We are an artist-driven community, led by a diverse team of artists, rabbis, poets, performers, and award-winning musicians.

Founding Leadership

Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie
Rabbi Amichai Lau-LavieCo-Founder, Senior Clergy and Spiritual Leader
Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie (he/him) is the Founding Spiritual Leader of Lab/Shul NYC and the creator of Storahtelling, Inc. An Israeli-born Jewish educator, writer, and performance artist, he received his rabbinical ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in 2016. Rabbi Amichai is a founding member of the Jewish Emergent Network, serves on the Leadership Council of the New York Jewish Agenda, is a member of the Global Justice Fellowship of the American Jewish World Service, the Advisory Council for the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, an advisor to the Jerusalem Open House, and is a founding faculty member of the Reboot Network.

Rabbi Amichai has been hailed as “an iconoclastic mystic” by Time Out New York, a “rock star” by the New York Times, a “Judaic Pied Piper” by the Denver Westword, a “maverick spiritual leader” by The Times of Israel and “one of the most interesting thinkers in the Jewish world” by the Jewish Week. In June 2017 Rabbi Amichai published the JOY Proposal, offering a new response to the reality of Intermarriage and taking on a personal position on this issue, including his resignation from the Rabbinical Assembly of the Conservative Movement.

In 2022 Rabbi Amichai began publishing Below the Bible Belt, a daily digital project extended over 42 months, critically queering and re-reading all 929 chapters of the Hebrew Bible.

Amichai is Abba to Alice, Ezra and Charlotte.

Sarah Sokolic
Sarah Sokolic Co-Founder, Executive Director
Sarah Sokolic (she/her), Executive Director, is a community leader, educator and award-winning actor whose 20+ year career spans both the private and public sectors as well as the performing arts. Sarah joined Storahtelling in 2004 as a member of the company of artists, and soon after took on the position of Associate Executive Director which she held until 2009. Prior to Storahtelling Sarah has spent more than a decade designing and delivering professional and organizational development programs for Fortune 500 companies, investment banks and management consulting firms. She also consulted with camps, schools and synagogues on education programs and has guided dozens of families through the B Mitzvah process. In 2009 Sarah joined Solomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County as Director of Admissions, and spent eight years there as a senior administrator focused on increasing enrollment and retention rates, elevating marketing initiatives, and improving the overall customer experience for more than 350 families from a diverse range of backgrounds. She holds an M.A. in Organizational Psychology from Teachers College Columbia University and a B.A. in Sociology and Near Eastern and Judaic Studies from Brandeis University. Sarah is a lifelong Ramahnik and serves on the Board of Camp Ramah in the Berkshires. Sarah lives with her husband, Jeremy, and three children in New York City.
Shira Kline
Shira KlineCo-Founder, Spiritual Leader and Director of Family Programming
Shira Kline (she/her) is a queer performance and ritual artist, recognized as a revolutionary educator and named one of the new re-engineers of Jewish life today. Co-founder of Storahtelling and Lab/Shul, she serves as Spiritual Leader weaving liturgy, text, story and song. Known in the sanctuary as a spiritual adventurist and on the kiddie rock stage as ShirLaLa, Shira practices in the field of sacred play. She tours extensively locally and globally with a vibrant invitation to connect, for a new and realized conscious world. She has been featured on NPR, hosted a queer Jewish podcast, led Shabbat on the Burning Man playa, recorded four award-winning albums, and is a frequent guest teacher or faculty of numerous international leadership conferences including Hava NaShira, SLBC, PJ Library, HUC-JIR Seminary and Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music. Shira is a member of the Mitsui Collective Kollel, building resilient community through embodied Jewish practice and somatic antiracism. Expansive and imaginative, Shira is here to nourish and ignite expression of the spirit. At home in Brooklyn, unceded Lenape lands, she lives to cook, dance, and play with her beloved and their daughter.
Naomi Less
Naomi LessCo-Founder, Associate Director, Ritual Leader and Raising the Bar Director of Ritual
Naomi Less (she/her) is a Brooklyn-based, internationally celebrated singer, composer, musician, ritual leader and educator. Her diverse original music is sung in worship communities worldwide, including Lab/Shul. In 2000, Naomi met Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie and became a founding company member of Storahtelling, serving as Director of Education and Training, Director of Storahtelling and ultimately as a founding Lab/Shul ritual leader and Associate Director. Her signature music initiatives include: Jewish Chicks Rock band programs, creator/host of Jewish Women Rock show on Jewish Rock Radio, and co-creator/music director/performer for TRYmester, a touring performance piece that brings to light the oft hidden stories of fertility challenges through narrative, song and dance. Naomi is an activist and consultant for causes such as Bring Back Our Girls New York, a multi-faith volunteer group, and Uprooted: A Jewish Response to Fertility Journeys (vice president). Naomi received training in spiritual leadership, music, facilitation and education from: Northwestern University, Jewish Theological Seminary Davidson School, Institute for Informal Jewish Education at Brandeis University, Institute for Jewish Spirituality, ChangeCraft (formerly Center for Leadership Initiatives). Listen to Naomi’s music on Spotify, YouTube, and Soundcloud.

