ABOUT THE MUSEUM AT ELDRIDGE STREET

Francesca Azzolini, Visitor Services and Operations Manager

Francesca has several years of experience in visitor services and retail operations. Prior to joining the Museum, they were at Hillwood Estate, Museum, and Gardens, where they assisted with merchandising and e-commerce. As a fluent Spanish, Italian, and French speaker, Francesca also worked previously as a freelance translator.

 

Veronica D. Ball, Director of Development

Veronica joined the Museum at Eldridge Street in March 2022 as the Director of Development and oversees all fundraising efforts to sustain and maintain the historic synagogue and support the educational and cultural programming of the Museum. She spent 15 years at The New York Landmarks Conservancy as Assistant Director of Development where her primary responsibilities included foundation and corporate giving, major gifts, and social media.

 

Over her nearly three-decade career as a professional fundraiser, Veronica has worked for several of New York City’s premier arts and cultural and educational institutions including Big Apple Greeter, Candid (formerly known as The Foundation Center), and Dance Theatre of Harlem. Veronica received her Bachelor of Science, Mass Communications and Public Relations from Boston University.

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Scott Brevda, Deputy Director of Education & Accessibility

Scott is a historian and museum educator who uses his understanding of his native city to bring its history to life. He first became involved with Eldridge in 2016 as a docent and joined the Museum’s staff in 2017. In the years since, he has held a variety of positions with the Museum, developing and managing the Museum’s school programs and day-to-day operations. 

 

In his current role, Scott plans and leads the intensive CASA program, creates new educational content and public programs, and has taken on the development of new access programs to ensure that the Museum bridges gaps and engages all audiences. Scott was formerly a Senior Educator at the Tenement Museum and holds a B.A. and M.A. in History from Fordham University.​

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Mercedes Correa, Accountant

Mercedes is an experienced financial professional with a B.A. degree in accounting from Baruch College. Over her three-decade career in accounting, Mercedes has advised a variety of businesses on bookkeeping and accounting, coordinated audits, managed payroll and a variety of other matters related to the financial health of an institution. She previously worked in the hotel and restaurant and printing industries, as well as in the garment district, which gives her a unique connection to the historical period that the museum explores.

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Bonnie Dimun, President & CEO

Bonnie brings a wealth of experience in the non-profit, corporate and university arenas. She founded and was president of Dynamics for Change, a management consulting firm focusing on client relations, business development, and alliance partnerships.

 

Bonnie also served as National Director of Education and Public Policy at Hadassah, the world’s largest women’s non-profit organization. There she created and managed the Leadership, Education and Training Center. Prior to that, she was Executive Director of Organization Advancement for Middlesex County College. Bonnie holds an Ed.D from Columbia University as well as two degrees from Rider University.​​​

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Amanda Gordon, Director of Public Engagement

Amanda's experiences include working as a Development Research Assistant at Baribeau Consulting, serving as a Research Assistant for jMUSE, and her role as a Digital Producer for U.S. News & World Report. She is a passionate historian and storyteller with extensive experience in digital media strategy, collections research, public programming, and development. Amanda holds an M.A. in Hebrew and Judaic Studies with a concentration in Museum Studies from New York University. She earned her Bachelor’s at Northwestern University, where she studied History, Journalism, and Critical Theory. In 2020, Amanda began studying Yiddish; she enjoys reading the Forverts and attending Yiddish music and theater events around the city.

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Max Hazan, Manager of Learning and Experience

Max has over a decade of experience in the museum industry. In 2016, he began working in visitor experience for the National September 11th Memorial & Museum. He then became a senior museum educator leading tours and collaborating with the collections and exhibitions teams. In 2025, he took on the role of Manager of Visitor Experience at The Center for Jewish History and oversaw Anne Frank The Exhibition. Prior to his work in the museum field, he lived in Israel where he taught English and worked various jobs throughout the country. He earned his B.A. in Social Sciences with a concentration in History from New York University. He enjoys traveling the world with his family and running marathons.

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Franklin Heerasingh, Building & Maintenance

Franklin has a variety of professional training prior to working in the Museum. He worked on Wall Street for major brokerage houses and specialized in accounting. It is while working there, Franklin realized that success is achieved by being attentive to details and client needs are a priority. Franklin later developed an interest in technology and worked in the IT industry for various firms, including a forensic company. After working in the brokerage and IT industry for over twenty years, Franklin transition into the legal industry as an office manager, where he handled every aspect of the office including accounting and billing. Franklin later ventured into real estate while looking for his own family home, as he obtained his license and became an agent. He ventured into the Property Management industry when an opportunity to utilize his managerial and financial experience presented itself through an acquaintance. Franklin has a degree from Baruch College in Business Administration as well as an associate degree in information technology from TCI College.​​​

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Briana Juela-Hernandez, Visitor Services Associate

Briana is currently obtaining her B.A. in Human Development and Family Science. Her previous work experience has allowed her to build on many skills such as maintaining records, managing large groups, and teamwork. Briana joined the museum after a successful fall internship and now assists with outreach, front desk services, and translating in Spanish when needed.

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Sophie Lo, Vice President

Sophie brings over a decade of experience working between the intersections of arts and culture and education. Prior experiences include overseeing programs and events at The Institute of Fine Arts, NYU and managing programs and communications at the Museum of Chinese in America. She has consulted on projects for Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) and diversity initiatives for children’s education materials at Scholastic Inc.

 

Sophie sits on the Board of Directors for the Museum Association of New York (MANY), was an Art Commissioner for Queens Council on the Arts from 2021-2022, participated in New York Foundation for the Arts incubator for Executive Leaders of Color Program, an initiative aimed to foster equity and diversity in the arts. She earned her B.A. in Culture and Media Studies from The New School, her M.S. in Human Capital Management and Organizational Effectiveness from NYU, and has a certificate for Managing Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace from Cornell University.

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Annie Mullee, Social Media and Content Producer

​Annie is a marketing strategist, writer, and arts administrator with a background in event production and community building. She brings a passion for storytelling and audience engagement to her work, with experience leading digital campaigns, producing live events, and cultivating partnerships across New York City’s creative community. Prior to joining the organization, Annie served as Marketing Director for Advantage Kids, where she oversaw brand strategy, digital communications, and community outreach initiatives. She has also worked in studio and community management at duotone audio group, producing client events and growing a multi-thousand-member creative network. Annie is the writer, composer, and executive producer of Tess: A New Musical, leading fundraising efforts, marketing strategy, and large-scale concert presentations in New York City. Passionate about the arts, her personal work is dedicated to expanding access to the arts and building inclusive creative space.

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Rise Roth, Chief Advancement Officer

Rise brings more than 30 years of leadership in fundraising and mission advancement to the Museum at Eldridge Street. With a proven track record of securing transformative gifts and building enduring donor relationships, Rise is passionate about connecting individuals with opportunities to achieve their philanthropic goals while advancing the Museum’s vital mission. Throughout her career, Rise has led campaigns that have exceeded ambitious targets, fostered innovative partnerships, and strengthened the impact of the organizations she has served. Committed to creating meaningful engagement, Rise looks forward to engaging with the Museum at Eldridge Street community to inspire generosity, build lasting connections, and drive lasting change.