Set to emerge from the pandemic with historic levels of online reader engagement, J. The Jewish News of Northern California welcomed four new board members on July 1 boasting formidable credentials and experience in communications, advertising and law.

Joining J.’s board of directors this summer are Andy Rittenberg, a senior vice president of legal affairs at Gilead Sciences; Liz Berman, owner of the marketing and strategic consulting business LKB Consulting; Sara Gaviser Leslie, the founder and principal of the brand strategy firm In Other Words; and Liz Einbinder, a public relations professional with decades of experience helping build PR strategies for companies large and small.

Rittenberg, 51, of Menlo Park, was drawn to the leadership role at J. because of his “appreciation for local journalism” and “a connection to the Jewish community.” He’s spent 15 years at Gilead, the biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Foster City, where he also serves as its chief compliance officer. Rittenberg grew up in New Orleans, earning his BA from Yale and his law degree at the University of Chicago.

Berman, also a Yale alum with a degree in economics, lives in San Francisco with her fiance, Richard Fiedotin, former board chair of the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation. Berman, 41, owns a consulting firm specializing in marketing, customer relations management and analytics. Since joining J.’s board she has already spearheaded an ambitious project to learn more about the publication’s print and online readership in the form of a reader survey, which has garnered more than 700 responses so far.

“I’m so excited to be a part of this organization, and I am eager to help J. grow its reach and impact within the local community, especially with younger audiences,” she said.

Gaviser Leslie, 48, of Menlo Park, is a specialist in brand strategy, positioning and messaging, whose passion, she said, “is leveraging storytelling and narrative for impact.” A Minneapolis native who earned her BA from Wellesley College, and holds an MBA from Columbia University, she also serves on the board of the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation.

“For centuries, Jewish newspapers were the heartbeat of Jewish communities everywhere,” she said. “The world looks very different today, yet a Jewish newspaper is still an essential community good and can connect us to each other. I am proud to help evolve J. to answer to the needs of our community, care for one another and amplify all voices.”

Einbinder, 56, was born and raised in Marin County and brings more than 25 years of public relations experience to the paper. She built the PR strategy for the crime prevention technology company ShotSpotter, managing it through its initial public offering, and constructed a PR approach for the travel company Backroads.

Now a San Francisco resident, she has longstanding ties to Congregation Rodef Sholom in San Rafael and says she has been a J. reader for decades. In her spare time she leads walking tours of San Francisco with City Guides, among other pursuits.

“I think it’s important to have a weekly Jewish newspaper that reports on local and national news to keep the Bay Area community educated on timely topics,” she said.

Also on July 1, board officers were named for the 2021-2022 fiscal year. Mark Bernstein returns as co-president, joined this year by Carol Weitz, who previously served as secretary. Jerry Yanowitz and Harmon Shragge are co-vice presidents, with Shragge also stepping in as acting secretary; and Patricia Rosenberg was named as treasurer.

Tracing its roots to 1895, J. is the Bay Area’s only Jewish community media outlet, publishing its print edition every other week and online stories daily.