Meet the First Five Winners of the Grinspoon Amber Awards

Rabbi Ana Bonnheim

Rabbi Ana Bonnheim is founding executive director of the Jewish Learning Collaborative, which matches leaders in the Jewish community with independent Jewish educators for customized one-on-one Jewish learning. Rabbi Ana built JLC because the leaders of our community are entrusted to build a vibrant Jewish future — and Jewish thought and wisdom should guide their decision-making. She previously held professional leadership positions within the Jewish community, including serving as the director of the Open Dor Project and as associate director of URJ Greene Family Camp. She has chaired the Central Conference of American Rabbis’ Ethics Committee, the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte’s allocations committee, and Hillel at Dartmouth’s search for its first full-time executive director. Rabbi Ana is a Wexner Field Fellow. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband and two children.

Jeremy Burton

Jeremy Burton is the CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston (JCRC), promoting a society that reflects the best of American and Jewish values, in Greater Boston, Israel, and around the world. Through advocacy, organizing, service, and partnerships, JCRC pursues social justice, ensures a vibrant Jewish community, and builds a network of support for Israel.

Jeremy has served on several boards and in many volunteer leadership roles, including as a founding board member and then co-chair of Darkhei Noam, the first “partnership” minyan in the United States, in New York City. He was a founding board member of Bikkurim, an incubator for new Jewish ideas that is now part of UpStart, and a founding national board member of Keshet, working for the full inclusion of all LGBTQ Jews in Jewish life. He currently serves on the board of the American Friends of Givat Haviva and as an advisor for the Mandel Institute Executive Leadership Program.

Jeremy lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He avidly tweets about his passions, including sports and science fiction.

Jonathan Falk

Jon Falk leads seven teams that collaborate to address antisemitism and deepen Israel-related programming for Jewish college students across North America. Under Jon’s leadership, these teams provide tools to campus Hillels to effectively respond to anti-Israel activities, combat antisemitic incidents, and counter BDS campaigns, while promoting Israel through education, celebration, and advocacy.

Jon began his career in Jewish life at Johns Hopkins Hillel as an engagement associate, later assuming the role of assistant director. His passion for the community and his expertise enabled him to assume the role of Baltimore Associate Area Director for AIPAC and as Senior Western Regional Director for the Israel on Campus Coalition. Jon holds a B.A. from Muhlenberg College and a Master’s of Public Administration from the University of Baltimore.

Outside of work, Jon channels his creativity into woodworking and home renovations. He cherishes time spent with his wife, daughters, and their dog, Max. Originally from Baltimore, Jon now calls the mile-high city of Denver home.

Elana Frank

Elana Frank has more than 20 years of experience working with nonprofits (Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, Kfar Hassidim Youth Village in Israel, Jewish Fertility Foundation) in a range of areas, including fundraising, marketing, community outreach, volunteer recruitment, board development, and program development. After personally experiencing the pain and loneliness of infertility, yet noticing how lucky she was to have had her journey begin in Israel, where fertility treatments are free, Elana was inspired to help others. The high cost of treating infertility, as well as a lack of education about, and lack of access to treatments were tremendous obstacles to addressing this “unspoken” issue in the Jewish community. Elana rallied countless like-minded people and created the Jewish Fertility Foundation. She has since received national attention through awards and public speaking engagements for the work that the Jewish Fertility Foundation has accomplished. Elana lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband, three boys, and their dog, Magnus.

Michelle Koplan

Michelle Koplan has served as the Chief Executive Officer of BB360 (formerly known as B’nai B’rith Camp) since 1999. She has been instrumental in developing BB360 into a robust year-round agency, serving children, teens, adults, and families. Michelle is responsible for the overall administration and management of the agency, including programs, fundraising, and business operations. Her expertise includes visioning and growth, planning and evaluation, policy development and administration, personnel and fiscal management, board governance, and public relations.

Michelle has been a statewide leader for camps as the Chair and Founder of the Alliance of Oregon Camps. She worked closely with the Governor’s Office and the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to write the protocols necessary to open Oregon’s summer camps with COVID mitigating protocols.

B’nai B’rith Camp is Michelle’s childhood camp; she was a camper there for eight years and on summer staff for nine years. Michelle and her husband, Loren, a B’nai B’rith Men’s Camper, have two daughters, who have attended BB Camp with Michelle since they were infants.