Our Team

Beth Lebenson Praver is the Director of Alumni Engagement, a position she has held since January 2023. She has worked in the nonprofit Jewish world for more than 30 years. Previous to her time at YU, Beth worked at the Friends of Israel Scouts, Eden Village Camp, the Israeli Consulate in New York, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) and Bi-Cultural Day School in Stamford, CT. Beth holds a bachelor's degree in Jewish and Near Eastern Studies from Washington University in St. Louis and a master's degree in Forensic Psychology from the John Jay School of Criminal Justice. She is also a certified social worker for the State of Connecticut. 

Beth leads the Office of Alumni Affairs, visioning new programming, supervising the day-to-day operations of the team and expanding the department to meet the needs of YU’s 70,000+ alumni around the globe. Beth is married and lives in Riverdale with her husband and children.

Eli Azizollahoff is Manager of Alumni Engagement and graduated from Stern College for Women in 2020 with a bachelor's degree in English with a concentration in Media & Journalism. She began working for Yeshiva University in November 2024 and brings over three years of experience in higher education, focusing on community engagement, events and student life. She also has a background in non-profit work, having filled logistic, engagement and operations roles for Partners in Torah, the Save Ancient Studies Alliance (SASA) and Camp HASC. In her current role, Eli works to build relationships and enhance alumni involvement by creating meaningful opportunities for alumni to connect with one another and their alma mater. In her time at Stern, Eli especially treasured the opportunity to serve as President of the Stern College Dramatics Society, a role which would not have been open to her at other universities where most play production occurs on Saturdays and is thus restricted for students who keep Shabbat. Eli lives in Washington Heights.

Susan Kirshner-Sheldon has served as Alumni Relations Coordinator in the YU Israel Office since February 2022. After earning her bachelor’s degree in English Communications from Stern College for Women in 1997, she worked in the human resources industry and earned her MS in HR Management and Development from National Louis University in Chicago. She then worked for various health care technology startups. Susan works to engage the more than 5,000 YU alumni currently living in Israel as well as provide engagement opportunities for alumni who visit Israel from abroad. Among her favorite memories of Stern College are classes with Professor Hatvary and Dr. Evelyn Cohen, both of whom strongly impacted her love of literature and art. Susan made Aliyah in 2014 and lives in Jerusalem with her husband, Jeremy Sheldon. 

Ahuva Ross is an Alumni Affairs Associate and graduated from YU’s Sy Syms School of Business in 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing. She began working for Yeshiva University in July 2024 as the Alumni Affairs Associate, focusing on database support, alumni engagement events support, and social media marketing and management. One of Ahuva’s favorite parts of YU was the dual curriculum and the ability to have a robust Torah education while simultaneously receiving a college degree. Ahuva lives in Washington Heights. 

Adam Zerman has served as YU’s Development and Events Associate since November 2022. He earned his bachelor's degree in Business Management from Roger Williams University in Bristol, RI, in May 2022. At Yeshiva University, he works on alumni, fundraising and donor-based events, specializing in logistical support and event management.