Our Team
Led by Gen Z Young Professionals.
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Abe Waserstein Chairman of the Board
Born and raised in South Florida, Abe Waserstein, Chairman of the Board, is a third-year student at Duke Law pursuing a J.D. and LL.M. in International and Comparative Law. His research focuses on international and domestic legal frameworks that address Holocaust denial and antisemitism.
As the grandson of Holocaust survivors, Abe is committed to empowering young professionals to become the custodians of memory and truth and learning from history to build a better future.
Abe graduated from Princeton University where he concentrated in the School of Public and International Affairs. Abe was awarded a Fulbright grant to conduct field research in Costa Rica. He is also a Coca-Cola Scholar and Bronfman Fellow.
In his free time, Abe enjoys dancing salsa and exploring nature trails with his dog Paco.
Jonah Brafman Legal Director
Jonah Brafman, Chairman of ST’s Legal Committee, is an attorney licensed to practice in Florida and New York.
Jonah graduated from Emory Law where he was an editor on the Emory Law Review. Jonah earned a finance degree from the University of Florida where he was a member of the Gator Student Investment Fund.
Alyssa Grzesh. Board Member
Alyssa Grzesh is an attorney licensed to practice in New York.
Rabbi Ira Dounn Legal Director
Rabbi Ira Dounn is a seasoned Jewish educator who has held leadership roles at the Center for Jewish Life – Princeton Hillel, BBYO International, Jewish Child Care Association, and B’nai Jeshurun (BJ). Currently, Rabbi Ira serves as Director of Development and Dean of Strategic Initiatives at the Academy for Jewish Religion.
Rabbi Ira received his Rabinic Ordination from the Academy for Jewish Religion. He also completed a Masters in Jewish Education from Hebrew College, and he earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago where he majored in Public Policy Studies.
Alex Wecht Board Member
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Alex Wecht, Chairperson of ST’s Special Conflict of Interest Oversight Committee and Member of ST’s Legal Committee, is a third-year student at Duke Law where he is a Duke Law Dean’s Scholar.
Alex is motivated to progress ST’s work in response to the staggering levels of antisemitism in the world today. He believes that there are too few organizations dedicated to combating antisemitism, and he hopes that ST will continue to grow and help fill that void, becoming a trusted and impactful resource as more people confront the increasingly widespread denial and distortion of the Holocaust.
Alex graduated from Boston University, where he majored in Philosophy and Political Science and received the highest departmental award in both disciplines.
Alex enjoys fitness, travel, and spending time with loved ones.
Aaron Fils Board Member
Born and raised in South Florida, Aaron Fils, a member of ST’s Governance & Ethics Committee, is a general surgery resident at Weill Cornell Medicine. He is the founder of Iris Insights Inc., a med-tech startup that seeks to expand access to objective concussion testing.
He graduated from the Foote Fellows Honors Program at the University of Miami where he studied biomedical engineering and theater arts and served on the Dean’s Racial Justice Task Force
In his free time, Aaron enjoys rock climbing.
Dylan Ek Board Member
Dylan Ek is a third-year student at Duke Law.
M. N. Board Member
M.N., Chair of the Tech & Public Relations Committee, currently works as an operations manager, data analyst/administrator, and part-time writer. M.N. is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire who majored in Spanish and Organizational Communications. They recently completed the Avodah Justice Fellowship and explore the intersection of data, statistics, and humanity in Major League Baseball in their free time.
Jonathan Banai Board Member
Born and raised in South Florida, Jonathan Banai, Chairman of ST’s Development Committee, works as a Business Consultant at VensureHR.
He is a graduate from The University of Florida (Go Gators!) who majored in Business Administration.
Sahmon Gandjei Board Member
Born and raised in South Florida, Sahmon Gandjei, Chairman of ST’s Security Committee, graduated from Florida A&M University, where he majored in Health, Leisure and Fitness. Sahmon is a community organizer who specializes in youth leadership development and engagement.
Jaya (Hellen) Cohen Board Member
Jaya (Hellen) Cohen, Chair of ST’s Finance Committee, is Director of her Family Office, a dedicated advocate, and an animal lover.
Backed by an MBA and an International Business degree, along with industry experience in transnational business, Hellen brings a wealth of experience in executive management to the ST Board.
As the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, Hellen views her work through ST in fighting Holocaust denial as a calling tied directly to her essence as a Jew.
Outside of leadership and advocacy, you will find her running a wonderful full house packed with kids, seven dogs, and two horses.
Rebeca Waserstein Board Member
Rebeca Waserstein, a member of ST’s Education Committee, worked as an educator for over two decades. She now dedicates her time to furthering philanthropic causes.
As the daughter of Holocaust survivors, Rebeca considers it a moral obligation to combat Holocaust denial and antisemitism to ensure that history does not repeat itself.
Rebeca earned a law degree from the Universidad Autónoma de Costa Rica.
In her free time, Rebeca enjoys traveling and spending time with her dogs Bean and Bella.
Isaac Waserstein Board Member
Isaac Waserstein, President of Shoah Truths, is the Founder and Chairman of SteinCares and former CEO of Laboratorios Stein S.A., a leading Latin American pharmaceutical manufacturer.
In his free time, Isaac enjoys learning torah.