FOUNDERS

IKAR was founded when a unique group of Jewish Social Entrepreneurs joined forces with Rabbi Sharon Brous with a vision to create a new kind of spiritual community for Los Angeles.

Joshua Avedon
*see board bio

Stephanie Avedon
All of my life I have been searching for a sense of belonging - a community, a family, a tradition with which I could connect. My Jewish journey began in small town in central Missouri, with not a Jew in sight, and took me across the world on voyage of discovery. As my connection to Judaism deepened and I committed myself to creating a Jewish home and family life, I wanted to surround myself with other travelers who rejoiced in the tradition that I had chosen to embrace.

In helping to create IKAR I have discovered a unique community of dramatically different people united under a common cause. I'm honored to call myself a founder of IKAR.

Melissa Balaban, Founding Board President
My husband, Adam Wergeles, and I had been searching for a Jewish community that would engage, inspire, challenge and enrich the lives of our entire family, and one that used the richness of our beautiful tradition to engage the world in a meaningful way. When we could not find an existing community that met all of these needs, we joined with an immensely talented and inspiring group of people, lead by Rabbi Sharon Brous, to create something beautiful. It has been a thrill and privilege to work with such a remarkable group of people to make IKAR come to life. When not helping to plan and implement the growth of this amazing community, I am a wife, a mother to Maya and Emma, a daughter, a daughter-in-law, a sister, and an aunt.

Celia Bernstein
I grew up in Washington DC in a large Jewish family during the 1960's and 70's. My parents belonged to a prominent conservative shul in the middle of the city. Our very articulate rabbi spoke eloquently and forcefully about the turmoil of the times. His voice and words were a constant call to action for me. However, except for his sermons, the synagogue had a formality and a competitive exhibitionism that totally turned me off. For example there was this extraordinary pressure to look expensively fashionable for services that was very distracting and distressing to me. High holidays were more reminiscent of the Academy Awards than an inward accounting of the soul. Today, I am so grateful for IKAR in my life, which is a place where I can be fully myself and which serves not only as a call to action for social justice but a call to my spirit as well.

I am married to Bradley Kesden, an IKAR founder and fellow seeker, and we have a fabulous ten-year-old daughter, Lena. I am the West Coast Director of The Shefa Fund, a progressive Jewish foundation, which operates local and national programs, including the Los Angeles Tzedec Initiative: The Jewish Partnership for Community Investment.

Rabbi Sharon Brous
*see rabbi bio

Richard Foos
I always wanted to be a social worker and although I loved my entrepreneurship, I still longed for impactful ways to do community service. Eventually, I interwove these dreams, working with non-profit organizations, progressive businesses, and community members to develop more democratic ways to view the roles of the employer, the employee and the community. I come to Ikar with relief and excitement after a life-long search for a meaningful way to practice Judaism.

Shari Foos
After decades of writing, performing and waiting for Godot, I miraculously became a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and founded The BRIDGE Program, a free college level course in the humanities. The internal growth from these dual focuses has brought me to my core, my essence, my Ikar. I hope to continue my life as a human being, a wife and mother, a daughter, a friend and a citizen of the planet, informed by the beauty of Judaism.

Nan Friedman
Through a desire for my family to be part of a vibrant, joyous and meaningful Jewish community, I have found my way to Rabbi Brous, my fellow board members and the growing IKAR community. I am thrilled to be on this journey with all of you in creating IKAR. Other creative work includes writing for kids tv and being a partner in talking dog events, a special events management company. At the heart of it all is my husband Ross Levinson, a composer, and our 12 year old son Jamie, a kid.

Adam Gilad
I hid in the bathroom during Hebrew School. I joined USY for the girls. One day, pushing my bicycle in the Cambridge, England rain, I felt a profound emptiness and sense of lack despite/because of my Philosophy studies there. So I went to Israel for the sunshine. I got pulled off the Western Wall into a Yeshiva and was astonished at the depth of learning, spiritual focus, integrated lifestyle and sense of purpose among the observant community. Two years later, I ran, astonished by the parochialism, racism, closed-mindedness and limited imaginations of the observant community. After a period of grief, I discovered a passionate progressive, serious community here in LA. Inspired, I began to meld two of my passions, writing and Jewish thought/ spiritual studies into a series of creative workshops which has almost made up for the aridity and organizational stupidity of the entertainment industry, where I have been a writer and producer for 11 years. I have two sons who could make up for any bother, obstacle, frustration or disappointment this world might offer. But that still doesn't mean I will buy them a mini-bike.

