Amy Golding, Chief Development Officer, is an experienced nonprofit executive with an extensive background in organizational transformation, community building, and strategic fundraising. With a proven track record in defining organizational culture, enhancing educational institutions, and accelerating revenue growth through grants and philanthropy, Amy has consistently driven impactful change in the nonprofit sector. She is passionate about empowering communities and advancing mission-driven work.

Amy’s connection to the Lone Soldier community is deeply personal. Her brother made aliyah in 1988 and became a Lone Soldier in the IDF. During her college years, Amy spent a semester abroad at Tel Aviv University and worked to support him during his service. This firsthand experience has fueled her commitment to supporting soldiers who are far from home, especially in times of war. Amy is honored to contribute to the Lone Soldier Center’s mission as Chief Development Officer, working to make a difference for those who protect Israel.

Amy has also made significant contributions to the field of education. She has built several educational institutions over two decades, including leading her alma mater, the Jewish Day School of the Lehigh Valley. Previously, Amy was the founding Education and Executive Director of The New Shul, an unaffiliated synagogue in lower Manhattan, and served as Managing Director at Buckle My Shoe, an elite private school in downtown Manhattan. After college, Amy joined the AmeriCorps VISTA service-learning program. Amy was selected for The Institute for Not-For-Profit Management Executive Certificate program, through UJA-Federation and Columbia University Business School as well as The Mandel Fellowship for Nonprofit Leadership. Amy holds an M.S. Ed. in Collaborative Leadership from Drexel University.

Dr. Eric Sirkin, our Chairman of the Board, is a 30+ year veteran of Silicon Valley with experiences spanning management at very large corporations through being a founder of several High Technology companies. He holds a PhD in Chemical Physics from the University of California-Berkeley and spent two years in the Department of Physical Chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. On his return to the US he joined the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, working in its in Semiconductor Laboratory pioneering processes enabling Plasma Etching to enter the mainstream of semiconductor industry.

He collaborated on the first implementation of Ethernet at Xerox, where the networking standard was invented. Dr. Sirkin left Xerox to join the founding team of Zoran, which through a series of acquisitions became a part of Qualcomm. After leaving Zoran he started a career spanning 7 years at Apple Computer where he was Senior Director of New Media Research & Development. Among other activities, he managed the team behind the Emmy Award winning FireWireTM. After leaving Apple Dr. Sirkin went on to take the role of Sr. Vice President of Engineering and Operations at the pioneer of internet travel – GetThere. After its IPO in 1999 the company was acquired by Sabre Holdings. Dr. Sirkin has either founded or helped manage numerous Silicon Valley start-ups. Recently he has founded a software company, AnchorAway, merging his passion for sailing with his software skills.

Eric became involved with the Lone Soldier Center in Memory of Michael Levin within a month after arriving to live in Israel in April 2010. Since then he was a Member of the Advisory Board until July 2019 when he was elected to the Board of Directors and then as Chairman. He remained Chairman until March 2023 when he stepped down taking on the role of Advisor to the Board. Two of his “nephews” served as Lone Soldiers, one in Nachal and the other in Tsanchanim. Today he has the role of Chairman of The Friends of the Lone Soldier, remaining active in helping Lone Soldiers before, during and after their term of service.

David Frankel, Treasurer, joined the World Jewish Congress in February 2018 as Director of Finance and Administration and was appointed the Chief Financial Officer in July 2018.

He is a graduate of Hofstra University, a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA), a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New York State Society of CPAs. 

Mr. Frankel has over 30 years of corporate and non-profit accounting experience. Prior to joining the World Jewish Congress, he was the Director of Finance of The Tikvah Fund and the Chief Financial Officer of Daxor Corporation, a publicly held biotechnology company, for 10 years.

Jeffrey Cohen, Chair, Development & Partnerships, is a highly respected fundraising leader and nonprofit executive with more than four decades of experience advancing Jewish communal life and philanthropy. He joined the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago (JUF) in 1979 and has held multiple senior leadership roles, including Senior Vice President of Financial Resource Development before retiring in Israel.

Throughout his career, Jeffrey has helped guide some of JUF’s most ambitious campaigns, mobilizing thousands of volunteers and stewarding major gifts that support human services, Jewish education, identity building, Israel related initiatives, and global humanitarian assistance. Under his leadership, JUF’s Annual Campaign and other development efforts have generated critical resources that sustain services for hundreds of thousands of people in the Chicago area and Jewish communities around the world.

Jeffrey is known for his strategic vision, deep community engagement, and ability to cultivate trusted relationships with major donors and lay leaders. His lifelong commitment to strengthening Jewish communities locally and globally reflects a legacy of building philanthropic capacity and fostering meaningful connections between donors and causes.

Kimby Berger is the Managing Director of the Berger Family Office where she directs the philanthropic activities of the family. Prior to that, she was the co-owner of Her Corner, an education company focused on teaching women entrepreneurs how to grow and scale their companies. Kimberly serves on various boards in addition to Friends of the Lone Soldier, including The Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School of the Nation’s Capital, Penn Hillel, and the Shalem College Board of Governors. She graduated from Penn and has an MBA from the Wharton School.

Evana Hershkowitz, Development Operations & Marketing Associate, brings both heart and strategy to her role. With a background in Jewish nonprofit work, including Hillel, USY, Jewish summer camps, teaching religious school, and a variety of roles at the Minnesota JCC, Evana is passionate about building meaningful connections. Having seen firsthand the impact of friends or former students serving as Lone Soldiers, she is honored to advocate her love of Israel through her work. 

Evana enjoys turning big ideas into organized, impactful action. When she’s not coordinating projects or supporting storytelling efforts, you can likely find her exploring Minnesota’s trails and lakes, gardening, or hanging out with her husband and their two dogs. She graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies.