A communicator and connector, Jodi Perelmuter is excited about joining Jewish Family Services as the head of its family life education efforts.
Perelmuter joined this summer following the retirement of Susie Hurst, JFS Family Life Education Director, after 35 years with the agency.
“I've been visiting and meeting all the organizations, agencies, and leadership in the Jewish community to discover what the current needs are,” Perelmuter said. “The landscape of the community and its needs have had significant changes. The pandemic, anxiety, feeling of chaos, needing community strength and support, while also discerning feedback from the community study regarding interfaith families and people feeling disconnected or unwelcome in the community are some of the challenges our families are facing.”
Perelmuter has degrees in religious studies from California State University where she was active in Hillel and created the Jewish Students for Change movement. She also worked toward a journalism degree in strategic communications and marketing from The Ohio State University. She was also engaged in Jewish activities on campus. Perelmuter has run her own business and served as founder and president of Ohr Torah’s Cincinnati’s Parent Teacher Association.
Perelmuter and her husband Yanky Perelmuter moved to the Kansas City area in 2020 with their four children. She is on the board of trustees for the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy — which her children attend — and serves as president of its PTO. Perelmuter is also co-chair of the new families committee for PJ Library Kansas City.
Working with JFS colleagues, Perelmuter has helped plan family programming for the upcoming Day of Discovery on Sunday, Aug. 21.
“I am trying to create meaningful programming utilizing JFS' expertise, while also collaborating with partnering organizations to help support and make an impact in the Jewish community,” she said.
More information about Family Life Education through JFS can be found at jfskc.org/services/family-life-education/.
