US Leadership
US Board
In Israel
Israel Board
Public Council
Executive Director, Danielle Burenstein
Danielle is Executive Director of Beit Ruth and directs strategic planning and development to help lead Beit Ruth to a higher level of community-building, visibility, partnership development, and impact.
Before joining Beit Ruth, Danielle was the Executive Director of Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village in Rwanda for vulnerable and orphaned youth -- modeled after the youth villages built in Israel after the Holocaust. Previously, she led development at an independent school in Harlem and at a leading congregation in New York City.
Prior to her work in development, Danielle was a Corporate Social Responsibility manager at a Fortune 11 company. She began her career as an attorney with a Paris law firm before moving back to New York to join the Legal Aid Society where she represented the underserved, addressing issues of poverty and housing. Danielle is the proud daughter of a Holocaust survivor who arrived in what was then Palestine on the Exodus 47.
She credits her mother for showing her what courage looks like, teaching her how even during the worst of atrocities, generosity and kindness can thrive and breed hope. She wants to pass on this hope to the girls at Beit Ruth who have never been given reason to believe that the world can be a kind and good place. Danielle lives happily in New York with her partner.
Wendy Silverstein, Board Co-Chair & Finance Chair
Wendy Silverstein is an accomplished business executive with over 40 years of experience in the real estate and investment industries. Her career highlights include C suite level positions in prominent New York City based publicly traded Real Estate Investment Trusts as well as Chief Investment Officer for a private equity based real estate investment fund. Wendy has over 30 years of experience serving on the Board of Directors of multiple publicly traded and private companies. Wendy earned a Bachelor of Science degree, magna cum laude, and an MBA, with Distinction, from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She is also a certified public accountant. Wendy takes great pride in mentoring many women (and some men), sharing her hard-earned wisdom about all things regarding work, life and love.
Wendy and her husband, Scott, are so proud of their adult twins and their wonderful respective spouses. She has two granddaughters and is looking forward to having more!
Wendy is honored to serve on the board of Beit Ruth since 2012 and has made it a family affair with her children joining Beit Ruth’s first ever Young Leadership Council
Samuel M. Ashner, Board Co-Chair and Finance Committee
Samuel Ashner is a Managing Director at Winthrop Capital Partners, a real estate private equity fund. Prior to joining Winthrop in 2017, Mr. Ashner served as an Associate Director at Ladder Capital Finance, where he was a member of the real estate securitization and CMBS trading group from 2014 to 2017. While at Ladder, Mr. Ashner structured, underwrote, and sold over $4 billion of real estate related securities.
Mr. Ashner received a B.A in International Relations from Boston University and holds a M.S. in Real Estate Finance from New York University.
Mr. Ashner serves as the Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees of the New York Restoration Project, an organization which owns and operates 52 parks and gardens and stewards 80 acres of parkland in New York City. Mr. Ashner is a past trustee of the Forum on Life, Culture, and Society.
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.
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 two-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.
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.
Amy and her husband, Alan Kluger, have two children and two grandchildren.
Amy and Alan are long-time supporters of Beit Ruth and have visited the Village twice.
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.
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.
Nina M. Roket
Nina Roket is a nationally recognized commercial real estate attorney, an accomplished, strategic deal maker and trusted legal advisor sought after for her legal and business acumen, strong negotiating skills and practical, solution-oriented approach tailoring strategies to align with her clients’ goals and priorities. She is co-managing partner of Olshan Frome Wolosky LLP, co-chair of the firm’s real estate practice and chair of its commercial leasing practice.
Nina represents clients in acquisitions, dispositions, financings, leasing, joint ventures, preferred equity deals, work-outs, leasehold condominiums and data center transactions. With expertise spanning office, retail, multifamily, hospitality, entertainment, restaurants, health clubs and life sciences, Nina is a frequent speaker and sought-after authority to industry publications. She has been consistently recognized for her excellence in real estate law by Chambers USA, The Best Lawyers in America®, Crain’s New York Business, Lawdragon 500 and GlobeSt.
