Sam Thomas

Aaron Henne, playwright and founding artistic director of theatre dybbuk, joined us for our latest episode.___Aaron Henne is the founding artistic director of theatre dybbuk, an arts and education organization that uses Jewish history as an entry point to explore the complexities present in our world. In addition to his work with theatre dybbuk, Aaron teaches storytelling throughout the country and has presented professional development and character creation workshops at Lucasfilm, Pixar, and Dreamworks. With Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion, he has been faculty for the EMA program, was the Diane Luboff Scholar at the Cutter Colloquium, and was a part of Beit HaYotzer/The Creativity Braintrust. Aaron has also served as a professional mentor at Otis College of Art and Design and as faculty for the Wexner Heritage and Graduate Programs, as well as for Georgetown University. He has worked as an educator and facilitator for a wide variety of organizations including The Hive at Leichtag Commons, Jewish Federation of North America's Young Leadership Cabinet, and The Bronfman Fellowship. Aaron is a Pilot Wexner Field Fellow, a member of the ROI community, and the recipient of LA Weekly and SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Awards for Playwriting.

Sam Thomas, a former collegiate and professional basketball player, joined us for our latest episode.___Sam Thomas is a former collegiate and professional basketball player who spent five years competing at the University of Arizona, where she was a standout on the women’s basketball team. After college, she went on to play in the WNBA with the Phoenix Mercury. Now working with a leading sports agency, Sam is passionate about creating opportunities for the next generation of athletes and using her experience to empower and guide young talent in the sports industry.

Betzy Lynch, Chief Executive Officer of Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, and Scott Ehrlich, Chief Executive Officer of the David Posnack Jewish Community Center, join us for our latest episode.___Betzy Lynch brings over 27 years of visionary leadership within Jewish Community Centers, having served in five diverse communities across North America. As the CEO of the Lawrence Family JCC, JACOBS FAMILY CAMPUS for the past six years, Betzy has been instrumental in driving transformative change, cultivating dynamic programs, and fostering deep community connections. Previously, she led the Levite JCC inBirmingham, Alabama, as Executive Director, and served as Assistant Executive Director at the JCC in Memphis, Tennessee. Her leadership in the JCC Maccabi Games is equally distinguished, having directed the 2012 and 2017 Games, and most recently in 2022, she spearheaded the Lawrence Family JCC as the host for the global event.In addition to her leadership roles, Betzy has been a steadfast advocate for Jewish communities. She has served on the Continental Board of Directors for JCCs of North America and is an active member of the Finest Community Coalition to combat antisemitism in San Diego. Her commitment to advancing Jewish culture extends to her advisory roles with the National Jewish Theater Foundation, At the Well and Global Jewry. Her civic engagement also includes past service on the Board of Planned Parenthood for Mahoning County.Betzy’s career is marked by her ability to inspire cross-functional teams, mentor emerging leaders, and elevate community partnerships—both within and beyond the Jewish world. Passionate about Jewish life, education, and Israel, Betzy is recognized for her innovative approach to engaging diverse audiences and championing Jewish values. Additionally, Betzy has created both educational cohorts and accelerated pathways for women to grow their volunteer leadership on non profit boards. An alumna of Goucher College, where she competed in tennis and basketball, Betzy holds a BA in Business Management and Communications. She also earned an MA in Physical Education, Coaching, and Exercise Science from Indiana State University, and a certificate in Jewish Experiential Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary. Betzy’s contributions to the nonprofit sector have not gone unnoticed. She has been nominated for the San Diego Business Journal’s Business Woman of the Year (Nonprofit Division), named one of San Diego’s 500 Most Influential People, and was a finalist for CEO of the Year. Additionally, she was honored as a finalist for San Diego Magazine Woman of the Year and Nonprofit Executive of the Year. Betzy resides in Carmel Valley with her husband, Spencer, and their two children, Renie and Cooper.___Scott Ehrlich is a dedicated community leader and executive based in South Florida, where he has been a resident for nearly five decades. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in business and a Master of Arts in human resource development and administration from Barry University.  With a passion for community service, Scott has been actively involved in the Jewish community center movement for over 33 years. His journey started at the Michael – Ann Russell JCC in North Miami Beach, and for the past 15 years, he has served as the Chief Executive Officer at the David Posnack JCC in Fort Lauderdale. Under his leadership, the center has thrived as a hub for community engagement, special services programming, and cultural activities. Scott's commitment to leadership development is evident in his participation in the American Express Leadership Academy and the FBI Miami Citizens Academy. Beyond his role at the JCC, he contributes to the community as the Past Board Chair of the Broward County Housing and Finance Authority, the Nonprofit Executive Alliance Executive Board, JCC Association of North America Board of Directors, and the Barry University Community Leadership Council. He coached the 2017 and 2022 Maccabi USA Masters tennis team at the Maccabiah games and the was the 2015 and 2023 host for the JCC Maccabi Games.  Recognized for his outstanding contributions, Scott has received the JCCs of North America Program of the Year award, 211 Broward Children’s Services Council Collective Impact for Youth Award, and has been honored by the Exceptional Theater Company.  The Ehrlich family, united in their dedication to community service, actively participates in giving back and strives to strengthen the bonds within their community. Scott's professional and personal leadership reflects a deep-seated commitment to fostering positive change and creating a lasting impact on the lives of those around him.

