Associate Board

Nick Siegel is a Vice President for the industrial real estate development firm Bridge Development Partners, and is currently serving as the Associate Board Chair.. Nick’s strong commitment to senior services began as a result of his grandmother’s experience with Alzheimer’s. Through her struggle and its impact on his family, Nick saw firsthand how essential it is to be able to access high quality care and the importance of educating the family on all the options for care. Nick is originally from Milwaukee and currently resides in Lincoln Park. Nick attends the Chabad of Lincoln Park. His interests include spending time with family and friends, backpacking, camping and travel.

Jason Chess is a First Vice President – Commercial Banking Officer at Signature Bank. A University of Michigan alum, Jason graduated with both a BBA in Business Management and MIS and later received an MBA in Finance. Before joining the Associate Board, Jason participated in the JUF Investment Advisory Council (2008-Present), YLD Board of Directors 2008-2013 (YLD President 2011-2012), and TIP Finance Division (2008-Present, Young Finance Chair 2009-2011). Jason also participates in the Thorngate Homeowners Association Board of Directors, volunteers at Junior Achievement, and is an Advisory Board Member of The Coder School in Highland Park. In his free time, Jason enjoys tennis, golf, workout classes, and business networking. Jason lives in Riverwoods with his wife, Caroline, and two daughters, Ivy and Chloe.

Jordan S. Edelman is an Associate Attorney at Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer P.A. There he specializes in the defense of hospitals, assisted living, and long-term care facilities. Since growing up in Glencoe, and attending Solomon Schechter Day School, Jordan has been interested in Jewish causes. Jordan is involved in both the JUF and AIPAC. Jordan joined the Associate Board because he has watched relatives age and utilize various services. Jordan lives in the Gold Coast with his wife Michelle. He is a graduate of University of Michigan with a B.A. in political science and has a J.D. from Loyola Chicago. In his spare time, he enjoys being with family and friends, and University of Michigan football.

Zach Goldstein recently founded a men's leisure clothing company called Public Rec. Prior to starting Public Rec, Zach was an associate at Shore Capital Partners, a healthcare private equity firm based in Chicago. Prior to Shore, Zach worked at J.P. Morgan supporting the Leveraged Finance Group where he was involved in the negotiation, syndication and execution of strategic debt financings for leveraged buyouts, mergers and acquisitions and general refinancings. Zach received a B.A. in Economics from the University of Michigan. In his free time, Zach enjoys spending time with his family in the northern suburbs and playing sports, including soccer, basketball and golf.

Aaron Greenberg is a co-founder of bioGraph LLC, a company that writes life-stories for clients of all ages and backgrounds. Aaron holds a PhD in English from Northwestern University and a BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. At Northwestern, Aaron created and taught courses such as “Life-Writing,” “Shakespeare’s Social Networks,” and “Cultural Capital.” He spearheaded the launch of the Medical Humanities & Bioethics Program at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He serves on the Core Faculty of the McGaw Bioethics Clinical Scholars Program at Northwestern. He lives in Chicago and belongs to Congregation Beth Shalom Temple.

Adam S. Guetzow is an attorney at Hinshaw & Culbertson, LLP. His practice focuses on serving clients in commercial/residential services and healthcare services. In addition to serving on CJE’s Associate Board, Adam is an active board member of the Anti-Defamation League, and currently serves as the co-chair of the Chicago region's Associate Board and previously served as co-chair of its Young Leader Development Institute. Adam received his B.A. in Political Science and Criminal Justice from Indiana University and his law degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Adam enjoys listening to the life stories of older adults and through that, he has developed a strong commitment to working to provide homes and services to meet their needs. Adam lives in Lincoln Park with his wife Dana and son Ezra. In his spare time, Adam enjoys spending time with his family and friends and dining out at Chicago’s many great restaurants.

Ryan Hess is the Controller for L3 Capital, a real estate private equity firm. Ryan is very committed to making senior services accessible to all those who need them and to raising awareness of CJE’s many programs. He is familiar with CJE because his grandmother was a resident of CJE’s Gidwitz Place at Weinberg Community for Assisted Living. Ryan is originally from Buffalo Grove and currently resides in River North. His interests include playing golf, hockey, guitar, cooking and attending live music events.