Nina was honored by Beit Ruth with the Annual Spirit of Beit Ruth Award at the 2025 Gala, for her steadfast support of our transformative work with girls and young women at risk. In Nina’s Gala remarks, she said, “The spirit of Beit Ruth is not just a moment; Beit Ruth is inspiring a global movement.”
Lisa Silverstein
Lisa Silverstein is Chief Executive Officer of Silverstein Properties, and oversees the firm’s capital, existing assets, new initiatives and corporate strategy.
From acquisitions, investment, and fund management to new development, she has worked beside her father, the founder and Chairman, for over 25 years.
A graduate of NYU, with two degrees, Lisa sits on the Board of Trustees of New York University, as well as several other philanthropic and financial organizations and institutions from the United States to Israel.
She lives with her husband in New York City and has three children.
Susan Ashner, z”l, Founding Board Chair
Susan Ashner was the Co-founder and the spirit behind Beit Ruth for Young Women and Girls at Risk along with her husband, Michael Ashner. Susan served as Board Chair until her unexpected and unimaginable passing in 2024.
Susan’s dream was to create a safe haven for at-risk girls in Israel who have nowhere else to turn, where they can heal, learn to trust, and gain the skills and internal strength to break the cycle of generational violence for lives of dignity, independence, and possibility — lives they could not have dreamed of before.
In creating Beit Ruth, Susan demonstrated that with the right nurturing care and quality education, the fate of at-risk and vulnerable young women can be turned around. Thanks to her vision, conviction and generosity, and Beit Ruth’s talented and dedicated professional staff, the future of at-risk girls in Israel need not be determined by their past.
Susan’s immense impact is immeasurable. For every one of our girls who closed her educational gaps and graduated high school, who learned valuable life and job skills, who went on to serve her country, who achieved employment success, who started a healthy family of her own, who endeavored to overcome the trauma of her youth, and who became an empowered and inspirational woman, we are deeply indebted to Susan — a third generation survivor of abuse, herself.
Personifying the spirit of tikkun olam, repairing the world, Susan motivated all of us to strive for the best outcomes for our girls and ourselves. She found great joy in spending time in the Village, knowing our girls, and being the greatest advocate for their success. Susan’s legacy will remain at the heart of all we do and will inspire us as we continue growing the Village, expanding services and programs, and helping more vulnerable girls receive the critical care, needed counseling, parental-like support and quality education that every child deserves.
Together with Michael, the Ashners’ children and loved ones, the Beit Ruth family and every Beit Ruth champion and supporter, our collective dedication to Susan’s vision continues to be Beit Ruth’s bedrock. Susan will always be profoundly missed, but her legacy and love lives. We are grateful to build upon them to help more vulnerable girls and young women heal and reclaim their futures.
Managing Director, Inbal Yohanan
Inbal brings nearly 20 years of experience in business and professional management of rehabilitative and social services provided throughout Israel. Throughout her career, she has held a number of positions that demonstrate her leadership skills in community relations, program development, and partnership-building with key government entities.
Prior to joining Beit Ruth, Inbal was Senior Director of the Rehabilitation Division at ORS Health and Community, which provides privatized social services to populations overseen by the Ministries of Welfare, Health, and Defense. In addition to managing a multimillion-dollar budget, she built and maintained close working relationships with multiple government Ministries, and oversaw hundreds of employees throughout Israel who served nearly 2,000 individuals annually.
Inbal earned a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work at Ben Gurion University of the Negev and a Master's degree in Social Work with a specialization in Rehabilitation and Health from Haifa University. A lecturer and instructor in academic settings, she also holds several professional certifications in supervision and training for managers in the field of rehabilitative services.
