TEAM
Méli Solomon, Founder
I am a public scholar and interreligious leader with a keen interest in understanding the nature of similarities and differences––especially religious and cultural. The Talking with God Project is currently my main focus, and I am actively expanding its reach through workshops, articles, panels, talks and have a podcast in development. Additionally, interfaith engagement in the community continues. Besides actively participating in a local Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom® chapter, I am assisting my synagogue in its new membership of GBIO, the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization.
Raised in the Boston area, I have lived in Seattle, WA and Berlin, Germany, before returning to Boston in 2017. Carving out a varied educational and professional path, I hold a B.A. in Fine Art from Oberlin College (1984), an M.B.A. from Northeastern University (1997), a Certificate in Coaching from the International Coach Academy (2015), and a Master of Jewish Liberal Studies (MJLS) from Hebrew College with a focus on Global Interreligious Studies (2019). Professionally, I have worked as a business manager, an art dealer and founder of Solomon Fine Art gallery, language trainer, text editor, business coach and now public scholar.
My Conservative Jewish practice and wide range of personal and professional experiences inform my research and life.
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Anberin Pasha
Born in Bangalore, India and raised by a single parent who was an artist of Sufi Muslim faith, Anberin was given the freedom to travel and study by her mother who believed that if one is seeking the truth they will find it, a characteristic of a Sufi understanding of faith which was always a conversation in her home. There were never any imperatives.
An insatiable curiosity, a love for a deeper understanding of God, a background in documentary filmmaking, theology, and the humanities are the guideposts in her journey. She found faith in the Eastern Orthodox Church in Serbia while working on a project for an International humanitarian organization. Discovering the life of St. Maria of Paris in Serbia led to her next film project, and she came to Boston to pursue her studies in Orthodox Christian Theology and work on the film.
“Love to the End”, the documentary film, rediscovers the legacy of St. Maria of Paris, and premiered in 2018. She is currently working on a film project on Psalm 103, “Heaven & Earth”, a meditation on the relationship between faith and science.
She lives in the Boston area.
Jill Sarkozi
Jill Sarkozi is the founder of Safekeeping Stories and creator of the Storykeeping® method, which helps people write short, shareable stories about their family's recent history. By connecting the dots of their past in a way that leaves a legacy for the future, participants foster lasting connections across the generations of their family. Jill also leads a transformative program for children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors, helping them document, honor, and share their family's story of survival.
A graduate of Tulane University with a bachelor degree in finance and a law degree from Tulane Law School, Jill transitioned from a successful career as a corporate lawyer on Wall Street to pursue her passion for preserving family stories. Her expertise has been further enhanced by certification in Applied Positive Psychology, completion of the Boston University Genealogical Principles program, and active participation in the Biographers Guild of Greater New York. Jill is an observant Jew who has served as Trustee of Larchmont Temple.
She lives north of New York City with her family.
Past Advisory Council Members
Celene Ibrahim, PhD.
Yusef Hayes
Allyson Hilliard, MD
David Levin-Kruss
Rev. Susan Rack
Rev. Tom Reid
Nora Zaki Mantas
Saba Siddiqui
Saba Siddiqui is an observant Sunni Muslim and has been an active member of her local Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom® chapter. Originally from Pakistan, she immigrated to the US in 1989 when she was 18 years old. In the years since, she helped found a Sunday school at the local Islamic Center and is now part of the administration.
She lives in New Jersey with her family.