Team Members

Luis Burgos
Luis BurgosOperations Manager
Luis Roberto Burgos is a Black, Queer, Jewish, Neurodiverse Earthling. He learned how to question at Phillips Exeter Academy and how not to question at Bard College. He is a photographer whose work is often based in literature and a writer whose language is visual and sensory.

This is how he found his way to Lab/Shul, as a Storahtelling Maven. He has done two photo essays for Saturday Soul Spas and co-created a Jews of Color centered Passover Seder for our community in 5782. In 2022, NY Jewish Week named him one of the “36 to Watch.” (Formerly 36 under 36) That same year, he debuted his first photobook, Moses of the City, which received a stellar review from The Forward. This was the centerpiece of the previously mentioned seder.

At Lab/Shul, Luis interfaces with our vendors and freelancers to ensure smooth operations. He manages the office so the rest of the team is able to focus on the Spirit of the work at hand. Working alongside our Executive Director, Sarah Sokolic, he helps manage the financial health of our organization. He is honored to work with Lab/Shul, both operationally and as an artist.

Ben Freeman
Ben FreemanAssociate Clergy
Ben Freeman (he/him) is a multi-disciplinary artist, educator, and spiritual care provider. He is excited to be back in New York City and deeply honored to join the ritual team at Lab/Shul. His prior work includes designing and facilitating an intergenerational storytelling program with LGBTQ+ elders and “youngers,” facilitating sections for a course on critical media literacy at Lucasfilm, and working in the spiritual care departments of Hebrew SeniorLife and Boston Children’s Hospital. He’s currently developing a chaplaincy practice for theater, film, and TV, the vision of which is to meet growing demands for mental health support and safe, caring, and culturally responsive working conditions through design and facilitation of creative process with deep attention to the spiritual needs and wellbeing of artists, audiences, and technicians. Ben is a graduate of Brown University, Harvard Divinity School, and the Spiritual Direction Practicum at Still Harbor, as well as a founding member of the Glitter Goddess Collective. You can find his music on Spotify, Apple Music and Soundcloud.
Sam Hipschman
Sam HipschmanDirector of Community Organizing and Engagement
Sam Hipschman (they/them, he/him) is thrilled to join the Lab/Shul team. Sam first connected with Lab/Shul in 2015 and has loved this community ever since. As a community member, Sam was a regular Sabbath Queen volunteer and facilitated Lab/Shul’s monthly meet up for trans* and gender non-conforming community members. Professionally, Sam most recently served as Program Director of Educational Alliance’s Project ORE, where they led a vibrant and loving community of older adults. Sam earned a BA from Sarah Lawrence College and an AM from The University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration. They are deeply committed to an ever-expanding definition of Everybody Friendly and bring that value into everything they do.
Stephanie Kane
Stephanie KaneRaising the Bar Coordinator
Stephanie Kane (she/her) is a professional theatre artist and educator, and is so excited to be joining the Lab/Shul team full time as the Raising the Bar Coordinator. As a Jewish educator and eternal camp counselor, she has worked with kids of all ages and abilities at Camp Ramah in California, JCC Pittsburgh, and most recently as a trainer here at Lab/Shul. Her theatrical homes past and present include Center Theatre Group, the Williamstown Theatre Festival, Santa Cruz Shakespeare, The Public Theater, and The Workshop Theater. Stephanie holds a BFA in Drama from Carnegie Mellon University and currently lives in Brooklyn on sovereign Lenape land, although she was born and raised in Los Angeles, a fact that shocks people because she’s pale, walks fast, and hates the beach.
Jackie Lebwohl
Jackie LebwohlWeb Designer
Jackie Lebwohl (she/her) is a New York City based web designer, Jewish educator, and communications specialist. She works in partnership with Jewish, non-profit, and educational organizations throughout the world to showcase their unique identities on digital platforms through design and UX. Her past and current work supports organizations making strides in areas including gender equity, climate change, international development, inclusive Jewish communities, and progressive education.

