Meet our 2026 Honorees:
Frani grew up in Philadelphia and received her BA from Boston University in psychology, her MSW from New York University, and her PhD in School and Child Clinical Psychology from the University of Toronto. She is a licensed social worker and psychologist in private practice whose professional life reflects her profound commitment to helping individuals, families, and communities flourish. She has trained students at the Council for Relationships, the Sara Schenirer School of Social Work, and the Family Institute in Har Nof, Jerusalem. She currently teaches and supervises dissertations at the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice and serves as a Senior Trainer at the Family-Based Institute. A respected educator, Frani is also a published author and is currently co-editing a book on clinical case studies. She lectures widely in schools and synagogues throughout the community, including through the OU and Yo’atzot programs, and leads Mussar and Psychology classes through Gratz College and Lower Merion Synagogue.
Raised in Toronto, Joel earned his BA in English Literature from the University of Toronto, received Semichah from Yeshiva University, and completed his PhD in Jewish Mysticism at NYU. His distinguished career has centered on Jewish scholarship and teaching. He served for 30 years as Professor of Jewish Mysticism at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and now holds Emeritus status while continuing to teach there part-time as well as at Villanova University. Joel has authored and edited several important works in Kabbalah and has taught at numerous educational institutions including Stern College for Women, the Jewish Theological Seminary, and the University of Pennsylvania. He has also led a local Zohar study group for over 25 years.
Frani and Joel’s relationship with Kohelet began before they were even Kohelet parents. Joel was recruited to serve on the Education Committee for Stern Hebrew High School, and they have been actively involved and invested in the growth of Kohelet since. Frani has chaired the Middle School Education Committee, served as Vice President on the Executive Board, and currently serves on the Nominations Committee, High School Education Committee, HOSSEC Committee, and the Board of Directors.
Frani has also co-chaired the Israel Action Committee at LMS, served on the Board of Lower Merion Synagogue, and held roles on the Education Committee and Executive Board at CTA. She currently volunteers at English B’Yachad, Tikva by KeepOlim, and is helping to bring Peace of Mind to the Lower Merion community in November.
Married for 32 years, Frani and Joel are the proud parents of three sons– Razi (KYHS ’16), Shai (KYHS ’17), and Hanina (KYHS ’26, אי״ה). Through their many years of dedicated involvement in our school, Frani and Joel have continued to be impressed by Kohelet’s commitment to educational excellence and its thoughtful integration of rigorous Torah learning with the humanities and the arts.
Frani and Joel have devoted their lives to family, Torah, and to the growth and success of the broader Jewish community. Kohelet Yeshiva has been immeasurably strengthened by their leadership, scholarship, continued support and heart, and it is a true privilege to honor them at this year’s gala with the Kohelet Pillar Award.
Irit and David’s story began in Canada. Irit, originally from Silver Spring, was in Toronto on a Fulbright Fellowship after graduating from Princeton with a degree in anthropology. Friends of a friend hosted Irit for the Yamim Noraim and introduced her to David, a Toronto native. The rest is history. They married in 2010 and lucky for us, made Philadelphia their home in 2014.
Irit went on to earn her medical degree from George Washington University. She completed her pediatrics residency at CHOP, and went on to complete a fellowship in Academic General Pediatrics along with a Master’s in Clinical Epidemiology at Penn. Today, she serves as an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Penn and as Director of Quality and Safety for the Division of General Pediatrics at CHOP, where she works as a general pediatrician and researcher in clinical informatics. Her professional life reflects the same qualities she brings to Kohelet: systems thinking, careful stewardship, creativity, compassion, respect and a deep commitment to making a measurable difference in the lives of children.
David earned both his undergraduate and master’s degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Toronto. After over two decades at Intel, where he developed advanced software tools for chip design and optimization and authored numerous patents, he recently transitioned to a new role at an AI startup, Cerebras. Those who know David know his steady presence, quiet thoughtfulness, and deep sense of responsibility to his family and our community.
David’s involvement at Kohelet actually began before their children were enrolled at the school. Recruited by Rabbi Perl and Shmarya Gasner, he attended zoning meetings and helped build the school’s playground. He volunteered to teach coding lessons to the KoHak team and launched the school’s plastic bag recycling initiative through the Trex program, personally coordinating volunteers to collect, weigh, and deliver pounds of recycled plastic each week. The Trex benches around campus are quiet but lasting symbols of his dedication to our school through this program. Behind the scenes, David has provided the steady logistical support and thoughtful encouragement that have enabled Irit’s extensive Board and Executive Committee service over the years.
