Our Mission
Jewish Silicon Valley harnesses the power of community to improve lives, build bridges of understanding, and strengthen the Jewish people here, in Israel, and around the world. We welcome you to connect with the incredible Jewish community of Silicon Valley as we do great things together.
JSV provides programs that help you learn, grow, and find your path to a healthy and meaningful life. These community-building programs focus on youth and families, Jewish life and culture, healthy aging, and wellness. We also support the work and programs of other local Jewish agencies to ensure accessibility to a broad range of opportunities.
JSV welcomes people of every background and belief to participate in all of our programs, and we invite partners from across the region to join us in collaborations and conversations that break down barriers of understanding. We work with our fellow Jewish organizations and others throughout the Silicon Valley community, creating opportunities for all of us to build relationships that transcend differences and foster a sense of unity. We invite you to join the conversation.
JSV is a convener of the larger Jewish community in Silicon Valley, uniting Jewish leadership with a shared purpose to foster Jewish life in the region. Through the outreach work of the Jewish Community Relations Council, and our many inclusive programs, we’re helping end antisemitism in our community. We also have a philanthropic purpose, raising funds that directly support the needs of our local Jewish community and Jews around the world.
Our Vision
To ensure a vibrant Jewish community in Silicon Valley and promote the well-being of all people by providing visionary leadership, philanthropic support, and meaningful programs and experiences that are rooted in Jewish values and traditions.
Jewish Community in Silicon Valley
- Click here to view a brief timeline of Jewish history in Silicon Valley.
- Read A Portrait of Bay Area Jewish Life and Communities.
Meet the Passionate Leaders of Jewish Silicon Valley!
Diana Schnabel-Arevalo, Chief Operating Officer
Diana graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism Management with an emphasis in Hospitality and a minor in Child & Adolescent Development. She began her career as an intern at the APJCC while still in college. Upon graduating, she became the APJCC’s Hospitality Manager, later becoming Director and then Senior Director of Operations. Over the years, Diana has managed a variety of departments including the Welcome Desk, Hospitality & Rentals, Operations, the Youth & Camp Departments, and the annual South Bay Teen Idol singing competition. She currently also leads the Levy Family Campus Emergency Response Team and is the Team San Jose Maccabi Delegation Head.
Peter Noymer, Treasurer
Peter Noymer is a seasoned engineering executive with significant strategic management, leadership and scientific expertise. With over twenty years’ experience in the novel pharmaceutical and medical device industry, Peter visions “hands-on” in the entire product lifecycle, including developing clinical and regulatory strategies, driving programs through regulatory approval, and planning and executing product launches. He has significant experience with both early-stage startups and established companies both private and public. Peter is also a dedicated Los Gatos community member, serving on and having served on numerous local public benefit Boards employing his technical and organization expertise to support and grow local benefit groups. We are excited to welcome Peter as JSV’s Treasurer.
Teresa Larkin, Senior Director of Business Operations
Teresa’s role includes Senior Human Resource oversight, risk management, IT, business compliance and physical security. Actively engaged in benefits and employment compliance, she provides guidance in preparation for workforce changes, reductions in force or mergers. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Law; an Executive Juris Doctor; and a Master of Laws in the legal specialty of International Taxation and Finance Centers. She is a Certified Asset Protection Analyst ™ (CAPA) and a Fellow of the American Academy of Financial Management (AAFM).
Cyndi Sherman, Senior Director of Preschool, Youth & Family Engagement
Cyndi Sherman started her career teaching in various preschool programs, and began teaching at the APJCC Preschool in 1989. She became director of the Early Childhood Department in 2004, and senior director of all children’s programs in 2021. She is responsible for the day to day operations of the preschool and supervision of the youth and camp departments, as well as future planning and visioning along with her team.
Rabbi Hugh Seid-Valencia, Director of Collaborative Leadership and Jewish Engagement
Rabbi Hugh previously served as Jewish Community Liaison for VITAS Healthcare and prior to that, spent ten years teaching Jewish Studies at Kehillah Jewish High School in Palo Alto, where he served most recently as Director of Israel and Jewish Studies Curricula. After studying at Deep Springs College, he earned a B.A. with Highest Honors in English Literature from UC Berkeley and received his rabbinical training from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. He has completed both the Rabbinic Leadership Training Program and the Tikkun Middot Training Program of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality and is a fellow of the Mandel Executive Leadership Program. He teaches and lectures on topics including parenting, Jewish meditation, Jewish perspectives on the afterlife, ethical dilemmas in extending life, and reading and writing ethical wills.
Amy Chien, Finance Director
Amy Chien became the Finance Director of the APJCC in 2010. Previously, she worked for Berger Lewis Accountancy Corporation for 10 years as an Auditor Manager, and prior to that she was a Staff Accountant for seven years at Friedman Perry Accountancy. She is a Certified Public Accountant.
Our Board
Officers
Avery Kaufman Borenstein, Chair
Directors
Brett Borah
Hayley Charnaw
Robert Chaykin
Julia Cinnamon
Anna Fine
Marilyn Goldsmith
Sheryl Lewis
Xinru Liu
Julia Minkowski
Shana Penn
Rabbi Nathan Roller
Robin Sabes
Michal Shoham
To view past presidents and chairs of Addison-Penzak JCC and Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley, click here.
Reports & Financials
Jewish Silicon Valley a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, tax ID number 94-2222989.
Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Please note: In February 2021, the APJCC merged with Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley to form a new entity, Jewish Silicon Valley. The APJCC’s tax ID number, 94-2222989, is now the tax ID number of Jewish Silicon Valley.
