Kara Wilson is an advocate for religious pluralism in support of the Reform movement both in the US and in Israel. As a Jew of color, she is an activist for the Jewish adjacent community and volunteers for social justice initiatives. Through her community at Temple Beth-El in Hillsborough, New Jersey, she co-chairs the DEI efforts in collaboration with the URJ Audacious Hospitality resources. In her commitment to making the Jewish community a more welcoming space, grounded in justice and equity, Kara recently joined the Just Zionism cohort through the Association of Reform Zionists of America (ARZA). She volunteers time to a spectrum of Jewish organizations including the Religious Action Center in New Jersey (RAC-NJ) for voting equity efforts and recently on a local Federation health equity project to combat “period poverty” in the US.
Professionally, Kara is the Manager of Strategic Partnerships and Initiatives at the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR). She leads large research projects including the SuperAgers Family Study. Kara is a key liaison for AFAR's government advocacy work that looks to bring awareness to the benefits of aging research and workforce development. She has extensive program management and strategic planning experience in the not-for-profit, pharmaceutical, and higher education industries. Kara has an M.P.H. in Public Health Informatics from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a focus on system evaluation and project management. She graduated with a BA in Economics with a minor in applied ethics from Rutgers University–Newark. Kara lives in Central New Jersey with her two children, ages 2 and 10, and her partner of 6 years. When she’s not volunteering, chasing a toddler, and being a “dance mom”; Kara enjoys drawing, running, and Torah study.