Staff

Warren Hoffman, Ph.D.
Executive Director

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Warren Hoffman is the Executive Director of the Association for Jewish Studies. Previously, he was the Associate Director of the Center of Jewish Life and Learning at Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, and he also served over five years as the Senior Director of Programming at the Gershman Y where he innovated numerous new programs and was named the "next wave" of Jewish culture by the Jewish Exponent. In the world of theater, Warren was the literary manager and dramaturg for Philadelphia Theatre Company where he researched and developed multiple world premieres by writers including Terrence McNally, Chris Durang, and Bill Irwin. In New York, Hoffman was the Associate Artistic Director of Jewish Repertory Theatre and was a writer and reviewer for TalkinBroadway.com where he covered the Off-Broadway and cabaret scene. In addition to working in the theater community, Hoffman holds a Ph.D. in American Literature from the University of California-Santa Cruz. He earned rave reviews for his book The Passing Game: Queering Jewish American Culture published by Syracuse University Press. His most recent book is The Great White Way: Race and the Broadway Musical. Warren is also a playwright and his most recent play The Black Slot was produced in Chicago in 2016.

Mary Arnstein
Conference Content Manager

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Mary oversees content for the Annual Conference, working closely with the Program Committee, the Division Chairs, and members to produce robust and engaging programming at the conference. Mary has served several scholarly societies in professional development, communications, member management, and event planning roles. She has a JD from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and a BA in Political Science/International Relations from St. Francis University.

Karin Kugel
Managing Editor, AJS Perspectives
Website Manager

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Karin Kugel works on the production of AJS’s magazine, website, and conference publications and signage. Karin received her BA from Brandeis University and is currently continuing her program of lifelong learning on Martha's Vineyard, where she resides with her husband and performs with him in their contemporary classical music duo Daykah.

Melinda Man
Membership and Database Manager

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Melinda is the AJS's primary membership liaison, assisting members by email and phone and managing the membership database. She enjoys working with and supporting users from different backgrounds. Melinda has worked as a programmer and data analyst in the banking and higher education industries, and received her BS in Computer Science from New York University.

Amy Ronek
Director of Marketing and Communications

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Amy Ronek works to effectively share the AJS mission, vision, and scholarship with AJS members and the general public. She is a communications and marketing professional with extensive experience working with not-for-profit, academic, and professional membership institutions. Amy received her master’s degree in Communication Studies from the University of Kansas.

Amy Weiss, Ph.D.
Senior Grants and Professional Development Manager

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Amy Weiss is the Senior Grants and Professional Development Manager at the AJS. She received her Ph.D. from the departments of Hebrew & Judaic Studies and History at New York University. When she’s not overseeing the AJS’s fellowship programs, Dr. Weiss is also assistant professor of Judaic Studies and History at the University of Hartford, where she also holds the Maurice Greenberg Chair of Judaic Studies.