Jewish Federation of St. Louis Announces 2026 Board and Officers

Caroline Goldenberg

Caroline is a development professional at Epstein Hebrew Academy in St. Louis and previously served two years as a board member for the school. She is also a 10-year St. Louis Jewish Light board member and advises young authors for the publication’s Teen Page.

A St. Louis native, Caroline is an alumna of the ADL Glass Leadership Institute, Millstone Fellows, Legacy Heritage OnBoard cohort, and Courageous Communities. In 2023, Caroline co-chaired Federation’s Women’s Philanthropy L’Chaim and co-chaired Federation’s 2025 Chief Executive Officer Welcoming Committee, playing a key role in helping to introduce Danny Cohn to the St. Louis community. She currently serves on Federation’s Women’s Philanthropy Board and is a Mitzvah Maker, Federation’s lay corps of fundraising volunteers.

Caroline and her husband, Etai, have five children and are members of Congregation Bais Menachem (a division of Chabad of Greater St. Louis), Nusach Hari B’nai Zion, and Kol Rinah. The family actively supports the Shevet Keshet Israel Scouts and the Jewish Student Union of St. Louis.

Ryan Holtzman

Ryan is a former owner and was Chief Executive Officer at HOLT Electrical Supply, an electrical distributor in Missouri. Ryan is a member of the Federation’s Israel and Overseas Committee, an alum of ATID leadership program, co-chaired Federation’s First Annual Men’s Event, and volunteers at JFS’ Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry, among other organizations.

Ryan and his wife, Lori, have two sons and are members of Congregation Shaare Emeth, where Ryan serves as a board member. In this role, Ryan is a member of both the Security Task Force and the Philanthropy Committee. Ryan has played an integral role in the development and implementation of the new strategic plan for his synagogue. Ryan and Lori also are chairing the L’Dor V’Dor Exploring Israel Together community trip, scheduled for December 2026.

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John Kalishman

John is an investment professional and President of Harcourt Group in St. Louis. John previously served on the Federation’s Board of Directors for 16 years, holding various roles, including Vice Chair, Finance/Treasurer and Vice Chair, Financial and Human Resource Development. John has served on the Federation’s Investment Committee since 2004 and chaired that Committee from 2004 to 2008.

John served on the board of the St. Louis Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) for 15 years, chairing that board from 2017 to 2019. In 2022, John co-founded Be The Narrative, which helped expand JCRC’s Student to Student program. Since that time, Student to Student has become a Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) signature program, offered in over 40 U.S. and Canadian cities. John currently co-chairs the JFNA Student to Student Advisory Board. He is a former trustee of John Burroughs School and the Wyman Center. John and his wife, Diane, have three adult children and are members of Congregation Shaare Emeth.

“We are thrilled to welcome Tom, Caroline, Ryan, and John to Federation’s board,” said Todd Siwak, Board Chair of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. “Each of them brings a remarkable combination of professional achievement, community leadership, and passion for Jewish life. As we entire our 125^th anniversary, our talented and dedicated board will help shape our vision and strengthen our impact for years to come.”

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New Public Affairs Committee

Federation also has established a new Public Affairs Committee, with John Kalishman serving as its chair. Working closely with Michael Lourie, Federation Vice President of Public Affairs, the committee will provide strategic direction, oversight, and counsel to ensure the Jewish Federation of St. Louis is effective in the areas of government relations, civic partnerships, advocacy, community security policy, and public messaging, working in collaboration with numerous Jewish community agency partners.

2026 Jewish Federation of St. Louis Board of Directors

• Officers:
  • Board Chair: Todd Siwak
  • Vice Chair at Large: Craig Rosenthal
  • Vice Chair of Communications: Dafna Revah (new in role)
  • Vice Chair of Community Impact: Dalia Oppenheimer
  • Vice Chair of Community Leadership & Engagement: Dan Friedman (new in role)
  • Vice Chair of Development: Felicia Malter (new in role)
  • Vice Chair of Finance: Amy Kweskin (new in role)
  • Vice Chair of Governance & Board Engagement: John Greenberg
  • Vice Chair of Public Affairs: John Kalishman (new in role)
  • Immediate Past Chair: Bob Newmark

• New Members of the Board of Directors:

Tom Eidelman, Caroline Goldenberg, Ryan Holtzman, John Kalishman

• The following board members are continuing their service:

Amy Bender-Levy, Patty Bloom, Ben Cherry, Amy Feder (Rabbinic representative), Burt Garland, Abby Goldstein, Cathy Goldsticker, Elliott Kleiman, Michael Laycob, Galia Movitz, Joe Pereles, Aviva Raskas, Sue Schlichter, Tim Stern, Rachel Thimangu, Rob Wasserman, Janie Roodman Weiss, Leslie Yoffie

“We also extend our heartfelt gratitude to Jim Deutsch, Mont Levy, Sherry Shuman, and Toby Warticovschi, who completed their service on the board at the end of 2025,” said Siwak. “Their dedication has been extraordinary, and we are deeply appreciative of their leadership, counsel, and countless hours devoted to building and sustaining a vibrant Jewish community.”