The Jewish Grandparents Network recently announced that longtime local and national Jewish communal professional and lay leader Debra S. “Debs” Weinberg will serve as executive director of the national organization, as of Sept. 1.
Founded in 2017 in Baltimore, the JGN educates, connects and supports grandparents as essential partners in enriching Jewish life.
Florida-based attorney Richard N. Bernstein will serve as the organization’s co-president with Pikesville resident Ilene Vogelstein.
“Debs brings a unique combination of deep communal knowledge, exceptional development skills and personal relationships with major Jewish leaders and funders that will lead JGN into our next era,” said Vogelstein. “She leads with people and purpose, blending cooperative leadership and inclusive decision‑making — perfect for JGN at this moment as we look to continue growing.”
Over the past decade. the Baltimore-born Weinberg worked as a certified leadership coach and facilitator. She previously served as executive director of ACHARAI: The Shoshana S. Cardin Leadership Development Institute. Before that, she served for a decade as director of the Darrell Friedman Institute for Professional Development, which trained Jewish communal professionals.
In addition to serving on JGN’s board for the past year, Weinberg served as chair of Na’aleh: The Hub for Leadership Learning and is a past board chair of The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore.
In addition, Weinberg served as international chair of the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute and on the national Jewish Federations of North America board.
She and her husband, Joe Weinberg, have three children and four grandchildren.
“I’m eager to lead JGN, surrounded by a stellar lay and professional team,” said Weinberg. “In just eight years, JGN has built a loyal national following of grandparents and professionals and formed partnerships with organizations across the country. Research proves what many of us experience: grandparents often play an integral, ongoing role in family life. They are uniquely positioned to strengthen the Jewish identities of their children and grandchildren, and create vibrant Jewish homes.
“Moving forward, JGN will be an essential hub of this activity, driving Jewish engagement and learning.”
Among Weinberg’s initial plans is an online Grandparents’ Jewish Learning Fest this winter to celebrate the role that Jewish grandparents play in their grandchildren’s lives, and in sustaining Jewish identity, culture and tradition across generations. The daylong event will include online workshops led by expert presenters for grandparents nationwide and abroad.
JGN will partner with other organizations to bring this flagship event to Jewish communities everywhere.
“Our core audiences remain grandparents and Jewish professionals,” said Vogelstein. “What’s changed is our ability, thanks to Debs and Richard coming on board, to better serve those audiences and meet this moment with strategy, skills, and an unwavering commitment to enriching the lives of more Jewish families.”
The Columbia resident worked on the Gemini and Apollo space missions.
A St. Louis native, Edelman served as ambassador to the central African nation from 1987 to 1989.
Now celebrating its 25th season, the farmers market will be located on the grounds of the historic Pikesville Armory, at 640 Reisterstown Road.
In its inaugural year, Jmore's Amplify Scholarship Contest awarded more than $10,000 in scholarships to six local high school students.