Aaron grew up working for many years as a madrich youth leader in Habonim Dror Australia and spent his gap year in Israel with the movement. His time at Habo gave birth to his love for Judaism and informal education.

During his university years, Aaron volunteered in numerous Jewish organisations helping facilitate informal educational processes including with UJEB, B’nei Brith and March of the Living Australia. At March of the Living he ultimately became head of program taking students to Poland and Israel in three consecutive years.

Upon finishing his undergraduate degrees majoring in Jewish history and Conservation Biology, Aaron went on to co-found and direct the Informal Jewish Education department at Bialik College, a prominent Jewish day school in Melbourne. For the next four years, Aaron led a team to build and implement engaging, meaningful and experiential education across the school. This included running Zionist and Jewish seminars, trips to Israel, leadership structures and school wide chaggim and yamim celebrations.

Aaron previously attended ROI as a participant, and has helped found and run various community organizations in the Jewish Community with the help of this ongoing education.

Professionally, Aaron is currently Head of Training and Program Development at the Rites of Passage Institute where he is working to bring out the best in young people. In addition, he runs his own small education organisation – Bloom Collective – which builds and implements educational programs focused on self-development, leadership and social impact.

Aaron holds dual Master’s Degrees in Education and Judaic Studies from New York University, where he was a Jim Joseph Fellow. He is a graduate of the Yeshiva University Certificate Program in Experiential Jewish Education; the iCenter Master’s Concentration in Israel Education; and the American Jewish World Service Rabbinic and Graduate Student Global Justice Fellowship. Aaron received his bachelor’s degree in Journalism, Judaic Studies, and Hebrew from New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study.

https://www.aaronlevicurricula.com

Aaron Rotenberg is the spiritual leader of the Annex Shul. He is passionate about soulful davening and creating traditional egalitarian spaces.

Abbe Lyons is the resident Cantor at Ithaca College. According to Google, “she was one of the first three American women to be ordained as cantors in the Jewish Renewal.” According to her website www.abbelyons.com, she is a performer, composer, lyricist, vocalist, and guitarist. When asked to participate in my retreat, she cited sessions focus on Jewish content like wine as a symbol in Jewish practice, text, story and/or song in addition to how wine is used in sacred occasions–she referenced passages in Pirke Avot and “fun historical stuff (Rashi was a vintner).” She understands my topic and is accessible and used to work with young professionals.

Abbe Lyons is the resident Cantor at Ithaca College. According to Google, “she was one of the first three American women to be ordained as cantors in the Jewish Renewal.” According to her website www.abbelyons.com, she is a performer, composer, lyricist, vocalist, and guitarist.

Abrah Dresdale is a visionary educator and community leader who is passionate about catalyzing change with the tools of regenerative design. As an educational consultant, she approaches program and curriculum development from a whole-systems framework, making connections between the personal, social, ecological, and economic dimensions of any project. She guides learners of all ages, facilitates community engaged projects, and provides educational consulting for institutions, organizations, and communities of practice. Abrah is the founding Director of Regenerate Change: A Recipe for Social Alchemy.

After receiving a B.A. in History and Philosophy from S.U.N.Y. Binghamton, Abraham moved to Kibbutz Ketura, a socialist pioneering settlement in Israel’s Negev desert, where he spent nineteen years as a date farmer. He received his army training in the Israel Nachal Paratrooper Corps and served in a front-line combat unit as a reservist in the IDF until retirement in 2003, serving in Lebanon and during both Intifadas.

Abraham completed an M.A. in Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania. His architectural emphasis is on the design of Jewish Space in Israeli and modern American Jewish architecture.

In addition to practicing architecture, he is a licensed tour guide and senior Jewish/Israel educator. As Educational Director of the Dorot Fellowship in Israel, he was part of a team that designed new concepts of peer-led education. In his role as Educational Director of Israel Interactive, he provided educators with inventive, attractive, DVD and Internet based instructional programs for Israel education. He is also a lecturer on the Architecture of Jerusalem at Hebrew University.

He is the co-author of the book “Living the Dream: Israel at 50” as well as “Israel at 60: People, Places and History”, a three-volume set of DVDs.

Abraham and his wife Elissa live in Tel Aviv with their two ten-year-old daughters, Shiri and Libi.

