Meet the St. Louis Jews quietly shaping the community’s future

Published January 7, 2026

The 2025 Levy Fellows with Mont Levy (front row, third from left).

At its annual Presidents Circle event, the Jewish Federation of St. Louis brought together community board presidents, presidents-elect, executive leaders and clergy to honor the 2025 class of Levy Fellows.

Launched in 2022, the Levy Fellows program brings together lay leaders from Jewish organizations across St. Louis to strengthen leadership skills, enhance board effectiveness and foster lasting relationships within a supportive community network. Participants are nominated by their organization’s CEO or executive director, senior rabbi, or board president. The program is offered at no cost to fellows, thanks to the generosity of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, Mont and Karen Levy, and the Lubin-Green Foundation, a supporting foundation of the Federation.

“The strength of our community rests not only on dedicated staff, but on committed lay leaders who generously give their time, wisdom, and passion for Jewish life,” said Danny Cohn, president & CEO Federation. “Through the Levy Fellows program, we’re empowering these volunteers to lead with greater clarity and purpose. This leads to building stronger boards, nurturing effective governance, and ensuring that the institutions that contribute to the fabric of our vibrant Jewish community continue to flourish for generations to come.”

The 2025 Levy Fellows, listed below with the organization they represent, are:

• Evan Axelbaum, Young Israel of St. Louis

• Jon Baris, Congregation B’nai Amoona

• Matt Berman, St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum and Congregation Temple Israel

• Elliot Kleiman, Jewish Federation of St. Louis

• Mark Kronemer, St. Louis Jewish Community Center

• Roey Kruvi, Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School

• Sara Lander, LEAD STL

• Matt Lourie, Jewish Family Services (JFS)

• Phil Ruben, Congregation Temple Israel

• Corey Wallis, United Hebrew Congregation

• Nikki Weinstein, Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis (JCRC)

• Margy Weisman, Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School

• Jonathan Wolff, Hillel at Washington University in St. Louis

• Danny Wolk, Congregation Temple Israel

During the evening, guest speaker David Cygielman, founder and CEO of Mem Global (formerly Moishe House), spoke about the organization’s work engaging Jewish adults in their 20s and 30s. Mem Global now leads more than 14,000 programs annually, reaching over 75,000 participants through a diverse range of offerings, including Moishe Houses, Moishe Pods, Moishe House Without Walls, Base, Embark, Camp Nai Nai Nai, Immersive Learning Retreats and the Jewish Learning Collaborative.

To learn more about the 2026 Levy Fellows, visit JFedSTL.org/LevyFellows.