Prior to her work in communications, Jackie specialized in literary analysis of the Bible, serving as an adjunct professor at the Academy for Jewish Religion, teaching assistant at the Jewish Theological Seminary, and Student Fieldworker for Marom in the UK. Jackie has completed her BA, MA, and PhD coursework in Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary and holds a BS in Neuroscience and Behavior from Columbia University. She also spent a year of learning as a Beit Midrash fellow at Drisha Institute for Jewish studies. Jackie lives in New York City with her husband, Zach, and 3 very energetic children.

Aaron Levav
Aaron LevavProduction Intern
Aaron Levav (he/him) is the In-Office Intern, Production Assistant, and Zoom Technician at Lab/Shul. Aaron has education in Theatre Arts Management and is back in the city to learn from the greatest Jewish theatre minds in New York. Aaron’s Jewish identity is extremely important to him and he is so glad that he can help in any way to help others connect with their spirituality. Aaron is excited to be at Lab/Shul where he can apply his love of Theatre and Jewish identity.

During the time he doesn’t spend at Lab/Shul, Aaron also works as a Stage Manager and Lights Technician at the Riverdale YM-YWHA and at Hastings High School. During his free time, Aaron loves listening to and playing music, or sadly watching the Mets disappoint him. Aaron lives with his two extremely supportive mothers, his little brother, and his dog/soulmate, Duckie.

Stephen Silva
Stephen SilvaProgram Manager, Pass/Age & GENerate
Stephen Silva (he/him) is a latinx and queer community-centered educator and non-profit administrator living in Queens with over a decade of experience leading and managing youth development programs serving under-resourced school communities. On top of that, he is a seeker and ritualist who found a spiritual home at Lab/Shul as a community partner in 2019 as he was converting to Judaism from Catholicism. He started off in our community as a Feast Team volunteer helping our virtual ritual spaces with time to schmooze and connect deeply during the pandemic.

Now, bringing the wisdom and experiences from both his professional and spiritual worlds, he is excited to join the team at Lab/Shul providing administrative and programming support for Pass/Age & GENerate, our adult & elder B Mitzvah programs, as well as coordinating our annual retreats and ritual volunteers.

Stephen earned his MS. Ed. in Community-Based Learning from Bank Street College of Education and his BA in French & Spanish Secondary Education from St. John’s University. For fun, he loves running, yoga, cooking, and learning to play the bass viola da gamba, a Renaissance instrument.

Lauren Lebowitz Stanton
Lauren Lebowitz StantonCommunications & Marketing Manager
Lauren Lebowitz Stanton (she/her) is a New York-based designer and media marketing professional. She blends the worlds of corporate, digital-first marketing with the passion and grit of small business ownership. As a life-long artist, Lauren has always been a maker and creator. After building her business acumen, leadership and negotiation skills in the cross-platform media, brand partnership space, she reconnected with her creative roots to build ceLEBrations by stanton – a design studio dedicated to making moments memorable for individuals and businesses through custom-made products and promotional strategies.

Creativity, collaboration and communication are at the heart of everything Lauren does and she is excited to bring her spirit to Lab/Shul’s communications department. Being part of an established community driven by justice and love is important to Lauren as she raises her daughter to be a confident, kind and creative person.

A native-born New Yorker, Lauren earned her B.A. in Fine Arts from Wagner College and currently lives on Long Island with her miracle daughter and supportive husband. Together, they continue to build an accepting, warm and welcoming home that provides a meaningful connection with modern Judaism. As a proud mom-trepreneur, Lauren can be found across the island supporting fellow female-owned businesses, enjoying live music, ceLEBrating Jewish culture and living a beach-lover’s life all year long.

