Our Staff

Jodi Falk (she/her) joined the Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts as director of the Rachel’s Table (RT) program in 2019 and, due to RT’s growth, has led the transition of RT to its own nonprofit entity in 2023. Over the past four years, Jodi has tripled the service area of food rescue, exponentially increased the amount and variety of food served, and digitized RT’s operations for maximum impact. Along with 200+ committed volunteers and a dedicated and talented staff, Jodi has initiated food justice initiatives such as Growing Gardens, which enables sustainable and self-determined options for food security and optimal nourishment for any of RT’s 64+ agencies. Recently, Jodi was awarded the honor of being one of BusinessWest’s 2022 Women of Impact as well as the Springfield Symphony’s Fearless Woman Award for Authenticity in 2023.  

Jodi comes to Rachel’s Table with years of leadership and fundraising in the arts, community engagement, and social justice activism. As the former Founding Director of Dance at the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter School in South Hadley, MA, the Director of Choreography and creator of community-engaged programming at the Laban Centre, London, UK, (now Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance), and Coordinator of Community Engagement and Outreach for the Five College Dance Consortium in Amherst, MA, Jodi has created programs that build bridges, break down barriers, and reach across difference to promote equity and champion justice. 

Researching and working with diverse communities in South Africa, Israel and Brazil, and in our own western MA backyard, Jodi recently earned a PhD that focuses on community activism and socially-engaged arts. As a local leader in a special needs parents’ rights watchdog group and a developer of projects that serve diverse populations such as incarcerated young women, vulnerable seniors, adults with intellectual disabilities, teen mothers, and foster families, Jodi’s work has focused on nourishing bodies and nurturing lives. 

Jay’s (he/him) three favorite things in world are to grow, cook, and eat food and he believes food should be a joy to everyone, no one should have to worry about where their next meal is coming from, and wasted food is a shame. His road to Rachel’s Table has traversed experiences as a science teacher, park developer, landscaper, and organic vegetable grower and writer. He’s excited to use his skills to help Rachel’s Table continue its mission, work, and programs, and is particularly looking forward to expanding the Growing Gardens and Gleaning programs.

Cara (she/her) comes to Rachel’s Table with two decades of experience as a secular land-based educator/camp director and as a learner, facilitator, trainer, mentor, and consultant in the North American Jewish environmental movement. At Rachel’s Table, she manages programs where our hands touch the earth, including Gleaning and Growing Gardens. She particularly enjoys developing relationships with farmers and supporting emergent community leaders in urban food spaces. She finds power and wisdom in her cultural heritages (Jewish and Sicilian/Southern Italian) and appreciates how diverse cultural, religious, and spiritual traditions form and transform people’s connections with land and food. Cara approaches program development with awareness of the role that colonization, migration, and diaspora play in people’s relationships with food and nourishment. Outside of Rachel’s Table, Cara enjoys writing, doing headstands, and pulling invasive species from the land she stewards with her partner. 

Chana (she/her) joins Rachel’s Table with over 10 years of experience in office management and administration, with a focus on creative optimization and team building. She brings with her a lifetime’s passion for gardening, environmental sustainability, and creating community through music and the arts. Chana Laila is an experienced herbalist who shares her garden plants and produce with her community, creates hand-crafted wellness products, and offers design consultations and support to aspiring gardeners. Chana studied music composition and performance at Hampshire College, has recorded two full length albums, and has spent many years leading live concerts, drumming workshops, and women’s Torah study groups, with a focus on bringing people together, building community, and facilitating personal growth. Chana is a trained birth doula who has supported many women with holistic labor support and postpartum services, and she is also a devoted mother of 5 wonderful children. Chana is excited to be directing her efforts towards furthering the mission and reach of Rachel’s Table, with a passion for the hard work necessary to make meaningful contributions.

Sarah (she/her) joins Rachel’s Table as an advocate for food justice and social justice. Sarah recently moved to Western Massachusetts from New Orleans with her husband and two cats! She is happy to return to the east coast after growing up outside of Philadelphia. She is a summer camp person to her core and is passionate about working with children and teens. Currently, Sarah is enrolled at Boston University to obtain a Master’s in Social Work.