Board of Trustees

Jordana Bluestein received her BA from Brandeis University and her J.D. from Cardozo School of Law; she practiced law from 2004-2010 in New York City before moving to Boston. Presently, Jordana is the Social Action Chair on the PTO Board at Peirce Elementary School and is on the JF&CS: Center for Basic Needs Assistance Advisory Committee. Jordana lives in Newton with her husband, Scott, and their two boys, Aiden and Mason.

Alan is the General Partner of Breitman Investments, LP a financial services and investment fund where he provides strategic and financial consulting for start-ups as well as established businesses, including recapitalization, work-out, cash flow management, financial planning and analysis, and mergers and acquisitions. In addition, he manages an investment committee that seeks to make opportunistic investments across multiple industries. Alan has held various senior financial positions in high growth technology, financial service, and media companies where his responsibilities include private and public equity financings, corporate development, investor relations, risk management, treasury, and human resource management. After participating in CJP’s Acharai program in 2021-22, Alan joined Gateways’ Finance Committee and subsequently Gateways’ Fiscal Sustainability Working Group.

Mike Fishbein’s super-hero mom has been a special educator for 50 years; Mike hopes to honor her with his service to Gateways. Mike moved to Boston with his then-fiancee, Rebecca, right before the Red Sox broke the Curse. He was a high school biology teacher and then the GM of a restaurant before joining the staff of Temple Israel (TI) of Boston as coordinator of the Riverway Project, the 20s and 30s outreach community that had transformed Mike’s own Jewish life. Mike spent 10 years at TI, ultimately as Assistant Director of Education and founding director of The Tent, an innovative Jewish teen education community. Mike graduated from the Hornstein Program at Brandeis (MA/MBA) on Zoom in the spring of 2020. Since then he focused on being Quarantine Dad, served the Gateways Strategic Planning Committee (and now the Ed Committee), and is honored to currently work for the Campaign to Elect Sonia Chang-Díaz Governor of MA. Mike lives in Jamaica Plain with Rebecca and their 11-year-old twins, Benjamin and Ezra.

Nora Friedman is delighted to be serving on the Gateways board. A psychiatrist at the Lurie Center for Autism at Massachusetts General Hospital, she provides clinical care for individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities across the lifespan. For the past few years, Nora has served on the CJP Committee on Services for People with Disabilities. She and her husband have four children.

Judy Levin-Charns holds an MS in Speech/Language Pathology and an EdD in Reading and Language – both from Boston University. She is currently the Coordinator of the Graduate Program in Special Education Administration at Bay Path University. Previously Judy was the Assistant Superintendent for Student Services in the Newton Public Schools. Judy is a member of the Board of Trustees of Temple Shalom as well as member of Sisterhood. She is currently on the Educational Programming Committee and Social-Emotional Learning Committee at Gateways. Judy lives in Newton; she and her husband have one son.

Alexa Levitt is a graduate of Vanderbilt University, where she studied Human and Organizational Behavior. During her undergraduate years in Nashville, she became one of the first employees of the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation. Her passion for inclusion began at a young age and was furthered during her four years as a Gateways teen volunteer. This experience inspired her to become a peer mentor to students of Vanderbilt’s unique postsecondary program, Next Steps, which teaches students of varying abilities academics, social and career development, and independent living. She currently works at Deloitte Consulting, where she enjoys meeting the needs of her clients through the application of human-centered design principles. Alexa’s hobbies include traveling, holistic health, and any outdoor activity.

Marty Oppenheimer is Associate General Counsel at Boston University, where he handles contract and transactional matters for several schools and academic centers. He has been a higher education attorney for 16 years, and was previously General Counsel at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York and Senior Counsel at Tufts University. Marty and his wife, Dr. Deborah Platek, are committed to supporting special needs organizations, both inside and outside the Jewish community. They have supported Camp Yavneh’s Yedidut program, which has created an inclusive environment for campers with special needs. Marty and Deb are members of the Newton Centre Minyan and Temple Emanuel in Newton, where Marty leads High Holiday services. He is a longtime member of the Zamir Chorale of Boston, and has previously served on the boards of Zamir and of DOROT in New York. Marty and Deb have three children who are currently scattered around the country.

Jamie was born and raised in New York, where she developed a passion for storytelling and production. After college, Jamie landed a job as a TV producer, where she honed her skills for over a decade. In 2013, she and her husband Shoel relocated to the Boston area and soon after they welcomed their two boys, Simon and Charlie. Jamie’s journey with Gateways began with her eldest son, who was receiving services from the organization through his school. She was deeply moved by the work Gateways was doing and became passionate about spreading the word about Gateways. In 2022, she joined both the Parenting with Purpose committee and the Marketing Committee. Jamie currently resides in Needham with her husband and two boys. When not volunteering her time, Jamie enjoys exercise, hanging with friends, painting/drawing, and anything on Bravo.

Robbie works as the Director of the Science and Technology team at Ariadne Labs. She and her family have been members of Temple Sinai in Brookline for 10 years where she has served on several committees including the Mitzvah Day Committee, the Board Nomination Committee, and as the Chair of the Retreat Committee. She also recently started volunteering with a new organization called the Institute for Exceptional Care that aims to transform healthcare for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Robbie has been involved with Gateways for the past 4 years as a parent of a daughter in the B’nei mitzvah program and Mitzvah Menshes. She and her husband, Jonathan live in Brookline with their kids, Ezra and Raya, and their part-time dog, Bella.

Linda Sternberg graduated from The George Washington University with dual degrees in Elementary Education and Special Education. She has worked for Newton Public Schools as a special education teacher since 1974, taking a break to stay home with her children, returning 25 years ago to her current role as the Early Childhood Consultant in the Newton Early Childhood Program. Linda serves on the Board of Overseers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, participates in various committees at Newbridge on The Charles (where her father resides) and is a team captain for the American Heart Association Heart Walk. Linda has collaborated with Gateways as a grant reader, provided consultation to Sunday Schools and has given in-service presentations about strategies to support preschoolers to teachers and parents. She is honored and thrilled to serve on the Gateways’ Board!

Michelle Zisow is deeply involved with CJP’s Women’s Philanthropy and has been on CJP’s mission to Israel several years ago. She is also active in Yachad, The Rashi School’s parent council and with JF&CS’s Center for Early Relationship Support, which focuses on new parents as they manage the challenge of caring for their baby. Michelle first became involved with Gateways through her time on the Parenting with Purpose committee, and last year year, co-chaired the committee together with Danielle.