Some years back Ariana was congregation president of a now-defunct Elkins Park, PA, synagogue She actually did double duty for six months until a treasurer was in place. Working with her board, she instituted stewardship practices that helped eliminate a burgeoning deficit. Ariana also collaborated with the rabbi and her executive committee in seeking a new site for the shul and in gathering information the congregation needed to approve the change.

 

During that period Ariana worked as a fundraising professional in the nonprofit sector, including nearly a quarter century at a child welfare agency and a few years in a senior serving organization. Active in the Association of Fundraising Professionals, she twice co-chaired the Philanthropy Awards Committee for Philadelphia’s community-wide National Philanthropy Day. She participated in on-air fundraising in still earlier years, while employed as a classical music host/producer for public radio stations south of Chicago and then in Buffalo. Ariana also hosted a weekly arts magazine on Buffalo’s public television. Before moving to the Philadelphia area, Ariana conducted grant workshops for small arts organizations in the Buffalo area while serving as arts council assistant director.

 

In her Elkins Park shul, after concluding her presidency, Ariana was a volunteer instructor of Torah and haftarah trope. She led the first adult b’not mitzvah class there after a hiatus of 50 years. She also served stints as sisterhood president and Torah Fund chair. Veteran sisterhood leaders explained about supporting The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS), but only after Ariana attended a Torah Fund-Founder’s Day event – and she listened, enraptured, to JTS feminist Talmudic scholar, Judith Hauptman – did she realize the significance of support for Torah Fund.

 

In the Mid-Atlantic Region (MAR) Ariana was tapped early on to serve as an Area Director. She collaborated with sisterhood leaders at two nearby synagogues on a luncheon program featuring then WLCJ Director of Education, Lisa Ellison (Kogen). More recently, Ariana served two three-year terms as MAR treasurer, offering breakout sessions for affiliate treasurers and financial secretaries during MAR’s summer training events. She participated in committees to update MAR policies and to revise the region bylaws.

 

She has served for eight years on the WLCJ international board. As a member of a joint FJMC-WLCJ committee on inclusion, Ariana was a Contributing Author on its Inclusion Resource Guidebook (available on the Women’s League website). She assisted in, and was a panelist on, an inclusion program at the last WLCJ convention. For the past three years Ariana has been co-chair of the WLCJ Keruv (Interfaith Inclusion) committee, which presented three programs for Women’s League members.

 

Ariana’s region position for the past two years has been Torah Fund Vice President, a role she loves and will continue to fill for another term. She sits on the WLCJ Torah Fund Cabinet, and is a proud member of the Legacy Society.