Esther Sperber - Executive Director
esther@smolemunius.com
Esther is an architect, founder of Studio ST Architects. Born and raised in Israel, she has been living in New York for 25 years. She writes and lectures about architecture, culture, religion and psychoanalysis. She is one of the leaders of Hostages' Family Forum in NY and the pro-democracy protests.

Rachel Landsberg - Program Director
rachel@smolemunius.com
Rachel is a Jewish educator, facilitator, and community organizer. She taught Judaic Studies for 18 years at the Abraham Joshua Heschel High School and has led Jewish climate action initiatives and educational programs across the Jewish community. She is a co-founder of Smol Emuni US.

Adi Mahalel
Adi is a Professor of Yiddish Studies. He is the author of The Radical Isaac: I. L. Peretz and The Rise of Jewish Socialism, and of the forthcoming translation and introduction of Hanan Ayalti’s novel Boom and Chains: A Yiddish Novel Set in Israel/Palestine. Adi is also a proud contributor to the Yiddish Forward, among other outlets.

Arnold Franklin
Arnold is a teacher in the History Department at Queens College, CUNY and directs the Queens College Center for Jewish Studies. His research focuses on Jewish society and culture in the medieval Islamic world.

Benjamin Rudski
Benjamin is a PhD student at McGill University from Montreal, Canada. Outside of his research, he likes to engage in interfaith dialogue to learn about our complicated world. He is a volunteer video editor with Smol Emuni US, and is also involved in expanding the work of Smol Emuni beyond New York City.

Galia Atik
galia@smolemunius.com
Galia is a recent graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, on her way to pursuing a career in the medical humanities. She believes in the power of dialogue across political boundaries and is excited to be organizing with Smol Emuni.

Hannah Duane
hannah@smolemunius.com
Hannah is a ghost writer and substitute teacher currently based out of Brooklyn. 2026 Marshall Scholar, her research interests include political theories of democratic breakdown, Hannah Arendt, and the history of German-Jewish thought. 

Jonathan Siegel
Jonathan is Chief Economist at the Office of the New York City Comptroller. He is a Board member and security coordinator at Congregation Ramath Orah.

Lindsay Biebelberg
Lindsay is a graduate student at Brooklyn College, where she is studying for her Masters in Teaching Social Studies. She has worked in both Jewish and public schools, and is excited to bring her experience in event planning to Smol Emuni.

Musya Herzog
Musya is a Brooklyn-based neuropsychologist and lecturer who grew up in the Chabad community of Crown Heights. Actively involved in social causes, she is a volunteer with Smol Emuni and manages the organization’s social media, helping amplify its mission and impact.

Solomon Fox
Solomon is a young professional working in financial services and living, organizing, running, and photographing in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. He is a graduate from the Joint Program with Columbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary.

Tirza Leibowitz
Tirza is deputy director for Physicians for Human Rights Israel. Previously, she litigated and led initiatives for equality and justice with Bizchut—The Human Rights Center for People with Disabilities and the Open Society Foundations.