The LJCC is pleased to announce the creation of an Office of Jewish Life. Located inside The J’s administrative area, the office is managed jointly by Coordinator of Jewish Programs Shannon Brasovan and Director of Special Projects Zoe Weil.

“We are so excited to have Zoe and Shannon not only working here at The J, but working together in this capacity,” says Executive Director Brooke Bowles. “While we’ve been intentional about Jewish programming in the past few years, creating this office will take us to a new level.”
While the two will share many duties in their roles, Shannon will focus on education, activities for youth, and programming around special occasions and holidays — including the monthly “Honor Our Parents” Shabbat services co-hosted here at The J with Collat Jewish Family Services. Meanwhile, Zoe will largely oversee adult programs like Southern Jewish Voices and Questions With the Rabbi, and supervise tai chi, mahjong, and the Roz Feigelson Circle of Life Knitting Group. She also will be in charge of programming for our more senior members.
“We are open for business and eager to meet with any and all members as a resource about Judaism,” Zoe says. “And of course we’ll also address the community’s need for more Jewish-centric programming.”
“I’m thrilled to be in a place where I can tie together my love of Judaism, family, community, and whole-person-wellness,” Shannon declares. “We both look forward to elevating the experience at the J for our Jewish and non-Jewish members.”
Dynamic duo
Although she grew up in a secular home, Zoe was often the only Jewish presence among her peers. She soon took to educating others about her faith. “Growing up Jewish in a small southern town propelled me to become a Jewish educator at a young age,” she recalls. Today she is a member at Temple Emanu-El with her husband, Alec Weil. Their two daughters attend preschool at the Cohn Early Childhood Learning Center.
In addition to her work at The J, Zoe is also an adjunct professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she teaches Holocaust history. She majored in history at UAB, which is also where she earned master’s degrees in history and secondary education. After teaching history in Birmingham City Schools for two years, she left the classroom in order to help improve Holocaust education in Alabama as Director of Educator Engagement at the Alabama Holocaust Education Center. She joined The J’s staff last October.
Shannon is a native of Birmingham and a lifelong lover of The J. She vividly remembers summer camp and plodding behind her mother as she attended step aerobics classes. She discovered her love of fitness here while expanding her love of Judaism.
After graduating from Mountain Brook High School, Shannon attended college at Point Park University for musical theater and dance. She and her husband Peter were married in Birmingham by Rabbi Miller. In Indianapolis they owned and operated a successful fitness facility while their two children attended Jewish preschool. The family relocated to Birmingham during the pandemic.
Shannon, who also is a personal trainer at The J, lives in Leeds. The family raises bees, chickens, fruits, and veggies. Two of their children attend the N.E. Miles Jewish Day School and a third attends Cohn ECLC.
Contact the Office of Jewish Life at jewishlife@bhamjcc.org or 205.332.3705.