US Board
Susan Ashner
Founder and Board Chair
Susan is the Founder, Board Chair and, along with her husband Michael Ashner, the spirit behind Beit Ruth. Susan and Michael’s philanthropic giving and commitment have always centered around education. They founded the Beit Ruth Village for at-risk and vulnerable girls to address a dire need in Israel.
Their commitment to building Beit Ruth has demonstrated that with the right care and education, the fate of at-risk and vulnerable youth can be turned around. Thanks to their vision, conviction and generosity, and to the amazing professional staff, the future of at-risk girls in Israel won’t be determined by their past. Knowing that the need is great, the Ashners remain steadfast in their commitment to growing the Village, expand the services and programs, build more residential facilities, and help more vulnerable girls receive the help, counseling, care, and education that every child deserves. Susan and Michael live in New York and are the proud parents of four grown children.
Michael Ashner
Founder
Michael has served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Winthrop Capital Partners, L.P., a vertically integrated property management firm, since 1996. Michael served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Winthrop Realty Trust, a NYSE-listed real estate investment trust, from 2004 to 2016.
Michael served as Director and Chief Executive Officer of Shelbourne Properties a group of three publicly-traded real estate investment trusts, from 2002 until their liquidation in 2004. In addition, he was the Chairman and CEO of Newkirk Realty Trust, a NYSE-listed real estate investment trust, from its formation through its merger with Lexington Realty Trust in January 2007. Thereafter, he served as Executive Chairman of Lexington Realty Trust following its merger with Newkirk Realty Trust from 2007 through 2008.
Michael currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the NorthWell Health System, and the Advisory Board of the Cornell University Program in Real Estate. He is a trustee and co-founder of Beit Ruth.
Michael holds an AB from Cornell University and a JD from the University of Miami. He resides in Cove Neck, New York.
Wendy Silverstein
Finance Chair
Wendy is President and CEO of New York Reit (NYSE:NYRT). As CEO, Wendy is leading the winding up and liquidation of NYRT.
Previously, Wendy served as Executive Vice President and Co-Head of Acquisitions and Capital Markets for Vornado Realty Trust, one of the largest owners of commercial real estate in the United States. As head of Capital Markets, she was the principal architect of the financing that fueled the growth of Vornado from $3 billion to a $35 billion office. As Co-Head of Acquisitions, Wendy was also responsible for real estate and corporate acquisitions.
Prior to joining Vornado, Wendy spent 12 years at Citicorp where she headed Citicorp Real Estate in the Corporate Debt Restructuring Group.
Wendy earned her Bachelor of Science in Economics, Magna Cum Laude, and a Master of Business Administration with Distinction from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She is also a Certified Public Accountant.
Wendy serves on the Board of Toys R Us, Inc., Alexander’s, Inc., and NYRT, and is an independent advisor to Trinity Church regarding its extensive real estate portfolio. Wendy is very proud to sit on the Board of Directors of Beit Ruth, and is Chair of the Finance Committee. She lives in New York City and Short Hills, NJ, with her husband, Scott, and their children.
Lisa Silverstein
Lisa is a Senior Vice President of Silverstein Properties, Inc. and oversees the firm's residential real estate portfolio. Lisa actively participates in all aspects of residential real estate development from deal evaluation, analysis, and pre-development planning, to construction, marketing, operations, sales, and leasing.
Recent projects include Silver Towers, two 60-story residential towers connected by a six-story base at 600 West 42nd Street, the companion to River Place I, a 40-story, 921-unit tower which opened in 2001. An "80-20" rental project, like its sister building, the 1,359-unit project is one of the city's largest rental buildings and includes a mix of market rate apartments, corporate housing, and moderate and low income units. Silver Towers was completed in 2009.
Lisa is also developing the Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Downtown, a Tribeca property designed by Robert A. M. Stern Architects. The project is located at 99 Church Street on a site that was formerly the headquarters of Moody's which sold its building to become Silverstein's biggest tenant at 7 World Trade Center, taking 17 stories, or 680,000 square feet of new office space.
A graduate of NYU, Lisa sits on the boards of UJA and the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York. She is a member of the Board of Trustees at NYU. She lives with her husband and three children in Tribeca.
Anya Gross
Anya was a practicing lawyer before becoming an E-Commerce Specialist at Marriott Hotels. As a professional consultant, she has worked for companies in the fields of IT, energy, and trade.
