The Jewish Social Services Team

Meet our dedicated staff.

Kai Yael Gardner Mishlove

Executive Director

Kai Yael Gardner Mishlove is the new executive director of Jewish Social Services of Madison. She is the previous JCRC Director at the Milwaukee Jewish Federation where she was instrumental in starting the AAPI Jewish Alliance to counter antisemitism and anti Asian hate. She is a firm believer in the African Proverb: “It Takes a Village” and she acts on her Black and Jewish identity and faith by making sure that her life and work in the community is a meditation on G-d and reflects the Jewish concepts of Tzedakah, Chesed, and Tzedek.

Maya Garbuz, MSSW, CISW

Director of Family and Senior Services

Maya Garbuz holds a Bachelor of Education from Lobachevsky University in Russia and Master of Social Work from UW-Madison. For 10 years Maya worked as a Lead Case Manager at Bridges for Families, providing services to families with children with disabilities. Maya began working as a case manager for JSS in November 2016. She provides services to seniors supporting them in applying for benefits and housing, assisting with referrals to community agencies, and advocating with landlords, various benefit programs and utility companies.

Jim Mackman

Director of Philanthropy

Jim brings over 20 years of experience working in the nonprofit social services sector to his role at JSS. He was formerly a psychiatric case manager at SOAR Case Management Services and Tellurian UCAN Inc., a clinical specialist on the Dane County Jail Mental Health Team for Journey Mental Health, and a treatment specialist at Oakhill Correctional Institution. Jim has also served as a behavioral health group facilitator for multiple programs.

Paul Borowsky

Volunteer Coordinator

Paul Borowsky began as the volunteer engagement coordinator in 2016. Paul was the director of the West Madison Senior Center where he recruited over 100 volunteers. He has also done extensive outreach with Second Harvest Food Bank and the FreshMobile. Paul has his Master of Education and Master of Social Work degrees from the University of Illinois-Urbana, and a Master of Cultural Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Rabbi Renée Bauer

Director of Spiritual Care and Outreach

As Jewish Social Service’s director of chaplaincy and outreach, Rabbi Bauer provides the Jewish Social Services community with a Jewish spiritual presence and coordinates outreach and training for the Refugee Resettlement Program. Rabbi Bauer earned a B.A. in history and Judaic Studies from Brown University in 1996 and was ordained as a rabbi by Reconstructionist Rabbinic College in 2005.

Zabi Sahibzada

Refugee Resettlement Program Manager

Zabihullah (Zabi) Sahibzada was born in Jalalabad city, Nangarhar province of Afghanistan on June 28, 1985. He completed his primary and high school studies in Jalalabad city and received his bachelor’s degree in the field of Computer Science, from Nangarhar University in 2008. Zabi holds a diploma in business administration from virtual university of Pakistan, a certificate in leadership and management from institute of Leadership and Management in London, a certificate of leadership from ISM Dubai and many other certificates from the USAID and United Nations.

Kate Shenker

Case Manager

Kate has been pleased to work at JSS in the Family and Senior Services program since September 2022. She grew up in New York City and came to Madison years ago to attend UW majoring in Comparative Literature as an undergraduate and completing the Master’s Program in Social Work. She decided to settle here and raised fraternal twin boys.

Jakob Heinemann

Office and Communications Manager

Jakob grew up in Madison, WI, completing his education at Lawrence University. Prior to working at JSS, Jakob lived in Chicago, IL, where he worked at another Jewish social services organization called The Ark. Outside of the office Jakob maintains an active profile as a musician.

Caren Minkoff

Social Worker

Caren Minkoff holds a masters in social work from the Jane Addams College of Social Work at the University of Illinois, Chicago. Her undergraduate degree is in human services from the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Caren has worked in a variety of social work settings and cities ranging from a high school social worker in Chicago, IL to community organizer in New York City. Caren has a passion for building community, establishing connections and empowering those she works with.

Kristin Geil

Spiritual Care and Office Assistant

Kristin Geil earned a Bachelor of Arts in Social Welfare degree from UW Madison in 2009 and a Master of Social Work degree from University of Illinois – Chicago in 2011. She has worked in residential treatment for women with substance use disorders, managed an in-home care program for older adults, and has been a Medical Social Worker in home health. She joined JSS in 2024 as Program Assistant for our Spiritual Care and Outreach programs and also assists with office reception.

Catherine Jassey

RSS Case Manager

Catherine Patricia Jassey is originally from The Gambia, West Africa. She moved to Madison in May 2023 from South Bend, Indiana. Catherine has been involved in humanitarian work for over 7 years and is passionate about psychosocial support, gender justice, women, peace, and security. She holds a Master of Global Affairs degree with a concentration in International Peacebuilding and Gender Studies from the University of Notre Dame in the United States.

Susan Nderitu

R&P Case Manager

Susan Nderitu is a Political Science graduate from Kenya, raised in Marietta, Georgia, and currently pursuing a Master of Science in Monitoring and Evaluation. Fluent in English, Swahili, Kikuyu, and German, she brings a linguistic diversity to her professional repertoire. Her experience extends to a role as a Research Consultant at Trust Consultancy, where responsibilities included proficient data analysis, program management, and evaluation.

Eman Al Zirjawi

Refugee Resettlement Case Aide

Eman is from southern Iraq, carrying the smells and goodness of the marshes of the south and the sweetness of the Tigris River. She holds two bachelor’s degrees, one from the University of Baghdad in Biology, and the other from the University of Moscow in General Medicine. She also earned a diploma in Biotech at MATC College. Her hobbies include reading all kinds of philosophical, scientific, and social books, stories and novels, and writing rhymed poetry.

Abdul Hakeem Hakeemi

Refugee Resettlement Case Manager

My Name is Abdul Hakeem Hakeemi, from Afghanistan. I am a mid-senior level individual, with a robust background in social work, humanitarian sectors, database and data management. I have navigated a dynamic professional journey since 2008. Commencing my career with the International Relief and Development (IRD) project under USAID, I served in roles ranging from program officer to humanitarian officer, gaining invaluable experience in the field.

Maria Kurolapnik

Office Manager

Maria was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, and immigrated with her family to Israel in 1990, where she completed high school and served in the military. In 2000, she moved to the United States to join her father’s family and pursue higher education, earning an associate degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management in 2004. With over 20 years of experience in the catering industry, Maria has planned menus, event setups, and timelines for weddings, anniversaries, memorial services, and corporate events with up to 1,500 attendees, while managing kitchen and banquet staff. Her true passion is working with people and food.