We exist to empower JOCs by providing community and personalized support to gather and learn unchallenged in their Jewishness. Ammud allows JOCs to access the Jewish education needed to be empowered members and leaders of the broader Jewish community, creating space to celebrate marginalized customs and traditions and (re)build culture. Many of our classes are online and accessible everywhere.
Inspired by Yavilah McCoy, a national leader of the JOC community, Ammud was first incubated in the JOC Caucus at Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ) in early 2019 by Arielle Korman, Yehudah Webster, and a group of JOC Caucus leaders and volunteers. Ammud became an independent 501(c)(3) in 2021.
Meet Our Team
Alexandra Corwin (she/her) - Executive Director
Alexandra is rooted in her Jewish, Ashkenazi, Peruvian, and Quechua heritages. She has a Bachelor's in Women's and Gender Studies and African Black Diaspora Studies from DePaul University. She has a Master's in Education from Harvard University, where she received the selective Urban Scholars Award. Alexandra has a certificate in Restorative Justice at the Intersections of Indigeneity, Spirituality, and Race from the Harvard Divinity School. Alexandra has served in roles as a teacher, community organizer, leadership coach, Jewish education director, diversity, equity and inclusion consultant, adjunct instructor at rabbinical school, board member of Jewish nonprofits, curriculum designer, and adult education specialist. She is the proud Executive Director of Ammud: The Jews of Color Torah Academy.
Kendell Pinkney (he/him) - Rabbinic Advisor
Kendell Pinkney is a Brooklyn based theatre-artist, producer, and rabbi. His work has been presented or developed at venues such as Feinstein's 54 Below, Joe’s Pub, LABA @ the 14th St. Y, Musical Theatre Factory, Two River Theater, and Goodspeed Opera House, to name a few. Kendell has been featured in the acclaimed docuseries "The New Jew," with actor-comedian Guri Alfi and Crooked Media’s religion and society podcast, “Unholier than Thou.” He is the recipient of a 2023 IDEA Residency at Opera America, as well as Theater J’s “Expanding the Canon” commission program in Washington DC. Kendell serves as the rabbinic educator for Reboot, and is the founding Artistic Director of The Workshop, a New York based arts and culture fellowship that supports and foregrounds the work of professional artists of BIPOC-Jewish heritage.
Sarah Pearl Fried (she/her) - Senior Director of Operations and Impact
Sarah Pearl Fried is a proud Black Jewish woman, with a zeal for introspection and lifelong learning and transforming the world of education. Growing up in a predominantly white, affluent community in suburban Massachusetts, she struggled to find others to relate to and engage with deeper conversations around identity and racial justice. Amidst the Black Lives Matter uprisings and throughout her undergraduate experience, she grew to recognize the importance of affinity spaces. She went on to co-found the Black Student Union at the New School, while simultaneously exploring Jewish community at The Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life at NYU. Reflecting on her experiences in predominantly white institutions prompted her to develop an implicit racial bias workshop for educators. She is excited to explore the intersectionality that brings JOCs together and the multitudes that exist within JOC community.
Gil Brandt (he/him) - Education Advisor
Gil Brandt is a proficient Curriculum and Learning Experience Designer. His mission is to embed the impact of professional learning and development through the use of evidence-based strategies. Driven by a deep understanding of learning mechanisms, Gil facilitates effective and inspiring learning experiences across various contexts. His years of experience in leading and designing significant professional learning programmes testify to his expertise. His foundation as a secondary school maths teacher continues to inform his professional trajectory.
Meet Our Board Members
Rabbi Heather Miller (she/her) - Board Chair
Rabbi Heather Miller is a school leader and synagogue president who is passionate about creating embracing and supportive spaces for all of the intersected identities in both the religious and secular parts of her life. Rabbi Heather merges her skill sets to work on committees and projects as a USCJ Board member, a member of UJAFedNY’s Community Resource Cabinet and the Jews of Color Initiative’s Grant Advisory Committee. She is honored to be counted as one of NY Jewish Week’s 36 to Watch 2023 and to have her work featured in the Challah and Chutzpah episode of the PBS show Table for All with Buki Elegbede. Her favorite role of all, however, is as the mother of three amazing boys who are proudly descended from both freed slaves and Holocaust survivors.
Tema Smith (she/her) - Board Member
Tema Smith is a diversity advocate, writer and Jewish community builder. She is currently the Director of Jewish Outreach & Partnerships for the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and a contributing columnist at the Forward. Tema was previously the Director of Professional Development at 18Doors, before which, she spent seven years as a synagogue professional, most recently as Director of Community Engagement at Holy Blossom Temple, Toronto’s oldest synagogue.
A recipient of the 2022 JPro Young Professionals Award, Tema speaks and trains frequently on racial equity, diversity and antisemitism for synagogues, Jewish organizations, and community groups across North America. She holds certificates in Instructing Adults from George Brown College, and Leadership and Inclusion through the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion and Centennial College.
Tema lives in her hometown of Toronto with her two extraordinarily stubborn shih tzu sidekicks, her pour over coffee gear, and way too many books.
Jordan Berg Powers (he/him) - Board Member
Jordan Berg Powers is the former Executive Director at Mass Alliance. In his 13 years there, he has helped elect new leaders across the state, recruited candidates to run, and trained hundreds of grassroots organizers. In 2015 Jordan was recognized for his exceptional work in politics as an inaugural inductee into the 40 under 40 Poly Award. Using his expertise in talking to ordinary voters about policy, Jordan started leading organizations to save public education, increasing economic opportunity and a more progressive tax system for the Commonwealth. He is currently consulting on organizing, diversity equity and inclusion, and non-profit management.
In his free time, Jordan serves as a Zoning Board Commissioner for the City of Worcester. He is also on the Board of JOIN for Justice, MassBudget, Partners in Democracy, Jewish Liberation Fund, Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action (JALSA), Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) - Boston Area, Teen Just-Us, The Commission on Social Action (CSA) of Reform Judaism and the RAC Massachusetts. In 2018 Jordan was part of the JewV’Nation Fellowship, the fellowship is a leadership development program for visionary Jewish leaders across North America.