Victor Svilik, President

Vic and his wife, Mariya, have been members of Stephen Wise Temple since 2003, the year before they were married by Rabbi Ron Stern. Vic’s three children, Eliana, Jonathan, and Sarah also attended Wise School and/or Wise Religious School and Camp Wise. His children have been and continue to be active members of the community through Wise Readers to Leaders and Confirmation. Vic’s kids have grown up at Wise and in this community, celebrating all simchas with Rabbi Stern, Rabbi Yoshi, and Cantor Emma. Mariya was an active parent in the Religious School community. Since joining the Board in 2013, Vic has served on the Membership Committee and the Financial Oversight Committee. Vic has been the Chairperson of the Financial Oversight Committee since 2017 and has served the Temple in this capacity under the previous four presidents. Vic has also been a member of the Board’s Executive Committee during his tenure as FOC Chair. Vic is dedicated to the immediate and long-term success of Stephen Wise Temple, as well as other Jewish institutions, as he feels that these institutions are essential for Jewish continuity and longevity.  In addition to his support of Wise, Vic is a member of AIPAC and supports Jewish causes such as the Jewish Federation, Stand With Us, Friends of the IDF, and Brothers & Sisters For Israel. When not volunteering at Wise, Vic is a commercial real estate developer and investor and Mariya is a physician at UCLA. Vic holds a B.A. from Stanford University, J.D. from Harvard Law School, and M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. He grew up and still lives in Encino, CA.

Andrew Berman, Vice President

Andrew and his wife, Marci, have been members of Stephen Wise Temple for close to 35 years. Wise has given so much to the Berman family in terms of education, spirituality, and pure joy. Both Berman daughters attended Hebrew School and became Bat Mitzvah at the temple. Andrew is currently a global content distribution consultant. Prior to that, Andrew formed and headed-up worldwide sales efforts serving as V.P. of Distribution for FremantleMedia Kids & Family Entertainment. He has also worked in various senior executive capacities in sales, marketing, and worldwide distribution at such companies as Starz Media, TMS Entertainment, Harvey Entertainment, New World Pictures, and MGM, and is also a licensed California Real Estate agent. Andrew graduated from California State University at Northridge with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Radio Television and Film. He is a past President of the Board of Trustees of the Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America Los Angeles/Orange County Chapter and currently serves as a Board member with Connecting to Cure, Tomorrow’s Women, and just completed serving a 6-year term as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Los Angeles Jewish Home for the Aged. He is also actively involved with Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, is co-founder and supporter of the Cancer Mentorship Program at St. John’s Hospital, and is a mentor with the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles CLI Mentorship Program.

Brian Cohen, Vice President

Brian and his wife, Randy, have been members of Stephen Wise Temple for nearly 20 years. Both Cohen daughters had their baby namings and became B’not Mitzvah at Wise and have many fond memories over the years from Mommy and Me classes to the Wise family trip to Israel with Rabbi Stern. Brian is involved in various charitable activities and currently serves on the Advisory Board of the Helen Diller Institute for Jewish Law and Israel Studies at UC Berkeley. Brian previously served as the Chairman of the Wellness Community and is the past President of the L.A. Chapter of the Berkeley Haas Business School Alumni Association. Brian has also been involved with the American Jewish Committee as a member of the board of the Los Angeles Chapter and as a participant in the AJC Adenauer Leadership Exchange Program to Germany. Professionally, Brian is the founder and CEO of Arden Insurance Services, a specialty MGA operating in eleven states that insures multi-family commercial properties. Brian was formerly an operating partner with Altamont Capital Partners, a private equity firm based in Palo Alto. He bleeds blue and gold but has a little cardinal and gold in him having earned his law degree from ‘SC.

