Phone
845-362-4200
Ari Rosenblum
CEO
Ari Rosenblum is the Chief Executive Officer of the Jewish Federation and Foundation of Rockland County. A native of Toronto, Canada, Ari has served in executive and leadership positions at major not for profit organizations in Toronto, Ottawa and New York.
At the University of Toronto, he began a lifelong passion for activism, eventually rising to the national executive of the North American Jewish Students Network. After more than seven years in investment management, research and corporate finance, Ari moved into the Jewish non-profit world, working since 2001 in senior advocacy, communications, operations, marketing and development roles for local and national Federations and organizations. As a lifelong learner, Ari has pursued and completed additional qualifications in executive leadership, communications and impact investing at the Said Business School at Oxford University, The University of Cambridge Centre for Sustainability Leadership, and the Stern School of Business at New York University.
Ari has led hundreds of program participants on missions to Israel, with a focus on advocacy training, history, and strategic engagement. He successfully guided growing annual and legacy giving campaigns as Director of Development at the Jewish Federation of Ottawa and the Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation. Since moving to the US in 2017, he has worked as VP Development for CHB, one of the country’s largest campus Chabad operations, and as CEO of renowned campus advocacy organization Hasbara Fellowships.
Ari was appointed in 2023 to the Hudson Valley Hate and Bias Prevention Council of New York State’s Division of Human Rights, and in 2024 to the Rockland County Human Rights Commission. He has been a regional Board member of Canadian Jewish Congress, a consultant for Canada’s Centre for Israel and Jewish Advocacy, and a lecturer, campaign volunteer, and lay program coordinator for CJPAC. He's familiar with the halls and offices of Parliament Hill, Capitol Hill, and the White House. Ari is a contributor at the Times Of Israel, and has written for several publications and web journals.
In 2025 Ari conceived and created the AmHasefer.org project, elevating and platforming the voices and work of Jewish & Zionist authors in the face of boycott, silencing and discrimination in mainstream literary spaces.
Ari has been an active education committee member, fundraising committee member, CSS security volunteer, lecturer, Torah reader and Baal Tefila in congregations from Thornhill, ON to Riverdale, NY. For 12 years, he served as spiritual leader for Beth Ezekiel, a small synagogue and community in Owen Sound, Ontario. Ari is a proud father of five. He lives in Teaneck, NJ with his wife Michelle and their young daughter.
Ethan Erlich
Director of Security
Ethan Erlich is the Director of Security at Federation's Rockland Community Security Initiative. Since joining the Federation, Ethan has developed vital relationships with community leaders, synagogue, school, and camp administrators, local government and law enforcement, and security experts serving Jewish communities around the country.
Ethan served 21 years in the NYPD, including over 11 years as a senior team member in the Emergency Service Unit. He has responded to emergencies at every scale and has top-level training and experience in special weapons and tactics, technical rescue, team tactics/close quarters battle, active shooter response, dignitary protection, site security, surveillance/counter-surveillance, maritime tactical operations, and WMD/suicide bomber detection and prevention. Ethan has multiple certifications from NYS DCJS and others to instruct police, security, and civilian courses.
Prior to joining the Jewish Federation of Rockland County, Ethan led a security consulting and training firm specializing in private and religious institutions.
Cantor Barry Kanarek
Director of Operations
Barry Kanarek is responsible for internal operations at Federation. He also runs the Federation Midreshet Jewish adult education program and coordinates initiatives such as PJ Library and the annual Yom Hazikaron commemoration.
Barry has served in various capacities at Federation since 2012, including spearheading the Rockland Jewish Initiative, Life and Legacy, PJ Library and Rockland and Jewish programs. He has also been the cantor at Congregation Shir Shalom in Rockland since 2005.
Leigh Lindenbaum
Director of Community Relations
Leigh Lindenbaum is the Director of Community Relations for the Jewish Federation and Foundation of Rockland County. She was born and raised in Rockland and returned 8 years ago. She now lives in New City with her husband and two young children.
During her time at Lehigh University, Leigh developed and honed her passion for journalism and public relations. She has spent many years writing for different online publications and working on communications and marketing strategies.
Esther Schulman
Director of Business Outreach
Esther Schulman has had a long career in fundraising, special events planning, public relations and advertising, in the nonprofit, private and public sectors. Esther's forte is relationship building and collaborating to strengthen community.
In 2024, Esther was honored as the Outstanding Non-Profit Professional of the Year by the Rockland Community Foundation and in 2016, was recognized as an Unsung Hero by the Rockland Jewish Family Service.
Esther has served on the Rockland Philanthropy Day Committee for more than 13 years, is an active member of the Rockland Business Association and the Rockland Business Women’s Network.
Prior to her employment at the Jewish Federation, Esther served as Director of Operations for former NY State Senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick. And for 17 years, she served as Manager of Philanthropy & Public Affairs at The Arc Rockland, a provider of lifelong services for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities.
Esther has an MA in Communications from William Paterson University and resides in Nyack. She is always looking forward to her next visit with her children, who live in Georgia and California. Esther enjoys hiking the wooded trails overlooking the Hudson, exercising at the JCC, and attending concerts.