More about Jonathan

As the founder of The K’ilu Company, Jonathan reimagines Jewish early childhood and family engagement through theater and play. In this role, he travels the country as a speaker, workshop leader, and educational consultant in synagogues, day schools, and early childhood centers nationwide. He is the author of two books, Let There Be Play: Bringing the Bible to Life with Young Children and In the Beginning: My Storybook Bible, both recently published by Behrman House. He is a curricular partner and consultant for ElevatEd, Jewish Grandparents Network, and Jewish United Fund Chicago. Jonathan is a recipient of The Covenant Foundation’s 2022 Pomegranate Prize for emerging Jewish educators and was named the Foundation’s inaugural Jewish Family Education Fellow in 2023. As a writer and director, He has created original theater for young audiences at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the Kennedy Center, Alliance Theatre, and Seattle Children’s Theatre. His works for very young children and their families have been seen at venues across the country, and featured by NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, The New York Times, and American Theatre Magazine. He is the founding artistic director of Trusty Sidekick Theater Company, and the creator of Lincoln Center’s Big Umbrella Festival for neurodivergent audiences. Previously, he served as Executive Director of TYA/USA, the Producer of Family Programming at Lincoln Center,  and the Associate Director of Artistic Programming at New Victory, where he supported the curation of an international season of performing arts for young audiences. He has taught coursework on Theatre for Young Audiences at New York University and Northwestern University.