Board of Directors

DEENA FOX: EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Deena Fox is a lifelong member of traditional independent minyanim. Originally from Chicago, Deena arrived in DC in 2008 after law school and served on the Steering Committee shortly thereafter. She rejoined the Leadership Council in 2021 and served on the inaugural Board as Lifecycle Chair 2024-25, before retiring from service this past spring--or so she thought. In recent years, Deena has focused on strengthening DC Minyan's programs for families, including the establishment of the Judaics Coop, developing a bnei mitzvah guide for families, and engaging our older kids in leading Shabbat programs for children. Outside of DC Minyan, you can find her pursuing justice as a civil rights lawyer, running in Rock Creek, exploring national parks with her family, serving as a persistent advocate for local causes, trying her hand at new crafts, and baking fabulous one-bowl recipes.

AKIVA FISHMAN: EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Hi friends! I'm excited to be an Executive Officer for this Minyan, which has been such an anchor for my life and my family's life in DC since I became a member in 2009. I met my wife Miriam at DCM; my two daughters, Amalia and Nessa, think of shul as a second home; and the yearly rhythms of our community are the basis around which we orient the rest of our family's schedule. I've volunteered in many capacities over the years (including 3 years co-leading the kiddush committee during which time I met my future spouse -- strong plug for volunteerism :) ) and I'm excited to step up in this role to help keep our Minyan the thriving center for committed egalitarian Jewish life in DC that it has become for so many people.

In my day job at the World Wildlife Fund, I lead engagement with large US-based companies to drive responsible forest and land management throughout their supply chains, and to advance sustainable development in collaboration with diverse stakeholders in the world's major soft commodity producing regions. My work is suffused with listening to and finding common ground among often divergent viewpoints (e.g., Indigenous communities, multinational corporations, government bureaucracies) to find and implement optimal solutions. And I'm regularly collaborating with teams of colleagues to develop complex strategies and then execute work plans efficiently. I look forward to putting this background to work for our community! (And hopefully Amalia forgives me for including a photo that does not depict her; tough finding any recent photos of me in the crowded vault of kid photos....)

MIRIAM CROSS: SECRETARY

Miriam has attended DC Minyan since she moved to DC from Toronto, Canada, 11+ years ago to write about personal finance for a monthly magazine. Now, as a reporter covering bank technology and fintech for a trade publication, she takes detailed notes on a near-daily basis and regularly juggles multiple stories, which feeds her love of meticulous recordkeeping and organization. As a former magazine fact-checker, she also takes great satisfaction in ensuring details are accurate and up-to-date -- all reasons she zeroed in on the Secretary position for DC Minyan's board.

CHANA SOLOMON-SCHWARTZ: COMMUNITY RELATIONS CHAIR

Hello, DC Minyan. My name is Chana, and I joined DC Minyan back in 2006. DC Minyan has been my Jewish home since then, except for three years when I lived in eastern Tennessee. For the better part of 15 years, I’ve thought about how to make—and to continue to make—DC Minyan more warm, welcoming, and integrated. I’ve worked to manifest that with many wonderful partners over the years, and I would be thrilled, especially in these uncertain times, to continue those efforts as Community Relations Chair. I’ve worn a variety of hats in the minyan, Shavuot retreat programming co-chair, and then retreat co-chair; dvar torah coordinator; middle minyan leader; and even a stint subbing as a Friday night gabbai. The throughline for me has been trying to facilitate connectivity across and within the community, whether folks are newer to the minyan or have been around the proverbial block; and whether they already feel at home or are struggling to find their place.

Outside DC Minyan, I’m a researcher and project manager at the Library of Congress, who enjoys walks through my neighborhood in Adams Morgan and trekking to northern Virginia for yoga (ask me why!).

