Board of Directors
PRESIDENT:
Donald Kent – New York, NY
Donald P. Kent is a Wealth Advisor in Bernstein’s New York office. He designs complex financial plans for high-net-worth families and charitable institutions, working closely with clients and their professional advisors to craft comprehensive strategies that address all aspects of their wealth management and endowment needs. Kent joined the firm in 2000 and was appointed a Principal in 2005.
Previously, he was a vice president at Jewish Federations of North America (formerly CJF) and devoted 13 years to building Federations’ planned giving and endowment programs; he was responsible for upgrading the investment/spending policies and implementing new development/marketing strategies for dozens of charities. Earlier, he was a national director of the Statue of Liberty Foundation, an assistant director at Columbia University’s Earl Hall and an assistant dean of students at Manhattan College.
Don earned a B.A. in international relations from Beloit College, studying for a year at Stensunds Folkhögskola in Sweden, and an MA in higher and adult education administration from Teachers College, Columbia University. He lectures widely on charitable gift planning and financial planning topics and specializes in non-profit Board education and development. In 2014 Kent was named a Trustee of Beloit College and sits on several other boards, including the Professional Advisory Committee of the Museum of Modern Art. He was elected President of Maccabi USA in November of 2025 and is a former President of the Village Temple in NYC. His other board affiliations include the national board of the National Committee on Planned Giving (now called PPP) and the local Planned Giving Group of Greater New York.
FIRST VICE PRESIDENT:
Deb Lichtenfeld – Burlington, VT
Deb Lichtenfeld is a seasoned nonprofit leader and development professional with over two decades of experience in fundraising, strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and program design. She has held leadership roles across a range of organizations, including the University of Vermont Foundation, and the Onda Foundation, which she helped launch and currently directs. With a deep commitment to Jewish community engagement and Israel Education, Deb has also led major campaigns, created educational initiatives, and served on numerous boards and committees. She holds a B.A. from the University of Vermont (UVM) and recently received a Masters in Israel Education from George Washington University.
Her Maccabi resume is equally as impressive. Since her first official role as a manager in 2001, she has chaired the Pan American Games and multiple missions. She had a role in reinvigorating Israel Connect as chair in 2022 and helped reimagine what is now our signature Lev L’Lev program. She has chaired MUSA’s Development Committee since 2019, playing a key leadership role in driving some of the organization’s most successful fundraising efforts to date. She is a trusted partner of Maccabi World Union and worked, in true partnership with MUSA, to help enhance their fund-raising efforts in North America and currently serves on the MWU Strategic Planning committee and International Women’s Forum. She and her husband, Jeff Schulman, have raised their three children (Theodore, Gaby and Mara) in the Maccabi movement. Jeff is the Director of Athletics at UVM and is currently the co-chair of the movement’s International Sports Committee.
VICE PRESIDENT:
Stephanie Cohen – Washington, DC
Stephanie Cohen is the Paralegal Manager at Wilkinson Stekloff LLP in Washington, D.C., where she manages the firm’s legal staff and plays a central role in preparing teams for some of the country’s most high-profile trials. With more than 15 years of experience in the legal field, she has led teams through every stage of the litigation process and has been responsible for the complex logistics that make trials run successfully. She has also been an active member of the International Practice Management Association (IPMA) since 2021.
A lifelong tennis player, Stephanie played for Georgetown University’s Women’s Tennis Team, where she served as captain, and more recently competed in the 2023 Pan American Maccabi Games in Buenos Aires. She now serves as Co-Chair of the MUSA Masters Tennis Team for the 2026 Maccabiah. Stephanie’s MUSA involvement is part of a proud family tradition. Her sister, Brittany Cohen, is the Co-Head Coach of the MUSA Women’s Open Basketball Team, and her father, Hal Cohen, played on the MUSA Men’s Basketball Teams in 1977 and 1981, as well as at the 1979 Pan American Games.
VICE PRESIDENT:
Scott Gelb – Los Angeles, CA
Scott Gelb is a Solutions Architect at Enterprise Vision Technologies and lives in Los Angeles. He has two daughters, Amanda (28) and Audrey (26). Scott is a second degree (Nidan) Judo black belt and trumpet player but cannot do both at the same time. Scott has been involved with Maccabi USA since 2016. He co-chairs and manages the Judo teams, was a lead manager for the 2023 Pan American Maccabi Games, chair of the 2024 European Youth Maccabi Games and is now the team manager of the upcoming Maccabiah.
Scott is also on the Los Angeles board of the Jewish National Fund, a Technion Rothman Fellow, a board member of Shul on the Beach in Venice, CA and is a licensed armed guard and pistol instructor with Magen Am to protect Jews at Shuls, events and protests.
