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Leora Raikin is the founder and executive director of the David Labkovski Project (DLP). Leora is an international speaker who captivates audiences throughout the world. As an educator, artist, and author, Leora teaches students about the Holocaust and Jewish life in Eastern Europe through the artwork of Lithuanian-Israeli artist David Labkovski (1906-1991). She lectures on many topics, including The Life and Art of David Labkovski: Documenting History through Art and the use of art as a tool to educate individuals about the Holocaust. Leora Raikin has served as a keynote speaker at prestigious universities, museums, and educational centers, including: Chapman University, West Point Military Academy, United States Military; American Jewish University, Lithuanian National Library, Jewish American Holocaust & Literature Symposium (JAHLIT), Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust, Durban Holocaust Museum, Johannesburg Holocaust & Genocide Center, Loyola Marymount University, Santa Barbara Jewish Community Center, Irvine Merage Jewish Community Center, Long Beach Jewish Community Center, Arizona East Valley Jewish Community Center, WIZO Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the Uniworld Jewish Heritage Cruises, which included the Rhine and Danube Rivers.
In June 2019, Leora was honored by the city of Los Angeles for her commitment and dedication to educating audiences about the Holocaust. She was invited to present the cutting-edge educational program to the city council, and in September 2021, the exhibit Documenting History through Art was presented at the Los Angeles City Hall. This exhibit was also presented at the California State Capitol in Sacramento for Holocaust Remembrance Day in 2019. Additionally, the David Labkovski Project was a finalist in the Nonprofit Recognition Summit in 2021.
Leora earned a Bachelor of Business Science undergraduate degree from the University of Cape Town (UCT) and a Masters degree in Research from UCT, South Africa. Upon graduating, she served as the Marketing Director for Broll Property Group, founded Strategic Property Research and was awarded the COSMOPOLITAN Business Achiever of the Year Award in South Africa. Since moving to Los Angeles, Leora has served as the Senior Research Consultant at Robert Charles Lesser & Co and as the Vice President of NATO (North American Testing Organization).
Lisa, a San Fernando Valley native, has been active in Los Angeles Jewish life for many years. She is a board member of BJE and Camp Ramah in California and has been involved with the Jewish Federation since high school. Lisa holds a BA in mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania and received her MBA from UCLA. She is also a graduate of the Wexner Heritage Program and is a member of Valley Beth Shalom synagogue. Lisa is CFO at Selective Real Estate Investments. She has been researching her family’s roots in the US, Latin America, Lithuania, Poland and the Ukraine for over forty years. Lisa enjoys giving lectures about her family history research.
Connie has a BA from UCLA and an MA in Marriage and Family Therapy from Phillips Graduate Institute. She is the daughter of two Holocaust survivors. Connie has been involved at the LA Museum of the Holocaust from its establishment, and is currently a docent. She is part of the Kalt Group, a real estate development and management company. Connie served on the Alonim Advisory Board of American Jewish University from 2011-1012.
Thank you to our amazing Board Members who work to engage, enrich and educate our communities about the Holocaust through the art of David Labkovski.
As the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, Holocaust education is a very important cause to Beverly. Since joining the DLP Board in 2016, Beverly has been involved in raising funds at the annual auction that supports DLP’s mission. Beverly is a graduate of UC Davis, holds a Certificate in College Counseling from UCLA and is an Independent College Counselor. Beverly and her husband, Mark, live in the Los Angeles area and are the parents of three young adults.
Stephen has worked in public service for 26 years at the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office and Office of Finance. As a Finance Officer in the Special Projects Unit, he negotiates settlements and business tax disputes on behalf of the City of Los Angeles. Stephen also runs the Offer in Compromise Program, which assists people who are experiencing financial hardship.
Stephen received his B.A. in Psychology at UCLA, where he also met his lovely wife, Renee. His community leadership and Board experience includes Hillel at UCLA (2015-present), University Synagogue (2018-2021), DLP Advisory Board (2020-2022), ZBT Foundation Scholarship Committee (2015-2020), Guardians of the Los Angeles Jewish Home, and the Jewish Federation Real Estate Division. He is Co-Founder of New West Charter Middle School and a two-time Dolphin Booster Club Award recipient from Palisades Charter High School. He serves as Townclub Ambassador for the Jonathan Club.
While he enjoys his work, Stephen most loves spending time with his wife of 31 years and their three beautiful children.
Nathan Isaacson graduated from Cal Poly Pomona in 2020 with degrees in International Business and Finance. He is currently a risk analyst at Capital Group in Los Angeles, where he is responsible for identifying and mitigating financial and operational risk.
Jeff Kobulnick is a partner at the law firm Brutzkus Gubner and Chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property Practice Group. Jeff is also a third generation Holocaust survivor, and throughout his legal career, he has provided pro bono legal services to survivors, their families, the David Labkovski Project and other organizations who assist survivors and promote Holocaust awareness. Jeff was awarded the Legacy of Hope Award by the David Labkovski Project in 2020.
Jeff earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Physiology and Neuroscience from the University of California, San Diego and his Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Franklin Pierce Law Center in New Hampshire. While at UCSD, Jeff developed a series of Holocaust awareness programs, which won several awards for being the best educational program on a college campus that year, and he also received the Ernest C. Mort Award for Outstanding Leadership Excellence. In law school, Jeff founded the school’s Hillel, which still continues today.
