Staff Team Bios
Jonathan Shmidt Chapman
FOUNDER & CEO
Jonathan Shmidt Chapman is an award-winning artist, writer, and Jewish educator whose work brings together sensory theater, play, and early Jewish learning. As the founder and artistic director of The K’ilu Company, Jonathan leads a collaborative body of work that invites young children and the adults who guide them to step inside Jewish stories through imagination, movement, and shared experience.
Through K’ilu, Jonathan partners with educators, organizations, and networks across North America to support early childhood and family engagement through immersive experiences, professional learning, and capacity-building initiatives. He is a highly sought-after keynote speaker, artist-scholar-in-residence, and workshop leader, regularly presenting at national conferences and gatherings focused on Jewish education, early childhood learning, and family engagement.
Jonathan is the author of Let There Be Play: Bringing the Bible to Life with Young Children and In the Beginning: My Storybook Bible (Behrman House), which articulate the pedagogical foundations that shape K’ilu’s approach. His partnership work through K’ilu includes collaborations with ElevatEd, the Jewish Grandparents Network, and Jewish United Fund Chicago, supporting educators and communities through training, curriculum development, and field-wide initiatives.
In addition to his educational work, Jonathan is an accomplished theater artist for young audiences. His recent projects include The Birthday of the World, developed in collaboration with the Alliance Theatre, alongside earlier works presented at Lincoln Center, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Seattle Children’s Theatre. His work has been featured by NBC Nightly News, The New York Times, and American Theatre magazine.
Jonathan’s leadership has been recognized with numerous honors, including The Covenant Foundation’s Pomegranate Prize, the Foundation’s inaugural Jewish Family Education Fellowship, The Jewish Education Project’s Young Pioneers Award, and the Children’s Theatre Foundation of America’s Medallion Award.
He lives in the Chicago area with his husband, Rabbi David Chapman, and their two children. Learn more at jonathanshmidtchapman.com.
Doug Winkelstein
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Dr. Doug Winkelstein is an educator, theater-maker, and organizational leader based in Chicago. With nearly two decades of experience in education, leadership development, and the arts, Doug is passionate about building meaningful relationships and creating learning environments where both young people and professionals can thrive.
Doug most recently served as Assistant Vice President of Jewish Education at the Jewish Federation of Chicago, where he led strategic initiatives to strengthen Jewish learning across the community. His work focused on supporting educators, developing impactful programming, and expanding access to dynamic educational experiences. Before this role, Doug served as Director of Learning and Development at BBYO, where he designed and facilitated leadership training, and oversaw national programs.
His foundation as an educator began in the classroom, where he spent a decade as a middle school teacher designing student-centered curriculum. He also led school-wide culture initiatives and directed programs in media studies, student leadership, and the arts.
Theater has been a lifelong throughline in Doug’s work. He is the Founder and former Artistic Director of the Margate Players Theater Company and served on the board of Whim Theater Company in Chicago. Doug brings a creative, collaborative approach to all his work.
Doug also serves as adjunct faculty at Gratz College, where he teaches graduate courses on student motivation and creating inclusive, affirming learning environments. He holds a Doctorate in Education Leadership, along with certifications in educational leadership and supervision. He also serves on the board of Keshet in Chicago.
Doug lives in Chicago with his husband, Michael, and their son, Harrison, where they enjoy being deeply engaged in their community. In his free time, he can often be found running, seeing movies and theater, and exploring the outdoors.
Jordan Zelvin
ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Jordan Zelvin is a Chicago-based artist, teacher, puppeteer and Jewish storyteller. With a B.A. in Educational Studies and Theatre from Denison University, Jordan has extensive experience in child-centered, play-based learning, as well as, immersive theater/dramatic play as a means to discover identity, community, and life-long curiosity. Always viewing storytelling as a collaborative experience, she works at the intersection of her own identities in everything she does.
She has collaborated as both an independent and teaching artist with the Alliance Theatre, Writers Theatre, NTYA, Oil Lamp Theater, Redtwist Theatre, Strawdog Theatre Company, Stage 773, The Second City, The Annoyance Theatre, iO Theater, The Revival, and numerous schools and Shuls across the Chicagoland area, providing innovative theatre programming for children, families, and teachers.
Along with her role as Associate Artistic Director and Lead Teaching Artist for the K’ilu Company, Jordan is the co-founder of Chronic Collective Chi, a company member of PlayGround-Chicago, and a comedian with Malarkey Comedy.