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We are thrilled to welcome the following speakers to the “Jewish Women and Religious Freedom” Conference taking place on December 3, 2023, at Temple Beth Emet in Cooper City, Florida.
KEYNOTES AND SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKERS
Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz – Special Guest Speaker
Debbie Wasserman Schultz has dedicated her public life to serving South Floridians and standing up for justice, equality, and opportunity wherever and whenever it is threatened. As Florida’s first Jewish Congresswoman, she has earned the respect of her colleagues for working tirelessly on behalf of seniors, children, and families for three decades. Known for vigorously defending her progressive values, the Congresswoman has also demonstrated her ability to pass meaningful legislation in a bipartisan fashion. She teamed up with former Republican Senator Arlen Specter to write a resolution – passed unanimously by both houses of Congress and signed by President Bush – to declare May as Jewish American Heritage Month. This past May, Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz held an antisemitism summit to discuss the alarming rise in this ancient hatred, bringing together national and area religious, political, and community leaders to discuss the problem and solutions to curb it.
Florida Supreme Court Justice Barbara Pariente (ret) – Opening Keynote
Justice Pariente’s legal and judicial career has spanned 50 years. She retired from the Florida Supreme Court in 2019, ending a 21 year career as a Supreme Court Justice. She has been a Floridian since 1973 when after law school graduation she clerked for a federal district court judge. After her judicial clerkship, Justice Pariente settled in West Palm Beach, where she practiced civil trial litigation. She was also involved with her local Legal Aid Society and a founding member of the Palm Beach County Florida Association for Women Lawyers. In September 1993, Justice Pariente was appointed to the Fourth District Court of Appeal, where she served until her appointment as the seventy-seventh Justice of the Florida Supreme Court on December 10, 1997. During her time on the Supreme Court, she worked to improve methods for handling cases involving families and children in the courts.
Justice Pariente was inducted into the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame in 2008. She is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including most recently the American College of Trial Lawyers’ Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Award which recognizes a judge for their exemplary judicial independence. She also received the Palm Beach County Jewish Federation’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998 and the Jewish Museum’s “Breaking the Glass Ceiling” award in 2002. Justice Pariente is married to Frederick A. Hazouri, who retired in January 2013 as a judge of the Fourth District Court of Appeal and now serves as a mediator. Together, they have three married children, eleven grandchildren and one great grandchild. In 2003, Justice Pariente shared her successful treatment for breast cancer with the public, in hopes of promoting greater awareness of this disease.
Mayor and Former Florida State Senator Nan Rich – Closing Keynote
Nan Rich was first elected as Broward County Commissioner, District 1 in 2016. Very recently, after previously serving as Vice Mayor, she was unanimously chosen by her colleagues on the County Commission to be the new Mayor of Broward County. Prior to her service on the County Commission, Nan Rich was elected to the State Senate in 2004 after serving two terms in the Florida House of Representatives. She was the first woman to be elected Senate Democratic Leader – a position she held from 2010 until she was term-limited in November 2012.
Her community involvement includes years of advocacy and activism on behalf of women, children, and families including serving as the National President of the National Council of Jewish Women and a Member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Council in Washington, DC. Among her long list of awards and honors, Senator Rich has been inducted into the Broward County Women’s Hall of Fame, the Broward County Senior Hall of Fame, and the Miami Beach High School Hall of Fame. A long-time Florida resident, Nan attended the University of Florida. She and her husband, David, have four children and three grandchildren.
PANELISTS AND MODERATORS (in alphabetical order)
Katie Blankenship
Katie Blankenship is the inaugural director of PEN America’s new Florida office. She oversees advocacy in defense of free expression, including strategies for educating and empowering writers and other communities, in the state that has led the nation in book bans and education gag orders that limit what can be taught and learned in public classrooms. The new presence in Florida was funded by a group of bestselling writers who came together to fight censorship in Florida.