Avlyn Kotton MA BCET is the Director of the Kotton Educational Therapy Center. She is a Board Certified Educational Therapist (License # 10122) with a private practice in Brentwood and Malibu. Avlyn has thirty years of experience working with both public and private school students from kindergarten to high school who have learning differences including: Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, ADHD, Executive Functioning Deficits and other learning differences. Avlyn has been an active member of the Association of Educational Therapists and has presented at national conferences on identification of learning disabilities and assistive technology skills. Avlyn has been a board member of the David Labkovski Project since its inception and is committed to advancing knowledge about the Holocaust through education emphasizing tolerance and acceptance.
Annabelle Krishel, Secretary for the David Labkovski Project, is one of the founding Board members of the David Labkovski Project. Her appreciation for fine art and history led her interest to be involved as well as having had family members impacted by the Holocaust. Annabelle attended UCSD and Southwestern University School of Law. She is an attorney, practicing in CA for over 30 years.
Debra grew up in the Conejo Valley, just outside of Los Angeles, and after years in the San Fernando Valley and Scottsdale, Arizona, returned to the Conejo with her husband, Jay, to raise their son. She has shared the skills used in her administrative career with numerous charitable, school, and sports organizations. Debra served on the Board of Temple Etz Chaim, in Thousand Oaks, and has coordinated their semi-annual Blood Drives for 20 years. She also serves on the Board of Remember Us, The Holocaust Bnai Mitzvah Project.
With a background in social work and education, Jennifer Lopata has always been committed to educating our youth and giving back to the community. She has deep ties to the Jewish community and feels strongly about the importance of educating young people of all cultures about the Holocaust. As a DLP Board Member and founder of Synergy Academics, she not only sponsors the DLP International Student Docent Training program but graciously hosts the meetings at her West Hills academic tutoring center. Jennifer believes strongly in the docent program because she feels “it is vital that young people learn about the Holocaust and are empowered to teach their peers” in order to ensure that it never happens again. Jennifer also involves herself with other community organizations, including American Jewish University, Connecting A Caring Community, and The Fulfillment Fund to name a few. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology at UCLA and her Master’s degree in Social Work at USC. She is married to Robert and is the proud mother of three children, Jason, Carina and Ryan.
Noachim (Noah) Marco, M.D. is the son of two Holocaust survivors and is a Los Angeles native. He graduated from UCLA in 1980 and received his M.D. from UC Davis School of Medical in 1985. Dr. Marco is married to the daughter of two Holocaust survivors and they volunteer at the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust.
Dr. Marco serves as the chief medical officer for the Los Angeles Jewish Health, the executive director of the Brandman Research Institute and the medical director of IPA LAJH Medical Associates. He is a board member of the California Association of Long Term Medicine, he is a member of the Clinical Advisory Group of LeadingAge and a member of the SNF Roundtable for Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
With over 30 years of experience as a physician, he is a prolific writer, and a sought-after speaker. Dr. Marco has presented numerous lectures, and led workshops on a range of medical issues and topics. In 2020, both the city of Los Angeles, and the California Association of Long Term Care Medicine honored him for his leadership throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
Keren Perlmutter, Ph.D. is an award-winning scientist, filmmaker, publisher, and public speaker. She obtained her B.S. in Electrical Engineering from UCLA and her M.S. in Electrical Engineering, M.S. in Statistics, and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, all from Stanford University. She was chief scientist and head of an international research and development division at AOL. She also developed the revolutionary “Ultra-Resolution” film restoration process for Warner Bros. Keren has been granted 39 patents for her inventions. As the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, she shares her father’s inspirational life story and its important messages in multiple ways: she published his #1 best-selling autobiography, created an award-winning documentary, and speaks at schools, museums, and other venues. She is also actively involved with many nonprofit organizations dedicated to Holocaust education, Holocaust survivor support, and other humanitarian causes.
Austin earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Pepperdine University, graduating magna cum laude in three years. After several years in the healthcare industry managing software implementations, he founded Claim Capital, a healthcare data analytics company focused on reducing claim denials. Austin helped the David Labkovski Project with budgeting and grant applications while on the advisory board, prior to joining the board of directors.
Dr. Willoughby is a published author in the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) fields in primary and secondary education. She began her career with a PhD in biochemistry from St. Bartholomew’s Medical College followed by post-doctoral research at Queen Charlottes Hospital, both in London. She then entered the fields of Biotechnology and Health Care working for Smith and Nephew, where she had several posts including Head of Biological Sciences and then General Manager of a Biotechnology Joint Venture in San Diego.
Dr. Willoughby entered the educational field after her career in research. She provided consulting services that included creating STEAM-infused curriculum and books for Pre-K through to 8th grade for the Texas Education Authority. Prior to consulting, she was the Vice President and Director of Education, Program Research, and Development at the Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education (CIJE). Before her position at CIJE, she was the Director of STEM Advancement k-12 at the San Diego Jewish Academy.
Dr. Willoughby is also passionate about Holocaust and antisemitism education and has been involved in several groups that include the David Labkovski project, the American Jewish Committee and was on the Board of the American Foundation for the Royal Holloway and Bedford Colleges in London, where she provided support for their Holocaust program.
Amalia Abecassis*
Arlene Agress
Phil Bonoli
Monica Berman Borochoff
Colleen Calkins
Laura Leve Cohen
Jennifer Kaufman Djavadi
Brian Fagan
Romy Harari*
Denise Helfstein
Rosalie Hirsch
Russell Hoffman
David Jacobs
Ellie Lainer
Mark Lainer
Aliza Lam*
Rebecca Leeman*
Michele Medved
Laura Ozer
Arna Pillemer
Gary Raikin
Malkie Rodin
Frayda Salkin
Jill Harmatz Sanders
Dorothy Sank
Julie Schoen
Laura-Beth Sholkoff
Sophia Viorato*
Caren Weakley
Stephanie Wolfson
*Denotes Student Advisory Board Members
