Cheryl Cook (She/her) is the Chief Executive Officer of Avodah.
With a career rooted in the belief that the Jewish community can be a powerful force for justice, Cheryl Cook has spent 30 years turning that vision into reality. For the past 11 years as CEO of Avodah, Cheryl has scaled the organization’s reach across the country, ensuring that young leaders have the tools, education, and community they need to create systemic change. Under her guidance, Avodah has grown not just in budget and size, but in its depth of commitment to equity and workplace excellence.
Cheryl’s extensive background includes nearly a decade as COO of Hazon and roles at the New Israel Fund and the 92nd Street Y. Beyond her executive roles, Cheryl is a dedicated advocate for communal health; she co-chairs the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable and volunteers regularly for Camp Friendship’s food pantry in her Brooklyn neighborhood.
She holds an M.S. in Social Work from Columbia, an M.A. from JTS, and a B.A. from UW-Madison. When she isn’t teaching on women’s leadership or the importance of values-aligned culture, Cheryl can be found playing board games with her two teenagers or exploring the outdoors.