LAUREN CONTARD: FINANCE CHAIR

Lauren has been attending DC Minyan since moving to DC in the fall of 2021. She has served on the Finance Committee since its inception almost two years ago. In that role she has worked to make sure the minyan’s finances are properly accounted for each month, helped members resolve Shulcloud and payment issues, and participated in two rounds of the minyan’s annual budget process. To the position of finance committee chair, she would bring this experience and an enjoyment of detail-oriented, behind-the-scenes work. Outside of DC Minyan, Lauren works as a statistician at the U.S. Census Bureau, and also enjoys hosting Shabbat meals with her husband Elliot, being pretentious about movies, and attempting to read a biography of every U.S. president.

BENJAMIN EPSTEIN: GABBAI CHAIR

Benjamin has extensive experience over the course of his life as a gabbai of various minyanim, and has been the head of the DC Minyan Gabbai Committee for the last 1.5 years after a couple of years of being on the DC Minyan Gabbai Committee. He has a good feel for our community and its religious needs, both as a whole and on an individual level.

RIVKA FRIEDMAN: GOVERNANCE AND STRATEGIC PLANNING CHAIR

Rivka Friedman is a DMV native and has been a member of the Minyan since 2007. She's served previously on the Gabbai Committee and Steering Committee, and she's excited to be running for the Governance and Strategic Planning board seat because she wants to help the Minyan evolve its policies to meet the community's emerging needs. In her spare time, she runs the health care innovation lab at Morgan Health, JP Morgan Chase's health care unit. She lives in Mount Pleasant with her wife, Dena, and three daughters, Adi (9), Amit, (6), and Alma (3).

TAMARA LITWIN: LIFECYCLE CHAIR

I have been a member of the DC Minyan community since moving here in 2011. I previously served as a gabbai, helped plan high holidays and various programs, and currently coordinate Tot Shabbat. As an epidemiologist, I also provided Covid safety advice during the pandemic, but this is not a role I ever plan to reprise! As lifecycle chair I look forward to being there for and helping DC Minyan members as they go through life events both celebratory and mournful.

I live with my husband and three children in Adams Morgan. In my non-copious free time I like to travel, host Shabbat meals, and get outdoors whenever possible to hike or just enjoy nature.

ABIGAL ROMIROWSKY: PROGRAMMING CHAIR

Abigail Romirowsky grew up in Providence, Rhode Island, but has lived all of her adult life in the DMV as a graduate of the University of Maryland for both undergrad and grad school. DC Minyan has been her davening and Jewish community home since 2007, and she has served in an eclectic variety of volunteer roles over the years related to davening, programs for kids and parents, and volunteer organizing. She also remains the co-chair of the Bereavement Subcommittee, which she co-founded in 2017. She works as a private practice psychologist and spends her free time reading memoirs or fiction and dreaming about the next time she can escape to the beach. She lives in Adams Morgan with her husband, Shai (whom she met in their Jewish a capella group!), and three kids

HANNAH WARSHAWSKY: VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR

Hannah (pronounced "Chana") is originally from Silver Spring, MD, and has attended DC minyan since she moved back to the DMV in 2022 after grad school. She is excited to be considered for the Volunteer Coordinator board role and for the opportunity to become more engaged and committed to this amazing community. She has served in several roles in college and grad school where she has had practice matching people to their preferred volunteer position. Outside DC Minyan, Hannah works as a veterinarian, practicing at a clinic in Navy Yard. She spends a lot of her free time reading, rock climbing, and hanging out with her cats.

ARIELLA BOCK: IMMEDIATE PAST EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Ariella is a lifelong member of egalitarian minyans, having grown up in Newton MA. She is a long term DC Minyan member, joining in June 2002, and has served in a number of leadership roles including as the first special events coordinator, and 20th anniversary shabbaton coordinator. During davening, you can find her handing out lollipops (to kids and adults!) Outside of DC Minyan, Ariella loves tennis, scuba diving, hosting "women's whiskey club" (new aficionados are welcome!), and camping in National Parks. She lives in Columbia Heights and worked as an international public health advisor focused on health supply chains at the U.S. Agency for International Development (RIP).