OpenDor Media’s mission is ambitious by design: meet young Jews and their peers where they are, with educational media that deepens their understanding of Israel, Judaism and the Jewish experience—helping young Jews know and own their story and helping their peers arrive at an informed perspective of their own, in ways that inspire positive engagement.
To grow that impact, OpenDor Media is investing in both sides of the story: the storytelling that reaches audiences and the partnerships that extend the field’s reach.
Nadia Simons, who spent 15 years leading digital content teams at PBS, TED, Condé Nast and Medium, has joined OpenDor Media’s leadership team as chief content officer and head of Unpacked, bringing mainstream media expertise.
Alongside her, Dan Tatar, former interim CEO of The iCenter for Israel Education, has joined as director of external partnerships, tasked with deepening OpenDor Media’s ties to funders and educational organizations across the field.
Together, they strengthen OpenDor Media’s storytelling and expand its network of funders, educators and allied organizations across the Unpacked, Unpacked for Educators, ConnectED and Amplified brands.
“Nadia and Dan are exactly the caliber of talent this next chapter demands,” said Andrew Savage, CEO of OpenDor Media. “Nadia has built real audiences at the highest levels of media and Dan has spent his career building the relationships that make ambitious work like ours possible. Together, they’re exactly the support we need to scale our reach and deepen our impact.”
Nadia Simons, chief content officer and head of Unpacked
Simon holds a B.A. from Northwestern University and an M.A. from Columbia University and lives in Scottsdale with her husband and son.
“Educational storytelling only works if people actually want to watch, listen and share it,” said Simons. “Unpacked already does that at scale. I can’t wait to help sharpen our content and reach an even wider audience at a critical moment in our history.”
Dan Tatar, director of external partnerships
Tatar also serves on Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s Voice of the People inaugural council and the board of the Alliance for Jewish Theatre, holds graduate degrees in Israel education (The George Washington University) and Jewish professional studies (Spertus Institute) and is a television and stage actor who has recently co-starred in series for NBC, Apple TV and HBO.
“The field needs partners who hold complexity without losing integrity. OpenDor Media trusts young Jews with both real literacy and nuance, not easy answers,” said Tatar. “I’m excited to build the partnerships that help this work reach even more young people, educators and funders.”
“Dan’s arrival is a big win for our partnerships strategy,” said Noam Weissman, executive vice president of OpenDor Media. “He has the relationships, emotional intelligence and credibility across the field to help our work reach even more of the educators and young people who need it.”