Zack Bodner, President + CEO of the Oshman Family JCC, and Rabbi Daniel Septimus, CEO of Shalom Austin, join us for our latest episode. ___Zack BodnerAuthor and President & CEO, Oshman Family JCC, Palo Alto, CAZack Bodner is the author of the book “Why Do Jewish? A manifesto for 21st century Jewish Peoplehood.” An Amazon #1 new release in Jewish Life and Religion & Philosophy, “Why Do Jewish?” takes one of our oldest wisdom traditions and provides an accessible road map for anyone looking for answers to life’s most important questions.Zack serves as the President and CEO of the Oshman Family JCC in Palo Alto. Under Zack’s leadership, the JCC began hosting an annual conference called Zionism 3.0 which became The Z3 Project, a global effort to reimagine Diaspora-Israel relations.Before joining the JCC, Zack served for 14 years as the Pacific Northwest Regional Director of AIPAC. Zack holds a Master’s degree in Philosophy of Religion and Theology from Claremont Graduate University, earned his Bachelor’s degree from Yale University, studied at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and Stanford Business School’s program for Executives in Non-Profit Leadership.Zack is an accomplished speaker, including as a MOTH storyteller and TEDx presenter, and writes regularly for Jewish publications in the US and Israel. He is a member of YPO, participated in the Executive Leadership Seminar at the Aspen Institute, is a board member of the JCC Association of North America, and is on the Advisory Board of the Taube Center for Jewish Studies at Stanford University. Zack lives in Silicon Valley with his wife and three children.___Rabbi Septimus A fifth-generation Houstonian, Rabbi Septimus has been in Austin since 2014, serving as Texas Hillel Executive Director for just over two years and now as CEO of Shalom Austin since September 2016, the hub of Jewish life in Central Texas.   Shalom Austin consists of four main branches: Jewish Community Center, Jewish Federation, Jewish Family Service and the Jewish Foundation, which work together to comprehensively address the needs of Austin’s Jewish community in collaboration with area congregations, schools and community organizations.   The opportunity to shape the future of one of the fastest growing Jewish communities in the United States with an innovative model and structure was very attractive to Rabbi Septimus in choosing to take this position.   Learning from the success of Hillel around engagement and creating meaningful Jewish relationships, Daniel has partnered with synagogues, organizations and lay leaders in the community to create a new model of Jewish life and learning and engagement. The Bernard and Audre Rapoport Center for Jewish Culture and Education launched in September 2018 and is under the amazing leadership of Rachel Stern, Chief Learning and Engagement Officer.   Rabbi Septimus and the leadership of Shalom Austin completed a $40 million capital campaign to usher in a new era of connection and engagement on the Dell Jewish Community Campus. The major phase of construction, the newly expanded and renovated Dell Jewish Community Center, opened in April 2023. Substantial completion of the entire project was achieved in early 2025.   During Rabbi Septimus’ tenure at Texas Hillel, he significantly enhanced the organization’s financial stability, operational efficiency, and community outreach efforts. He has attracted national attention for his leadership—AIPAC named him 2016's Campus Partner of the Year, recognizing his and Texas Hillel’s pro-Israel education advocacy and their success fighting BDS on campus. Rabbi Septimus and his team significantly expanded social justice programming as one of the three main pillars of programming and engagement.  Texas Hillel was one of a few Hillels in the movement with a full-time social justice professional.  Before coming to Austin, Rabbi Septimus served at Temple De Hirsch Sinai, the largest Jewish congregation in the Pacific Northwest for seven years as Associate Rabbi and Director of Congregation Learning where he brought a holistic approach to congregational learning.  During his tenure, Rabbi Septimus instituted a dynamic young adult group attracting over 300 individuals and created an outside the walls early childhood engagement program called “KIDdish Club”, which was awarded the URJ Belin Outreach and Membership Award for attracting, at the time, over 60 families to participate in just over a year.  His team also revamped youth involvement by offering several pathways to remain engaged post-B’nai Mitzvah. Rabbi Septimus graduated from Tulane University in 2002 and was ordained by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 2007. He has also been awarded the prestigious Hartman and Schusterman Fellowships.  Rabbi Septimus, his wife Amanda and their three children, Talia, Jonah and Ari, are active members of four local congregational communities.   

Todd Wiener, President of the Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra and Tucson J Board member, joins us for our latest episode.

Johanna Shlomovich, Head of School at Tucson Hebrew Academy, joins us for an episode of Total Wellness at the J.Prior to moving to Tucson in 2021, Johanna served as the Chief Operating Officer at the Ramaz School in New York City for 20 years.  Instilling children with a love of learning, fostering curiosity and creativity, and building a strong sense of Jewish identity and pride is at the center of her work in the Jewish Day School world.  Johanna believes that Jewish Day Schools are centers for Jewish family life and community and as such takes pride in building relationships with whole families and collaborating with the extended Jewish community.

Rabbi Malcolm Cohen of Kol Ami Synagogue joins us for our latest episode.

Jenny Flynn, President and CEO of the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona, joins us for our latest episode.

Charlie Paige, Senior Director of Disability Program Services, Missi Alston, Director of Arts for All, and Vero Trujillo, Director of Taglit Day Program, join us for our latest episode.

Hen Mazzig, a globally recognized speaker, educator, author, and digital influencer, joins us for a special episode of Total Wellness at the J.