Amy Hurwitz is an Implementation Coordinator at Vibes, a supplier of mobile marketing products and services firm headquartered in Chicago. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin (UW) at Madison in 2015. Amy has been a full-time teacher and is currently a substitute Sunday school teacher at Temple Sholom.  She was previously involved with many Jewish organizations and is a regular attendee of JUF programs. Amy used to volunteer at a retirement home in Milwaukee (Sarah Chudnow) and enjoyed spending time with senior adults. She considers herself blessed to have three out of her four grandparents still in her life and says that she is very close to them. She has witnessed how much joy young professionals can bring to the lives of older adults, and she looks forward to bringing as much joy to older adults in Chicago as she possibly can. Additionally, she says that it “breaks my heart” to see the extreme needs that older adults have, for which they do not often receive help. Because of this, she is very much looking forward to raising funds for the cause of older adults. A resident of the Gold Coast, Amy stays very busy. She volunteers with Spark, an organization that provides career exploration and self-discovery opportunities to middle school students. She also enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling to new places, exploring restaurants around Chicago and reading new books. She is also a huge sports fan (college and pro) and her all-time favorite team is the Green Bay Packers! Amy grew up extremely involved in the Milwaukee Jewish community, donating time and money throughout her entire childhood. She was involved in Jewish youth organizations and was president of Chabad at UW. She hopes to remain even more involved in Chicago’s Jewish Community through her involvement in the CJE Associate Board.

Rebecca Kanter is an Attorney at Much Shelist, PC. She has a BA in Political Science from Northwestern, and J.D. from DePaul University College of Law. Rebecca is originally from Sweden and grew up in Hinsdale. Currently she lives in Lincoln Park with her husband Jason. They belong to Anshe Emet. Rebecca joined the Associate Board because she has been fortunate to have a great relationship with her four grandparents. One of her grandmothers lives in a Jewish home for the elderly in Stockholm. Through that experience, Rebecca learned the importance of having strong communal supports to help seniors. In the summer of 2010, she was a Lewis Summer Intern in CJE’s Development Department where she learned firsthand the importance of fundraising to sustain CJE’s 35+ programs and services. Rebecca is a member of JUF’s Young Lawyers’ Division. She also volunteers with JUF’s YLD. In her free time, she plays golf, reads, and spends time with her family.

Rachel Levy served as the first Chair of the Associate Board. Rachel is the Director of National Accounts, Northeast at The Diplomat Resort. Her experience in the hotel field, spans from business to luxury, and has included nine months in Beijing assisting Super 8 corporate headquarters during the 2008 Summer Olympics. In Beijing’s small Jewish community, Rachel was active in developing a pluralistic young professional Jewish group at the local Chabad. Rachel received a B.S. in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Rosen College of Hospitality at University of Central Florida. Her interest in senior affairs stems from the loss of her grandparents early in her life, as well as the early loss of her father. The wisdom that comes from lifetimes of experience is invaluable, and as part of a younger generation, Rachel feels the responsibilities of herself and her peers to learn, understand, and eventually pass it on. Rachel is from Glencoe, and she remains a member of Am Shalom, her childhood congregation. Rachel enjoys golf, staying fit, and encountering new experiences through interesting cuisine, travel and people.

Alex Cohen Markovich is the Manager of Investor Relations for Wind Point Partners, a Chicago-based private equity firm focused on leveraged buyouts in the middle market. Prior to Wind Point, she worked in KPMG’s Deal Advisory practice. Originally from Munster, Indiana, Alex received her BS degree in Accounting and Finance from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, Bloomington. She is also a CPA. She married Omri Markovich, originally of Givatayim, Israel in June 2017, in Tel Aviv. Alex has always had a strong interest in spending time with and helping older adults, driven by the positive influence her grandparents have had on her life. Alex has a very close relationship with her grandparents, and first became acquainted with CJE SeniorLife when they moved to Weinberg Community for Senior Living’s Gidwitz Place. Her grandfather, Ernest Fruehauf, is a proud participant in Gidwitz’s Resident Ambassador program, in which he helps new residents settle in and familiarize themselves with their new home—a very valuable service. Alex resides in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood with her husband and little dog Doobie

Debra Pogofsky works in the e-commerce retail industry focusing on merchandising and operations. She grew up in Glenview and is a member of Beth Shalom Congregation. While living in Washington, D.C., Debra was involved in the Federation of Greater Washington, and For Love of Children where she helped public school students with language comprehension and reading skills. Happily back in Chicago, Debra is excited to join the Associate Board. She believes supporting CJE is compelling because she wants to enable the elders of our community to enjoy a fulfilling, enriched life with a high level of quality care. She has a BA in Retailing from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. In her free time, she enjoys being with family and friends, trying new restaurants and shopping areas, and taking barre and spin classes.

Ariana Rasansky is the Director of Residential Management for McCaffery Interests - Real Estate. Ariana was close to her grandparents and misses them dearly. Part of her motivation to join the Associate Board was to be able to forge relationships with those around her grandparents' ages. She also enjoys connecting with young Jewish professionals with similar values and dedication to the elders in our community. Ariana was previously a member of the Associate Board for North Lawndale College Prep. Ariana lives in the Gold Coast and is a graduate of University of Wisconsin-Madison. In her spare time she enjoys reading, travel, dessert and running.

Ryan Schraier is a Residential Property Manager for Advantage Management, a property management firm in Chicago. Watching his grandparents utilize the Jewish community’s senior services in his hometown of St. Louis, Ryan learned the importance of the availability of comprehensive care for seniors. As a member of the Associate Board, Ryan wants to help raise awareness of CJE’s services so that anyone in need will know where to turn for help. Ryan has also served as leader for JUF’s Feed Chicago and LEADS programs. Ryan currently resides in River North. He is a marathon runner and completed the Chicago Marathon last October.

