About us
Team
Georgina Bye – Chief Executive
Georgina@mitzvahday.org.uk + (44) 203 747 9962
Georgina joined the Mitzvah Day team as Chief Executive in March 2019. She has been involved in Mitzvah Day since its inception as a volunteer and has organised many Mitzvah Day projects in her time. Georgina has a wealth of experience through both working and volunteering in the Jewish community and beyond. She is a committed community builder and Jewish educator and like Mitzvah Day is guided by her Jewish values. She is passionate about interfaith, social justice and social action causes and has worked for humanitarian aid organisations and trained hundreds of Jewish students in how to build inclusive communities.
Debbie Drapkin – Projects and Partnerships
debbie@mitzvahday.org.uk + (44) 203 747 9961
Mitzvah Day every November is an immense and international undertaking, and Debbie manages it both logistically – pairing volunteering partners with charities – and globally, establishing links with Jewish communities abroad to spread our work across the world.
Sarah Franks – Interfaith Project Manager
Sarah@mitzvahday.org.uk + (44) 203 747 9963
Sarah recently joined Mitzvah Day as the Interfaith Project Manager following her five-year stint as a Project Leader at FoodCycle, a sustainable food charity that combats social isolation. Sarah’s lifelong involvement in social action in Jewish communities and charities equips her to build on her existing interfaith network.
Simon Rothstein – PR & Communications
Simon@mitzvahday.org.uk + (44) 203 747 9960
Simon is a freelance public relations and social media expert, with 15 years’ experience working in, and with, the media. He handles all PR and communications for Mitzvah Day.
Jacqui Rickman – Bookkeeper
Jacqui@mitzvahday.org.uk + (44) 203 747 9960
8original – Social Media Management
Joel Macadar, Josh Gaventa and Ciara Shalome are the social media whizzes that are creating dynamic and engaging content on the Mitzvah Day social media channels.
Yakir Zur – Photographer
https://www.yzphotography.co.uk/
John Dray – Salesforce Consultant and Support
Board of Trustees
Laura Marks OBE – Founder & Chair
Laura was a planning director of AMV.BBDO, before deciding to work full time in the Jewish community. She set up Mitzvah Day in 2005, which achieved charitable status in 2008. Elected Senior Vice President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews 2012-2015, Laura went on to become Chair of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust in 2016 and chaired the government’s interfaith project – A Year of Service. Laura is now an advisor to the Muslim-led day of social action, Sadaqa Day and she co-founded the Jewish Muslim Women’s Network, Nisa-Nashim. Laura was awarded an OBE in The New Year’s Honours list for her work building interfaith relationships.
Lee Sidney – Vice Chair
Lee is a civil servant, working as an Assistant Director at HMRC, having joined in 2008 after three years at JLGB, first as Grants Officer and then as Operations Manager. Lee was also a trustee of JLGB, where he remains an active volunteer. He is a graduate of the Adam Science programme and currently sits on its advisory group. He also volunteers for CST and is on UJIA’s Israel Experience Bursary Committee.
Debra Morris – Treasurer
Debra works as a chartered accountant, she qualified at BDO. Previously she was the treasurer and a trustee of Jewish Women’s Aid and was the Chair of Woodside Park Synagogue for 3 years. Debra is the group scout leader with 20th Finchley Scout Group.
Judith Falb-Mizrahi – Strategic Development
Judith is a strategic consultant and former CEO of Idea Couture where she specialised in luxury brands and innovation. She has been the coordinator of Mitzvah Day in Mill Hill for many years. Judith works with the senior management team, focusing on our strategy and how we drive Mitzvah Day forwards.
Edwin Shuker – International Development
Edwin is a Vice President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews and Vice President of the European Jewish Congress. He is an international activist and public speaker on the Middle East, particularly on the subject of Jews from Arab countries, with specialist knowledge of his native Iraq. Edwin has engaged in and supported numerous projects promoting human rights and freedom in the Middle East.
Peter Oppenheimer
Peter Oppenheimer is Chief Global Equity Strategist and Head of Marco Research in Europe at Goldman Sachs. Peter joined Goldman Sachs in 2002 following previous posts at HSBC, James Capel, Hambros Bank and Greenwells. Peter is a trustee of the Anne Frank Trust UK and the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families. Peter also serves on the London School of Economics Investment Committee.
Sharon Horwitz
Sharon Horwitz is a solicitor and senior civil servant, working as a Legal Director at the Competition and Markets Authority, having joined in 2014 after three years at Ofcom. Prior to her career in the public sector, Sharon was a solicitor, specialising in antitrust and competition law at the law firm, Linklaters. Sharon was involved for many years with the Anne Frank Trust, serving on various committees. She has had a long-standing interest in the work of Mitzvah Day, having led projects when Mitzvah Day was first founded. She has been involved in many different pro bono and volunteering projects, particularly at her various places of work. Sharon also serves as the Secretary of the Competition Law Association.
