publicly cry out for the victims of the genocide in Darfur, urging the citizens and government of this fair democracy to act to solve this ongoing tragedy. Contact Avrum at avrum.rosensweig@veahavta.org.
Kirill Zaretsky
Senior Director of Development
Kirill Zaretsky is the Director of Development for Ve’ahavta and manages the overall strategic direction of the fundraising department.
Prior to joining the Ve’ahavta team, Kirill worked as a senior fundraising officer for almost ten years, raising millions of dollars for the Canadian Red Cross, The Canadian Cancer Society, and The Scarborough Hospital, as well as a private arts college. He also ran a fundraising consultant company for a variety of clients in the field of development and health.
His experience includes major gifts, planned giving, grant writing, monthly and online programs, and special events. He is a graduate of York University and a member of the Association for Fundraising professionals.
He has a passion for the mystical side of Judaism and has devoted his career to raising funds for the most underprivileged in society. Contact Kirill at kirill.zaretsky@veahavta.org.
Eric Cisterna
Manager of Community Poverty Relief
Having been trained by some of the most skilled and dedicated Social Workers in downtown Toronto, Eric has dedicated his skills of mediation and communication to further the development and well being of the less advantaged and homeless within the Greater Toronto Area.
Eric has spent much of his time educating himself through school and training in the field of Social Work, Law, Intervention and Crisis work over the last ten years.
As a recent Deans Honour list graduate of George Brown College, Eric strives to utilize his skills to assist clients and volunteers of Ve’ahavta in gaining a new perspective on Toronto’s diversity. Contact Eric at eric.cisterna@veahavta.org.
Ori Belmont
Community Outreach Liaison
Ori Belmont has been with Ve’ahavta since April of 2010 as an Outreach Driver and Community Outreach Liaison for the Mobile Jewish Response to the Homeless. Ori graduated from York University with an Honours Degree in Political Science and has previously been employed as an aide to a City Counsellor, as a freelance writer, and at Baycrest Geriatric Facility as a Project Manager and Event Planner.
Ori has an immense passion for making the world a better place for those who are often neglected, one smile and one step at a time. You may contact Ori at ori.belmont@veahavta.org
Illana Linden
Development Officer
Ilana was born in Israel and immigrated to Montreal at the age of 12. In 2009 she moved to Toronto and has embraced the city as her new home. Ilana was thrilled to join the Ve’ahavta fundraising team in 2012 and contribute to the organization’s efforts to make the world a better place. With more than 35 years of experience in the arts as visual artist, dancer, actor, theater director and filmmaker, she cut her fundraising “teeth” as the founding artistic director of Bulldog Productions Theatre Company, which was one of Montreal’s leading independent English theater companies. The proud mother of two, Ilana is passionate about health and wellness and is a certified fitness consultant and personal trainer. Contact Ilana at ilana.linden@veahavta.org
Robyn Segall
Director of Programs & Marketing
Robyn Segall joined the Ve’ahavta team in 2003 as a volunteer and was soon after hired to develop Ve’ahavta’s volunteer department.In 2009, she moved on to our Fundraising department as Development Officer where she managed the organizations fundraising, marketing, and events portfolios. Robyn now returns from maternity leave as our new Marketing, Communications and PR Manager.
Robyn has a BA from York University and has extensive sales and marketing experience in the private sector. Robyn is also a NIA and yoga instructor and an adoring mother of two. Contact Robyn at Robyn@veahavta.org.
Shawna Meshwork
Community Development Officer
Since 2006, Shawna has been a fundraising professional for non-for-profit organizations including Mount SinaiHospitaland the Canadian Cancer Society. Before starting a family she was a dedicated volunteer and worked as a Sales & Logistics Manager for Ceres Fruit Juices. Shawna has a passion for health and fitness as her first career was in Registered Massage Therapy. She receives great satisfaction working with the Ve’ahavta team and committed volunteers to make this world a better place one good deed at a time. Shawna is blessed and most proud of her two daughters. Contact Shawna at shawna.meshwork@veahavta.org
Sarah Zelcer
Director of National and International Programs
Sarah Zelcer has worked with Ve’ahavta since 2002. During that time, she has worked with every department at Ve’ahavta. Since 2003, Sarah has directed Ve’ahavta’s International Department, managing our projects in Guyana, Zimbabwe, Haiti, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Israel, and Kenya, as well as coordinated Ve’ahavta’s overseas responses to international crises including the Tsunami, the Haiti earthquake, and the current crisis in Darfur.
