Robert Hirsch is an artist, curator, educator, historian and author of Seizing the Light: A Social & Aesthetic History of Photography; Transformational Imaging: Handmade Photography Since 1960, Light and Lens: Thinking About Photography in the Digital Age; Photographic Possibilities: The Expressive Use of Concepts, Ideas, Equipment, Materials, and Processes; and Exploring Color Photography: From Film to Pixels. Chinese and German editions of Light and Lens have been published.

Hirsch has published scores of articles about visual culture and interviewed numerous eminent imagemakers. He was an Associate Editor of Photovision and Digital Camera as well as a contributing writer for Afterimage, CEPA Journal, Light Work’s Contact Sheet, Digital Camera, exposure, The Encyclopedia of 19th Photography, The Focal Encyclopedia of Photography, Fotophile, The Handmade Photograph, History of Photography, Photo Education, The Photo Review, Photovision, Photo Technique, VASA Journal on Images & Culture, World Book Encyclopedia plus numerous regional publications including Buffalo Spree and FYI.

Previously, he was a professor of photography at Amarillo College, SUNY/Buffalo, and SUNY/Brockport where he was also the Director of Graduate Studies and Associate Director of the Visual Studies Workshop. Since 2000 Hirsch has led Light Research, a consulting firm providing professional services to the photographic arts field. He has served on the board of directors of non-for-profit organizations, government review boards, and grant panels. Hirsch is a co-founder of the Clean Air Coalition of WNY, which was responsible for closing of Tonawanda Coke. He is the former Executive Director and Chief Curator of CEPA Gallery, Buffalo, NY, founder of Southern Light Gallery, and co-founder of North Light Gallery. He has curated over 200 exhibitions and public art projects plus is an experienced public speaker.

Hirsch’s work has been exhibited internationally in over 200 solo and group shows.

Jill Abromowitz Gutmann believes that strong communities are built through learning, hospitality, and shared values. Her work sits at the intersection of Jewish culture, education, and community engagement, where she designs experiences that foster connection, conversation, and bridge-building.

Over the last few years, Jill's vision, energy and creativity have fostered the success of the Blum Jewish Education and led to the creation of the Jewish Museum of Buffalo.  The Blum Project has successfully brought over 8000 visitors and 100 groups through the Jewish Museum of Buffalo.

She holds an AB summa cum laude from Smith College, Fulbright Grantee to South Korea, a Masters of Public Health from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, and a Masters of Arts in Jewish law and ethics from Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati.

Jill lives in North Buffalo with her four children and niece.  In her free time, she is an avid cyclist and hobby seamstress.

Contact Jill at: jill@jmbuffalo.org

Adina Olbrys joined the Jewish Museum of Buffalo in 2025 as Archivist. In this role, she has catalogued and organized the museum’s collection, curated a numismatics exhibit, and assisted with the museum’s permanent exhibit reopening for the 175th anniversary of Temple Beth Zion. Olbrys also worked to launch a museum guide on Bloomberg Connects and assists with other museum-related activities. 

Olbrys holds a master’s degree in Critical Museum Studies and bachelor’s degrees in Classics and Anthropology from the University at Buffalo. Her previous roles included a graduate assistantship at the University at Buffalo’s Art Galleries, an internship with the National Endowment for the Humanities, and conducting field work with University at Buffalo’s Archaeological Survey.

Contact Adina at: adina@jmbuffalo.org

Judy Sperry is a development consultant and grant writer who has been working for the Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies on numerous fundraising campaigns that are being led by Jewish Buffalo. Among Judy’s roles with Foundation was to work on restoration, preservation, and beautification projects that have been taking place at the Jewish Cemeteries located on Pine Ridge Road and Doat Street.  

Judy is pleased to join the Jewish Museum of Buffalo’s efforts to raise significant proceeds that will be invested into advancing the mission of the JMB as the museum gains momentum and welcomes visitors from near and far.

Judy is a distinguished graduate of Northwestern University, where she pursued studies in American Literature, Journalism, and Violin Performance. After completing her college education, she returned to her hometown of Buffalo, NY in 2007 to embark on a career in Journalism.

In addition to her dedicated involvement in spearheading fundraising campaigns, Judy finds joy in spending quality time with her husband, family, and friends. She is an avid enthusiast of classical music, a passionate naturalist, and an adventurous world traveler.

