- About
- Admissions
- Experience
- Alumni
- Giving
- News & Events
-
Accessibility 
Increase Font 
Decrease Font 
Greyscale
Highlight Links 
Regular Font 
Reset
Accessibility
Increase Font Decrease Font Greyscale
Highlight Links Regular Font Reset 
Find yourself @TanenbaumCHAT!
Three generations of alumni are making their mark in communities around the globe.
TanenbaumCHAT is powered by the generosity of our entire community.
Your source for the latest TanenbaumCHAT news and events.
Craig is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Cidel. Prior to joining Cidel he was a managing Director in CIBC World Markets’ Financial Products Division and worked in the derivatives division of Bankers Trust Company. Craig is currently President of TanenbaumCHAT, Chair of the Investment Advisory Committee to The President of the University of Toronto and a member of the investment committee at Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care.
Craig was previously a Director of the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, Foundation Trustee for the Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto, treasurer of Baycrest Centre and President of Robbins Hebrew Academy. Craig graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BSc in economics from the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton Business School. He and his wife Elyse Zelunka are proud parents of Sarah ’18, Evan ’20, Daniel ’23 and Sophie ’28.
A partner at the accounting firm Crowe Soberman LLP, Mayeer is a board member and the treasurer at Neshama Hospice, a hospice residence based on Jewish values. He sits on UJA’s Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Education and the Board of Governors for The Abraham Global Peace Initiative. He is also a former director at the Jewish National Fund and Camp Ramah. Mayeer is a Governor and was a director at Associated Hebrew Schools for 15 years, chairing numerous committees as well as serving as the school’s president. He and his wife Stacey Shein are proud parents of Reese ’25, Harley ’27 and Nate ’27.
Shelley Samel is the immediate past president of the Board of Directors of TanenbaumCHAT, having served from 2022 to 2024. Shelley is an advertising and marketing lawyer with over 20 years of experience in private practice and is currently in the role of Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary at Ad Standards, the national self-regulatory body for the advertising industry. Shelley’s past volunteer experiences include serving on the board of directors of the Leo Baeck Day School for six years, leading several committees and ultimately becoming co-President. She also participated as a member of the UJA Joshua Institute leadership accelerator program and has served on committees of UJA Federation. Shelley and her husband Brian Weiner are the proud parents of Jamie ’22 and Talia ’25.
Eli Mogil is Partner at McCarthy Tétrault LLP with a business litigation practice, with particular emphasis on shareholder, contractual and real estate disputes. Eli served as a member of the board of directors of The Leo Baeck Day School for six years, chairing several committees as well as a term as president, and serves on the Holy Blossom Advocacy Committee. Eli obtained his B.A. from Cornell University, worked in New York City, and then returned to Toronto for law school. Eli and his wife Robyn are the proud parents of Sam ’25 and Reese ’28.
Shai is an accomplished senior executive and board member with over 25 years of expertise in the consumer goods industry. His extensive experience spans strategic, operational, and leadership roles, offering valuable insights to startups, private equity firms, and VCs in the consumer goods space.
Shai's extensive career includes serving as President and CEO of several global companies in the Food and Consumer goods sector, including McCain Foods Canada, Wrigley Canada/India/Israel, Zenabis Global, and Remilk North America. His proven track record has made him a valuable asset as a board member for multiple public companies and not-for-profit organizations. Additionally, Shai is passionate about mentoring founders and startups in the bio-tech and food-tech space through his work with Ontario Genomics.
A native of Israel, Shai and his wife, Naama, have called Toronto their home since 2009. They have three children, including one alum (Class of '22) and one current student (Class of '25). In his spare time, Shai enjoys playing tennis, skiing, traveling, and spending quality time with his family.
Bram is the Chairman & CEO of KEV Group Inc. KEV provides payment and funds management software to over 26,000 schools across the United States and Canada. Prior to KEV, Bram worked at Amaranth Advisors in Toronto and at Goldman Sachs & Co as an investment banker in New York. Bram graduated from McGill University with a BA (Great Distinction) and from Harvard Business School with an MBA.
Bram and his wife Ilana have two sons, Brody (‘28) and Reid who is in grade 7. They have been involved in Jewish philanthropy for many years including chairing the UJA Launch, founding the Annex Shul, founding and chairing the CJPAC Action Party, Chairing the Ben Gurion Society at UJA and much more.
