Keren Soffer-Roth (she/her) is the director of Rise Up Initiative. She brings over a decade of leadership experience in the Jewish social justice sector and nearly two decades in the government and nonprofit sectors. In just over three and a half years at Rise Up, Keren has raised $2 million and doubled the organization’s funder portfolio; launched its first Collaborative Grants Program; increased grants for marginalized Jewish leaders by over 30%; and ensured continuity in grantmaking across the field amid widespread ecosystem funding contraction and the loss of Rise Up’s seed funder due to priority shifts. As the former senior organizer at Jews For Racial & Economic Justice (JFREJ), Keren co-founded the first ever Mizrahi & Sephardi Caucus in the country — a project that laid the foundation for the re-emergence of the Arab-Jewish left. She also deepened the organization’s Jewish-Muslim solidarity work, built the largest education and organizing program in JFREJ’s then-30 year history, and co-authored the groundbreaking resource, Understanding Antisemitism: An Offering To Our Movement.

Throughout her career, Keren has trained over 5,000 people, developed over 550 leaders, and stewarded over 30 teams. She is an avid home cook, dedicated cookbook collector, and intermediate potter. Keren is a proud Arab Jew with lifelong roots in Queens, NY, where she lives with her wife, Natasha, and their daughter.