Meet our Team

Mental Health Support and Educator  

Daniel Bahner joins JCFS after completing a master’s in counseling psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in 2024. In addition to his work at JCFS, Daniel practices therapy with a private practice based in Evanston. Prior to joining JCFS, Daniel worked at Keshet for five years as National Director of Education and Training. While there, he helped Jewish communal organizations become more inclusive and welcoming of LGBTQ+ Jews. He currently lives in Andersonville with his dog, Athena. Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Daniel moved to Chicago in 2018 after spending much of the previous decade on the East Coast - including Pennsylvania, New York City and Boston. In addition to his mental health work, Daniel is passionate about social justice.  

In addition to her role with JCFS’ Community Services, Aliza Becker is an Associate Fellow at Bard College. Since 2014, she has led two oral history projects at Bard, plus directed a podcast that explores the Pittsburgh Jewish community after the Tree of Life shooting, as well as five decades of Jewish peace activism. Aliza began her career as an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher, later directing amnesty education programs at Heartland Alliance for over 10,000 students. Aliza also held various leadership roles at the Illinois Coalition for Refugee and Immigrant Rights and wrote and co-authored seven books on naturalization-related topics. In 2002, she co-founded Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, a national Jewish two-state grassroots peace group, and helped integrate it into J Street.  

Rabbi Suzanne Griffel was ordained at the Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion in 1990. Prior to joining JCFS in 2019, she served as a rabbi at the University of Chicago Hillel and at Congregation Or Chadash, and as a chaplain at JourneyCare hospice, and later as the rabbi of Sinai Temple in Michigan City, Indiana. She is a board-certified member of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains and a member of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the Chicago Board of Rabbis and the Chicago Association of Reform Rabbis. Rabbi Griffel loves serving people from all corners of the Chicagoland Jewish community - both geographically and in terms of affiliation - through the JCFS community chaplaincy program. She meets with people at various JCFS locations, in their homes and virtually. 

Bracha Jakofsky is dedicated to safeguarding the Jewish community. She holds a master's degree in social work from UIC and has over a decade of experience in mental health and community services. As a leader of the SMART Kids program, she has reached thousands of students and trained professionals in child safety and abuse prevention. Bracha works closely with the Orthodox community and excels at building strong community partnerships and delivering impactful prevention education. A former employment specialist at JCFS, Bracha understands the diverse needs within the community. She also serves on the board of Nefesh Chicago.