Repair the World Welcomes New Board Members: Laynie Held Helman, Sidney Pertnoy, and Ben Samuels, and Board Advisor: Jenna Weinstein

We’re thrilled to announce four new additions to Repair the World’s Board of Directors: Laynie Held Helman, Sidney Pertnoy, and Ben Samuels, and Board Advisor: Jenna Weinstein. Together, they bring decades of leadership across philanthropy, law, business, and nonprofit strategy, as well as a deep commitment to Jewish life, community, and service. Volunteer lay leaders are at the heart of our Jewish service movement, and this group reflects that: people who choose to give their time because they believe in what service can do. As Repair continues to grow, their experience and perspective will help guide what’s ahead. 

Laynie Held Helman
Los Angeles, CA

Laynie Held Helman is Executive Director of the Held Foundation, where she partners with her family to invest in health access, families and youth, food security, and Jewish life throughout Southern California. Before entering philanthropy, Laynie spent more than a decade in consulting, technology, and startups, including supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs at TikTok.

A passionate advocate for Jewish communal life and civic engagement, Laynie believes service is one of the most meaningful ways people build relationships, strengthen communities, and live their values. She earned her B.S. in Education and Social Policy from Northwestern University and her M.S. in Management Studies from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

“To me, service is choosing to believe that small acts of loving kindness matter, and then acting on that belief.”

Sidney Pertnoy
Miami, FL

Sidney Pertnoy is a Miami native and attorney whose family has been part of the city’s Jewish community for three generations. For more than 35 years, he has served in leadership roles across Jewish communal life, including as Board Chair of Hillel International, President of his synagogue, and Chair of the Miami Jewish Federation Foundation, the Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach, and the Center for the Advancement of Jewish Education.

“Serving others is central to my Judaism.”

Ben Samuels
Houston, TX

Ben Samuels leads the Samuels Family Foundation, which supports education, children, civil rights, and the Jewish community. He spent more than two decades at Victory Packaging, serving as CEO from 2007 to 2018 after joining the company in 1995.

Ben has long been active in Houston’s Jewish and civic communities. He currently co-chairs the board of Teach For America Houston and has previously chaired the boards of the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, the Houston Food Bank, and the Leo Baeck Education Center Foundation.

“Service is about mobilizing the power of community for repairing the world, tikkun olam.”

Jenna Weinstein
San Francisco, CA

Jenna Weinstein is a Principal in The Bridgespan Group’s San Francisco office, where she advises individual donor families, philanthropic platforms, and nonprofit organizations on strategy and organizational effectiveness. She also serves as an advisor to Phare Bio, a nonprofit biotechnology company working to address antimicrobial resistance. Before joining Bridgespan, Jenna was a Senior Consultant at Deloitte in Washington, D.C.

“Service strengthens our connections to our communities and ourselves.”

“We’re excited to welcome Laynie, Sidney, and Ben to Repair the World’s Board of Directors, and Jenna Weinstein as Board Advisor,” said Anna Kovinsky, Board Chair. “Each brings a unique perspective and a demonstrated commitment to strengthening Jewish life and serving others. Their leadership will help us continue building a Jewish service movement grounded in the belief that service in support of social change is vital to a flourishing Jewish community and an inspired Jewish life.”

Please join us in welcoming new Board Members: Laynie, Sidney, and Ben, and Board Advisor: Jenna to the Repair the World Board of Directors.