Katie came to PEN America from the ACLU of Florida, where she served as deputy legal director and focused on developing integrated advocacy strategies to defend free speech and immigrants’ rights. She created a First Amendment campaign to address the censorship crisis in Florida, managed the immigrants’ rights campaign, and created the ACLU of Florida’s Detention Program to combat rampant abuses in the state’s immigrant detention centers. Katie studied cultural anthropology at the University of California, Santa Cruz and has a Masters in Humanities from New York University. She was a member of the Belmont University College of Law’s 2014 charter class, where she served as a founding member of the Belmont Law Review and the founder and president of the Belmont Legal Aid Society. After law school, Katie served as a judicial law clerk in the Eastern District of Tennessee. Prior to joining the ACLU of Florida, Katie was a civil litigation attorney with Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, LLP, representing international clients in cross-border disputes and maintaining a robust pro bono practice. Prior to practicing law, Katie served as a director of children’s music programs and summer rock and roll camps.
Kristin Browde
It’s one of those stories you just can’t make up. Kristen Browde, an out transgender lawyer whose practice is in New York, at age 73 is being followed by more than 415,000 people on TikTok, is Vice President of the Florida Democratic Party’s LGBTQ+ Caucus, and lives in downtown Miami. But her story didn’t start there – in fact, law and politics are Kristen’s second and third careers. Kristen comes from the world of journalism, where she was a multiple Emmy award winning journalist, who spent 17 years as a correspondent and anchor at CBS News. During that time she also attended law school, founded her own law firm, became a pension fund trustee, had two children and moved from New York City to the suburb in Chappaqua New York. But in 2016, in an appearance at New York City’s largest media and political charity event, the Inner Circle Dinner, when Kristen came out as transgender, her visibility and activism shot to an entirely new level.
Kristen not only worked on the Clinton campaign and in the effort to overturn North Carolina’s infamous bathroom bill known as HB2, she also became the first transgender person in New York State to run for office with the endorsement of a major political party. Kristen was endorsed by the Democrats, the Working Families Party and the Women’s Equality Party. Kristen is the past President of the LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York and past co-chair of the National Trans Bar Association, where she still sits on the Board of Directors. Former NY Governor Andrew Cuomo appointed Kristen to the Steering Committee of the New York State Council on Women and Girls, and, after serving on his transition team, Westchester County Executive George Latimer appointed Kristen to the County’s Women’s Advisory Board. If that weren’t enough, for the past 17 years Kristen has served as a Trustee of the AFTRA Pension Fund, a $3 billion fund covering members of SAG-AFTRA, where she is a member of the Fund’s Investment and Administrative Committees. Education: FORDHAM UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW, Juris Doctor; CORNELL UNIVERSITY, B.A., Government & Philosophy.
Sage Cassell-Rosenberg
Serving as the JOC (Jews of Color) Program Manager at Keshet, Sage (They/He) leads with a unique perspective. Born and raised in Miami Beach, Sage is a non-binary and queer POC, from a Jewish Modern Orthodox background. Sage has led DEIB workshops and initiatives across the globe, driving transformative conversations on unpacking and addressing implicit bias, belonging, and fostering psychological safety. With a multifaceted approach informed by their passion to create stronger and more vibrant communities for marginalized folks, while also strengthening allies, Sage empowers individuals and organizations to navigate complex societal landscapes with empathy, understanding, and emotional intelligence.
Jenneva Clauss
Jenneva Clauss is an Associate Organizer with Miami PACT, an interfaith community organizing group. In the past, Jenneva has held multiple positions working with children and people who have experienced incarceration. Her organizing focus has been on the carceral system for a number of years, and she believes our collective future depends on us being organized together to create a better world.
Jon Cohen
Jon is a national community builder with a commitment to LGBTQ+ rights. His work organizing diverse communities through an intersectional Jewish lens is inspired by the wisdom and experiences he has gained as a Gay, Mexican, Jew. As Keshet’s Director of Community Mobilization, Jon has mobilized Jewish institutions in all 50 states to fight for LGBTQ+ rights. Jon is a lifelong Floridian, minus a year in Brooklyn, growing up in South Florida and attending Florida State University in Tallahassee. He now lives in Miami with his husband, Kevin.