Adam W. McKinney is a former dancer with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, LINES Ballet, Béjart Ballet Lausanne, and Milwaukee Ballet Company. He was raised in Milwaukee, WI where he attended and graduated from Hillel Academy, an Orthodox Jewish Day School. Soccer on Saturdays and going to McDonald’s on Pesach with matzah in hand were not uncommon occurrences. In 2006, he co-founded DNAWORKS, an arts and service organization committed to healing through the arts and dialogue (www.dnaworks.org). Through this organization, he often facilitates workshops and experiences for Jews, as well as participants from other backgrounds, to explore and transform themes of identity and ancestry.

An Assistant Professor of Dance at Texas Christian University, his work investigates tikkun olam, transgenerational trauma, and dance in community settings. He choreographed and performs in HaMapah/The Map, which explores mixed heritage identities, and the possibility and responsibility of bringing people closer together through performance. He holds a BFA in Dance Performance from Butler University and an MA in Dance Studies with concentrations in race and trauma theories from New York University, where he was a Bronfman Artist Fellow.

Adam recently returned from Poland where he danced as historical, embodied reconciliation in spaces associated with the Holocaust. In summer 2018, he was one of 20 artists selected from a pool of nearly 200 applicants to participate in the Asylum Arts social justice retreat, in partnership with Repair The World. The retreat was made possible by The Schusterman Foundation and Lippman Kanfer Foundation for Living Torah and gave space for Jewish artists to share their expertise in community organizing, education, and creative inquiry with one another. Adam went on to receive funding through Asylum arts for his work “SCAB,” which explores the long-term effects of southern racist violence.

Adam lives in Fort Worth, TX with his husband Daniel.

Adeena is currently finishing a year of Jewish service leadership as the Education Justice Fellow of Repair the World Philadelphia. Adeena has studied communications at Goucher College and Talmud at Machon Mayaan in Beit Shemesh. This year Adeena has specialized in facilitating conversations around modern social justice issues within a Jewish context. Adeena has also focused on creating pluralistic events for the young professionals of our community centered around Judaism and social action.

I love using and creating ritual for individuals and groups of people for numerous experiences: life cycle, mindful living, transitions and so much more.

As a spiritual leader, educator and rabbi, with experience working in entrepreneurial settings with 20’s/30’s in summer retreats (BCI), in my former congregation in California, and now on a college campus at University of Maryland – I am constantly exploring and experimenting with different forms of ritual.

I am thrilled when I have the chance to co-create ritual with the students I teach. Last month, one of my students approached me about re-creating her Bat Mitzvah as she would want it now. There is so much that I can share about ritual and meeting people where they are to inspire them to do and create in their own lives.

– Insanely prepared email reply about how passionate about baseball is + Jewish day school teacher
– Ability for prepare informal education at camps, staff retreats, etc
– Innovative ways to combine topics and use source issues, get people to actually to talk + discuss”

FROM REFERENCE – Scott Kahn
– Akiva is one of the most unique + amazing students
– Maintained contact throughout time… very brilliant and smart + top educator who thinks about curriculum and what is the best way to teach people… not just knowledge
– Not care about keeping party line… looking for deep thinking
– HUGE baseball fan and history and scholar
– One of the coolest
– He is different and designed to build community
– “No better person in the world for this”

Alex is a young uruguayan jewish educator who lived in Israel for more than 8 years. In Israel he studied at Ieshivat Hakotel in Jerusalem and afterward he studied two more years in Kolel Ayelet Hashajar in Modiin. Thanks to his studied in both yeshivot he has a deep knowledge about Guemara, Halaja, Musar and Tanaj. Alex moved back to Uruguay some months ago and is eager to share his jewish knowledge from a different point of view. He is nowadays “less religious” having a more “modern life”.

Our educator is an ordained orthodox rabbi with a Masters in Jewish philosophy. Before he was religious, he spent a decade studying Buddhist meditation. When he became religious, he studied with a well-known Jewish meditation teacher for a number of years.

