Tamara Kushnir Groman is a Legal and Financial Educator at CJE SeniorLife.  She focuses on financial and legal matters in her work with older adults. Tamara has a law degree and has a practice background in legal services with the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago. She also worked as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable James Epstein. Tamara received her BA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and her law degree from Loyola University Chicago. She is an active community member volunteering at food pantries and other service organizations. 

Rachel Lessem, JD, PhD, is a Research Scientist at the Leonard Schanfield Research Institute at CJE SeniorLife. She is a former family law attorney who received her JD from the University of Michigan.  Her work focused on survivors of domestic violence. She received her PhD from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University where she focused on Child, Youth, and Family Policy.  Her dissertation research examined the role of lay volunteers in improving domestic violence courts. Rachel’s  current research interests include intergenerational programs; aging in community; ageism and its effects on individuals and society; social isolation and loneliness; and volunteerism and activism among older adults. She is pleased to be a part of CJE Senior Life where she can use her research skills to further the mission of the organization.