Archives: Team

Renanit Levy (she/her) is an advancement advisor who partners with a range of Jewish organizations to secure the resources they need to increase their impact; she has been working with JQY since 2020. Renanit founded R.Levy Consulting in 2016 after having worked in leadership roles in Jewish community settings for over two decades. Immediately prior, Renanit served as Director of Philanthropic Partnerships at Hazon (now Adamah); she has also worked as the Director of The Gottesman Fund and as a grantmaker and communal planner in the areas of Jewish education and identity, government relations, and health and human services at UJA-Federation of New York, as well as in admissions for The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Renanit holds a graduate degree in Jewish Communal Leadership and Nonprofit Management from the University of Michigan School of Social Work, where she was the Ernie Michel Fellow through the Federation Executive Recruitment and Education Program. She is a certified trainer in the Respectful Jewish Workplaces Initiative; a graduate of Bend the Arc’s Selah Leadership Program, which trains Jewish leaders to be effective, sustainable and collaborative agents for change; and an Affiliate of the SRE Network. She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and three daughters and is an avid yogini, dedicated member of two book clubs and active community volunteer.

EMO (he/him/they) is completing his MSW at the Columbia School of Social Work. EMO is dedicated to supporting mental health in the LGBTQ+ community and brings many years of experience working with youth and young adults as a theatre director and educator. He earned his BA at the University of Minnesota in Theatre Arts and spent 20 years working as a professional actor, singer, dancer, stage director and educator. EMO also works as a home care manager while attending graduate school and values bringing meaning and joy to end of life care. He was married in 2019 and lives in Inwood with his husband.  

 

Tami (she/her) is a licensed social worker in New Jersey and New York with master’s degrees in both Social Work and Higher Education Administration. Tami began her career in higher education and transitioned to working as a clinical therapist after the pandemic. Tami has worked with JQY on and off over the past four years and appreciates being part of the incredible JQY team and working with all of our fabulous Drop-In members.

Ollie Paneth (they/them) is the Welcomer at the JQY Drop-In Center. As a former JQYer, Olllie is glad to pay it forward and provide a friendly face at the welcome desk for new and returning participants. Ollie has experience working at various LGBTQ+ drop-in centers in New York and teaches sexual health and transgender care to tweens and young adults in the LGBTQ+ community.

Suri (she/her) is an LMSW who specializes in eating disorders and supporting LGBTQ youth. She earned her BA from Stern College and her MSW from Wurzweiler School of Social Work. As a former drop-in attendee and proud member of the Jewish Queer community, Suri is passionate about helping Jewish LGBTQ youth feel seen, supported, and empowered. Suri believes deeply in the power of community and strives to create spaces where people can show up as their full, authentic selves. Outside of JQY, Suri works full-time as a therapist supporting individuals in eating disorder recovery, guiding them towards healing, self-compassion, and wholeness. In her free time Suri enjoys doing arts and crafts and spending time in nature.