Alice Frank has taught her own kind of Jewish Mystical Yoga, Shal(om) Yoga, for 15 years. After a spontaneous, totally normal and accidental awakening, alone in her room on the day of Yom Kippur in her 20th year, she fell deeply in love with the Torah. She has distilled each parashah (portion) down to an epic consciousness teaching, highly relevant to the people (Jews and non-Jews alike) of today. She was a student at Metivta- Academy of Contemplative Judaism, under Jonathan Omer-Man, Rabbi Rami Shapiro, Rabbi David Zeller, learned much from Rabbi Ann Brener, Mordechai Gafni and Michael Ozair (in simpler times). She has led ceremony for all the holy days, taught at ALEPH, in shuls around the country, and led Moishe House retreats including Channukah “Light Up the Dark,” and Pesach of this year.

I completed my Master’s degree in Experiential Education and Jewish Cultural Arts at the George Washington University in August 2018 and am currently in the JOFEE (Jewish Outdoor, Food, Farming and Environmental Education) Fellowship with Hazon. I worked as a Hillel professional, Israel on Campus Coalition Regional Coordinator, and have been trained as a Birthright Fellow. My expertise includes Israel, Jewish food, Jewish agriculture laws, immersive experience planning, event planning, leadership development, Hebrew calendar, Shabbat, and outdoor education

Andrei Borovsky, artist, art historian, teacher. Having started working with children at the beginning of the history of Russian non-formal Jewish education in 1993, he became the author of many educational programs and his own methods devoted to Jewish culture. Specialist in art therapy and museum pedagogy. Currently working in kindergarten “Tapuz” ECC them. R. Goldman at the Nikitsky and Children’s Center of the Jewish Museum and Center for Tolerance in Moscow, participates in the programs of Jewish children and family camps. Lead educational seminars in different regions, a regular participant and author of children’s programs Limmud in Moscow, London and the CIS countries. From 2015 – expert and permanent author of methodological studies of the PJ-library project in Russia.

Anise Simon is a Women’s health care advocate, Moishe house alumna, and passionate about community building. Anise is enrolled in night classes for Electrical Systems Technology at her local community college and works as the Southern Funds Coordinator at the National Network of Abortion Funds, where she provides support to grassroots abortion funds in the South. Anise loves safe spaces, community organizing, and supporting Jewish life. She is also a previous participant in BCI summer program.

Kohenet Annie Matan (anniematan.com)
is a singer, artist, spiritual leader and Jewish educator. Annie received ordination from the Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute in 2009. She studied for 2 years at the Pardes Institute of Jewish studies in Jerusalem, where she earned a certificate in Experiential Jewish Education, has a BA in Humanities (focused on Jewish Studies) from York University and also spent two years in the Aleph Alliance for Jewish Renewal rabbinical ordination program. Last year, she was chosen to be a mentor in the 92Y Shababa Network for Jewish professionals. Passionate about inclusive and accessible Jewish and multi-faith spirituality, Annie is known for using original gospel music to infuse Jewish liturgy with meaning, intention and soul.

Arya is a first-generation American born to Iranian immigrants and raised in Los Angeles – the heart of the largest Persian-Jewish population in the world. Deeply driven by human connection, Arya earned his bachelor’s degree in Psychology at the University of California San Diego, and later completed a master’s degree in Organizational Behavior from New York University. Arya has fully embraced his alignment as a non-profit Jewish communal “lifer,” following a seven-year student-leader to professional career from Hillel of San Diego to the Hillel International offices in Washington, DC. In 2015, Arya returned to Los Angeles after ten years between San Diego, Tel Aviv, and DC, based largely in part on his ability to fully come out as a gay man to his family. Soon after, Arya began a body of work he had dreamt of since he was a teen, advocating for the full equality of LGBTQ+ individuals in Persian, Jewish, and broader communities. In less than two years, Arya has advanced from Consultant to Assistant Director to Managing Director of JQ International, an LGBTQ+ Jewish non-profit that transforms Jewish communities, and ensures inclusion through education, support, and identity-enrichment. In 2017, continuing his devotion to this mission, Arya launched the first-ever Persian Pride Fellowship, an interfaith LGBTQ+ and ally activism training built to train the next generation of leaders in this life-saving work.

