Jeff Polak

President/Founder

Jeff Polak is President and Executive Director of the David & Janet Polak Foundation, where he has redefined what it means to lead with purpose in the Jewish world. Under his leadership, the Foundation has advanced innovative programs that strengthen Jewish identity, expand access to culture and education, and support transformative initiatives across Israel and the United States.

Polak has spearheaded landmark projects that fuse history, art, and technology. He funded the full-scale digitization of David Ben-Gurion’s private archives, making Israel’s founding story accessible to scholars, students, and the public worldwide. In Los Angeles, he partnered with the Los Angeles Ballet to debut Memoryhouse, the first Jewish ballet commemorating six million lives lost in the Holocaust, merging music, movement, and memory into a deeply resonant artistic experience. He also launched AKLA, a high-energy, immersive fellowship that engages teens with Israeli innovation in cybersecurity, biotechnology, and the arts, now scaling nationwide.

Beyond programmatic impact, Polak is a strategic investor and philanthropist. He has supported more than 50 leading institutions, including the Simon Wiesenthal Center, FIDF, Technion, and Cedars-Sinai, and is advancing the use of Program-Related Investments to fund socially aligned ventures that strengthen the Jewish future. He also serves as Managing Director of Polak Investors, overseeing a diversified portfolio spanning equities, fixed income, and alternatives.

Polak holds a BA in Economics and International Relations from USC and is a Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®). His leadership extends across the Jewish and philanthropic landscape, including board and investment committee roles at the American Technion Society, Ben-Gurion University, FIDF, Cedars-Sinai, the Buckley School, and the Los Angeles Jewish Home. A dedicated marathoner, he approaches both life and work with discipline, focus, and a relentless commitment to impact.

Tonia Barber / Executive Director

Tonia Barber is the Executive Director of AKLA, where she has transformed the fellowship into a nationally recognized model for experiential cultural education. Under her leadership, AKLA has pioneered programming that engages teens with Jewish heritage through technology, medicine, cinema, and global security, positioning the organization at the forefront of cultural innovation and social impact.

With a career spanning the creative industries, cultural sector, and community building, Barber has advanced AKLA’s content through immersive media—including a Virtual Reality experience developed in partnership with Technion University—educational films, and live performance, most notably the premiere of Memoryhouse, the first Jewish ballet commemorating six million lives lost in the Holocaust. Prior to AKLA, she served as Creative Director of Dance Camera West, leading the internationally recognized festival and presenting work at top performing arts venues and museums across Los Angeles, elevating the profile of dance on film worldwide. Her own films have premiered at leading festivals, including the Sundance Film Festival and the American Film Institute.

Barber began her artistic career as a dancer, training on scholarship at the Joffrey Ballet and performing on Broadway. She holds a bachelor's degree in Performing Arts from St. Mary’s College and has since built a career leading creative initiatives across arts education, media, and cultural sectors.

Programming Coordinator

Rebecca Webb is the Programming Coordinator at AKLA, where she plays a central role in designing and executing dynamic programs that engage teens with Jewish heritage. With deep roots in Jewish communities in Los Angeles and Philadelphia, Webb brings both personal connection and professional expertise to her work, fostering meaningful experiences for the next generation of Jewish leaders.

Webb’s professional journey spans more than two decades in the automotive industry, where she built a reputation for excellence with major brands including Saab, Cadillac, GMC, and Mercedes-Benz. Known for her natural ability to connect with people, she developed skills in client engagement, relationship-building, and team collaboration that now inform her approach to programming and community leadership at AKLA.

Born in Philadelphia and raised in Los Angeles, Webb faced early personal challenges that shaped her resilience and dedication. Today, she finds fulfillment in family, especially through her nieces and nephews, and brings that same care and commitment to her work nurturing young leaders. At AKLA, she continues her family’s legacy of community engagement while inspiring and supporting teens as they explore identity, culture, and purpose.