I’m a nonprofit leader, educator, community organizer, and advocate for social justice with a deep understanding of operations, systems, programs, and fundraising. I’m also the grandchild of a partisan in the French Resistance and a first-generation American. I grew up traveling between the San Francisco Bay Area and Southern France. My family spoke only French at home, and stories of resistance, migration, identity, and responsibility have shaped how I understand both community and my place within it.

I affectionately call myself a Cashew. I grew up with a Catholic dad and Jewish mom, first-generation Americans who were building their lives in the United States. My childhood included a Christmas tree with a Magen David on it, a French-speaking home, dented cans in the cupboard, and a lot of books on the shelves.

I chose to immerse myself in Judaism in my late teens, and nearly every part of my Jewish practice has been self-directed. I have never had family to fall back on for a honey cake recipe or Shabbat candlesticks to inherit. Instead, I’ve had the unusual gift of defining for myself what kind of Jew I want to be. I am a practicing Jew who finds comfort in the familiarity of Mass and strives to see the divine in the world around me.

Being Jewish in the Pacific Northwest—and in Oregon in particular—has shaped my understanding of community, belonging, and what Jewish life can look like. I’m raising a bilingual Jewish family with my non-Jewish husband, and our three children in Portland. With much of my family of origin living far away, building a family of choice has been an important part of my life. I think a lot about how we create spaces where people can bring their whole selves, find connection, and feel that they belong—especially people who may not see themselves reflected in traditional institutions.

That idea runs through much of my work. Whether I’m working in the nonprofit world, building Jewish community, or co-owning Leikam Brewing with Theo, I’m drawn to creating spaces where people can gather, encounter one another, share food and stories, and perhaps discover something they didn’t know they were looking for. At Leikam, I’ve found that a brewery can be a place for Jewish culture, music, food, hospitality, and community alongside a really good beer.

Outside of work, if I have a cat in my lap and a cup of good chai in hand, I’m happy. I paint watercolors, dabble in crafting, attempt to exercise, love going to the farmers market, and am a hardcore couponer—but not one of those people you see on Extreme Couponing. I love feeding people and hate food waste. One of my favorite ways of showing love is bringing nourishment to the people around me, which means I rarely arrive at a potluck with just one dish.

And then there is cheese. Having spent summers on our family farm in France helping make and sell cheese, I’m firmly convinced that an assortment of stinky cheeses, nuts, dried fruit, and a homemade sourdough boule is an appropriate offering for almost any occasion. Add a six-pack of Leikam Brewing beer, and I consider the gathering complete.