Team

During his 25-year career prior to heading the HIAS Foundation, Jonathan Boiskin’s leadership and management roles have focused on helping people translate their passions into philanthropy. Most recently, he served as Executive Director of Friends of Israel Sci-Tech Schools. Prior to that, Jonathan raised hundreds of millions of dollars for organizations including Jewish Federations, Drexel University, Rutgers University, NYU Langone Medical Center, Birthright Israel Foundation, and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. Jonathan holds a Master’s in Jewish Communal Service with a concentration in fundraising from Brandeis University and a Bachelor’s in History, Hebrew, and Jewish Civilization from the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

Lee Gordon, Chair, previously served on the HIAS Board of Directors for three consecutive terms. Senior Managing Director and Chairman of Mesirow Wealth Management, Lee studied at the London School of Economics and holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Illinois. He is a past president of the Jewish Council for Youth Services and, 25 years ago, Lee founded Chicago Scholars, which has grown into one of the largest scholarship and mentoring programs for under-resourced students in the country.

Judith Friedman, Secretary-Treasurer, has served on the Board of Directors of HIAS since 2015 and is currently Chair of the Governance Committee. Before her retirement in April 2023, she was a career public servant, having spent 50 years with the United States Department of Justice, including as counsel to the 93 presidentially appointed U.S. Attorneys. Judi holds a B.A. in sociology and psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an M.S. in Administration of Justice and J.D. from American University. In addition to her work with HIAS and the HIAS Foundation, Judi is active in the American Bar Association and B’nai B’rith International.

Harley Elizabeth Ungar has served on the HIAS Board of Directors since 2018 and is currently Chair of the Programs Committee. After receiving a B.A. from Harvard University and an M.B.A. from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, Harley worked in a variety of private sector and nonprofit education settings. She spent the past decade as a classroom teacher in charter and private schools, most recently as a middle school social studies teacher at a K-8 Jewish day school. Harley is honored to have participated in the United States’ flagship “Welcome Circle” initiative, in which she helped resettle an Afghan family with HIAS’ guidance.

Neil Moss was a board member of HIAS from 2008-2018. A past chair of the Board of Directors of Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, he has chaired two Hillel Presidential Search committees in addition to its $200 million Campaign for Jewish Renaissance. Neil is also a registered investment advisor and Chairman of Capital Investors Advisory Corporation, a wealth management firm he founded in 1971. He earned a B.S. in Engineering from Case Institute of Technology and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. Neil’s parents were assisted by HIAS in the mid-1930s when they fled to the United States.

René Lerer, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Longevity Health Plan, has more than 30 years of experience managing national health care organizations. Most recently, he was President of GuideWell Mutual Holding Corporation, a $16 billion not-for-profit health solutions company.

Dr. Lerer holds a Bachelor’s degree in psychobiology from Oberlin College and a Doctor of Medicine degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He is the child of Holocaust survivors whose family was brought to the United States by HIAS when he was less than a year old.