Adam is a partner and head of underwriting and portfolio management at Penfund, which is one of Canada’s leading private debt investment firms. Prior to joining Penfund in 2004 he had diverse experience in private equity, equity research and management consulting and was the co-founder and co-CEO of a venture-capital backed e-learning and corporate training company.
Adam has a BA from McGill University and an MBA from the Wharton School He is the Board Chair of Hillel Ontario, serves on the Budget and Finance Committee of UJA Federation of Greater Toronto and is a past chair of the Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Education. He has also volunteered in numerous capacities at the Leo Baeck Day School. Adam is married to Erika Rubin '90 and has three children, Lauren ’20, Ethan and Hope ’28.
Gavin Clingbine, CHRL, ACC, is a seasoned HR professional and ICF-certified coach with VP-level experience across healthcare, finance, facilities and food services. He holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business and has led national HR teams and major workforce initiatives. Gavin is the founder of Optisure Advisory, a career-transition, HR advisory and retirement-readiness practice.
Gavin has served on TanenbaumCHAT’s Head of School Support & Evaluation Committee, supporting Dr. Jonathan Levy in governance and strategic oversight. He has coached girls’ basketball in the North Toronto Basketball Association since 2021 and is a lifelong Toronto Raptors fan - attending the historic 2019 Game 7 when Kawhi Leonard hit “The Shot.”
His Jewish leadership began in university through B’nai Brith’s League for International Affairs and Young Leadership Network, including a special envoy to Israel. Gavin and his wife are proud parents of two TanenbaumCHAT students and are active members of the Family Shul.
Rael Diamond is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Choice Properties and has held that position since May 2019, prior to which he was the Chief Operating Officer. From 2012 to 2018 Rael served in the roles of President & Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Financial Officer of Canadian Real Estate Investment Trust (CREIT). Before joining CREIT, Rael served as Chief Financial Officer for several of Brookfield subsidiary public entities, including Rouse Properties, Brookfield Office Properties Canada and Howard Hughes Corporation.
Rael earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from York University and is both a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and a Chartered Accountant (CA). He and his wife, Taryn, are proud parents of three children, one TanenbaumCHAT student and two younger children attending Associated Hebrew School.
Brauna Doidge '03 is the Associate Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Dorot Foundation. Brauna trained as an attorney at the University of Toronto and has worked in law and non-profit management and administration. She specializes in guiding organizations through the ever-challenging process of change, including building, improving, and implementing systems of operations, such as human resources, finances and governance. Previous to her position at the Dorot Foundation, Brauna was the Managing Partner at McCauley Lyman LLC, a law firm specializing in renewable energy. Brauna served on numerous boards in the Rhode Island Jewish community, where she and her family lived for ten years, including on the executive of the day school and federation as well as serving as president of her synagogue. She and her husband Paul are parents to Eli (current student), Benjy and Clara.
Dr. Jasmine Eliav is a registered Child Clinical Psychologist and a staff psychologist at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in the Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect (SCAN) Program and Lotus Health, which supports youth under 18 affected by human trafficking. In these roles, she serves as a clinician, educator, and researcher.
Jasmine earned her graduate degrees at the University of Toronto and has been affiliated with SickKids for over 24 years, having conducted her master’s and doctoral research, as well as her Postdoctoral Clinical Fellowship, within the SCAN Program. She is also an active member of the hospital’s Jewish Inclusivity Network. In addition to her hospital work, she runs a private practice supporting children, families, and parents.
Jasmine served on the Board of Directors at The Toronto Heschel School for six years, including two years as co-chair. For over 14 years, she has volunteered and consulted with Jewish Family and Child Services. Jasmine and her husband, Aaron, are proud parents of four children: one TanenbaumCHAT graduate, two current TanenbaumCHAT students, and one future TanenbaumCHAT student.
Dana Ezer is an educator with a strong focus on Jewish identity. She currently teaches high school students at Holy Blossom Temple, as well as small-group private classes. For almost two decades, Dana worked at The Toronto Heschel School where she developed and taught curriculum to Grade 6 to 8 students in a meaningful way, in addition to acting as the school’s Junior High Division Head from 2011 to 2013. Within the classroom and beyond, Dana has a reputation for teaching Jewish text and history in a way that is engaging and relevant to students. For example, she was instrumental in developing TOMGIRL, the first-of-its-kind Bat Mitzvah program for teens and their moms focusing on powerful modern women. Dana is also involved in Peace of Mind Canada, an organization dedicated to facilitating the emotional and psychological support of IDF elite combat soldiers. Dana currently sits on the board of the Shalom Hartman Institute, an educational and leadership think tank.