Frank DeWoskin
Rabbi Frank DeWoskin joined Temple Beth Emet as one of their rabbis in 2011. He has a strong background working with Jewish youth and adults within informal education environments. Before moving to South Florida, Rabbi DeWoskin spent the first stage of his rabbinate as associate director and then as the director at Camp Harlam, an overnight Jewish summer camp. He was ordained at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in 2000. In his Rabbinic Vision Statement, Rabbi DeWoskin wrote, “My love of Judaism began in the warmth of my family’s home with the flickering lights of Shabbat and Chanukah candles, the sweet smell of kugel, brisket and challah, the laughter as we celebrated so many holidays together…I became a rabbi to help Judaism come to life for every Jew, in every environment possible, through any and all means…Being a rabbi incorporates so much of what I value: my entire belief system, building relationships, interacting with others, raising my children, believing in God, connecting with Israel, practicing both tikkun olam (values to make the world a better place) and tikkun midot (values to make the individual better). I am spiritually moved by music, which sets a tone that goes beyond the spoken word.”
Rabbi DeWoskin shares, “My family and I are truly blessed to be a part this amazing temple. The positive energy throughout TBE permeates every facet of the community. It is easy to be engulfed by it and sets a wonderful standard for many congregations. I look forward to continuing building relationships with people of all ages, getting to know everyone better, celebrating special life cycle events and holding hands in moments of sadness. I am excited to be sharing and partnering with this community that I call home.” Rabbi DeWoskin and his wife Sarah have three children, Elijah, Mia and Livia and two dogs, Tommy and Hope.
Michele Eiger
Michele Eiger is a passionate community organizer whose North Star is to bring about social equity while driving change with coalition partners, legislative and policy reforms, and empowerment for the underserved and minority populations. She is the State Organizer for RAC-FL, the Florida-based affiliate of the Religious Action Center, the Social Justice arm of the Union of Reform Judaism. In this role, she is organizing over fifty-eight communities across Florida to help put Reproductive Freedom in the hands of voters in 2024.
Rick Gold
Rick Gold is lead volunteer for Florida Jews for a Secular Democracy. He is chief organizer of the Gainesville Humanistic Judaism Community, a board member of the Society for Humanistic Judaism and former President of Machar, the Secular Humanistic Jewish Congregation of Greater Washington. A specialist in gender and international development, he has designed and evaluated USAID programs focusing on women’s empowerment and gender equality.
Evan Goldman
Evan Goldman serves as Executive Director, Public Affairs at the Jewish Federation of Broward County. Previously, he was Chief Executive Officer of Helping Abused, Neglected, Disadvantaged Youth and Assistant Director of Public Affairs and Organizational Development for the Children’s Services Council of Broward County. In addition, Evan is a fellow at the Mandel Institute for Non-Profit Leadership and chairs the Children’s Services Board of Broward County. Evan was recognized by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute with the 2010 Angels in Adoption Award. In September 2012, he received the Children’s Advocacy Award from Legal Aid Service of Broward County and Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida. He received a 2014 Leader in Law Award from Lifestyles Magazine and in 2015, was recognized with the Staff Leader of the Year – Organization Award at the 5th Annual Non-Profit Academy Awards. Evan earned a B.A. from American University in Washington, DC and a J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law in Coral Gables, FL. He lives in Fort Lauderdale with his wife and son.
Paul Golin
Paul Golin is Executive Director of the Society for Humanistic Judaism, the community-organizing umbrella of a movement that combines a humanistic philosophy of life with Judaism as the cultural and historic experience of the Jewish people. He also serves as lead staff for SHJ’s pluralistic social justice initiative, Jews for a Secular Democracy, mobilizing Jewish voices to defend the separation of religion and government. Paul is a writer, speaker, advocate, and consultant on issues including secularity, intermarriage, disaffiliation, and inclusion. He co-authored two books including How To Raise Jewish Children… Even When You’re Not Jewish Yourself (2010) and his writing has appeared in the Forward, Jewish Week, Huffington Post, and elsewhere. Paul previously served as associate executive director of Big Tent Judaism/Jewish Outreach Institute, where he helped pioneer and refine effective engagement techniques. He is the white Ashkenazi half of a “Jewpanese” (Jewish/Japanese) multiracial household and administers the Jewpanese page on Facebook.
Denise Lettau
Denise graduated with a B.A. in Political Science from Pacific Lutheran University and subsequently received a juris doctorate from Seattle University. After graduation, Ms. Lettau worked as a Research Assistant at the Institute of International Law in Kiel, Germany and later after the fall of the Berlin Wall, she worked as a Senior Lecturer at Humboldt University in Berlin. Ms. Lettau practiced law before entering the banking industry. Her banking career was entirely focused on servicing the disabled and/or elderly. She worked for an eight- year stint at SunTrust Bank as a trust advisor in the Special Needs Trust department followed by nearly five years at Wells Fargo as a Senior Advisory Specialist in the area of Life Management Services which catered to the needs and concerns of older clientele. She then worked within the life care planning industry.
