Founders

Anya brings over 10 years of market strategy and analysis experience working with young and mature companies across the world. This work has included strategic planning and alignment across 27 markets, identifying new markets, market modeling, and voice of customer (VOC) research. Currently, she works as the Marketing and Business Development Manager at a medical device start-up, MicroMedicine. Anya earned a BA from Barnard College, Columbia University in Environmental Science, a BA from the Jewish Theological Seminary in Midrash, and an MBA from Tel Aviv University.

Anya lives in Cambridge, MA with her husband, Rabbi Elie Lehmann.

Sharona Whisler is the founder of Chizuk, a support group for Jewish women struggling with infertility in South Florida. She believes in the peer support model as a source for emotional strength. Sharona’s parents found comfort in Resolve support groups during their own struggles to get pregnant with her and her triplet siblings and were able to direct her to the same resource when she and her husband began facing their own fertility struggles . Sharona found comfort in connecting with other women who understood the emotional and physical pain associated with infertility during the 3 years until she got pregnant with her daughter through IVF, and continues to facilitate Chizuk meetings every month. She is honored to be a part of the Uprooted Team and looks forward to the positive impact Uprooted will have in the lives of so many who are suffering.

Nicole Goldstein is an attorney and journalist living in Washington, D.C. with her husband and two children. Nicole’s professional work has spanned areas as diverse as litigation over grenade fuses to military healthcare and sitting on the Board of a congressionally-chartered historical association. Despite this diversity, she firmly believes that every aspect of her personal and professional life is colored by her struggle to have children and and by her adoptions – both the heartbreaking failed adoption in which they had their baby for a week before losing him; and the two successful adoptions that created their miraculous family. She is a passionate advocate for motherhood, successfully convincing her top-tier law firm to institute maternity leave for adoptive parents, and counseling friends and complete strangers in the adoption process.

Nicole received her J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School in 2002, and a B.A. from Wesleyan University in 1996. She is an active member of Ohev Shalom – The National Synagogue in Washington, D.C. She and her husband Franklin, also an attorney, have two perfect children who love their birthfamilies, but know that Hashem has found their forever families. They go to a Jewish day school in the D.C. area.

Cantor Hollis Suzanne Schachner has been an essential part of the Temple Shir Tikva of Wayland, Massachusetts clergy and community since July 2001. Along with directing the Temple’s music program she is a teacher of Torah and pastoral counselor to congregants. Cantor Schachner was born in The Bronx, New York and raised in Miami, Florida. She was a musical theatre major at the New World School of the Arts and studied in the jazz and vocal performance departments of the University of Miami, from which she graduated with double majors in Music and Judaic Studies. Before beginning her studies at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, School of Sacred Music in Jerusalem and New York, Cantor Schachner was the Cantorial Soloist at Temple Israel of Greater Miami, where her voice was heard weekly throughout south Florida on a live Shabbat radio broadcast. During her studies at Hebrew Union College, she served at Temple B’nai Israel of Woodbury, Connecticut for three years, until her graduation and ordination in May, 2001. Currently Cantor Schachner serves on the Board of Directors of Mayyim Hayyim Living Waters Community Mikveh and Paula Brody & Family Education Center. She also teaches as a Cantorial Coach in the School of Jewish Music of Hebrew College. Cantor Schachner loves reading, cooking, theatre, traveling and camping with her family. She and her husband, Cantor Jeffrey Stock, are the proud parents of Gavriel and Liat.

Jill and her husband struggled with unexplained fertility for 4.5 years before having their first child, Eliana, via gestational surrogate. There were many years of sadness, failed IVFs and finally elation with the joy of finally becoming  parents. 2.8 years later their daughter Mia was born via the same surrogate. They live in Minneapolis with their two angels (11 & 8) and dog Jojo.  She has a Master’s in Education and was a bilingual Spanish teacher before having children.  Since having children, she has been working in medical sales and currently works in Biotechnology at Shire specializing in rare disease. Jill looks forward to giving back to others struggling with fertility and hopes to make the journey less lonely and isolating.

Sandy knows firsthand the value of community and connection in all aspects of life, but in particular as it relates to fertility journeys. After experiencing a miscarriage during the summer of 2019, she published her story in The Forward and has been committed to sharing her story as a way to add to the conversation about pregnancy loss and challenges to growing a family. Professionally, Sandy serves as the Vice President, External Affairs and Communications at Selfhelp Community Services, a nonprofit organization in New York City dedicated to ensuring independence and dignity for older adults as they age, with specialized programs for Holocaust survivors. In her role, she is responsible for raising awareness about the services, mission, and vision of the organization through digital and print communication, advocacy, and outreach. Prior to her current role, Sandy worked at UJA-Federation of New York and for former Manhattan Borough President, and current NYC Comptroller, Scott Stringer. Sandy is also an alumni of Honeymoon Israel, and in 2019, serves as the chair of the Alumni Leadership Council.