Alexsondra Shore Fixmer, First Vice President

Alex is a life-long member of Stephen Wise Temple. She was raised in a Wise Temple home, attended Wise School since early childhood, and her commitment to our community has extended to the present day. Alex and her husband, Andy, were married by Rabbi Eli Herscher and their two children attend Wise School at the Elementary School and Center for Youth Engagement. She currently serves on the temple’s Board of Directors as a Vice President on the Executive Committee. Additionally, Alex is a member of the Financial Oversight Committee, Governance Committee, Human Resources Committee, Nominating Committee, and Center for Tikkun Olam Advisory Committee. She chairs the Shalom Bayit Committee, which was created to help build stronger relationships between temple and school families. Alex previously chaired the Educational Advisory Committee and Governance Committee. In addition to her work for Wise, Alex volunteers year-round at Public Counsel, where she represents low-income families through the adoption process. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Alliance for Children’s Rights, an organization dedicated to advancing the rights of children in foster care so that they have access to stability, healthcare, education, and family support. Professionally, Alex is the managing attorney for Disney’s global media businesses, responsible for its domestic and international technology operations and engineering teams. In this role she oversees the legal function related to the production, infrastructure, transmission and media services for Disney’s streaming products: Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu, Disney+ Hotstar, and all traditional domestic and international broadcast and cable television networks (ABC, Fox/FX, Disney Channels Worldwide, ESPN, and NatGeo). Alex is additionally the managing data attorney for Disney’s technology products and platforms. Alex draws on her personal and professional experience to help support and advance the temple community, which remains near and dear to her and her family for more than three generations.

Lori Goodman, Vice President

Lori and her husband Rob have been Stephen Wise Temple members for over 45 years. They joined Wise Temple after moving to Los Angeles from Toronto, Canada. They have three children Mitch, engaged to Danielle Giannattasio, Jordie, Dani and Josh Keiles, who were married by Rabbi Sari last April. All their children attended the Parenting Center, Elementary School, became Bar/Bat Mitzvah, and were confirmed at the Temple. Lori began her Temple involvement on the Social Action Committee, and it continues to be one of her passions. She joined the Board of Wise Readers to Leaders, the summer literacy program for underserved students in Los Angeles, in 2020. Lori has served on the Board of Women’s Conference, Bureau of Jewish Education (BJE), and her Neighborhood Association. She has chaired events for the Oakwood School and Jewish Federation. She has been a volunteer for many organizations all her adult life. Lori and Rob are devoted to Israel and supporters of Israel Bonds, Victims of Terror of the Jewish Agency, Birthright Israel, and Hebrew University, Jerusalem. Lori is honored to have been on the Wise Board of Directors for the last eight years and the Executive Committee for five years. She is a member of the Development and Tikkun Olam Committees.

Philip Koosed, Vice President

Philip has served on the Board of Stephen Wise Temple and the Financial Oversight Committee for the past few years. Wise Temple has been an incredibly significant part of Philip’s life and the lives of his entire family. Philip is a Wise School alumni and Wise School parent. He began at Wise Temple in Mommy and Me and continued through to become Bar Mitzvah, and eventually went through the Confirmation program. His two sisters also attended Wise School and his three sons (Asher, Itzhak & Avraham) and three nephews (Ollie, Sawyer & Archie) all attend or attended Wise School. Philip is deeply passionate about the continuation of the Jewish tradition and truly believes that Stephen Wise Temple is an instrumental part in continuing these traditions.

Roya Melamed, Vice President

Roya is a life-long member of Stephen Wise Temple. Roya’s parents, Kamran and Jila Hekmat, joined the temple over 40 years ago and were active members of both the Temple and the School over the years. As a product of the Wise Mommy-and-Me program, Preschool, and Religious School, Roya credits this community for shaping her Jewish identity. She and her husband, Farhad Melamed, continued this tradition at Wise; their three children, Micah, Mia, and Luca, attended the Wise Mommy-and-Me program and Wise Early Childhood Center. Micah and Mia attended the Religious School program, and currently, Mia participates in WTY. Luca greatly enjoys his weekly T’filiah studies. Roya has proudly served this year on the Executive Committee and on the Wise Temple Board of Directors for the last seven years. Additionally, she has served on the Nominating Committee, Temple Development Committee, and CYE Development Committee. Outside of Wise, Roya serves on the Board of Directors of the American Friends of Beit Issie Shapiro, a special needs organization in Israel, as well as the Board of Directors at Warner Avenue Elementary School. Roya attended UCLA and Loyola Law School and works in Los Angeles as an attorney, specializing in music rights and royalties.