Contact Judy at: judy@jmbuffalo.org

Ruby Merritt is a Buffalo-based visual artist and arts educator with over twelve years of professional experience working with colleges, museums, and nonprofit organizations. She has taught fine arts within the SUNY system and at local colleges, combining studio instruction with museum and gallery experiences, and regularly led student groups to exhibitions. 

Merritt has worked as a teaching artist with organizations including the Western New York Book Arts Center, CEPA Gallery, Buffalo Arts Studio, Journey’s End Refugee Services, AKG Art Museum, Starlight Studio, OPCOM and Papercraft Miracles. She leads hands-on art programs for youth, adults, and families, with a focus on expanding access to arts education for underrepresented communities.

She currently teaches at SUNY Niagara and serves as studio manager at Light Research in Grand Island, NY. Merritt holds a BFA from SUNY New Paltz and an MFA from the University at Buffalo.  www.rubymerritt.com @search_ology

Contact Ruby at: ruby@jmbuffalo.org

Susan has an MS in Education, and taught in the Kenmore/Town of Tonawanda Schools prior to becoming President of SurveySevice, Inc./Adelman Research Group. Her commitment to education and working with youth continued with her company’s adoption of Riverside High School that was part of an award-winning consortium that received the Commitment to Education Award for the creation of Project Jump Start-a Bridge to Opportunity, a program that provided the students of Riverside High School with mentors, internships, field trips to the United Nations and The Holocaust Resource Center and Congress in Washington, DC.

Susan has served on the Board of the Buffalo Alliance for Education, the Mayor’s Community School Council, and co-chaired Teacher and Principal for a Day that brought corporate leadership into all Buffalo Public Schools to learn about the needs of students and schools to foster ongoing business and school partnerships. She received a Pathfinders Award that honors those Blazing a Trail Between Education and Business and is a member of the 1996 Class of Leadership Buffalo.

Susan is a lifelong member of Temple Beth Zion, served on the Board of Trustees for many years, and was President in 1989-1990. Most recently, she co-chaired the Re-imagined Cofeld Judaic Museum Task Force that opened in 2023.

Daniel Kester, Ph.D. is an active member of the Buffalo Jewish community. He was recently president of the Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies.

He is a longtime member of Congregation Shir Shalom. For over ten years he was president of the Men’s Group, and was responsible for publishing the Synagogue’s daily “Jewish-Joke-of-the-Day.”

Daniel is a retired materials scientist. He earned a B.A. in Physics from Grinnell College and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Penn State University. His area of research was ultra-hard thin film diamond-like coatings.

For several years Daniel has been on the board of Jewish Family Services (JFS), where he is on the Executive Committee. His parents were Holocaust survivors who came to the US as refugees, which inspired Daniel to support the work that JFS has done supporting refugees. He was formerly on the Holocaust Research Center board (now known as HERO), and is also on the board of the Schoerke Foundation which supports education in West Africa. 

An avid traveler, Daniel has visited over 108 countries. Originally from Los Angeles, for the last 30 years he has lived in Williamsville with his wife, Gunilla. They are the parents of two daughters, Anya and Shiri.

For much of his career, Randal I. Spivack, CPA, has been the person organizations call when they need things to make sense again—financially, operationally, and administratively. In 2007, he founded R.I. Spivack Consulting, Inc., and since then has worked alongside a wide mix of entities to strengthen day-to-day management, improve financial planning, and rebuild office practices that aren’t working. Sometimes that means cleaning up after a prior team and putting reliable procedures in place; other times it means hiring the right staff, tightening systems, and getting a struggling operation back on its feet. And when something new is being built, he helps guide it from incorporation and startup through to full operations, providing the accounting and bookkeeping foundation that lets leaders focus on mission and growth.

Prior to launching his consulting firm, Spivack served as Chief Financial Officer within a group of healthcare organizations, overseeing financial affairs across multiple related entities while also managing important HR and administrative functions. The through-line in his work is practical leadership: not just tracking numbers, but shaping the structure behind them.

That same commitment to solid governance shows up in his community service. Spivack has held numerous trustee and officer roles—often as treasurer—supporting organizations through careful oversight and steady leadership. His service includes the Jewish Center of Greater Buffalo, Compass House, Temple Beth Am, Jewish Family Services, Lou Gehrig Youth Baseball & Softball, and the Park School of Buffalo. Outside of his professional and civic work, he enjoys sports, music, photography, and dogs.