Dear Covenant Community,
We are thrilled to share that Abby Pitkowsky has joined The Covenant Foundation staff as
program director. A seasoned professional in the field of Jewish education, Abby brings to our
team a deep knowledge of Jewish life and learning, essential facilitation skills, the ability to lead
with consideration and compassion, and a fresh, creative approach to grantmaking and
programming.
Abby earned an MA from The Jewish Theological Seminary and began her professional journey
in the field of Jewish education more than 30 years ago at The Leffell School in Westchester
(formerly Solomon Schechter Day School), where she taught Judaic Studies. During her early
years in the field, Abby worked in both formal and informal Jewish education frameworks in the
New York area, in roles including youth advisor, director of a post-b’nai mitzvah retreat program,
and director of education at URJ Eisner Camp.
While living in Israel, Abby worked for the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee,
serving Jewish communities overseas primarily in Eastern and Central Europe and the former
Soviet Union. In that capacity, she supported local Jewish communities by designing and
executing professional enrichment, and helped develop pilot Jewish family camps.
Most recently, Abby worked for almost 12 years at The Jewish Education Project, where she
held several roles including director of the Westchester region, director of Israel education, and
director of the Qushiyot Israel Education Fellowship, a comprehensive, open approach to Israel
education that embraces the vibrant complexity of Israel and engages close to 90 educators in the
NYC region.
As program director, Abby will play a central role in contributing to the strategic direction of
the Foundation and will be responsible for ensuring the smooth functioning of grants, award, and
prize processes. As a liaison between the executive team and the program staff, she will also
coordinate the implementation of new and established programs and initiatives.
I am delighted to welcome Abby to our staff. Her wide-ranging professional experience will
undoubtedly be an asset as we dive into several new and exciting initiatives percolating at the
Foundation. Abby’s fresh take and confident, measured leadership style will surely contribute
exponentially to the work that we do.
Please join me in offering a warm welcome to Abby. If you’d like to reach out to her directly,
you may contact her at: abby@covenantfn.org.
With gratitude,
Joni Blinderman
Executive Director
The Covenant Foundation
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