Ira Pianko, Vice President

Ira, his wife Robin, and their two sons, David and Brian, moved to Los Angeles more than 30 years ago and immediately became part of the Stephen Wise Temple community. Both David and Brian eventually graduated from the Elementary School and over the years, Stephen Wise Temple continues to be an important part of their family. Rabbi Herscher and Cantor Lam both officiated at David and Brian’s Bar Mitzvahs, Brian and Marissa’s wedding, the baby namings of their children, as well as other life cycle events. The love and support from the community when David passed was a source of strength for the family. Over the years, Ira has been a partner with an International Accounting firm as well as the Chief Operating and/or Chief Financial Officer at a music publisher, real estate firm, and K-12 school. Ira has served on the Board of the Oakwood School since 1991 and Stephen Wise Temple since 2018. He has also been involved in a number of community-based organizations. Both Robin and Ira participate in the Florence Melton program as well as community learning opportunities at Wise Temple. Since becoming a member of the Board of Directors, Ira has served on the Executive Committee, Financial Oversight Committee, Audit Committee, Nominating Committee, and co-chaired the advisory committee of the Center for Jewish Life.

Michael Akiva, Congregational Director

Michael joined Stephen Wise Temple in 2022 along with his wife, Melissa, and three children, Isla, Lev, and Shayne. Prior to joining Wise, Michael was a long-standing member at Sinai Temple. There, he served on the temple’s board of directors for a number of years and oversaw the Temple’s Insurance Committee. Also, since 2022, Michael has served on the Ziegler Advisory Board at the American Jewish University, a school that is dedicated to cultivating the next generation of rabbinic leaders. Through his involvement on this Board, Michael advises on matters relating to the operation and strategy of the Ziegler School. In his professional life, Michael is the Managing Partner at Jacoby & Meyers, a law firm that is dedicated to obtaining justice for its clients. The law firm focuses on complex personal injury litigation and serves as an advocate for individuals who have suffered injuries due to the negligence of others. In his role, Michael provides the vision and leadership for the firm and oversees the firm’s pre-litigation operations and growth strategy. He has played a pivotal role in the firm’s expansion and its extensive advertising efforts.

Robin Hanasab, Congregational Director

Robin was born in Iran and immigrated to America in 1982. He joined the Wise community in 1992 as a student in 7th grade and continued through High School. Robin returned to Wise with his wife, Jessica in 2014 and with their first child, Talia. Since then, they have grown together at Wise as a family, with the additions of Jacob and Joseph. All three children attend Wise Schools and Jessica and Robin are both active members of the Wise community. Robin joined the Board of Directors in 2023 and served on the Nominating Committee in 2022. Currently Robin serves on the Shalom Bayit Committee. Professionally, Robin is the co-founder of Robhana Group Inc., a vertically integrated commercial real estate owner-operator and developer. Robin runs a commercial real estate portfolio in California and Nevada. His portfolio includes office, medical office, retail, multifamily, industrial, and life science. He is also a licensed attorney and broker in the state of California. In his spare time, Robin enjoys exercising, playing golf, and travelling with his family. Robin has been a volunteer basketball coach in the Beverly Hills Basketball League since 2019, coaching both boys and girls teams.

Stephen Kay, Congregational Director

Steve and his family moved to Los Angeles from the New York City area in 2003 and joined Stephen Wise Temple the same year. Steve and his wife, Susan Bloch Kay, have three sons, Aaron, Jesse, and Julian. When the Kays moved to Los Angeles, Aaron enrolled at Milken as a freshman, Jesse enrolled at Wise Elementary School as a 6th grader, and Julian entered Wise Elementary as a first grader. The Kay family was “all in” with the Stephen Wise community from day one, and they have continued to be actively involved in the community for the past 20 years. The Kays have participated in and supported many programs at Wise and have also been actively involved with Milken. The Kays oldest and youngest sons now live in Los Angeles. Aaron is married to Lyndsay Nevins (another graduate of Wise and Milken) and they have two young daughters. A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, Steve moved to the East Coast after he graduated from U.C. Berkeley. He attended law school at Boston University and then practiced corporate law in New York City before moving to Los Angeles. After moving to Los Angeles, Steve continued to work as a lawyer in both in-house and law firm roles. Most recently, Steve served as the General Counsel of Roku from early 2014 until late 2024. Following his retirement from Roku, Steve has been actively engaged in board and advisory roles in the private sector. 