Recently, Ms. Lettau launched DMSM LLC, which focuses on real estate investments with the long term goal of assisting single mothers to obtain home ownership. Having personally experienced single motherhood but also having been blessed with some resources, Denise is dedicated to helping others not only have a roof over their heads but to acquire a measure of financial security as well. Most of her spare time is devoted as a lay leader with the Jewish Federation of Broward County. She is a board member of the Federation and has served in a number of roles. Denise is currently serving as the chair for the Jewish Community Relations Council. She is also a co-founder of the Alcee Hastings Black-Jewish Alliance within the Broward Federation. She more recently served as the co-chair for the Strategic Impact Teams and well as chair for the Jewish Women’s Foundation in Broward. Denise is also a Lion of Judah.
Raegan Miller
Raegan Miller is the Director of Development & Finance for Florida Freedom to Read. She is also the mother of two public school students. She attended both public and private schools and holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Florida State University. She became an education advocate when her oldest child was in preschool and has served on several boards promoting education for all children. Raegan believes that parents should work collaboratively with teachers, administrators and elected officials to create school environments that will lead to positive outcomes for all students.
Joshua Neely
Rabbi Joshua Neely has proudly served the Central Florida region as the rabbi of Temple Israel in Winter Springs since 2010. He has degrees in Political Science, Philosophy, and Rabbinic Literature in addition to his ordination. He is a passionate believer in pluralistic, grassroots Judaism encouraging Jews of all kinds to embrace their Judaism in every part of their lives. In addition to collaborative Jewish community programs, Rabbi Neely also lectures at local schools and works with interfaith groups.
Mona Reis
Mona S. Reis is the Founder of Presidential Women’s Center, an independent abortion provider located in West Palm Beach, Florida. Mona began her involvement in the reproductive rights movement over four decades ago. Growing up in the 60s Mona was personally affected by seeing women who she knew travel overseas or to other countries to have abortions. Those who couldn’t afford the expense of travel, risked their lives being blindfolded on a street corner and taken to a secret location to have an abortion that may not have even been performed by a doctor. Nowadays it is a frightening reminder of how important it is to have access to safe, legal abortion care. Those experiences motivated Mona in the late 60’s and early 70’s to lobby for legalized abortion in Washington, DC. On January 22, 1973, the US Supreme Court decided in Roe v. Wade that a woman’s right to access abortion services must be protected as a fundamental constitutional right. This landmark decision changed everything for women in our country, giving women the legal right to medical services that could literally save their lives.
The day after Roe, Mona was hired as a counselor by the first outpatient abortion clinic in south Florida run by the University of Miami School of Medicine. In those early days of legalized abortion, women of Palm Beach County would travel to Miami to access services. Mona founded Presidential Women’s Center in 1980, a Center that continues to provide exceptional care to women seeking abortion care and other reproductive health services. Under her leadership, Presidential Women’s Center has taken the lead in fighting court battles in Florida for the last four decades. Mona continues to be engaged in activism to make sure that abortion services remain legal and accessible for all.
Katie Reiter
Katie Reiter is National Director of Jews for a Secular Democracy, a pluralistic social justice initiative of the Society for Humanistic Judaism. For over 20 years, Katie juggled raising three children with running a successful health management consulting business and being a volunteer community activist. Eventually, Katie opened Our Greentopia, LLC., an eco-lifestyle boutique with a mission centered around environmental education and advocacy. A few years later, Katie decided to take her activism to the next level and run for office. While she did not win, she immediately jumped in to help the campaign of Michigan Senate candidate Rosemary Bayer. After Senator Bayer won the election, Katie accepted the position of Chief of Staff to the newly elected Senator. She served the Senator for 3 years, focusing on such issues as gun violence prevention, homelessness and poverty eradication, environmental justice, educational justice and reproductive rights. Katie currently serves on the board of Women Confronting Racism. Katie recently moved to Tucson, Arizona and is excited to work for JFASD fighting for the freedom of and from religion.
