Leadership

Rabbi Emily Langowitz

Executive Director

Rabbi Elana Kanter

Founder

Rabbi Elana Kanter, Founder of the Women’s Leadership Institute, is a graduate of Barnard College and a member of the first class of women Rabbis of the Jewish Theological Seminary. She was ordained in 1989. In 1998, Rabbi Kanter also received the Covenant Award for Exceptional Jewish Educators for her work in Adult Jewish Learning.

Jamie Kornbluth

Board Chair

Jamie has her master’s in physical therapy, but since moving to Arizona in 2017, she has focused her time on her family and becoming involved in the Phoenix and Scottsdale communities. She was a Grade Level Advisor for the Sonoran Centennial National Charity League chapter and has served on numerous synagogue committees where she received the Amdur Volunteer of the Year Award for her work on the Scribing of a new Torah for CBI’s Centennial Celebration. Jamie spends her weekends running her event company, Helping Hand Events, planning and executing Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, nonprofit galas, and weddings all around the Valley. Jamie got involved with WLI first as a Mentee in Cohort 5 and was a Mentor in Cohort 10. After serving three years on the board, she is now the Board Chair and is dedicated to helping guide the WLI organization and alumnae network into its second generation.

Jessielyn Hirschl

Immediate Past Board Chair

Jessielyn Hirschl moved to the Valley in 2015 and quickly became involved in the Jewish community, serving on the professional staffs of the Hillel Jewish Student Center at ASU and Congregation Beth Israel of Scottsdale. A member of the Women’s Leadership Institute Cohort 3, she developed a financial literacy guide for Jewish Free Loan, which led to years of service as a volunteer leader and staff member from 2020–2023. Today, Jessielyn is the Senior Associate Director of Donor Relations for the ASU Foundation and serves on the boards of both Jewish Free Loan and the Women’s Leadership Institute, where she was Board Chair from 2024–2026.

Andrea Kravets

Treasurer

Andrea Kravets has been a dedicated volunteer since moving to Phoenix over twenty-five years ago.  Her WLI journey began over a decade ago as a mentee in Cohort 1, and she now serves as Treasurer on the WLI Board of Directors and as a mentor.  Andrea has volunteered extensively at her sons’ schools, held numerous leadership positions with Hadassah Valley of the Sun, and participated in the Center for Jewish Philanthropy’s Women’s Philanthropy League.  She is a member of Congregation Or Tzion and supports many local organizations.  Andrea earned a BA in Psychology from the University of Michigan and a JD from Chicago-Kent College of Law and spent most of her legal career working for the Honorable Jon W. Thompson at the Arizona Court of Appeals.

Becca Norton

Becca has been involved with the Women’s Leadership Institute since 2016, when she participated as a mentee in Cohort 2, and now serves on its Board. After many years in corporate marketing, Becca shifted her focus to nonprofit and Jewish communal work. For the past several years, she has worked in Israel advocacy and engagement, focused on teens, college students, and campus leaders, and on fostering meaningful allyship with the Jewish community. Originally from Philadelphia, Becca has called Phoenix home for more than a decade. She and her husband, Eric, are the parents of two wonderful emerging adults, currently in college, and two ridiculous dogs who are not. Becca credits WLI with changing her life, helping her recognize the kind of leader she wanted to become and instilling in her a deep belief in women investing in women. A decade later, she is proud to serve on the Board of the organization that invested in her.

Leah Zigmond

Leah Zigmond is the Director of Public Engagement at Tempe Community Action Agency and Managing Director of the Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival. With more than 25 years of experience in Jewish communal leadership, education, and nonprofit management in both the United States and Israel, she is passionate about building meaningful connections through service, learning, and the arts. Leah is honored to serve on the board of the Jewish Women’s Leadership Institute and is committed to strengthening and inspiring Jewish leadership in Greater Phoenix.

Nicole Perilstein

Nicole is a native of the Valley of the Sun. She spent a brief time living in Columbus, OH where she converted to Judaism after studying with Rabbi Rick Kellner of Congregation Beth Tikvah. In 2015, she moved back to Scottsdale and immediately found a warm and welcoming home in the Jewish community. She has volunteered with the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center, the Center for Jewish Philanthropy, and her kids’ school PTO. In 2021, the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center honored her with the Maya Schulder Rising Star Award for her volunteer work there. She was a member of WLI’s cohort 8 and is now an active alumni member and has served on the board since 2025. She has a B.S. in mathematics and economics from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and is a Fellow with the Casualty Actuarial Society. She works as an actuary for Accelerant Insurance.

Robin Loeb

Robin grew up on the East Coast and has lived in Phoenix throughout her adult life. She has been an involved participant in our community and, over the years, has held many professional leadership roles. She has served as Chief Operating Officer and Director of Women’s Philanthropy and Donor Relations at the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix and was Director of Mountain Region BBYO and Group Services Director at the Phoenix Jewish Community Center. Robin’s connection to WLI began in its early years, when she was the Federation presenter for Agency Night (now Community Night). She has been a Mentor for Cohorts 9, 10 and 11, and joined the WLI Board in 2025. She is honored to be part of this unique organization, which simultaneously builds an ongoing leadership path for women while creating a very special environment of community and belonging.

Laura Drachler

Board Member Emerita

Laura has been a native of Phoenix, Arizona since 1976. She derives great joy from raising her children, being with family, and has a passion for Jewish overnight camp and donating time and effort to various causes in the community. Her passion for overnight camp goes back to the 80’s when she attended Camp Charles Pearlstein and continues today with both her kids having attended Camp Stein. She has served on national camp boards as well as boards and committees in our Phoenix community, including Congregation Beth Israel, Jewish Free Loan, Camp Swift, CJP Community Impact Committee, and she proudly serves as an emeritus board member for the Women’s Leadership Institute. She continuously seeks opportunities to serve the community to promote its future. Laura first got involved with WLI in 2016 as a mentee in the second Cohort, where she developed, fundraised, and launched PJ Family Camp. She remains involved with the program and is proud of the now annual program, hosting over 500 participants since its inception. Laura has served as a mentor for Cohorts 4, 6, and 9 and is honored to serve with her fellow board members who are all dedicated to ensuring women have the knowledge and skills to serve in leadership roles in our Phoenix Jewish Community.