Jim Leewong, Congregational Director

Jim and his wife, Laurie Glickman, have been Temple members for nearly 47 years. Jim became Jewish here and married here. Their two daughters became Bat Mitzvah and chanted Torah on High Holy Days. Life cycle events for the family have been more meaningful with Wise clergy.            Wise is Jim’s spiritual community and home and has allowed Jim to successfully integrate his Chinese heritage with his immersion into our Tradition. It provides Jim an important balance of ancient Chinese principles and values for living an ethical and moral life, and the guidance of Torah and teachings about the presence of Adonai in each of us and in all things. This has blessed Jim with a wonderful family—a 46 year marriage, two married, self-confident daughters and their spouses, and four grandchildren, all committed to our Tradition. Jim thanks all those, including my wife, who have served the Wise community and made it possible for their family to derive the aforementioned benefits. Continuing to serve on the Wise Board would be an important opportunity for Jim to give back for all that he has and continues to receive. As for his prior experience, Jim is a retired attorney and CPA. He advised high net worth foreign families on international business and tax planning with a focus on U.S. transition. Jim was also a director and operations officer of a petroleum vessel charter company based in Luxembourg with international operations. He was a member of the Board of Zoning Appeals for the City of Los Angeles under Mayor Bradley. Jim served as a Planning Commissioner for the City of Calabasas and is currently a Board member/Treasurer of the family’s residential community HOA. As a Wise Board member these last three years, Jim better understands and appreciates the tremendous effort, talent, and resources it takes to maintain and sustain our vibrant Wise community. It would be an honor to continue to contribute to that effort.

Keili Lefkovitz, Congregational Director

Keili was introduced to this magnificent community and campus through Mommy and Me classes and Pre-K. Ever since, she’s been a proud member of Stephen Wise Temple. Since that time, she, her husband, and their two awesome boys, Shep and Gunner (both WISE graduates), have fully immersed themselves into almost everything Wise has to offer. From spiritual to educational to cultural and social, her family has deeply benefited from throwing themselves headfirst into the Wise universe. In partnership with Wise, Keili has written and produced music videos for the Temple and the greater Jewish community, and in 2021, Keili was honored to co-host the Temple’s virtual gala. On the school side of things, Keili became eagerly involved with the Wise Parents Association (WPA). She ran the gamut, whether it was chairing events like M’dor L’dor, the Maccabi Games, Mitzvah Day, Party Book events, or serving as docent/ambassador for prospective Wise School families. This is where she fell in love with this beautiful place up on the hill. So much so, she then joined the WPA Board as VP of School Events before taking on the Co-President position with her bestie Rama Fakheri. Perhaps Keili’s greatest and most favorite stint has been as the Wise School mascot—a tradition she has brought back to Wise School which has been a huge hit with the kids, helping to exemplify school spirit. Goooo Wildcats!

Erin Naimi, Congregational Director

Erin Naimi and her family have been members of Stephen Wise Temple since 2015. Erin and her daughters, Sienna (Wise School Graduate 2025) and Emmie (Class of 2027), attended Mommy & Me classes at the Early Childhood Center and have been proud members of the Wise community ever since! Since becoming a parent in the Wise School & Stephen Wise Temple community, Erin has had the opportunity to serve on the Temple’s Board of Directors as well as WPA Committees for Wise School. Erin currently serves as co-chair of the Combatting Anti-Semitism Task Force with Rabbi Ron Stern and co-chair Donna Yamini Donay, as well as being a committee member for The Education Committee and The Shalom Bayit Parent Task Force. As a parent at Wise School, Erin serves as a school Ambassador, chairs the WPA Parent Wise speaker series, and is the acting liaison for the SSALA (School Speaker Alliance – Los Angeles). Professionally, Erin has been a Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist (RDN) since 2000, and in addition to her private practice, has served as a clinical dietitian/nutrition therapist/consultant in a variety of settings within Los Angeles and abroad, including Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Monte Nido Treatment Center, The Eating Disorder Center of CA, where she worked with a variety of medical needs including Eating Disorders, Gastrointestinal disorders, and various other medical conditions. Erin is deeply passionate about her work in helping individuals heal their relationship to food and body. Most recently, Erin served on The Board of Recovered Living, New Zealand where she co-facilitated the opening of New Zealand’s first Residential Eating Disorder Treatment Center. Erin and her family have found deep connections and fulfillment as members of this incredibly supportive and loving community and Erin feels privileged to be able to give back through her service and commitment to Stephen Wise Temple and Wise School.

