About Ellen Rovner

Ellen Rovner, PhD, is the founder of the Chelsea Gateway Project. She develops and guides the tours, drawing on her and family’s Chelsea roots, historical research. Ellen connects Chelsea’s immigrant communities to a common history.

As the fourth generation of an immigrant family to Chelsea, she believes that knowing and celebrating our immigrant pasts is integral to building an informed, empowered, and engaged multi-cultural society. To this end, she seeks to engage with community activists, leaders, and artists who are deeply involved with experiential, collaborative social change.

Ellen is a cultural and culinary anthropologist. She has taught at Boston University and has been a Visiting Scholar at the Brandeis University Womens’ Studies Research Center. Join Ellen on your exploration of Chelsea’s Jewish past and its valuable legacy as part of Chelsea’s multi-cultural present.