Meet the staff

Rabbi Dena Shaffer

Executive Director of 4Front
As Executive Director of 4Front, Rabbi Dena (or Rabbs, as the teens say!) provides visionary and strategic leadership for the implementation of 4Front’s goals and objectives. Her primary responsibilities include planning, development, and evaluation of existing and new initiatives that will help advance the vision for increased numbers of teens engaged in Jewish life throughout Baltimore.

For five years, Rabbi Dena served the Reform Jewish community as Associate Rabbi at Congregation Beth Israel in West Hartford, Connecticut, where she played a leadership role innovating, implementing, and supervising youth engagement initiatives. In addition to her Rabbinic Ordination, she holds a Certificate in Jewish Education for Adolescents and Emerging Adults through the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and has expertise in adolescent development, experiential education, relationship building, and community structural change.  Rabbi Dena also holds a black belt in Taekwondo and when she’s not kicking butt she can usually be found cuddling with her pup, Darby.

dshaffer@4Frontbaltimore.org | 410.500.5983

Diana Solomon

Director of Innovation
Diana Peisach Solomon is the Director of Innovation at 4Front. Diana grew up in Owings Mills, MD, and attended the University of Maryland, College Park, where she graduated with a BA in Communication Studies. Prior to her job at 4Front, Diana spent several years working at Authentic Israel coordinating Israel Outdoors Birthright trips. In her current position, Diana runs two 4Front programs: the Social Innovation Fellowship, which teaches Jewish high-school teens how to be social entrepreneurs, and E3 Teen Professionals Network, which provides professional development for other professionals who work with teens. Diana is married and lives in Locust Point with her husband, their mischievous cat, Chip and rescue pup, Leo!

dsolomon@4frontbaltimore.org | 410.500.5985

Sam Kahan Strakes

Managing Director of Education and Programming at 4Front
Sam Kahan Strakes is the Managing Director of Education and Programming at 4Front. In her current role, Sam leads our philanthropy program, FUN(d), and oversees many of our signature programs. Sam is a Baltimore native as well as an alum of Diller Teen Fellows. After graduating from UMBC, Sam moved to Jackson, Mississippi to work as an Education Fellow at the Institute of Southern Jewish Life. After the fellowship, Sam moved back to Baltimore and was the Diller Teen Fellows Coordinator for four years, before transitioning to her current role. Recently married, Sam lives in Reisterstown with her husband and adorable standard poodle puppy, Zev.

sstrakes@4frontbaltimore.org | 410.843.7477

Bradley Kerxton

Managing Director, Operations and Engagement
Bradley Kerxton services as the Managing Director of Operations and Engagement. In this capacity Brad gets the opportunity to work with all the amazing Jewish organizations in this community. Brad is born and raised in Baltimore and has been working at the JCC since he was 16. He is an avid sports fan and a huge supporter of Kent State University (his Alma Mater).

bkerxton@4frontbaltimore.org | 410.559.3547

Jeff Snyder

Director of Relational Engagement/Middle School Coordinator
Jeff is excited for another year of leading Teen Service Council and 4Front’s new internship, Peer Leadership Fellows. At the JCC, Jeff is also the Middle School Coordinator and director of TNT summer camp. He loves seeing teens discover their passions and work hard to make their community a better place. Jeff graduated from the University of Maryland and now lives in Baltimore with his wife, two dogs, and daughter Kenzie.

jsnyder@4Frontbaltimore.org | 410.500.5453

Cody Gelvar

Teen Services Coordinator
Cody Gelvar serves as the Teen Services Coordinator at 4Front. Acting as the concierge he is the conduit for assisting YOU in finding a program or opportunity that you’re interested in the Greater Baltimore area. Born and raised in Baltimore and proud Diller Teen Fellows alum, Cody understands how influential Jewish teen programming can be in your life. Cody now runs Students Taking Action for Change (STAC) and JCamp’s CIT program. Cody graduated from West Virginia University and loves rooting for the Mountaineers.

cgelvar@4frontbaltimore.org | 410.843.7480

Erin Weinblatt

Diller Teen Fellow Program Associate
Erin is a Baltimore, Maryland native and an alum of the University of Maryland, College Park. Prior to working for 4Front and Diller Teen Fellow, she worked at Camps Airy and Louise with counselors in training, building their leadership skills. Erin loves working with high schoolers and seeing them develop into the next set of Jewish Leaders. Erin currently lives downtown with her new husband.

eweinblatt@jcc.org | 410.500.5984