The Shefa Team
Rabbi Zac Kamenetz - Founder and CEO
Zac is a rabbi and community leader, based in Berkeley, CA. He holds an MA in Biblical literature and languages from UC Berkeley and the Graduate Theological Union and received rabbinic ordination from the head of the Jerusalem Rabbinical Court in 2012. As the founder and CEO of Shefa, Zac is pioneering a movement to integrate safe and supported psychedelic use into the Jewish spiritual tradition, advocating for the healing of individual and inherited traumas, and inspiring a Jewish religious and creative renaissance in the 21st century
Sarah Persitz - Chief Operating Officer
From organizations focused on ancient wellness practices to early-stage tech companies creating exponential technologies, Sarah has worked with numerous successful start-up professionals. With an eye toward the shifting landscape of psychedelics in America, she launched Omanut Collective, a spiritual hub to support women on a path of exploration in pursuit of healing and wholeness. After over a decade working as an intrepreneur within multinational advocacy organizations and launching an international consulting practice, Sarah now brings her deep knowledge of fundraising, organizational strategy, strategic communications, community growth and engagement to Shefa as its inaugural COO.
Chloe Jacobs - Program Coordinator
Chloe is passionate about bringing embodied approaches to Jewish spirituality to both individuals and communities. She utilizes a wide range of media to make connections, including music, dance, theater, connection to nature, and more. Chloe has a degree in history and religion from Hunter College, and has worked as an advisor, coordinator, and community builder for various Jewish non-profits. As Shefa’s Program Coordinator she supports all of our programs and communications. A lifelong learner and reader, she continues to draw inspiration from the works of Oliver Sacks and Margaret Renkl. When she’s not working you can find Chloe hiking or kayaking in the Hudson Valley.
As a passionate advocate for healing and helping others, Shelbi brings compassion and kindness to all she does. With a Master's degree in Social Work from the University of Texas Arlington, she has dedicated her skills to counseling, with a particular focus on youth. Shelbi has a talent for understanding others and providing them with the necessary support to achieve their goals. She currently serves as Shefa's Executive Assistant, where she brings a depth of knowledge in creating effective systems and processes that foster teamwork among small teams, while considering the unique personality types of each team member.
Shelbi Stanfill - Executive Assistant
Beni Summers - Rabbinic Intern
Beni Summers is a candidate for ordination at the rabbinical school of Hebrew College in Boston, MA. His studies have focused on building community and uncovering content and practices to make future therapeutic approaches more accessible to the broader Jewish community. Beni is a moderator of the Jewish Entheogenic Society community and will be facilitating Shefa's Sunday Integration Circles, working to bring his brand of joyful, presence-filled and ecstatic Torah to the Shefa community.
Paige Lincenberg - Rabbinic Intern
Student Rabbi Paige Lincenberg dwells on this earth as a fifth-year rabbinical student at ALEPH and has almost completed ALEPH’s Earth-Based Judaism certification. Paige supports beings through the Fireside Project: Psychedelic Support Line and regularly leads tefillot for Wilderness Torah, Kol HaEmek, and for the Mendocino Coast Jewish Community, where she lives in a cabin in the redwood forest. Paige manages Or HaLev Silent Jewish Meditation Retreats and flows as a certified yoga instructor. She loves officiating weddings, baby namings, conversions, and especially funerals. Paige deeply looks forward to facilitating Shefa’s Wednesday Integration Circles and whatever else the path may entail.
David Kiferbaum - Board Chair
David is a lawyer and business development professional, with a deep personal interest in Torah and expanded states of consciousness as catalysts for personal and collective growth. David holds a B.A. in Government, with a minor in Cognitive Studies from Cornell University, where he also earned his J.D. As Board member and Secretary, David is committed to help build a resilient organization for Shefa’s important work.
Erica Siegal - Board Secretary
Erica Siegal is a licensed clinical social worker (CA #86622), psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy researcher, and professional harm reduction educator. She completed the MAPS MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy Training program in 2018 and has spent several years working as a psychotherapist on the FDA-approved MDMA-assisted psychotherapy clinical trials. Born and raised in the Jewish community of Cleveland, Ohio, Erica spent her childhood summers at URJ Goldman Union Camp Institute in Zionville, Indiana, was active in NFTY youth groups, regional leadership and participated in the Alexander Muss High School in Israel program in 1999. With an instilled passion for spiritually-oriented community gatherings, she became a music and transformational festival enthusiast and began finding ways to help communities create safe spaces for participants and staff. Erica has provided crisis mental health, harm reduction outreach and community support to over 30 transformational festivals and large-scale events since 2013. In 2019, Erica founded a harm reduction focused practice, NEST, that provides telehealth psychotherapy, harm reduction education, event support services, and psychedelic integration.
Kevin Waldman - Treasurer
Kevin is a commercial real estate professional advising dynamic and growing technology companies on their workplace needs across the globe. Kevin also has extensive experience in volunteer leadership roles in the non-profit sector, including serving as the international board chair for Moishe House during a period of significant expansion. Kevin is an explorer and connector with a devotion to Jewish learning, personal growth, healing, and transformation. He also holds a deep personal interest in the healing potential of expanded states of consciousness. Kevin is energized to support Shefa’s team and its important work.