In 2020, Irit joined the Kohelet Board of Directors and immediately stepped into leadership as chair of the Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) during one of the most challenging periods in the school’s history. From preemptively registering Kohelet as a CLIA-approved lab to securing point-of-care COVID testing, developing safety protocols, and coordinating vaccinations, Irit worked creatively and tirelessly alongside the MAC and school leadership to ensure our students could continue learning safely in person.
Since 2023, Irit has served as Board Treasurer, partnering closely with leadership and the Finance Committee to strengthen Kohelet’s financial foundation. Her tenure has been marked by integrity, professionalism, and strategic vision, guiding responsible budgeting, thoughtful endowment stewardship, enhanced financial systems, and greater transparency.
Irit and David are the proud parents of four children, three of whom are current Kohelet students: Leora (7th grade), Ella (4th), Matan (2nd), and Netta (Gan Chabad).
Irit and David’s service has strengthened Kohelet in enduring ways. It is with deep gratitude and admiration that we honor Irit and David with the Distinguished Service Award for their vision, commitment, and extraordinary dedication to the future of our students and our Kohelet community.
DISTINGUISHED EDUCATORS AWARD
Ilana grew up in Highland Park, New Jersey, and earned her BA in International Business from Queens College and a BS in Biotechnology at Hadassah College in Jerusalem. While in Israel, she conducted clinical research at Hadassah Ein Kerem focused on Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
Jonny grew up in Montreal, Canada, and earned a BA in Jewish History from Yeshiva University, Semicha from RIETS, a master’s degree in Talmud at Bar-Ilan University, and also completed advanced coursework toward a teaching certificate at Herzog College. He started out his teaching career as a rebbe and sho’el u’meishiv at Yeshivat HaKotel in Jerusalem.
Ilana and Jonny met while working at Camp Stone in 2005, married in 2006, and made aliyah in the summer of 2007. Three of their four children were born in Israel before they relocated to Philadelphia in 2013.
Jonny joined the Kohelet Yeshiva High School Limudei Kodesh faculty in August 2013 and has spent the past 13 years teaching Gemara, Tanach, Halacha, and even some Jewish History. Early on, driven by his belief that what happens outside the classroom can be just as powerful as what happens inside it, Jonny also took on the role of Director of Experiential Education. Over the last decade, Jonny helped build student programming at Kohelet Yeshiva High School into something our students genuinely look forward to and grow through, from Shabbatonim and Color Wars to chesed trips and Israel programming. He believes deeply in empowering students to lead, to take initiative, and to discover their own strengths. Whether in his classroom or at a late-night Shabbaton program, Jonny always aims to make Torah learning and personal growth meaningful, challenging, and genuinely joyful for each one of his students.
Ilana was recruited and hired by the Kohelet Foundation in 2015 as their Associate Program Officer, managing initiatives such as the Kohelet Scholars Series and the Kohelet Prize. She later joined Jonny on staff at Kohelet Yeshiva, beginning as a K–8 substitute. After a brief return to scientific work as a laboratory scientist, Ilana realized how much she missed the friendly and positive atmosphere at Kohelet and came back to our school as the Office Manager. Known for her warmth, organization, and care for every child and family, Ilana has been a steady and compassionate presence throughout the school, and has been a welcoming, friendly presence for students as they enter and leave our building each day. Ilana has also coached the 4/5 and Middle School Reading Olympics for the past two years, leading both teams to blue-ribbon first-place wins.
Ilana and Jonny are the proud parents of four Kohelet students- Maya (12th), Nitzan (10th), Yoav (7th), and Annaelle (5th). Fun facts about the Gordons: Jonny serves as the mashgiach for our local Krispy Kreme and writes for a fantasy baseball website, and Ilana works as the Parent Liaison at Camp Stone, where Jonny also works as the camp driver and the entire family spends their summers.
What Ilana and Jonny love most about Kohelet Yeshiva is its warmth, diversity, and deep respect for students as individuals. They value the school’s commitment to educating and empowering all students equally, as well as its culture of kindness, support, and care- values the two of them live out every day. Each day, Ilana and Jonny are involved in countless aspects of the school, many of which happen behind the scenes, and are true role models for the values Kohelet stands for. Through their leadership, creativity, and genuine love for their community, Ilana and Jonny have shaped the lives of hundreds of students who have benefited from their dedication to Kohelet, and have truly strengthened the soul of our school.
Ilana and Jonny’s dedication to Torah learning, leadership, and service make them most deserving of this year’s Distinguished Educators Award.