Dana received her BA from Dalhousie University, BEd from York University and MA in Jewish Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City. She and her husband are the proud parents of three children, the eldest Class of ’26.
Jonathan Freeman is a partner at Cassels, serving as national chair of the firm’s Real Estate and Development Group and as a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. Jonathan is also a former member of the firm’s audit and risk management committee. His practice focuses on all aspects of commercial real estate law, including real estate lending transactions and acquisitions and dispositions of commercial properties. Jonathan routinely represents traditional bank and non-bank lenders in complex real estate financing transactions. He also advises issuers and underwriters in capital market offerings, as well as some of Canada’s largest REITs, private equity funds, developers and real estate investment companies on mergers and acquisitions, cross border real estate transactions, joint venture structuring, asset management and insolvency related matters. Jonathan was born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia and has a daughter in Grade 11 at TanenbaumCHAT.
Meny is a Managing Director at Scotiabank - Global Banking and Markets. Prior to that he was a partner at Cormark Securities, and also spent many years at CIBC Capital Markets in both the economics and equity research groups. He knows a lot about the stock market, and a little less about various other topics. He is President of the Albert and Temmy Latner Forest Hill Jewish Centre and is a former board member of Camp Moshava. Meny graduated with an MA in Financial Economics from the University of Toronto. He and his wife Mariam White are proud parents of two current TanenbaumCHAT students Sarah ’26 and Dov ’28.
Ilana is a partner at Oliver Wyman, a global management consulting firm, focused on performance transformation. With over 20+ years of strategic management consulting and Human Capital experience, Ilana has worked extensively with industry leaders across Canada, the US, Latin America, and Central Europe.
Ilana’s expertise spans all areas of organization effectiveness, having led and delivered client engagements in strategic transformation, workforce and global business strategy, operating model and redesign, change enablement, digital transformation, and talent management.
In addition to Ilana's client work, she has spoken at several business conferences, authored publications, and served as a mentor to consulting and industry practitioners across the globe. Ilana is passionate about enhancing the lives of people of all abilities and is proud to be the past chair of Holland Bloorview’s connect to kids committee.
Born and raised in Winnipeg, Ilana holds a Master of Arts in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and is a very proud mom to Sam (TanenbaumCHAT,) and Yale (Bialik).
Hart (’89) and his wife Gila are the parents of two current (Class of ’25 and ’27) students, one pre-TanenbaumCHAT child and uncle and aunt to many TanenbaumCHAT students and alumni. Hart has been involved as a volunteer and board member in various Jewish and community organizations and is a past treasurer of TanenbaumCHAT. With a background in finance and consulting, he is an Executive Vice President at LynCar, a plumbing and fire sprinkler products distribution company.
Jordan has more than twenty years of experience in merchant banking, investment banking and law. Jordan is a Partner at Windsor Private Capital, a Toronto-based merchant bank managing private debt and equity investments on behalf of high-net-worth, family office and pension fund investors. He has served as a director on several public and private company boards.
Jordan received his B.A. from York University and his JD/MBA from the Schulich School of Business and Osgoode Hall Law School. Jordan is the proud father of Hayley ’22, Justin ’23, and Ryan ’28.
Micki grew up in Ottawa in a family committed to the Jewish community and continuity. There, she attended the elementary Jewish Day School and a performing arts high school. Micki participated on the MOL in 1990, was Head of Jewish Programming at CBB Ottawa and served on the Holocaust Ed. Committee and BBYO. She graduated from McGill University with a B.Ed.Jewish Education and an M.A. Culture and Values in Education. In Montreal, Micki wrote curricula with the BJE and Day and Supplementary schools. She participated in the CJA Young Leadership, ICRF Next Generation and Jewish General Hospital fundraising. After graduating, she was the instructor of "History of Judaism and the Jewish People" at Carleton University.
Upon moving to Toronto, Micki worked at USDS, The Toronto Heschel School and The Leo Baeck Day School as a teacher. She was the Director of Education at Temple Emanuel and Shaarei Beth El. She completed her Principal's Certification and was the Vice Principal at the Paul Penna DJDS. Currently, Micki manages Marketing, Design and Strategy for Mizrahi Developments.
