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Our Team
Our Team
There’s no pressure. Just a cup of coffee and a conversation. It’s a great way to get to know you better and to help connect you to what you may be seeking.
We aren’t big on labels at jHUB. Our goal isn’t to find the right box for you to fit into, or us for that matter. We just want to hear your story and think you should hear ours too…
Rabbi Melinda Mersack
Director
Rabbi Melinda Mersack is the Director of jHUB. She is a graduate of m2: The Institute for Experiential Jewish Education Senior Educators and Relational Learning Cohorts. Each year, she attends summer camp as visiting faculty and is an advocate for interreligious dialogue and social justice. Rabbi Melinda loves spending time outside with her kids and exploring cool areas in Greater Cleveland.
She is a Rabbis Without Borders Fellow of CLAL and was a Brickner Fellow of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. She is currently the president of the Greater Cleveland Board of Rabbis. Rabbi Melinda earned a B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis, and a Master of Hebrew Letters and ordination from the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion.
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Rabbi Chase Foster
Rabbi for Engagement & Learning
Rabbi Chase Foster is the Rabbi for Engagement and Learning at jHUB. He was born and raised in Cincinnati, and he found his voice and passion while working at summer camp and in youth groups. He earned a B.A. from Purdue University, and a Master of Hebrew Literature and ordination from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion.
Rabbi Chase loves placing himself at the center of building Jewish communities that offer people ways to live meaningfully. He loves hiking with his wife and dog, playing and watching sports, and listening to music.
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Danya Shapiro
Family Program Manager
Danya Shapiro is the Family Program Manager for jHUB. She runs social and holiday programs and helps families connect to each other and to Jewish life in Greater Cleveland. She has a diverse background in Jewish movements, including five years working in Israel with Jewish groups from around the world. Danya is also an artist, specializing in Judaic fabric arts. She has a B.A. in Environmental Education and Art from The Evergreen State College and a Master of Early Childhood Education from Arcadia University.
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Julia Fair
Communications and Project Manager
Julia Fair is the Communications and Project Manager for jHUB. She grew up in Cleveland and moved back to serve the interfaith world she grew up in. Before joining jHUB, she graduated from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University. As a journalist, she covered governments in Ohio, Virginia, Wisconsin, Washington D.C., and Kentucky. Julia enjoys hiking, cooking, and finding a good documentary to watch. Julia manages jHUB’s social media, helps plan events, and acts as a liaison between jHUB and Honeymoon Israel.