As Ve’ahavta’s representative, Sarah has traveled to Guyana, Argentina, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Haiti.
Sarah is a writer, contributing to Living Legacies: A Collection of Inspirational Contemporary Canadian Jewish Women, and a visual artist, specializing in ketubot (Jewish marriage contracts). Sarah is currently pursuing a master’s degree in public health at the University of Toronto. Contact Sarah at sarah.zelcer@veahavta.org.
Lilian Zepeda
Accounting Assistant
Lilian is Ve’ahavta’s Accounting Assistant and is responsible for the organization’s accounts payables, donations, banking and other accounting duties. Lilian has worked in the accounting/office administration field for over 18 years. She holds the Bookkeeping Systems Program certificate and the Microcomputer Operator certificate, both from George Brown College. Ultimately, she is interested in the social and personal growth of people, which led her to volunteer to teach life skills in a women’s center. She is glad to be part of the Ve’ahavta family. Contact Lilian at lilian.zepeda@veahavta.org
Dave Warwick
Controller
Lauren Gostick
Community Outreach Worker
Lauren, a graduate from the Social Service Worker program at George Brown College, is Ve’ahavta’s full-time Outreach Worker on the Mobile Jewish Response to the Homeless outreach van. Five days a week Lauren escorts a group of volunteers through the downtown streets of Toronto as they provide clients with essential supplies and supportive engagement.
Lauren believes in the social responsibility to do what we can for people who need it. As an activist, she feels compelled to play her part- however big or small it may be. What keeps her going? The fact that clients have welcomed her so warmly into their daily lives. Contact Lauren at lauren.gostick@veahavta.org
Theresa Schrader
Community Poverty Relief Associate
Theresa is the Community Poverty Relief Associate at Ve’ehavta where she coordinates the Creative Writing Contest and the Ve’ahavta Street Academy.
Theresa brings with her more than a decade of life experience with homelessness, addiction, and mental illness. She is a former winner of our Creative Writing Contest claiming the contest gave her a glimmer of hope that change was possible.
After getting clean and having a child Theresa returned to school to follow her passion of helping people like her change. She thought if she could do it – she could assist others in completing the journey. In between her 1st and 2nd year of college Theresa worked with Ve’ahavta on that vision and the Ve’ahavta Street Academy was born. She became a full time staff member at Ve’ahavta 3 weeks after completing college in 2011.
We gave her the day off to attend her Convocation and receive the honour of being presented the Dean’s Medal for the Social Service Worker Program at George Brown College. Contact Theresa at theresa.schrader@veahavta.org
Carol Berns
Fundraising and Administrative Co-ordinator
Carol Berns is the Fundraising and Administrative Co-ordinator at Ve’ahavta . Most telephone calls to our office are answered with Carol’s cheery “Shalom, Ve’ahavta!”
Carol has had a long career in management, customer service and administration, in both the retail and not for profit sectors, and comes to Ve’ahavta after eleven years at the Baycrest Centre Foundation. The common denominator, throughout her work history, has always been her excellence in customer service. Whether she’s dealing with donors, clients, staff members or suppliers, Carol’s focus is always to meet or exceed the expectations of our internal and external customers.
Carol considers herself a “people person” and has spent many years as the volunteer facilitator of peer support groups for separated and divorced women.
Carol has a daughter and 2 sons and 5 very special grandchildren. She says being a bubba is the best job she ever had (sorry, Ve’ahavta!) She does get great satisfaction from working, with her lovely Ve’ahavta family, to make a significant contribution to repairing the world. Contact Carol at carol.berns@veahavta.org
Ve’ahavta’s Board Members
- Henry Greisman, Chairman
- Anthony Alberga
- Dr. Gordon Arbess
- Alan Bass
- Bruce Cowley
- Mark Diamond
- Karen Ehrlich
- Bernie Farber
- Paul Lindzon
- Renee Roth
- Ira Teich
- Brian Vyner
- Lawrence Zimmerman
