Our Team
Avrum Rosensweig
Founding Director and President
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
Executive Director & 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 Homeless Initiatives
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
Josh Hacker
Development Officer
Josh Hacker is the Development Officer for Ve’ahavta and manages various projects in the areas of fundraising, marketing and events.
Previous to his position at Ve’ahavta, he spent four years working for the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, where his responsibilities included fundraising events and community outreach to ethnic groups and small communities across Ontario. He graduated from Brandeis University with an MA in Jewish Communal Service and a MBA in Non-Profit Management in 2004.
Josh has a passion for local politics and tries to make a difference through the work that he does every day in society. You can contact Josh at josh.hacker@veahavta.org.
Robyn Segall
Manager, Marketing and PR
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
Shawna has spent the last four years in fundraising for Mount Sinai Hospital Auxiliary and the Canadian Cancer Society. Before starting a family she was a dedicated volunteer and worked as a Purchasing & 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 person at a time. Shawna is blessed and most proud of her daughters, Joelle and Syvana. Contact Shawna at shawna.meshwork@veahavta.org
Sarah Zelcer
Director of International Projects
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
Shirley Benor-Elmakias
Fundraising & Administrative Assistant
Shirley has been with Ve’ahavta since February, 2011. She is the friendly voice on the other end of the phone accepting donations and speaking “tikun olam”. Shirley also looks after our tribute card program, database management, fundraising administration, and various special community events.
Previous to her position at Ve’ahavta, Shirley has been involved with the Friends of Israel Scouts, Tzofim Beit Halochem Canada/Aid to Disabled Veterans of Israel (Canada) for 7 years. One of her volunteer experience highlights was when she hosted an Israeli Veteran in her home.
Shirley who was born in Israel, grew up in Montreal, and moved to Toronto many years ago. She feels blessed to be at Ve’ahavta and hopes her contribution will help promote the value of tikun olam. Contact Shirley at shirley.elmakias@veahavta.org
Dave Warwick
Controller
Epi Seymour Epstein
Acting Director of International & Education
Dr. Epstein has been active in every aspect of Jewish education, formal and informal. He worked at United Synagogue Day School in Toronto and helped to found an experimental high school there in 1971. From 1973 to 1978 he was an assistant professor at McGill University where he directed the Jewish Teacher Training Program of Montreal. He was actively involved in Camp Ramah and directed the Canadian Ramah for three summers.
In 1981 Dr. Epstein moved to Morocco to become the educational consultant for the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee in Casablanca. During his eighteen years of JDC work, he was active in Morocco, Western Europe, and the Former Soviet Union. He served the JDC as Director of Jewish Education and was responsible for community development in Siberia, Russia.
For the ten years from 1999 to 2009 Epi was the director of Toronto’s Board of Jewish Education at UJA Federation. In 2009 his first book, From Couscous to Kasha: Reporting From the Field of Jewish Community Work, was published by Urim Publications. Contact Epi at seymour.epstein@veahavta.org
Hadassah Henig
Administrative Assistant & Volunteer Coordinator
Lauren Gostick
Community Outreach Driver
Lorne Anderson
Faiths Act Fellow
Melanie Lindayen
International Project Coordinator, International & Education
Perry Howell
Community Outreach Liaison
Sumayya Daghar
Faiths Act Fellow
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
Ve’ahavta’s Board Members
- Henry Greisman, Chairman
- Dr. Gordon Arbess
- Ron Baruch
- Alison Cohen
- Bruce Cowley
- Mark Diamond
- Rick Ekstein
- Karen Ehrlich
- Danielle Kaplan
- Malka Lewittes
- Paul Lindzon
- Barry Picov
- Brian Vyner
- Lawrence Zimmerman