Dana Nussbaum, Congregational Director

Dana was born and raised in Los Angeles and introduced to Stephen Wise Temple by her husband, Brian, a long-time Temple member and alumnus of the elementary school. After spending a great deal of time at Wise with Brian’s family, she began taking Intro to Judaism courses and regularly meeting with Temple clergy to delve deeper into Torah study and discuss Jewish views on faith and community. Shortly thereafter, Dana embarked upon an inspiring and transformative year-long conversion process before officially becoming a member of both the Jewish community and Wise in 2004. Since 2004, the Temple has become an increasingly important part of her life, Brian’s life, and the lives of her daughters, Madison and Reese, both of whom have attended Wise Religious School. Dana has been an active and engaged volunteer both at Wise and within the broader Jewish community. At Wise, she has served as a room parent during in-person religious school classes, organized religious school volunteer efforts for organizations such as L.A. Family Housing, and most recently served as a member of the Hineni Leadership Cohort.  She is also a supporter of Los Angeles Jewish Health and with her daughter, Madison, created a non-profit organization called Project H.E.A.R.T. (Helping Each Other and Reading Together) which raised funds to provide a mobile library for residents at the Grancell campus. This was inspired by her own grandmother who was a resident of the Grancell campus. Dana is also a deeply involved member of the Brentwood School community, where both of her daughters are students.  She is an ardent supporter of the Jewish Family Association and serves as Chair of the Brentwood School Gala, an event that raises funds to support financial aid efforts. In her professional life, Dana is a 20+ year veteran of Warner Bros. Studios where she currently leads the Global Theatrical Marketing Team, working on a broad slate of films, including recent successes such as Barbie, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and the Dune franchise. She is deeply committed to championing original stories, amplifying diverse voices, and mentoring the next generation of leaders through her work in the entertainment industry and beyond.

Debbee Schwartz, Congregational Director

Debbee Schwartz is a LA native who, along with her husband Robert and sons Carey and Casey, has been a proud member of Stephen Wise Temple since 1987. Carey and Casey attended Wise Elementary, where Debbee served as a head room parent every year the boys were in school. They then graduated from Milken Community High School, where Debbee also sat on the board. Debbee has worked in the entertainment industry for the past 30 years, representing writers, directors, and producers. Robert has been Executive Director of the Los Angeles City College Foundation for the past 10 years and was an entertainment attorney prior. Debbee’s connection with Stephen Wise Temple and Schools runs deep, experiencing this special community as an extension of her own family. She’s thrilled at the prospect of returning to serve the place she and her family have and continue to cherish.

Ariana West, Congregational Director

Ariana West has been a member of Stephen Wise Temple for her entire life, and over the years, her connection to Wise has only become stronger. In 2003, she began working at Stephen Wise as the Director of Communications and continued in that role until 2014. She then launched her own business as an independent communications and marketing consultant, where she continues her work today specializing in working with non-profit organizations and independent schools. Ariana and her husband, Kevin, have two sons, Shai and Cooper, who began their journey at Wise in the Parenting Center. Though leaving Wise in a professional capacity some years ago, Ariana is still deeply committed and connected to Wise by volunteering on committees/task forces, serving on the Wise Parents Association Board in 2016-18, and serving as the Co-President of the WPA with Kevin in 2018-20 and again in 2022-23. Ariana joined the Wise Board of Directors in 2020 and has served on the Board’s Membership and Nominating Committees, and currently serves on the Governance Committee. She is thrilled to be able to work in partnership with the professional leadership and other Wise Temple and School lay leadership to support our vision for the future.

Donna Yamini Donay, Congregational Director

Donna and her family have been members of Stephen Wise Temple for 20 years. Their children began their journeys at Wise Early Childhood, celebrated their B’nai Mitzvahs at Wise, participated in WTY programs, and were confirmed here. Wise Temple has been a central part of their family life, providing meaningful opportunities for spiritual growth, community service, and learning. Donna actively serves the Wise community as a member of the Temple Board, the Governance Committee, and as Co-Chair of the Wise Antisemitism Task Force. She has also volunteered for numerous Tikkun Olam activities, including providing pro bono legal services to support causes aligned with the temple’s mission. Outside of Wise, Donna is an executive board member of Booksustain, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting literacy. She is also an active member of Jewish World Watch, volunteers by reading UCLA Alumni Scholarship applications, and mentors students through the UCLA Alumni Mentor Program. Her commitment to social justice extends through her legal volunteer work with Public Counsel and Bet Tzedek Legal Services. Professionally, Donna is the founder of Yamini Law Group, specializing in business and intellectual property litigation. Donna values her role on the Board of Stephen Wise Temple and is committed to supporting its mission and community.