Micki has worked with various committees with Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (Co-Chair of Spirit of Hope 2014), Canadian Friends of the Israel Museum and UJA. Within UJA, Micki was Co-Chair of the Lion of Judah and Atarah divisions, Co-Chair of the 2012 and 2013 Walk with Israel, Israel Engagement Committee (helping lead an initiative with TanenbaumCHAT) and Major and Top Gifts campaign. She has served on the Board of Directors of the JCCs, The Leo Baeck Day School and Koffler. She was Vice Chair 2014 to 2016 and then Chair of the Board of Hillel Ontario 2016 to 2018. Currently, she is the JFCS Board Chair of Resource Development and is on the Board of KCJE.
Micki and her husband participated in the Fisher Flight program through JFNA. She is the recipient of the 2014 UJA Leadership Development Award. Micki is married to Sam and they have two children, Eden ’25 and Ethan ’26.
Kevin is a Chartered Professional Accountant and a partner at Doane Grant Thornton LLP. Kevin has had a variety of roles with Doane Grant Thornton LLP since joining in 2021, including assurance and business advisory partner for a wide variety of clients, Managing Partner for Southern Ontario and Regional Managing Partner for Central Canada. In his current role as Strategic Market Partner, Kevin leads the firm’s growth initiatives in Central and Western Canada with a focus on mergers and acquisitions as well as senior talent additions.
Kevin has experience working with owners, presidents, CEOs, CFOs and presenting to boards of directors’ as working with stakeholder groups to achieve their objectives. Kevin moved from South Africa to Canada in 2001. Kevin’s two daughters graduated from TanenbaumCHAT (Classes of ’22 and ’24), and his son is in Grade 9 at TanenbaumCHAT.
Cara Orzech is a CPA with over 20 years of experience in tax practice and education. Following years of public practice in tax, Cara transitioned to a full-time academic role at CPA Canada leading the strategic direction and development of their tax education courses. Cara currently works as a consultant specializing in curating and delivering education experiences for Canadian tax specialists. Cara is an accomplished lecturer, facilitator, and educator at the University of Toronto, York University, the University of Waterloo, and CPA Canada’s In-Depth Tax Program, and is a regular contributor to various Canadian tax textbooks and tax education conferences. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Economics from Huron University, and Masters of Management and Professional Accounting degree from the Rotman School of Management.
While her children attended Robbins Hebrew Academy, Cara served as treasurer of the parents’ association, vice president of the board of directors, member of the budget and finance committee, and established and led an admissions committee that oversaw the implementation of a preschool program.
Cara and her husband Jamie have two sons, Classes of ’24 and ’28.
Adina Bloom Somer is a Vice President, Director & Portfolio Manager at Bloom Investment Counsel, Inc. Adina draws upon her over 25 years of experience in the Canadian financial industry, where she has garnered a deep understanding of the investment markets and countless clients’ personal wealth journeys. She engages in daily active stock and market research to support her portfolio management decisions to help clients protect and grow their wealth.
Before joining Bloom in 2010, Adina worked at TD Securities for 9 years. She was a Vice President, Equity Research Analyst at TD Securities, responsible for providing in-depth fundamental equities analysis. Adina started her full-time career on Bay Street as a Sales & Marketing Coordinator in the Private Client Marketing department of one of the big Canadian banks.
Adina currently serves as Vice Chair Community Campaign for UJA Federation of Greater Toronto. She has held many leadership roles within the Federation including Women’s Philanthropy and the Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto. Adina is a proud Jewish Federations of North America National Young Leadership Cabinet Alumnus.
Adina received her Honors BA in Political Science from University of Toronto and her MBA from Schulich School of Business with a specialization in Finance and Marketing and has completed Level 1 of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and attained the Canadian Investment Manager (CIM) Designation.
Adina loves to travel and explore new places with her husband Jeff and their two sons, Evan ’24 and Seth ’26.
David Vernon is Chief Legal Officer at KingSett Capital Inc., a leading Canadian private equity real estate business with $18 billion of assets under management. David is responsible for legal strategy, governance, compliance, risk management, insurance, and HR. Prior to joining KingSett, David practiced in the corporate group at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP where he focused on M&A, corporate finance and general corporate matters in the real estate and private equity sectors. David obtained his HBA from the Ivey Business School and LLB from Osgoode Hall Law School. David and his wife Stacey are the proud parents of Levi and Noa '29.