Brad Kesden
Bradley Kesden is the executive director of rock the classroom a nonprofit 501(c)(3) literacy through music program for Title One public elementary schools.

Lynn Kilroy
I feel blessed to be one amongst this vibrant group of individuals who have founded IKAR. I stepped into this process because I am committed to being a part of a community that is spiritual at its core and in its actions... where adults and children can grow, feel safe, and feel excited to be learning and praying together. I bring to IKAR my curiosity as a psychologist to look for ways that Torah lends insight to living as a conscious being. As a mother and an advocate for children with special needs, I also bring a passion for developing an educational program that is rich, meaningful, and accessible. I am very excited to be on this road and extend a hand to all who wish to be a part of this journey. At my side are my husband, Bob Kilroy, and our daughters Megan (13) and Emily (6).

Ross Levinson
Who knew? I would never in my wildest dreams have planned to be part of the creation of a new temple and a Jewish community, and yet here I am. And much to my surprise and delight: loving it! This progressive community full of warmth and spirit is home to so many strange and wonderful human beings, drawn together to find deeper and truer meaning in their lives. Growing up in Brooklyn, NY in an orthodox temple, I never quite fit in completely. There was always something missing, some part of the story that I was not privy to. The strict adherence to what I perceived to be such an outdated set of mores and beliefs. The role of women, the intolerance for anything different. And yet there were some truly magical moments in that temple. The kavannah and the soulful singing during services could reach spectacular highs. At those moments, the synagogue would actually seem to become a window into the divine. I had since attended services many times in my adult life, always disappointed by the lack of that true "feeling." I have finally come home, to a congregation that not only stimulates me intellectually but fills my soul with life and energy. Rabbi Brous is a deeply committed and passionate teacher with a clear vision and a prevailing sense of truth and justice. She encourages all she meets to not only talk the talk but walk the walk. I am a composer and an actor for film and television. I am married to Nan Friedman. We are parents to Jamie and have a lovely dog Lewis, aka Prince Shmooey.

Paulette Light
I am originally from Philadelphia and I have been married for almost thirteen years and have four children, Talia, Evan, Joey and Rebecca. I joined IKAR because I am anxious to give my children Jewish meaning and community in their lives, and could use a dose of spirituality myself. I am especially excited to be working on Limudim, helping to develop interactive, engaging studies for our children and also participating in the pre-k gimilut chasadim project in which we connect our children to their community even before they go to school. I can, by the way, name all the U.S. presidents in chronological order.

Rachel Light
I'm the youngest of four, raised in a home where fresh challah baked every Friday afternoon, where being involved in Young Torah Readers was our little league,and where Camp Ramah in the Poconos was the closest thing to paradise.

Since moving to LA I have had the chance to explore various jobs - searching for the right match. As it turns out, I'm much better at finding the best person to do your job then I am at doing it myself. And so I joined forces my sister Paulette and now run a start-up job placement company, ASSISTANCE LLC.

Being the only unmarried member of the Founders' Council of IKAR, a running joke is that the real goal of this community has been to find me a husband. (Even 3,000 miles from home you can feel the radiance of my parents beaming with anticipation.) Truth is: After working to shape this community, into one that I couldn't be more proud of, what I'm most pleased to have found is -- Myself.

At IKAR I can sing loudly, study with insightful individuals, dance to a drummer's beat, spend time with my family, and hey - we're only a year in the making, who knows what else I'll find.