Asi has years of experience working for Hashomer Hatzair and other Jewish institutions. He has been the Sheliach of Hashomer Hatzair for all Brasil and also had been our teacher during Shnat Hachshara in Israel.
His areas of expertise are informal education, activism and leadership

http://www.yeshivatmaharat.org/class-of-2020/2016/6/20/yrpr3rs8fq96eefmdhj1olp3t5t46f

Atara Cohen is a native of Riverdale NY. She graduated from Princeton University with a BA in Religion and a certificate in Judaic Studies. Through her undergraduate studies, she focused on the impact of text on religious experience and submitted a senior thesis entitled “Heavenly Portions and Messianic Distortions: A Tale of Two Talmuds.” Outside of her academic study of religion, she engaged with the interfaith community on campus as a member of a Muslim-Jewish dialogue group, the interfaith council, and as the leader of an interfaith service group. As a part of the Jewish community on campus, she taught many shiurim on a variety of topics, was a participant in the Princeton Yeshiva Fellowship, served as education chair of the Orthodox community, and organized a Yiddish language table at Hillel. Atara has studied Torah in a variety of settings, including, among others, Midreshet Nishmat, Yeshivat Hadar, and Drisha. This year Atara is serving as an intern at the Columbia-Barnard Hillel.

Audrey Alcabes has been working as a guide for the Memorial of the Shoah in Paris for six years now. She has a degree in languages and civilisations of ancient worlds from ENS LYON. She has also been working as a teacher of classic literature for 8 years.

Avery Robinson is a Jewish culinary historian and educator. He wrote a thesis on kugel as a lens into Jewish identity and curated an exhibit on American Jewish foodways while completing his MA at the University of Michigan. Upon graduating, Avery has worked in a cider mill, NYC’s bougiest bagel shop, built a clay oven, and baked challah for 300 in a fire pit. Avery is living in Israel as an editor for the Posen Library of Jewish Culture while researching the diversity of Israeli food ways.

Avraham is a long time educator in the fields of informal organisations and the world of dance and movement. graduate of the beit berl program of beit hamidsrash le’morey am and part time ski instructor.

Avraham Khazin is a graduate of the Beit Misdrash program in Beit Berl College, A dance and movement instructor and a founder of the Rujum Program. he is a long time facilitator in various organizations and a professional ski instructor.

Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, Ayal received a BA in Jewish Studies from University of Maryland, an MSEd in Jewish Studies and Education from the University of Pennsylvania, and studied at Pardes Institute Yeshivat Eretz Hatzvi, and Yeshivat Chovevei Torah.

He currently teaches Tanach, Talmud, Mussar, Jewish Spiritual Practices and Mindfulness Meditation at The Heschel School in Manhattan.

Not only is Ayal a great teacher of text and Jewish content, he is able to ground it in moral exploration, meditation and music.

Batya is a current Rabbinical Student at Hebrew College. She has a rich background of facilitating transformative Jewish experiences, pyscho-education, rites of passage, interpersonal communication, and other experiential Jewish education programming

Batya Friedland comes from Chassidic, Cohen, and Rabbinic lineages. Her spiritual pursuits began in Eastern traditions, which resulted in a MA in Eastern Classics and ordination as a Buddhist Chaplain. Batya received private rabbinic ordination through Rabbi Mark Siedler in 2015.
For over a decade she has been a teacher in both individual and group settings. She facilitates Lifecycle Ritual, Nature-based Judaism, and Contemplative Jewish Spiritual Practice. She offers 1:1 sessions in person and online, healing treatments, and co-leads the Moishe House Annual Jewish Meditation Retreat. She is the founding rabbi of the upcoming temple, the Mikdash, and is the first West Coast Rabbi of JYourWay. She is dedicated to the roots & truths of the Jewish and pre-Judaic lineage.
Batya is also a singer, dancer, musician, and poet.
She is the founding rabbi of the upcoming temple without walls, the Mikdash, dedicated to Jewish spiritual practice and the healing of the Jewish lineage. She is based in Oakland, CA, and travels internationally.

Works at Urban Adamah, completed Urban Adamah fellowship

In 2015, I was trained as an Anti-Defamation League “Words to Action” program facilitator. Since then, I have led numerous Words to Action workshops, ranging in length from 1 – 5 hours, for groups ranging in size from 10 – 25 participants. The topic of these workshops is how to identify anti-Semitism and to provide participants with tools to respond to such hate speech. Thus far, I have personally led workshops for middle and high school students, yet the material is adaptable to college students and post-college adults.

