Our Trustees

HaMakom's Board of Trustees

Roland Brandman

Roland is the Chairman of HaMakom. He speaks and writes about the traditional sources for Jewish contemplative thought and practice. His new book on the subject, Sapphire Mind, is recently published. Roland is also a property lawyer, a synagogue chazan (“the English Cantor”), a past exhibitioner of Oxford University (reading Classics), and a member of the Athenaeum Club.

Sara Bensusan

In 2014 I was blessed to attend one of the very first HaMakom retreats at Skeet House. The fact that the retreat was in silence was something of a surprise to me, I never thought I would spend a weekend in relative silence. But I was hooked, the meditation, the spiritual teaching, the community, and yes even the silence were and continue to be inspiring. Since then it has been my pleasure and honour and a joyful part of my life to be part of the HaMakom ‘team’ working with Rabbi Danny and the other trustees and now Zac to establish HaMakom as a charity and to help to grow the organisation. My work with HaMakom is all part of my ‘practice’. In other parts of my life I have a son and daughter, now ‘all grown up’ and both living in Brighton. I live with my husband and our cat Opal in North London and in my spare time, I work as a consultant property solicitor.

Suzanne Freed

HaMakom is the Jewish community I feel most comfortable with, and I really enjoy helping make it happen. My meditation practice is still patchy – but I’m working on it. I live in London with my husband Velo and our very affectionate dog with no boundaries. I work as a personal tax assistant and offer particular support to HaMakom in all things financial.

Edward Gold

When I was 18, Rabbi Lionel Blue z’’l told me I should go to a monastery for two weeks and meditate! Although in later years I went and enjoyed midweek meditations at Alyth started by Rabbi Danny Newman, it was only some 60 years later that I went to my first HaMakom retreat and realised how good Lionel’s advice had been. The opportunity to just stop and listen to the constant companion of the breath in the company of others in a Jewish context is now a regular feature helping me navigate life’s journey. Accordingly, I was delighted to help form the HaMakom charity and put it on a permanent footing. After working in financial services for 54 years – as Pension Consultant for the last 20 years – I finally retired. Apart from supporting HaMakom, I work with Jewish Interactive, a charity that creates digital games teaching Primary age children Hebrew and Jewish Studies. In my spare time I teach Biblical Hebrew.

Rabbi Danny Newman

Danny is the Founder and former CEO of HaMakom. He is currently the Rabbi of two Progressive Jewish communities in London and also works as a Life Coach and Facilitator of Men’s Groups and Men’s Retreats. Previously he read Jewish Studies at Oxford University, studied at several Yeshivot in Israel, trained in psychotherapy and worked for many years in Corporate Law, Finance and Private Equity in the City of London.