Yael Aflalo is a fashion and e-commerce entrepreneur. She founded her first fashion brand, Ya-Ya, in 1999. While traveling in China for work, she saw the toxic and detrimental impact of the fashion industry first-hand. She was determined to change the industry. She founded Reformation in 2009—a revolutionary clothing brand that pioneered sustainable fashion. She lives with her husband and two daughters in New York City.

Jonathan is the founder of JF Capital Advisors, which provides capital markets and strategic advisory services to the hospitality industry and makes strategic investments. Jonathan graduated from Columbia Business School in 1999. He is a co-chair of the UJA Federation Hospitality Division and has been actively involved with AIPAC and CAMERA. He regularly presents at hotel industry events and has been on the board of the Boutique Lifestyle Leaders Association.

Agita immigrated from Latvia to the US in 2004. She worked as a CPA at Deloitte and at Lazard. Agita is the founder of JF Social, a highly regarded digital and social media agency that provides services to over 25 hotels and hospitality businesses.

Ryan, their son, attended New York Hebrew where he thoroughly enjoyed Jewish learning and forged strong friendships. Ryan, Agita, and Jonathan look forward to candle lighting and Shabbat dinner together every Friday night. Their gratitude and appreciation for New York Hebrew is expressed in their generous and plentiful support.

After Lizzie and Daniel graduated from the prestigious Harvard University, they moved to New York to pursue their dream careers. Daniel began his career as an analyst on Wall Street, and today is a Managing Director at Credit-Suisse. Lizzie’s professional life began at a large corporate law firm. She then went on to become the president of Macchu Pisco, a spirits company. Of all their many and varied achievements, Lizzie and Daniel are most proud of their work for children’s charities via City Squash. The couple has funded the Asher-Ezra Scholarship, awarded to students who excel in academia or sports. The grant covers any additional cost that their boarding school scholarship does not. Lizzie not only supports them financially – she is also a mentor to these students for the rest of their school careers. Equally impressive is the non-profit she co-founded during the pandemic, the Cura Collective, which distributed meals to frontline workers and children of immigrant families in the Bronx and Brooklyn.

While they enjoyed the opportunities and excitement that New York offered, Lizzie and Daniel planned to leave the city in search of a warm community in which to raise a family. . Ten years later, they are still here, finding the community they dreamed of in New York Hebrew. When their son Leonidas started Hebrew School three years ago, Lizzie and Daniel were apprehensive about how he would handle the transition from the homeschooling he had enjoyed up until then. Their fear was quickly put to rest. Leonidas blossomed at New York Hebrew. They are ever so grateful for all the love and support the school and staff have given him.

Jenny and Daniel Flax, proud parents of Jack and Sara, were among the first New York Hebrew parents when the school began in 2012.Over the last ten years, they have watched their children flourish and develop strong Jewish identities. Originally from Philadelphia, Daniel works as a CIO at Mass Mutual and is everyone’s favorite “tech help” guy.

Jenny grew up in the suburbs of Washington, DC and enjoys running Piece of Cake Events, her own event planning company, which she started in 2005. As they celebrate their 18th wedding anniversary (chai!), Jenny and Daniel are so grateful to NY Hebrew for enriching their family with meaningful Jewish values and creating a vibrant community that reinforces the benefits of learning, tradition and family.