Fellows Bios

Pooja Bastodkar

Pooja Bastodkar serves as the Executive Committee President at the Hindu Society of Minnesota (HSMN). Her interests include engaging and maintaining the interest in Hinduism among second-generation Hindu Americans through religious education and social cultural events. Originally from Toronto, Canada, she holds a master’s degree in Kinesiology from the University of Western Ontario and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Kinesiology from the University of Waterloo. She lives in the Twin Cities with her husband and two children.

Genjo Conway

Rev. Genjo Conway is a Soto Zen Buddhist priest at Clouds in Water Zen Center. He was ordained in 2016 by Byakuren Judith Ragir-roshi. Genjo holds a BA from Sarah Lawrence College in Anarchist Theology and Poetry and a Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from St. Cloud State University. He has served as Chaplain at the St. Cloud Children’s Home and as a psychotherapist at Clara’s House. He was the translator and co-editor of Our Only Weapon Our Spirit, a collection of Bobby Sands’ prison writing.

Jennifer Hartman

Rabbi Jennifer G. Hartman was born and raised in Shaker Heights, Ohio, just outside Cleveland. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Comparative Religion from the University of Rochester.  She was ordained at the Hebrew Union College (HUC) in New York City in 2010 and earned a Master’s Degree in Religious Education from HUC in May of 2011. Rabbi Hartman brings a passion for Jewish education and engagement to Temple Israel, where she has served as Rabbi for over 6 years. She firmly believes that if we allow it to, Jewish text can inspire us and guide us, helping us to become the fullest human beings possible. Rabbi Hartman passionately serves the community as a board member of Herzl Camp, Jewish Family and Children Services and Yachad Community High School. Rabbi Hartman lives in Minneapolis with her husband and son.

Fardosa Hassan

Fardosa Hassan is Muslim Student Program Associate at Augsburg University. She graduated from Augsburg in 2012 with a degree in sociology and international relations. She was very active in interfaith work while she was a student and received the University’s Courageous Woman’s Award. She was recognized by President Barack Obama and invited to the White House to take part in the Interfaith Campus Challenge. Fardosa also works as the Interfaith Youth Connection Program Coordinator at Interfaith Action of Greater Saint Paul.

Joe Kruse

Joe Kruse is a co-founder of the Minneapolis Catholic Worker community in south Minneapolis. He is also studying Theology at St. Catherine University in St. Paul. He spends most of his time working at The Rye House, one of the Minneapolis Catholic Worker hospitality houses, and engaging in anti-racism and workers rights organizing. Joe is also a member of the Spirit of Saint Stephens Catholic Community in South Minneapolis.

Neha Markanda

Neha Markanda sits on the HSMN (Hindu Society of Minnesota) board as the Strategic Planning Chair.  She has been a volunteer at the temple since its Maple Grove, MN doors first opened in 2006 and has held various positions.  Neha was also a co-founding teacher of HATS (Hindu American Temple School), where she taught children for nearly a decade.  She believes Hindu temples, like the one in Maple Grove, are a beautiful abode and a mirror that reflect we are not bodies, faint minds, or material souls; rather beloved extensions of God.

Professionally, Neha holds a MBA from the Carlson School of Management and is a trained Management Consultant working for a medical technology company.  She helps organizations excel in business strategy and operations.  Neha has worked with organizations such as Pfizer, State Street Global Advisors, Ameriprise Financial, McGladrey, McKesson, Target Corporate and Cargill in a global capacity.

In her spare time she enjoys running, volunteering, traveling, cooking and entertaining family/friends.

Daishin Smith

Bio currently unavailable.

Andrea Roske-Metcalfe

Andrea Roske-Metcalfe recently accepted a call to the ELCA’s Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) program in Nepal. Previously, Andrea served as the associate pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Apple Valley, MN. She holds an MDiv from Union Theological Seminary in New York, where she worked as a community organizer for the Poverty Initiative. She’s passionate about writing, storytelling (she won the 2017 Twin Cities Moth GrandSLAM), and making soup (blended ones, especially). She currently lives in the Twin Cities with her husband and two children.

Tamim Saidi

Tamim Saidi was born in Afghanistan. As a teenager, he was forced to leave his family behind and flee to Pakistan as a refugee. He came to the United States in 1990 and has called Minnesota home ever since. He is a father of 4 children, a son and a husband and a brother. He received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from U of MN and currently works as a Consultant Pharmacist.

He has been involved in many community activities, including co-founding and currently serving as the President of NWICC Board (Plymouth Masjid Al Kareem). He has also been a board member and former Vice President of Islamic Resource Group, and is former President and a founding member of MYLA Scholarship program. Saidi has been a Sunday school teacher at Islamic Center of MN (ICM) and NWICC for the past 16 years, including a high school level honors class, Vision-21, at ICM-Fridley. He has been a participant and presenter in many interfaith dialogues and activities. He is a member of Al-Amal School Board of Directors and was previously part of Muslim Youth of MN (MYM), Muslim Students Associations, and a former member of Council of Trustees of Islamic Center of MN. He has spoken and presented to thousands of Minnesotans about Islam and Muslims’ culture and way of life. He has been leading prayers as an Imam and delivered weekly Friday sermons at various locations throughout Twin Cities.

Claire Shea

Claire Shea currently serves as the Middle & High School Principal at American Creativity Academy, an international, private school in Kuwait City, Kuwait. Before moving abroad, she worked as the Junior High Principal at Benilde-Saint Margaret’s School in St. Louis Park, MN for four years. Born and raised in the Twin Cities, Claire went to Providence College in Rhode Island to study Theology and Spanish. Afterwards, she joined the LANCE program (Lasallian Association of New Catholic Educators) in Memphis, TN where she taught theology and English in an inner-city school during the day while working towards her Masters of Teaching in the evening. After moving to Minnesota, Claire received her Educational Specialist degree in Principal Licensure K-12. In addition to this fellows program, Claire is currently working towards her Doctorate of Education at the University of St. Thomas where her research focuses on moral/ethical conflict between students and teachers in public, secondary classrooms.

Aaron Weininger

Rabbi Aaron Weininger is the associate rabbi at the Adath Jeshurun Congregation in Minnetonka, Minnesota, where he holds the Berman Family Chair in Jewish Learning. He earned his BA in Anthropology and Jewish Near Eastern Studies at Washington University in St. Louis, and received ordination and an MA in Hebrew Letters from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2012. In 2007, he became the first openly gay person admitted to rabbinical school in the Conservative movement, and he studied at JTS as a Schusterman Rabbinical Fellow. Aaron believes when the spark of each person is connected to the warmth of community, ancient Jewish wisdom is reanimated and transformative in the world.