Paula Mazur
If one could dream up a Jewish spiritual community, what would it look like? Here's my laundry list: it would be morally intact, it would honor authenticity, creativity, inclusiveness, and social responsibility, it would be relevant and make our kids feel cool to be Jewish, it would speak to our deepest spiritual yearnings, it would have a rabbi who walked the talk and led with grace, and it would be filled with people we really liked hanging out with. Lucky for us, many other Angelinos seem to be looking for the same thing. Beyond luck and into the zone of beshert, the extraordinary Rabbi Sharon Brous was looking for us as we were looking for her. Thus was IKAR born. I produce and write for film and television. I am married to Robert Mickelson. We have two children, Lulu (12) and Julian (9), and three cats.

Robert Mickelson
From a backyard meeting just a few months ago, we had a sense that other like minded families were looking for a Jewish community that could challenge us spiritually as well as morally and be a fun, stimulating environment to make Jewish learning and life exciting for our children. In a short time IKAR has blossomed into that community - our "Field of Dreams." I work as a producer and director in film and television. I am blessed with a wonderful family, my wife Paula Mazur, my daughter Lulu, and son Julian.

David N. Myers
I came to IKAR, first, because I love the people involved and, second, because I felt like I needed more energy and kavannah in davening. Happily, I've found both. When I'm not davening, I teach Jewish history at UCLA, where I also direct the Center for Jewish Studies.

Andrea Blaugrund Nevins
*see board bio

Yazmin Ibarlucea-Peebles
I discovered Judaism 15 years ago through the University of Judaism and since then I have been in search of a spiritual community that reflects the morals, ethics, values and traditions that drew me to Judaism in the first place. During this spiritual quest I met my husband Mac, who, to my great delight, had been searching for the same thing for several years. We joined our spirits and continued the search together with my children, Nathan and Adam. Early this year we decided to follow the leadership of a few amazing families who, like us, were also searching for the Essence of Judaism. Our search ended when we decided to join them in founding IKAR. I most enjoy spending time with my husband and kids. My favorite day of the week is Shabbat as it allows me to spend uninterrupted time with them. When I'm not driving my kids to school, music or gymnastics lessons, or leading a group of scouts to serve our community, our environment, their family and their own personal growth, I work. I am currently the Corporate Controller of an Italian machine tool company. My current project involves a maquila plant in Mexico. I recently went back to school to pursue an art degree.

Mac Peebles
My wife, Yazmin, and I are members of and helped found IKAR because we want to be part of a Jewish moral and spiritual community in which we and our children can grow. During and after college, I discovered and grew to love Judaism and then started attending a synagogue. At that synagogue, I discovered Yazmin and grew to love her and her sons Nathan and Adam! When I am not setting up chairs at IKAR or thinking about the next chair layout, I enjoy hanging out with Yazmin, Nathan and Adam. At work, I help engineer systems that help our soldiers be safer and more effective in their missions to protect us.

Amy Povich
I am thrilled to be part of the dynamic and passionate emerging community of IKAR. Already, the work and spirit of IKAR has been tremendous and has become for me an inspiring and welcoming place to rediscover my relationship to Judaism, learn, and celebrate the joining of our families. I am an actress, originally from most cities east, married to David Agus and Mom to Sydney and Miles.

Jeff Rake
Growing up a fairweather Conservative Jew in the San Fernando Valley, my religious identity centered around hebrew school, holidays, and summer camp. But my connection to Judaism, while always present, has never moved beyond cultural. As a husband and father of three, I am eager for my family to grow spiritually as part of the IKAR community. When not furthering my Jewish identity, I can be found writing, playing in the backyard, or sleeping -- not necessarily in that order. I also like peppermint ice cream.

Daniel Sokatch
*see board bio

Adam Wergeles
Over the past few years, I have learned, much to my surprise, that there was more to Judaism than the drudgery of the Judaism of my youth. I have seen glimpses of the beauty and spirituality that can come with a more fully realized Jewish life. Never in a million years, did I contemplate that I would work with a group of dedicated people to form a spiritual community. However, working with Rabbi Brous and the other board members to help bring to fruition the splendid vision of IKAR has become both extraordinarily exciting and fulfilling. I am the father of two spectacular daughters, Maya and Emma, and the husband of Melissa Balaban. By day, I am a lawyer.