The ASF’s Leadership
Jason Guberman
Jason, a social entrepreneur who specializes in building broad coalitions and melding intellectual and technical innovation, is the American Sephardi Federation’s Executive Director, founding Executive Director of Digital Heritage Mapping, and coordinator of DHM’s flagship initiative, the Diarna Geo-Museum of North African and Middle Eastern Jewish Life, which was a 2017 cover story in Newsweek and profiled in the June 2020 issue of the Smithsonian Magazine.
A summa cum laude graduate of Sacred Heart University, where he served as the first Jewish class president, was a fellow of a Muslim civil rights organization, and organized a Freedom Concert against the Iranian regime, Jason was named to Connecticut Magazine’s “40 under 40” and to the New York Jewish Week’s “36 under 36.” He has presented Diarna at Stanford University’s Digital Humanities Center and the USC Shoah Foundation, conferences of the Association of Jewish Studies, Association of Jewish Libraries, Limmud UK, US Department of State/Moroccan Rabita Mohammadia of Ulema, and the World Wide Human Geography Data Working Group (WWHGD), guest lectured classes at Harvard’s Middle East Studies Center and at Wellesley College, represented the American Sephardi Federation at the Mecca-based Muslim World League’s “National Conference on Peace, Harmony and Coexistence” in Sri Lanka, at the Moroccan Royal Inauguration of Bayt Dakira in Essaouira, and on the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations’ Missions to Morocco, Egypt, Israel, Cyprus, United Arab Emirates, and elsewhere, written for AJS Perspectives, Sh’ma Journal, Wexner Foundation Newsletter, The Algemeiner, Newsweek, and MyJewishLearning.com, as well as appeared on NPR’s “Here & Now” and in SmartHistory. Jason is an alumnus of the Tikvah Fund’s Fellowship and Core18 Leaders Laboratory.
Anna Giorganashvili
Anna Giorganashvili is a dedicated professional who was born and raised in the country of Georgia. She earned her B.A. in Humanities and Social Science with honors from Telavi State University and has almost a decade of experience in the banking industry. Since 2018, she has been an integral member of the American Sephardi Federation, where she serves as an Executive Assistant and Results Specialist.
In her role, Anna goes beyond managing office routines and tasks. She provides valuable support in various aspects of the ASF's operations. With her strong work ethic and commitment to excellence, Anna ensures the smooth functioning of the organization and contributes to the success of its programs and initiatives bringing her diverse skill set to work.
Drora Arussy, Ed.D
Drora Arussy, EdD, MA, MJS, is an educational consultant who specializes in integrating Jewish and secular studies, the arts and education, as well as cultivating creativity and excellence. Drora has taught students from pre-school through middle school, high school, university, and adults, published several curricula and conducted workshops for teachers around the world. She has worked on many formal and informal education projects and believes that flexibility and variety are keys to success. Her passion for pride in one’s identity and heritage brought her to the ASF and IJE.
Aryeh Tepper, Ph.D
Dr. Aryeh Tepper is the American Sephardi Federation’s Director of Publications. He edits Sephardi Ideas Monthly, Sephardi World Weekly and The Sephardi Report, and serves as the Co-Director of the Omni-American Future Project, a collaboration between the ASF, the Combat Antisemitism Movement and The Jazz Leadership Project. Aryeh co-hosts “Straight Ahead: The Omni-American Podcast” together with his Co-Director at the Omni-American Future Project, Greg Thomas.
Aryeh is the author of Progressive Minds, Conservative Politics: Leo Strauss’ Later Writings on Maimonides (SUNY Press, 2013), and is a Fellow at The Azrieli Center for Israel Studies at Ben Gurion
University. He is also the Director of Israel Studies at SIGNAL Group. Aryeh’s articles, essays and translations covering topics from Classic Sephardic Judaism to the jazz tradition to International Relations have appeared in English and Hebrew in The Tel Aviv Review of Books, Moment Magazine, The Literary Review, Interpretation, The Weekly Standard, Mosaic, The Diplomat, Commentary, Forward, Akdamot, Ha’aretz, Maqor Rishon & more.
Aryeh lives in the southern Negev town of Ofaqim, where he serves on the steering committee of the Municipal Archive and Museum.
Ruben Shimonov
Born in Uzbekistan, Ruben is an educator, community builder, and artistic leader passionate about Jewish diversity and intercultural understanding. As a Bukharian Jew who belongs to the ancient Persian-speaking Jewish community of Central Asia, Ruben harnesses his own multilayered identity in his educational, creative and social entrepreneurial work. He is the National Director of Sephardi House and Education at the American Sephardi Federation. ASF's Sephardi House initiative works to enrich Jewish campus life and young leadership with the vibrancy, wisdom and diversity of the Greater Sephardic world. He is also the Founding Executive Director of the Sephardic Mizrahi Q Network, the sole international organization building a supportive and much-needed community for LGBTQ+ Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews. As a visual artist, Ruben uses his multilingual Hebrew, Arabic and Persian calligraphy to build Muslim-Jewish interfaith bridges and spark conversations about multiculturalism. His art has been featured in international publications and exhibits, including at the U.S. Embassy Residence in Uzbekistan. Ruben has been listed among The Jewish Week’s “36 Under 36” young leaders and changemakers. He is an alumnus of the COJECO Blueprint, Nahum Goldmann, Schusterman ROI and UJA Ruskay Institute fellowships for his work in Jewish social innovation and education. Ruben has lectured extensively on the histories and cultures of Sephardic and Mizrahi communities. Among his speaking engagements, Ruben has given talks at New York University, University of Southern California, Jewish Federations of North America and Hillel International, as well as conferences in Greece, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
