Shira served as the Coordinator of National Projects for the OU’s National Jewish Council for Disabilities and the Coordinator for Junior Yachad, a youth group that brings adolescents with special needs together with their same-age peers, for weekend retreats, summer camps, and a range of social and educational programs. 

 

Most significantly at the OU, Shira served as a Regional Director for the Upstate New York region of the National Conference of Synagogue Youth (NCSY), the OU’s youth group, for eight years, and as the National Director of Operations for NCSY.  As Director of Operations, Shira developed an ombudsman system, introduced extensive staff training for hundreds of employees and volunteers across North America, and created sexual harassment policies for the organization.  She oversaw the creation of myriad new summer programs that brought hundreds of teenagers to Israel and Jewish summer camps, as well as the organization’s year-round programming. 

 

Shira holds a Bachelors Degree, a Masters in Social Work (MSW), and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA), all from Columbia University in New York City and was selected by the Wexner Foundation as a Wexner Graduate Fellow.  Shira is married to Rabbi Daniel Reifman, a teacher at the Pardes Institute and the Bar Ilan kollel, and they are the proud parents of five daughters.