A life-long New Yorker and dedicated culture worker, Jilian Cahan Gersten is currently Chief Development Officer at the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, having previously served there in both the Education and Development departments. Prior to returning to the Museum in June 2025, she was Vice President of Philanthropic Initiatives at Brooklyn Org (formerly the Brooklyn Community Foundation). Before that, she served as Development & External Affairs Director and Interim Executive Director at Brooklyn Arts Council. Her previous experience includes various programming and fundraising roles at LUMBERYARD Contemporary Performing Arts, BRIC, The After-School Corporation (now ExpandED Schools), Theatre for a New Audience, The New Victory Theater, and Ballet Tech. She is the current board chair of Ballet Tech; was a founding board member of Headlong Dance Theater in Philadelphia, PA; served for 12 years on the board of Danspace Project; and has served as a panelist for the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and New Jersey After 3. She is also a trained chef who, following a stint as an assistant instructor at the International Culinary Center and apprenticeships in the south of France, worked in the pastry kitchen at Bouley restaurant. Jilian received her Bachelor of Arts degree with high honors from Wesleyan University, where she majored in College of Letters, an interdisciplinary program combining literature, philosophy, and history. She resides in Park Slope, Brooklyn with her husband and two daughters. Joined 2026

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PHOTO: Brigitte Lacombe