Laura Rodriguez
Laura Lee Rodriguez is the President of Your Write Hand and works as an Independent Contractor offering services to non-profits. She currently serves as the Florida State Policy Advocate for the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), Chair of Pro-Truth Florida (an NCJW campaign to expose Fake Clinics), Chair of the Courts Matter Florida Coalition and is a Past President and is on the current Board of the Greater Miami Section of NCJW. A graduate of Boston University, Laura has worked her entire adult life in the non-profit world as both a volunteer and professional. For nearly 20 years she served at Lehrman Community Day School as a PTA President, Board Member, Librarian and Director of Institutional Advancement. She was a Senior Campaign Director and Director of the Jewish Volunteer Center at the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and served as the Chair of JPRO (Jewish Professionals Organization). Laura also completed the Jewish Learning and Torah 2-Year Study Program of the Florence Melton School of Jewish Learning of the Hebrew University.
BJ Saul
BJ Saul, founding member and Madrikha, Ordained Ceremonial Leader for Congregation Beth Adam, Boca Raton, Fl. was ordained in 2012 by the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism. She serves on the Board of Directors for Congregation Beth Adam is the Director of Education, having formed the Children’s Education Program in 1995. BJ prepares students for their Bar/Bat Mitzvah as well as teaches the Post Mitzvah Youth Group that leads to students celebrating their Confirmation. BJ is active in the Society for Humanistic Judaism, having helped develop the educational curriculum for grades Kindergarten-Bar/Bat Mitzvah as well as having served on the Board of Directors. In addition, she is active in the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism, serving on their Board of Directors and recertification committee. She is a member of the Council of Education Directors for Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County. BJ is on the Board of Directors for the Florida Humanist Association. BJ is a retired Speech-Language Pathologist and avid gardener.
Destini Smith
Destini Smith serves as the Leadership Program Manger with Catalyst Miami. Destini also serves as the board chair of SMASH, a housing justice organization, community land trust, and cooperative. Destini has a passion for empowering youth leaders, championing Black women, and igniting faith leaders to pursue equity and justice. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Emory University and a Masters of Education in Community Building and Social Change from the University of Miami.
Rachel Unger
Rachel Unger attended The University of Miami, graduating in 2000 with a Bachelor of Science in Education, where she was awarded the Outstanding Associate Teacher’s Award. In 2002, Rachel earned a Master of Science in Education with a specialization in Reading and Learning Disabilities and graduated with Honors from the University of Miami once again. Rachel has been a public-school teacher for 15 plus years. Rachel’s knows the crucial role that public education plays in shaping the future for a child. Rachel believes that elementary education forms the foundation of a child’s learning journey. Rachel worked for each student to have the opportunity to gain a love for learning, critical thinking skills, and knowledge that they will carry with them throughout their lives. Rachel is now teaching at The Innovative School of Temple Beth Sholom.
Rachel is co-chair of the Social Justice Network at Temple Beth Sholom. Rachel’s involvement with Social Justice Network gave her a deeper insight into the needs of the community. Rachel is a member of the grassroots lobbying organization P.A.C.T. where she has advocated for gun violence prevention programs in Miami-Dade County. Rachel is also a member of NCJW of Miami where she serves as Vice President of Advocacy. Through her volunteer experiences Rachel recognized that a major issue in the community is food insecurity. Rachel became involved with Food Rescue US- South Florida. For over 5 years, every Sunday at 8 am Rachel goes to Whole Foods and “rescues” excess food and delivers it to a receiving agency that then utilizes the food through their weekly food distribution. Rachel enjoys exercising (she is addicted to her peloton bike and treadmill) and spending time with her husband Michael, as well as with her greatest accomplishments- her children Max and Ellie, and her 100-pound puppies Lincoln and Duke.
Jessica Wright
Jessica Wright, M.Ed., is the Director of Education & Implementation for Florida Freedom to Read. Jessica knows that the freedom to learn is what allows people and societies to progress. Education is a conduit to liberation and without access to quality education, people cannot truly be free. Jessica is the recipient of the Presidential Gold Volunteer Service Award for her time spent working in her community and internationally to help reduce barriers to education. She is also the mother of two public school students and wants every child to have access to a quality education that meets their unique needs.