FEBRUARY 16 • 2023 | 31
she has achieved favorable
settlements for clients against
Walmart, PepsiCo, Amazon
and the State of Michigan, just
to name a few.
Alleging discrimination
or harassment against an
employer is not without
obstacles; employers have
wide deference to make
decisions as it relates to hiring
and firing employees. Ryan
fights an uphill battle for her
clients daily, believing their
experiences when the cards
seem to be stacked against
them. Ryan believes that
employees devote a lot to the
companies they work for and
should be treated fairly by
those companies in return.
A particularly meaningful
case Ryan handled was for a
Jewish corrections officer on
the west side of Michigan.
The client had been subjected
to a discriminatory and
hostile work environment by
coworkers and supervisors
at the prison, just for being
Jewish. After over a year
and a half of advocating for
the client, Ryan achieved a
favorable settlement for her
client. With antisemitism ever
present in our country, helping
this client was a professional
and personal win for Ryan.
Ryan is also a council
member for the State Bar
of Michigan’s Labor and
Employment Law Section,
serving a two-year term,
where she collaborates with
both employee-side and
management-side attorneys in
Michigan, organizing events
and legal update seminars.
Ryan and her boyfriend,
Ian, have a 1-year-old
Sheepadoodle (Sheepdog and
Poodle mix) named Frankie.
Ryan loves spending time
outdoors, be it long walks
outside with a podcast, playing
tennis or pickleball with her
parents, boating on the lake
with friends or lying by the
pool at the Detroit Golf Club.
SARA
WEINFELD
Sara Weinfeld
is a licensed
social worker
who has
devoted her
career to
working with adolescents with
mental health concerns. She is
currently employed by Jewish
Family Service of Metro
Detroit as a school social
worker at Frankel Jewish
Academy. She is passionate
about ensuring that every
student is supported and able
to succeed, both inside and
outside of the classroom.
Sara is also employed
by Social Skills for Kids,
facilitating middle school
groups focusing on topics
such as self-esteem and social
connection. In the summer,
Sara is a social worker at
Tamarack Camps for the
senior-side campers entering
eighth and ninth grade. At
Tamarack, she supports
campers experiencing a variety
of mental health challenges,
including interpersonal
conflict and anxiety. She
trains and collaborates with
staff to create a supportive
environment for camper
success.
Sara graduated from
Michigan State University in
2018 with a bachelor’s degree
in human development and
family studies with a minor
in health promotion. In 2020,
Sara received her master’s
of social work from the
University of Michigan, where
she concentrated on clinical
social work while participating
in the Jewish Communal
Leadership Program. She also
received a certificate in school
social work.
Sara grew up in Farmington
continued on page 32
Mazel Tov to
36 Under 36
HONOREES ...
JAMIE
LEFKOWITZ
SARAH
ROBERTS
w w w . t b e o n l i n e . o r g
and
MAZEL TOV!
MAZEL
TOV
TO
OUR
VERY
OWN
MUSHKY
GLITSENSTEIN FOR BEING CHOSEN FOR “JN 36
UNDER 36”
YOUR
DEDICATION,
EFFORT
AND
PASSION
FOR
JUDAISM
AND
MAKING
A
JOYFUL
JEWISH
LIFE
ACCESSIBLE TO ALL IS AN EXAMPLE TO MANY.
YOUR UNCONDITIONAL LOVE FOR EVERY JEW IS
DEFINITELY
SOMETHING
THE
REBBE
-
WHO
INSPIRES YOU EVERY DAY - IS WATCHING AND
IS PROUD OF.
THE “LAMPLIGHTERS PRESCHOOL” YOU HAVE BUILT
FROM THE GROUND UP STANDS OUT FOR ITS HIGH
EDUCATIONAL QUALITY AND MEANINGFUL JEWISH
EXPERIENCE
FOR
ITS
STUDENTS
AND
THEIR
FAMILIES,
THANKS
TO
YOUR
HARD
WORK
AND
UNENDING DEDICATION.
YOU
ARE
A
LIGHT
AND
BLESSING
TO
OUR
COMMUNITY!
MAY YOU CONTINUE TO LIGHT UP THE WORLD AND
MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF SO MANY.
B"H