Director of the Center of Knowledge, Ronit Lev-Ari
Ronit Lev-Ari is a Beit Ruth founding staff member currently the Director of the Advocacy & Outreach Initiative, The Center of Knowledge. Ronit is a criminologist, pioneer, and trailblazer in the field of violence against women and girls in Israel. She served as the Israeli Government’s foremost authority on women’s issues under two Prime Ministers and is a recognized leader in the field of gender-based violence. A sought-after expert, Ms. Lev-Ari emphasizes the research-based origins of bias in identifying and addressing abuse in girls and the necessary policy changes to ensure a more just system for treating abuse. Her expert opinions have been cited in multiple print/online media, including JTA, Haaretz, Jerusalem Post, Israel National News, and Yedidot Achanot (YNet). She has been interviewed as an expert guest on radio and television broadcasts in Israel, including hosting her own weekly radio show (“Personal Thursday”) that highlights the work of men and women in the field of domestic/family violence and abuse.
Village Manager, Vered Ohanuna
Vered currently serves as the Beit Ruth Village Manager. Prior to this position, she was the Director of Education for 6 years where she led and implemented organizational, educational, and administrative processes in and outside of the Village. Vered also recruited, trained, and managed the education staff, and was responsible for developing curriculum and individualized education plans to meet the needs of each girl.
Before joining Beit Ruth in 2016, Vered was the Education & Community Coordinator with Gan Ner, a community in Northern Israel. She was responsible for various activities, including culture, sports, and recreation. She also served as the Education Officer in Israel’s prison system coordinating and guiding a drug rehabilitation project; leading educational processes; running a joint project for inmates from a drug rehabilitation program and students in special education. For 7 years, she was the Urban Youth Coordinator of the Department of Education in Afula.
Vered earned a Master’s in Organization and Management Studies and a Bachelor’s in Education.
Israel Board Chair, Michal Silberstein
Michal Silberstein , Adv. (Economics), Mediator, is a senior tax attorney and mediator specializing in indirect taxation, including VAT, customs, purchase tax, and more. She led D. Potchebutzky Law Offices, a boutique tax law firm, for almost three decades, where she built a reputation for handling complex and precedent-setting tax cases. Continuing her leadership in the field, she currently is a partner in the Tax Department at Gornitzky & Co.
Michal holds cum laude degrees in law and economics from Tel Aviv University and an LLM degree from Berkeley University. She also completed specialized training in mediation, nonprofit management, and corporate governance. She currently teaches an indirect taxation course at Tel Aviv University and has taught indirect tax law at leading academic institutions in Israel, earning recognition for her dynamic and effective teaching style.
In addition to her legal career, Michal holds a teaching diploma specializing in computer science, which she taught at a high school in Israel for two years, applying her strong analytical and technical skills in an educational setting.
Deeply committed to volunteer work, Michal has served on nonprofit boards and mentors legal and social entrepreneurship programs. A former officer in the IDF’s Center of Computing and Information Systems Division, she combines legal expertise with a strong technical and analytical background.
Since 2010, Michal has volunteered at Beit Ruth, and her family has played an active role in welcoming one of the girls into their home and hearts for more than three years. Sincerely dedicated to the girls at Beit Ruth, Michal believes in their potential and doing everything she can to provide them with better opportunities and help them become the best version of themselves.
Michal and her husband, Danny, have been together since 1989. They are blessed with four wonderful children and a precious grandchild, all of whom mean the world to them.
Israel Board Members
Roey Homery
Mira Mines
Michal Ogolnik
Gadi Yakov
Zehavit Zivner
Beit Ruth's Public Council of dedicated volunteers and employees lends their diverse range of expertise and experience to Beit Ruth. The Public Council is chaired by Hanna Azoulay-Hasfari, a critically acclaimed Israeli actress and champion of women's rights.
Hanna Azoulay-Hasfari, Council Chair
Eilat Amir-Baron
Ronit Bar-Chen
Miri Ben-Shoshan
Mirit Fish
Rachel Hemeli
Michal Koren Miki D.
Adi Levi
Alush-Levron
Maytal Merav Remoch
Nitzan Miller
Hadas Motseri
Chava Nadal
Michal Ogolnik
Or Seri
Asaf Sharaf
Adina Shorr
Alon Steinfeld
Ron Twerski
Liron Tzur
Orly Yishay
Alice Zada
Michal Zilberstein