BOARD OF DIRECTORS and ADVISORY BOARD

DIRECTORS

Bryan Schwartz, Chairman and President:
Bryan, a San Francisco, CA, civil rights attorney, conceived Scattered Among the Nations (SAN) in the spring of 1999 as a book project, compiling stories and photographs of the world's most isolated Jewish communities. Since then, Bryan has traveled extensively, having now visited Jews in 30 countries and over 100 towns and villages on five continents. These communities inspired Bryan with new enthusiasm for Jewish practice through their unshakeable devotion and unbounded warmth and kindness. Bryan led the effort to create Scattered Among the Nations, Inc., a non-profit corporation designed to assist isolated Jewish communities in gaining the recognition and resources to meet their needs. Bryan has spoken to audiences regarding SAN in four languages on five continents. His articles have been published in magazines and newspapers worldwide. Bryan's "Scattered Among the Nations" and "Jews of Color: In Color!" exhibits with Jay Sand and photographer Sandy Carter, featuring stories and photographs from their upcoming book, Jews of Color: In Color!, premiered at New York's Center for Jewish History in February 2003. These exhibits have shown and continue to show throughout the United States, at synagogues, Jewish Community Centers, and Jewish museums, from the San Francisco Bay Area, to Washington, DC, to New York City, to Princeton, NJ, to Houston, TX.

Listen to an interview with Bryan Schwartz on WNYC's Leonard Lopate Show, January 12, 2006. (download mp3)

Abby Michelson Porth, Director:
Highly regarded throughout the organized San Francisco Bay Area Jewish world, Abby is today the Associate Director of the Bay Area's Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC). At the JCRC, Abby has led efforts at improving intergroup relations, especially building connections with the Asian and Arab/Muslim communities. Abby particularly helps SAN with grant-writing and leads SAN's project to collect religious books for needy communities worldwide.

Robert Lande, Director:
Bob, a law professor at the University of Baltimore and renowned national anti-trust expert, has been active in promoting an inclusive vision of the Jewish people for decades. In the 1980's he co-founded a Washington, DC-based organization to advocate on behalf of Ethiopian Jewry. In the 1990's he co-founded Kulanu, a group designed to help lost and dispersed Jewish remnant communities return to the faith. After several visits in the 1990's to Peru's "Inca Jews," Bob teamed up with Bryan Schwartz in fall 2001 and spring 2005 to enable nearly 250 Peruvians to convert to Judaism and emigrate to Israel.

Lawrence Epstein, Director:
Larry, an English professor at Suffolk Community College, founded and continues to direct the Conversion to Judaism Resource Center, a leading force in the movement to assist, accept and integrate converts into mainstream Jewish life. Larry's board for the Resource Center is a Who's Who in the Jews By Choice community including many intellectuals with a progressive, religious vision for the Jewish people. Larry is author of ten published books including a series of important resources for Jews By Choice... Larry's background with converts and prospective converts to Judaism makes him integral to Scattered Among the Nations' work with several communities as yet officially unrecognized, despite their fervent Jewish practice.

Barbara Shair, Director:
Barbara, like Larry, is a leader in the effort to make Jewish converts feel welcome and hosts a website, http://www.becomingajew.org/, which provides resources for those seeking to lead a Jewish life.

Advisory Board:

Steve Gutow:
Steve, a Reconstructionist Rabbi, is also the Executive Director of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA).

Yossi Klein Halevi:
A Jerusalem resident, Yossi is a world-famous author, journalist with the Jerusalem Report and New Republic magazines, and leader in the movement to promote interfaith dialogue between Jews, Christians and Muslims.

Jason Yelowitz:
Jason is a savvy, Nevada-based entrepreneur with invaluable sales, marketing and management experience. Currently, he is President of Yeloweb, Inc., which hosts, among other websites, www.ehousehunting.com. His business endeavors have been featured on the CBS Evening News and in the Chicago Sun-Times, among other publications.

Marty Schwartz:
Marty is the Director of the Center for Social and Economic Justice for the the Workmen's Circle and was a longtime official with B'nai B'rith International.

Yale Strom:
Yale is a filmmaker, musician, writer, photographer, and composer who has done extensive work among the Jews and Gypsies (Rom) of Central and Eastern Europe since 1981. With his backpack, cameras, and violin, Strom trekked to remote parts of Europe and lived with his informants to get a first hand look at those survivors reconstructing their lives after World War II. His work has resulted in five highly-acclaimed films, including "L'Chayim Comrade Stalin," about Russia's Jewish Autonomous Republic. Yale has also published seven photo books, released eight CDs, leads the popular Klezmer bands Hot Pstromi and Klazzj, and lectures regularly across the country.

Elizabeth Schwartz:
Elizabeth was a Hollywood film executive before she turned to making films and recording CDs with her husband, Yale Strom. She sings for Hot Pstromi and Klazzj, two Klezmer bands, and has performed across the country in such venues as New York's Knitting Factory, L.A.'s Museum of Tolerance, with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and with the San Diego Chamber Orchestra.

Scattered Among the Nations is always looking for enthusiastic and experienced new members of the Advisory Board committed to the group's mission.