Our Team
Brant Rosen
(he/him)
Founding Rabbi
Contact: rabbi@tzedekchicago.org
Aviva Stein (she/they)
Executive Director
Contact: aviva@tzedekchicago.org
Aviva began working as Tzedek Chicago’s Family Program Coordinator in 2019. As the family program and Tzedek Chicago grew consistently over the years, Aviva transitioned to became Tzedek Chicago’s first Executive Director in 2024. When not at Tzedek Chicago, you can find Aviva bike riding and bird watching.
Leah S. (she/her)
Co-Cantorial Soloist
Leah S. is a singer, songwriter, guitarist and educator based in Chicago. She has performed worldwide, from intimate house concerts to on stage with the South African National Opera company “Opera Africa”. Leah performs original music and jazz/folk covers both solo and as the bandleader for various ensembles around Chicago. Her debut CD, "A Child Like This" was released in 2017.
Leah's upbringing in classical music, Jewish liturgy and Hebrew language lead her uniquely into the role of cantorial soloist. Today, she has written contemporary musical settings for Jewish liturgy and she has taught and led music at a variety of synagogues in the Chicago area and around the country. Leah also teaches music in Chicago public schools, the Old Town School of Folk Music and for private students. For more information about her original music, click here.
Adam Gottlieb (they/them/ella)
Co-Cantorial Soloist
Adam Gottlieb, Tzedek member and Songleader since 2015, is a musician, poet, and activist from Chicago. They lead a fusion band, Adam Gottlieb & OneLove, whose debut album "All of You" was nominated for the Chicago Reader's "Best Local Album of 2020." As a teen they were featured in the 2009 documentary film "Louder Than A Bomb" about the world's largest youth poetry slam festival by the same name. Since then they have gone on to perform and teach widely throughout Chicago, the U.S., and the world, working with youth and adults as a poetry educator. Adam studied poetry and critical pedagogy at Hampshire College, where they graduated in 2012. In 2020 they helped found the Chicago Union of the Homeless. Adam is also proud to be Leah Shoshanah's cousin.
Grecia Tarakajian (she/her)
Program Administrator
Contact: grecia@tzedekchicago.org
Grecia Tarakajian is an administrator, designer, and artist based in Chicago. Her work in project management, event planning, and facilitation has spanned nearly a decade, with experience supporting large nonprofits, small businesses, and independent creators across the country. In addition to the Master of Arts in Social Service Administration she earned from the University of Chicago, Grecia’s skills come from the meaningful relationships she’s built over time with neighbors, friends, mentors, and the larger community. In her spare time, you can find her sign painting, working on interior design projects, or at the Music Box.
Sivan Spector (she/her)
Family Program Coordinator
Sivan Spector is a theatre maker and educator based in Chicago. She has been a teaching artist for over 6 years through various theatre companies, most recently serving as the Education Programs Manager at the Chicago Children's Theatre. Sivan directs and performs in devised work across the city - recent credits include co-directing and producing House of Dreams: Purim 5785 through Tzedek Chicago at Firehouse Arts Studio, and writing, puppet-making, and performing in Switchboard: Missed Connections from the SS Eastland at Steppenwolf, by way of the Neo-Futurists. When not behind a puppet or in front of a group of children, Sivan can be found taking long walks in Humboldt park, cooking, and hosting dinner parties.