“I offer a bow to Rabbi Amichai and his whole team at Lab/Shul for having the courage and heart to proactively and profoundly make this world a more loving and accepting place.”
– Angel Grant / Death Over Dinner

Board of Directors

Board of Directors
“The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.”–Albert Einstein

I have played many roles and held a variety of titles in my 25+ year career–corporate strategist & lawyer, nonprofit Board member, consultant, and executive–but in essence my job has been to be a “professional problem-solver”. I have served as trusted advisor to senior executives in all these environments, bringing my blend of creative but practical thinking to help solve problems and unlock and act on opportunities. More often than not, the resulting strategy has involved collaboration and partnership, whether among different parts of one organization, or with multiple parties. I am highly skilled at convening groups, working through issues and finding and implementing mutually beneficial solutions.

I have also been responsible for the implementation of the resulting strategies, and have successfully brought to conclusion over $40B in mergers and acquisitions, multiple complex joint ventures, new product launches and other projects in both the for-profit and non-profit worlds. My passion for change has led me to transition my focus exclusively to mission driven organizations and I am blessed to be able to do my part to assist wonderful and visionary leaders in making our world just a bit better.

Michael Dorf (Chair) has become one of the most prolific independent promoters in New York and main presenter of music in “downtown” New York. Michael Dorf Presents has produced hundreds of concerts including the Music Downtown Series, Music of Series at Carnegie Hall, The Annual New York Jewish Music & Heritage Festival, Jewzapalooza, the “Downtown Seder”, as well as several significant private corporate events. Dorf has also gotten very involved in several philanthropic ventures including the creation of a Tribeca Hebrew, an after-school program in Lower Manhattan, where he served as the founding Chairman and developed the school to 150 children before it merged with JCP in 2009. He serves on the board of Jewish Week, American Symphony Orchestra, Lab/Shul and Downtown Arts Development and the created of the “Downtown Seder” which brings 25 artists, musicians, comedians, and political figures to each take a section of the classic Passover story and present to sold-out audiences over the past 10 years. Michael is married with three children and lives in Tribeca, New York.

For more than thirty years Larry has consulted to and managed for-profit and not-for-profit organizations interested in growth by developing new initiatives and improving existing operations. These initiatives have covered international expansion, strategic alliances, acquisitions and ventures, emerging technologies, new customer segments, and brand extensions. His work has touched three sectors of the economy – higher education, media, and entertainment. Larry and his wife, son and recalcitrant Golden Retriever split their time between NYC and the Berkshires. However, if it was up to the dog they’d be upstate 110% of the time.

Andrew Kassoy is the Co-Founder of B Lab, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to build a global movement to redefine success in business so that all companies compete not just to be best in the world, but best for the world, creating a shared and durable prosperity for all. Before leaving the private sector to form B Lab, Andrew spent 16 years in the private equity industry. Andrew is a Board Member of Echoing Green, a member of the U.S. working group of the G8 Social Impact Task Force, and on the Forbes Impact 30 list of leading social entrepreneurs. Andrew lives in New York City with his wife and two sons.

Jennifer Pehr (she/her) is an urban planning and design strategist. With degrees in urban planning and public health, she brings her background and experience to work that addresses critical issues that impact people and find ways to make them better. Jennifer works with a diverse group of collaborators to identify, create, and implement solutions for the urban challenges that need to be addressed today and help people live healthier, more equitable, and dignified lives. Jennifer has worked across the globe, from sub-Saharan Africa to Southeast Asia to the America, and has sat on juries and lectured in graduate planning and architecture programs across the United States. She spent many years volunteering for Right Rides for Women’s Safety and has served three years on the steering committee for Opening Act, an afterschool theater program in NYC’s public schools. Jennifer lives in Harlem with her husband Jon, a founding company member of Storahtelling and Lab/Shul, and their son.

Jon Silvan is a Founding Partner and CEO of Global Strategy Group, one of the nation’s top public affairs firms. Jon lives with his family in Tribeca, and has been an active leader in the downtown Jewish community for many years. He also serves as an advisory board member of Camp Kinderland and on the Steering Committee for the Association for a Better NY (ABNY).

Franny Silverman (she/her) accompanies people along journeys of growth, healing, and transformation. An active antiracist practice and dedication to the health and wellness of Jewish diasporic communities drive her work. She was a founding company member of Storahtelling and served as Associate Artistic Director from followed by work at Kolot Chayeinu as Director of Learning and Action. Franny facilitates conversations across differences with Resetting the Table, officiates tailor-made life-cycle rituals, and, as an actor, has appeared on stages across the country. Franny lives in the Mahicantuck Valley (Hudson Valley) with her spouse, kiddo, and puppy.