Ari M. Silver owns a tutoring business - Star Mitzvah Tutoring
(www.starmitzvahtutoring.com) - specializing in Bar/Bat Mitzvah and Hebrew. He is currently expanding the focus to include general studies areas. Previously he was a teacher at Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School. Ari’s first exposure to CJE was through his father Gregg Silver who annually hosts his birthday party at Lieberman Center. Gregg and his family generously celebrate with residents by providing an ice cream social and a jazz trio to mark his birthday. But that was not the beginning of Ari’s affinity and dedication to elders in the Jewish community. In high school he volunteered at the Self Help Home, and to this day maintains a wonderful loving relationship with his grandmother. He looks forward to chatting with her on the phone every Sunday evening. Ari believes that taking care of the elder generation, and treating them with the utmost honor and love, is one of the greatest mitzvot to undertake. Ari lives in Northbrook and has two children, three-year-old Emma and one-year-old Eli. Ari is a regular blogger on Oy!Chicago, and volunteers at his children’s kindergarten. He is a graduate of University of Wisconsin-Madison with BA Degrees in Hebrew, Jewish Studies and Communications, and of Loyola University Chicago with a M. Ed in Elementary Education. In his free time, he enjoys being with his children, family and friends, learning to cook, and playing volleyball, basketball and golf.

Leah Solomon is a Speech-Language Pathologist at Niles Township District for Special Education (NTDSE) and owns a small private practice. Leah attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she earned a BA in Communication Disorders, and Columbia University where she got her masters in Speech-Language Pathology. She currently resides in downtown Chicago with her husband Eric. They are members of Congregation Beth Shalom. Previously, Leah was a Lewis Summer Intern in CJE SeniorLife’s Religious Life Department. She helped educate staff about Jewish holidays and traditions, and spent Friday afternoons at Lieberman Center for Health and Rehabilitation passing out challah and grape juice for Shabbat. Leah's motivation to join the Associate Board and her interest in helping older adults stems from her time as an intern at CJE. This passion for seniors grew when studying for her master’s and learning about speech and swallowing issues that can occur with older adults. In her spare time, Leah enjoys doing yoga, gardening, and spending time with her family.

Matthew Teinowitz works in corporate finance at AT&T. He holds a B.S. in finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and earned his M.B.A. from the University of Southern California. Matthew joined CJE’s Associate Board because he believes in the value of both CJE’s full continuum of care and the breadth of innovative and compassionate services CJE offers to the community. Matthew is a Gold Coast native and currently lives in Los Angeles. Matthew is a devout White Sox fan and also enjoys traveling and running.

Sam Teper is currently an analyst at Focus Healthcare Partners, a private equity real estate investment firm dedicated to investing in senior housing assets across the country. Sam attended the University of Wisconsin - Madison, graduating in 2015 with a BBA in Finance and Real Estate. He currently holds a Real Estate broker’s license in the State of Illinois. Sam grew up in Northbrook and graduated from Glenbrook North High School in 2011. His interest in CJE SeniorLife is driven by the way it connects his roots of growing up as a member of the Jewish community in the northern suburbs with my current full-time career of working with senior housing. As someone who sees from the inside how these communities and programs operate first hand, he believes CJE is able to offer some amazing opportunities to those in need of assistance, given the costs associated with high-quality care today. Sam attends Congregation Beth Shalom in Northbrook where he has been a member throughout his childhood and currently resides in River North. Outside of his involvement with CJE Seniorlife, Sam serves as the Community Outreach Chair for the Inspiration Corporation Auxiliary Board, as well as an Assistant Coach for First Tee Chicago. His other hobbies and interests include golfing, traveling, fitness, professional sports (including cheering on the Wisconsin Badgers), exploring new restaurants around the city.

Danielle (Dani) Wolf is a graduate student in social work at The University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration and an intern at The Friend Center for Memory Care at CJE SeniorLife’s Weinberg Community for Senior Living. Dani received her BS degree in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. During college, Dani studied at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. In 2012, she was a Lewis Summer Intern at CJE’s Lieberman Center for Health & Rehabilitation in the Life Enrichment Department. Dani lives in Lincoln Park, and enjoys running, spending time with her family and friends, traveling and going to the movies.

Alon Yonatan is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Ferndale Realty Group, a highly regarded real estate company based out of suburban Chicago which, with its affiliates, focuses on acquiring and operating apartment communities across the country. Alon was member of the Board of Directors of the Chicagoland Apartment Association and, in addition to CJE SeniorLife, is actively involved in numerous philanthropic and community organizations. Alon obtained both his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and his Master’s degree in Management Information Systems from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He lives in Highland Park with his wife and daughter.