David is the Principal of Immersive1st, a consulting business that specializes in the not-for-profit sector. The firm focuses on areas of impact such as fundraising, governance, strategic analysis, talent acquisition & retention, program development & implementation, coaching and acute organizational challenges.

David has been involved in the camping sector (day and overnight) for over 30 years and has held most roles at camp from counselor to director! His more formal positions include major gifts officer at United Way of Allegheny County and President & CEO of both Capital Camps & Retreat Center and of the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County. As a Consultant he works with various types of camps ranging from girl scouts to YMCA, JCC, specialty programs and independent not-for-profits. 

A life-long communal professional his passion is to do important things, with good people, that make a difference.He graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Pittsburgh with a Master’s Degree in Social Work focused on community organizing and development. He has a trademark British sense of humor and is not afraid to use it even if others do not understand it. He is married having met Karen at camp, and they have two children – Natie and Hope – both raised at camp. His not so secret passion is football – the real one!

Rabbi Laurie Phillips is the creator and director of BEINEINU. Profoundly impacted by her participation in the Brandeis Collegiate Institute in 1995, Laurie set out on a path to intentionally cultivate her own spiritual journey.  Becoming a rabbi was an ideal way to merge her passion for Judaism and education after earning a BA in education and special education, as well as an MA in Leadership in Teaching, Curriculum and Supervision. During her time in rabbinical school, she participated in the Mandel Senior Educator program. Laurie was ordained by HUC, Los Angeles in 2003, and last year she completed the three year Rabbinic Leadership training provided by the Shalom Hartman Institute. 

Laurie has worked for JCC Association as the Associate Director for the Mandel Center for Jewish Education, co-creating “Lechu Lachem,” designed to immerse camp directors in a personal exploration of their relationship with Judaism.  She served as the Director of Education for Wilshire Boulevard Temple and Congregation Habonim, transforming both into an energized, vibrant place for learning and growth.  In collaboration with the Manhattan JCC and three other Manhattan synagogues, Laurie helped create and implement the Jewish Journey Project, a choice-based supplemental Jewish educational program for kids through middle school. 

She is active in Kids4Peace, Vice President of MATAN, UPROOTED board member, and a trained birth doula.  Laurie is deeply committed to empowering women to reclaim mikveh through education and crafting individual experiences.  She is also a teacher of mindfulness and believes strongly that a regular practice involving silence and chanting can transform, nourish and heal.

Talia Liben Yarmush is a freelancer writer and editor. Her work has appeared in many national publications, as well as in Jewish papers all across the country. Talia runs the Jew(ish) Binder, an online network and community of Jewish women writers; and she is the Executive Director of Achayot: Sisterhood of Jewish Women Writers, a small nonprofit.  

Talia holds a BA in Sociology with a Minor in Film Studies from Bryn Mawr College; and a Certification in Public Relations from Rutgers School of Communication and Information. She currently works in New York City as the Social Media Manager at Hadassah: The Women’s Zionist Organization of America. Talia is a TV addict, an Oxford comma enthusiast, and the mother of two IVF babies. You can learn more about her on her website www.TaliaYarmush.com.

Cantor Shanna Zell is a singer/songwriter turned who will soon assume the role of Senior Cantor at Temple Beth Elohim, Wellesley. She believes in creating a warm, passionate, uplifting community to all seekers and lovers of Judaism. 

She received her BA in both European Cultural Studies and English & American Literature from Brandeis University. Before embarking on her cantorial journey, Shanna performed live shows with her band – Shanna & the Zellots – a powerful pop-rock ensemble. She released one full length album (2005) and one EP (2011), both comprised of original music. Blending her experience as a songwriter and passion for Jewish music, Shanna brings her passion for Jewish music and driving rock rhythms into invigorating, engaging synagogue services. At TBE Shanna loves directing their high school T’filah Band, singing with the Gan Elohim students and crafting intentional worship with her clergy partners.

She received her ordination from the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music (HUC-JIR) in May 2017. 

Shanna encountered Uprooted after deciding to undergo an egg retrieval in her early 30s; she knew one day she wanted to be a mother, but had not yet met a partner for this journey. She is a strong advocate of this option that enables women who might not be ready to conceive to do so later in life.  

Shanna lives with her fiancé Josh and their Golden Retriever Toby in Natick. She believes that one can find the sacred in all things secular, loves keeping her pulse on the underground music scene…and sushi.