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Dori has served as Matan’s Exectuive Director since 2009, and has been part of Matan’s administrative team since 2007. Under Dori’s leadership, Matan has shifted from a purely direct service organization to one which significantly impacts the field of Jewish Special Needs Education by training current and future leaders in a multitude of settings — congregational schools, early childhood programs, camps and Jewish Day Schools. Matan has been featured in The Slingshot Guide of the most innovative Jewish organizations in North America six times since Dori joined Matan.

Dori believes that 85% of what we do as a Jewish community vis a vis inclusion can be summed up in one word: Attitude. With an open heart, open mind, and a willingness to partner with parents and other professionals, we can all be part of the solution of making inclusion a reality.

Prior to coming to Matan, Dori worked at The UJA-Federation of New York for seven years, in both planning and fundraising capacities.  Dori began her professional career at The Solomon Schechter School of Manhattan as a bi-lingual educator (Hebrew and English). Dori holds a Masters of Arts in Education from The Jewish Theological Seminary of America and a BA in Sociology and Judaic Studies from Emory University. Dori is a sought-after national speaker on the issue of Jewish inclusion, and has published articles and Op-Ed’s in such publications as The New York Jewish Week, eJewish Philanthropy and Zeh Lezeh, a blog of The Ruderman Family Foundation.

Maleni Chaitoo is Co-Executive Producer and co-star of the hit comedy web series, Don’t Shoot the Messenger. When she’s not performing or consulting for film and television, she works as an advocate speaking at the United Nations on disability, American Sign Language cultural programming, and linguistic human rights. Chaitoo is also an advocate for new media and new voices. She is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA and New York Women in Film & Television. Website: malenichaitoo.com Follow: @MaleniChaitoo & @TheMessengerASL

Sascha Altman DuBrul, MSW, is the Recovery Specialist and Trainer for OnTrackNY and the ACT Institute. He is the co-founder of the Icarus Project, a network of peer based mental health support groups and media project that is actively redefining the language and culture of mental health and illness. He is the co-author of Navigating the Space Between Brilliance and Madness, Friends Make the Best Medicine: A Guide to Creating Community Mental Health Support Networks, and the author of Maps to the Other Side: The Adventures of a Bipolar Cartographer. His interests lie at the intersection of the public mental health system and the mad underground.  For more info, visit: http://mapstotheotherside.net. 

Danny Woodburn is an American film, television and stage actor best known for having played Mickey Abbott on the sitcom Seinfeld. Born in Philadelphia, with more than 120 TV appearances, Woodburn has had recurring roles on shows such as Tracey Takes On, Baywatch, Murder, She Wrote, Charmed, Becker, Bones, and the soap opera Passions. He has also appeared in the films Jingle All the Way, Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her, The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas, Death to Smoochy, Employee of the Month, and as the character Big Figure in Watchmen.

Woodburn starred as Professor Pixel in Fox’s 1992 Halloween special Count DeClues’ Mystery Castle. It was shot at The Magic Castle. His television starring roles were in the 1997 series Conan the Adventurer (as Otli, one of Conan’s sidekicks), Special Unit 2, and Passions.

A graduate of Temple University School of Communications and Theater, he appeared in numerous stage productions before moving to Los Angeles, among them Indian Wants the Bronx by Israel Horovitz, Scapino, David Mamet’s Revenge of the Space Pandas, and a touring company production of Viet Rock. His debut in the New York theater world began with The Soda Jerk. He received the school’s Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award in 2001.

Woodburn is also an advocate for disabled and Little People issues, and serves on the Screen Actors Guild Performers with Disabilities Committee. As an advocate for persons with disabilities, he was keynote speaker at 2010 RespectABILITY Conference and the Inclusion Network of Cincinnati, The Little People’s Research Fund. He was awarded the DREAM Award by the Disability Rights Legal Center in 2009 and the 2010 Screen Actors Guild Harold Russell Award.

Xian Horn is a joyful half-Asian woman with Cerebral Palsy serving as writer, mentor, teacher, and positivity activist. A member of an international network of extraordinary women, 85 Broads, she was heralded by founder Janet Hanson as an “amazing role model for all women.”

With her personal stories and ongoing mentoring work, Xian Horn is invested in contributing positively to self-esteem and the collective self-image, especially for women. Starting in 2010 with a popular YouTube video, Xian has called for the inclusion of people with disabilities in various beauty campaigns.

In June of 2014, Xian was the first ever alumni Commencement Speaker at NYC Lab School, her alma mater. She has spoken at the Dove Self-Esteem Weekend, New York Life’s Enable Program, ReelAbilities Film Festival, UJA Federation, NYU, BMCC, and JCC Manhattan, among others.

Director, 4 Quarters of Silence

Given his passion for film and television production, Cody Broadway sought out the New York Film Academy in 2009 to decide what specifically he wanted to do in the field. “NYFA helped me with the skills and knowledge I needed to have in the real world.”
After film school, Cody set his search for a career in either film or television. After coming across a position in FOX, Cody sent in his NYFA work for consideration. “They were very impressed with my work and brought me on at first as a host and producer of a show called FOX Live,” said Cody. “After about a month, they had an opening for a Promotions and Production Manager. In the position, Cody oversaw the production and promotions for FOX in both Texas markets. He has also helped create and host a show called FOX Live, which airs every Saturday in both markets. “Overall, I have been with FOX for 2 years now and believe that without the academy none of this would be possible.”
Cody currently is a visual producer for KUSA in Denver, Colorado.

3 total Emmys (Editor/Director/Single Spot).

Moderator, Dancing on Wheels

A Helen Hayes Award nominee, she originated the title role of John Belluso’s «Gretty Good Time» at the Kennedy Center. She’s starred Off-Broadway in Kate Moira Ryan’s «Bass For Picasso», Theatre Breaking Through Barriers’ «Power Plays», and her own solo musical «Still Standing», which won the Audience Award at United Solo Festival (CD available on iTunes) and was also presented at The White House. Other stage work includes «Ragtime» (Emma Goldman), «Fiddler on the Roof» (Golde), «Brighton Beach Memoirs» (Blanche) and «CATS» (her Grizabella made the Broadway World Top Ten in 2013). She’s appeared in TV series such as «Gotham», «Law & Order», «OZ», «The Sopranos», «All My Children», BBC’s «From The Edge», and the feature films «Handsome Harry & Musical Chairs».

Anita serves as National Chair of SAG-AFTRA Performers With Disabilities and has worked for over 30 years with Broadway & Hollywood producers for more inclusion in the entertainment industry. She helps select films for ReelAbilities and plays for VSA Playwright Discovery Program. And finally, in addition to tap-dancing in the hilarious musical Nunsense, Anita has performed with Kitty Lunn’s Infinity Dance Theatre and will be appearing here at the festival in On Display with Heidi Latsky Dance.