Staff

Executive Director

Jan Kaufman

Jan Kaufman joined Chicago Sinai as Executive Director in 2019. Before coming to Sinai, Jan was the Director of Institutional Advancement at JVS Chicago. Her responsibilities at JVS included the development and growth of private and public sector fundraising, endowment and donor stewardship, as well as support for the implementation of strategic planning.

Previously, Jan served as the Assistant Executive Director at North Shore Congregation Israel in Glencoe, Illinois. Jan began her career as a Director of Development at the nonprofit National Able Network, where she identified and developed new funding opportunities that focused exclusively on workforce development. 

Jan holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan. She received a Doctor of Jurisprudence from John Marshall Law School where she was a member of the Law Review. While she was raising her children, Jan continued to find ways to remain active in the law and her community. 

Jan loves to cook and spend time with her husband, three grown sons, daughters-in-law, and grandson, Harry. Jan cares a great deal about Sinai staff and congregants, believing that finding a way to make it work should always be the first path forward.

Director of Early Childhood Education

Fern Katz

Fern Rappaport Katz has been with us since 2012. She has an extensive background in early childhood education and special education as both a teacher and an administrator. Fern holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Northern Illinois University and a Master’s in Education from University of Illinois-Chicago, as well as an M.A. in Jewish Professional Studies from Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership.

Before becoming Sinai’s Early Childhood Education Director, Fern was an early childhood director for the JCC of Chicago and early childhood education coordinator and instructor at Governors State University. She has also taught children with special needs as well as religious school in Illinois and New Jersey. 

Fern is past president of Early Childhood Educators of Reform Judaism and an active member of the Jewish Early Childhood Directors Council in Chicago. She was also active in the Chicago Early Engagement Leadership Initiative. Fern has led three schools (including Sinai Preschool) through the process of reaching accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Fern’s article “Trust and Separation: God, Abraham, and Early Childhood Educators” was published in the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education journal.

Fern finds joy in learning, teaching, and in Judaism, and believes we are all on a journey of exploration, discovery, and lifelong learning.

Director of Engagement and Programming

Jordana Hoffman

Originally from the Detroit area, Jordana has dedicated her career and subsequent endeavors to mastering community engagement, orchestrating initiatives, and overseeing programming. She joins Chicago Sinai Congregation excited to ignite the spark and nurture the community’s growth for years to come.

Jordana previously served as the Senior Administrative Associate at the Center for Global Business at the University of Texas at Austin, working with one of the most diverse communities in the business school and managing programming and engagement initiatives for the international business community at UT. She holds a B.A. from Tel Aviv University in Jewish and Israel Studies, and came up through NFTY and URJ Youth Leadership, having attended Kutz Camp as well as NFTY-EIE (now Heller High) for a semester.

In her free time, Jordana enjoys reading and knitting, farmer’s markets,and exploring the neighborhoods of Chicago with her dog, Merlin.

Marketing and Communications Manager

Emma Scintu

Emma Scintu is Chicago Sinai’s Technology & Communications Coordinator and has been with us since 2021. Known for her commitment to ensuring that Sinai’s print and digital footprint remain at the highest level, Emma is resourceful, friendly, and always ready for any opportunity to help our congregants.

Emma holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and Creative Writing from the University of Iowa, with a minor in Communications. During college, Emma won a full scholarship to a summer residency at the New York State Summer Writers Institute hosted at Skidmore College, where she worked with authors such as Joyce Carol Oates and Frank Bidart.

Emma loves traveling and exploring new places or things, visiting art museums, experimenting with different cuisines, and snowboarding with friends. In her spare time, Emma is passionate about communications and creative writing, participating in writing workshops, or finding presses to submit her work for publication.