Born in Ukraine, Anya is a graduate of Odessa National Law Academy and served as an Assistant Professor there for three years while working toward her Ph.D. She now calls New York City her home, where she lives with her husband, Etai, and their three children, Eliya, Miriam, and Rina. They are regular visitors to Israel, where many of their family and friends live.
Anya visited the Beit Ruth Village in 2017 and was moved by the love and care given to the girls who reside there. She became motivated by the Village’s mission to heal the most vulnerable girls in Israel’s society so they can look forward to a brighter future. Knowing that Beit Ruth offers a home, education, and life skills to girls who are rebuilding their lives inspired Anya to become involved as a member of the Beit Ruth board.
Sherry Helfand Wiener
Sherry has helped develop literacy programs for children through the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services and Westchester Jewish Community Services, and has been an active member and supporter of Westchester Reform Temple, UJA, Cancer Support Team, Union of Reform Judaism, Beit Ruth, Sharsheret (a Jewish breast cancer organization), and Moving Traditions.
Sherry’s passion is supporting the rights of adolescent girls – establishing role models, providing networks for advancement, and opportunities for proficiency in the English language for those who have immigrated to the U.S. She has become a voice for the girls of Beit Ruth who have been sexually and emotionally abused, and has spearheaded programming for adolescents who have encountered peer pressure in high school, anxieties, and problems communicating with parents.
Sherry is also a mother and a teacher, a bearer of love and warmth, and good will. She has raised three devoted and successful sons, and has positively contributed to the growth and success of hundreds of other children in her work teaching at the Solomon Schechter School of Westchester in the Resource Room and 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 7th grades for more than 17 years.
Sherry and her husband, Robert, somehow make time for travel and enjoyment of numerous cultural activities with visits to all of their 20 grandchildren at the top of the list.
Susan Noddle
An Omaha, Nebraska native, Susan grew up in her family’s real estate development firm. Brought to New York 25 years ago through business, today Susan lives in New York and continues her real estate work as an investor in deals throughout the country. Susan maintains strong ties to Omaha and Nebraska through her work with the Nebraska Angel Investors and involvement in various non-profits in Omaha.
Susan has been a lay leader with multiple non-profits including the Bemis Foundation, the regional board of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), No Kid Hungry, and her most important work - with the Harlan J Noddle Memorial Cancer Fund at the Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center in Omaha. She joined the Beit Ruth Board with an interest in making a difference for young vulnerable women who are at a critical stage in their lives, intent on helping them to redefine and reimagine their futures. A natural people person, Susan looks forward to sharing the story of Beit Ruth and introducing more people to the critical issues of at-risk girls.
Following in her parent’s footsteps, Nancy and Harlan (z”l), Susan developed a love and responsibility for Israel. Susan’s family has been active with Israel her whole life and she wants to continue the tradition of involvement with the land that is home to so many different peoples.
When she is not traveling, Susan may be teaching yoga, cooking, entertaining, or enjoying the company of her family and friends.
The Honorable Amy N. Dean
Judge Amy N. Dean is President of Amy N. Dean, P.A., a legal mediation and dispute resolution practice. Admitted to the Florida Bar and New York Bar, she previously served as a Miami-Dade County Circuit Court Judge from 1991 to 2004. Before being elected to the bench, Amy was an attorney with the law firms of Kluger, Peretz, Kaplan & Berlin, and Broad & Cassel. She began her legal career in 1976 as a Miami-Dade Assistant County Attorney.
In 2016, Amy was elected to a 2-year term as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. Prior to serving as Board Chair, she served as Campaign Chair and Chair of the Major Gifts Committee. Amy has also served with the Jewish Community Relations Council, Women’s Philanthropy Campaign, and Local Agencies Allocations Committee.
Amy served a two-year term as Chair of the United Jewish Appeal National Women’s Cabinet. She is a past Chair of the Miami-Dade Chapter of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), and remains actively involved in vital Jewish organizations, including AIPAC, and Jewish Federations of North America. She and her family are members of Beth Torah Benny Rok Campus.
A graduate of Smith College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History, Dean received her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Miami School of Law. She was born in New York City and raised in Miami.
Residents of Aventura, Amy and her husband, Alan Kluger, have two children and two grandchildren.
Amy and Alan have been friends of Susan and Michael for more than 20 years. They are long-time supporters of Beit Ruth and have visited the Village twice.