VICE PRESIDENT:
Matthew Halpern – Hollywood, FL
Matthew Halpern is a seasoned non-profit leader in Jewish communal organizations. He has been overseeing operations, engagement, marketing and communications, financial management, and programming in synagogues for nearly 18 years. Matthew has been active with Maccabi USA since 2005 as an athlete, sport chair, and member of the Board of Directors and various committees. He is the Vice Chair for the Maccabi USA delegation to the Maccabiah in 2026; previously, he served as Team Manager for the Maccabiah in 2022 and the European Maccabi Games in 2019. Matt is a seven-time medalist across four Games as a bowler. Originally from New Jersey, Matthew now resides in Hollywood, Florida.
VICE PRESIDENT:
Debbie Zumoff – Margate City, NJ
Debbie Zumoff is a Villanova University School of Law graduate and enjoyed a 36-year career as in-house counsel to a financial services firm, directly impacting its exponential growth through her involvement in marketing, sales, public relations, operations, HR, real estate, consulting, leadership development, strategic planning, government relations, board of directors’ seat and governance. During her career, Zumoff also served 10 years as board member and ultimately board chair for UPPO, a professional industry association of more than 800 national members, spearheading strategic planning initiatives and leadership development. Debbie’s non-profit work began at Temple Sinai in Dresher, PA, where she served as board member, religious school committee chair and executive committee member for 10 years, also leading strategic planning initiatives. Since 2019, Zumoff has served as executive board member to Philadelphia Youth Basketball, a non-profit engaged in youth development and community empowerment.
Debbie began her MUSA involvement in 2013, at the invitation of Bob Spivak for her husband Marc to serve as co-chair of the Philadelphia Golf Tournament, and Debbie to serve as a board member. Debbie served on the Strategic Planning Implementation Committee and now serves on the Personnel Committee. She is the Chair of the Lev L’Lev day for the 2026 Maccabiah and serves on the Medal of Honor Committee. Debbie attended the 2022 Maccabiah with Marc in support of his role as Maccabi Media Chair.
SECRETARY:
Tonja Magerman – Blue Bell, PA
Tonja Magerman’s enduring commitment to Maccabi USA is inspiring. She has chaired Pan American Maccabi Games, European Maccabi Games and is co-chair of the upcoming Maccabiah. (Tonja’s title would be Vice President, but the MUSA by-laws prohibit anyone from serving 3 terms in a row in the same position.). Tonja also served as the chair of Maccabi USA’s Field Hockey program for many years.
Tonja’s primary function as an officer will be to oversee all our Games. She will help select the leadership for the Maccabiah and other Games. She will guide us in enhancing our policies and procedures for the Games, ensure that they are aligned with our values and vision and that best practices are not lost from one set of Games to another. Tonja and her husband Joel have also raised their family (Rachel and Jake) in the Maccabi movement. Joel, continuing a family tradition, will continue to provide his sage advice on the Finance Committee and the Endowment Board.
TREASURER:
Rick Farber – Manhattan Beach, CA
Rick is currently an Adjunct Professor of Finance/ Investments at the School for Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University. A lifelong basketball fan, high school coach and Masters competitor, he won a bronze medal at the Maccabiah in Israel and a gold medal in Chile. Rick was the former Alternate Executive Director for the U.S. on the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from 2019-2021. He served as Senior Advisor in Domestic Finance at the US Department of the Treasury from 2018-19.
Before entering public service Rick worked in the private sector in finance and investment management for 25 years after earning his MBA from UCLA Anderson School. Rick served the American Diabetes Association for 11 years until 2018 and was the Treasurer, Chair of the Investment Subcommittee, Chair of the Finance Committee and member of the Executive Board. He has served on the MUSA finance committee for the past two years, and has represented Maccabi USA at Games on 8 separate occasions; he has played Masters basketball and has chaired two Masters basketball teams.
ASSOCIATE TREASURER:
Arnie Fielkow – New Orleans, LA
Arnie Fielkow began his Maccabi journey as an athlete on the 1997 Masters Basketball Maccabiah team. He then chaired baseball at the 1999 Pan American Games and is now Baseball Co-Chair for the 2026 Maccabiah. Arnie formerly chaired the MUSA CEO Search Committee and the Strategic Planning Committee. Arnie is currently the Co-Chair of the MUSA Ukraine Committee and chair of the Personnel Committee. Arnie served the last two terms as a MUSA Vice President (which explains why his title is now associate treasurer).
Arnie, an attorney, has enjoyed a successful career in professional and collegiate sports, public office, and the Jewish non-profit world. Arnie served as Executive Vice President of the NFL’s New Orleans Saints, CEO of the NBA Retired Players Association, Deputy Commissioner of the Continental Basketball Association (the NBA’s former developmental league), and President of MLB’s AA Southern Baseball League. Arnie was also twice elected as President of the New Orleans City Council Post-Hurricane Katrina and served as CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans. Arnie resides in New Orleans with his wife, Dr. Susan Fielkow. They have 5 children and 3 grandchildren. Arnie will continue to drive the MUSA Ukraine initiative and will help launch our new partnership with professional sports teams.
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Jeff Bukantz – Montville, NJ
