MEET THE TEAM
YONI GREENWALD
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Born and raised in Israel, Yoni is an entrepreneur involved in Jewish education, business, and real estate investment in the U.S. and Israel. Director of The Brownstone since its inception in 2012, Yoni has overseen programs that have led thousands of students and young professionals on missions to Israel and Poland. Yoni is passionate about connecting Jews from across the world to each other and to Israel. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.
RABBI JOSH (DISKIN)
DIRECTOR OF ISRAELI DIVISION
SOLOMON AND HEATHER BRAUN
COMMUNITY LEADERS
Look for a bio soon.
Contact Solomon: Solomon@thebrownstoneny.org
Contact Heather: Heather@thebrownstoneny.org
ELIANA GOODMAN
DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT
A graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Eliana’s passion for Israel stems from her family background. Her grandparents immigrated to Israel in the 1930s and ran the first kosher hotel in Tel Aviv. Eliana’s love of Israel and the Jewish people drive her to continue to learn, educate, and bring people together.
ANDREA KAHN
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR
Andrea has a master’s degree in journalism from USC, and was a reporter for the Los Angeles Times before moving East. She now works as a freelance marketing writer, editor, and project manager for organizations including The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Time Inc., and Yeshiva University. She is excited to be involved with such a worthy institution.
WHAT’S GOING ON
We offer a full menu of free classes, networking events, concerts and art shows in the building. These range from seminars on hedge funds and a lecture on the “Yiddish-Russian” roots of Jewish music, to dating workshops, cooking classes, and live jazz performances.
SHABBAT DINNERS
Our weekly Shabbat dinners—which have so far drawn over 10,000 participants—are fun and festive, with great food and an even better atmosphere. Discover the spirituality of Shabbat as you meet new friends.
NETWORKING
Drawing hundreds of young professionals, our networking events feature some of the world’s biggest movers and shakers—from famed attorney Alan Dershowitz to David Lichtenstein, CEO of The Lightstone Group. These gatherings connect up-and-comers to experts in fields ranging from technology and business to social work and education, and often lead to mentor-mentee relationships.
CREATING COMMUNITY
We bring together millennials from similar industries, educational backgrounds and ethnic backgrounds: doctors and med students. Ivy League Grads. Israelis, Persians, Russians, Turks, Bucharians. No matter who you are, you’ll find your place here.
MEETING AND MINGLING
We host regular social events on our rooftop terrace—complete with a view of the Manhattan skyline—and in our cool basement lounge and bar.
BECOMING A JEWISH LEADER
We’ll give you a platform to create your own organizations and initiatives to strengthen Jewish communities in the U.S. and abroad.
Location, Location, Location
The East Village is a thriving New York hot spot, encompassing historic theaters, hip bars and eateries, kosher bakeries, cutting-edge galleries and some of the best parks in NYC. And from The Brownstone’s plum location on 12th Street, it’s easy to get to and from just about anywhere.
THE BROWNSTONE BUILDING
Built in 1883, The Brownstone is high-tech and eco-friendly, with exposed brick walls and a stylish decor that includes an extensive collection of avant-garde art. Here, the warmth of a private home meets the sophistication of New York City.
Lower Level
Stone walls and dimmed lighting transform the lower level into a dining bar for hors d’oeuvres, cocktails and mingling, or into a large Shabbat dinner that extends to the garden.
Main Floor
The perfect place to relax and schmooze, our main floor features glass partitions to divide the room, an outdoor garden and terrace, a library, and a lounge with flat screen TVs.
Second Floor
Outfitted with a video-capable projector, the second floor Gallery is where we host conferences, private meetings, presentations, classes, cocktail parties and networking events.
Third floor
Known as our women’s floor, the third floor has beds and a large bathroom with three walk-in showers. Here we host groups from all over the world for trips and Shabbatons.
Fourth Floor
The fourth floor consists of two apartments for our director and his family, and for our scholar-in-residence, who accompanies the groups from all over the world.
Fifth Floor
Identical to the layout of the third floor, the fifth floor is known as our men’s floor.