Hi! My name is Ben Taylor and here’s a brief bio on my Jewish upbringing and my time as a Jewish professional. I was involved with BBYO throughout high school and continue to work for them as a madrich and moreh derech. I’ve been to Israel five times through Taglit and other student groups in a similar context. I was active in college in a sustainability, anti-animal cruelty, and recycling programs. I was an Environmental Studies major, visiting many farms (large and small scale) and completed my senior project on the Homesteading shtetl/Agraian lifestyle. Most of my careers have included working out of doors, including working on a small organic dairy farm, and a small organic Jewish farm, Pearlstone. At Pearlstone, I was in charge of the care of the animals, but also worked with the mashgiach and co-taught Jewish youth about Tsa’Ar Ba’alei Chavim, Shmita, and other Jewish laws surrounding the land. I also helped teach workshops on pickling and cheese making and attended professional development opportunities at Pearlstone to help further my own knowledge in these areas. I practice these laws through my personal life by keeping vegetarian, being conscious of animal cruelty, and having a career that promotes travel and teaching others about the environment.

Andrei Borovsky, artist, art historian, teacher. Having started working with children at the beginning of the history of Russian non-formal Jewish education in 1993, he became the author of many educational programs and his own methods devoted to Jewish culture. Specialist in art therapy and museum pedagogy. Currently working in kindergarten “Tapuz” ECC them. R. Goldman at the Nikitsky and Children’s Center of the Jewish Museum and Center for Tolerance in Moscow, participates in the programs of Jewish children and family camps. Lead educational seminars in different regions, a regular participant and author of children’s programs Limmud in Moscow, London and the CIS countries. From 2015 – expert and permanent author of methodological studies of the PJ-library project in Russia.

Cherie Brown is the founder and executive Director of the National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI). For 30 years, NCBI has been a pioneer organization leading anti-oppression work in schools, campuses, communities, and law enforcement agencies all over the world. Cherie is also an adjunct faculty at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College teaching courses on diversity, race, class and Jewish internalized oppression, Conflict Resolution Skills for rabbis, and a progressive understanding of anti-Semitism. Cherie has led hundreds of weekend workshops for Jews and non Jews on anti-Semitism and internalized anti-Semitism.

Charna Rosenholtz, MA is an accomplished teacher, specializing in psychospiritual growth and applications of spiritual wisdom. Ordained as a Hebrew wisdom teacher (Maggid) by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Rabbi Tirzah Firestone, she also holds a Masters degree in Religious Studies from Naropa University in Boulder, CO. She has mentored with medicine women, clergy, and master teachers in relation to the development of human potential. Charna’s passion and skill helps develop an empowered learning environment. By utilizing technologies from Matrix Leadership Institute, Hakomi Institute, and Right Use of Power, she seamlessly weaves content and context, for a holistic educational experience.

Chaya Sara Weiss is an active Jewish community leader and ceramicist. Her knack for crafting and creating is not limited to the wheel; through her retreats and and shabbat friendly camping trips in the summertime, Chaya Sara is crafting intentional community through her passion for engaging and pluralistic Jewish spaces. In addition, she is musician and vocalist in an all women’s chassidic jazz band, New Moon, and feels passionate about inspiring Jewish women to challenge the status quo. After studying Torah and Jewish mysticism full time for two years at the Merkos Women’s College in Melbourne and at Beth Rivkah Seminary in New York, Chaya Sara spent a year in the mystical city of Tzfat as a madricha in Machon Alte, where she taught and mentored women in their 20s from all over the world. After returning from her stint in Israel Chaya Sara became a DONA trained doula and birth and women’s health activist. She is currently studying nursing on the road to realizing her dream to become a midwife and an advocate for birthing mothers.

Chloe directed the Urban Adamah fellowship for 3 years. She taught all of the classes for the fellows on a range of topics around Jewish spirituality and it’s connection to sustainable agriculture, mindfulness, and social justice.

Rabbi Dan is the Founding Director of The Well: a Jewish community-building, education and spirituality outreach initiative that is a project of Temple Israel of Metropolitan Detroit geared to the needs of young adults and those who haven’t connected with traditional institutions.

Daniel has dedicated his profesional life to teaching Jewish thought, Jewish history and Holocaust Studies to young Jews in Argentina, Israel and Mexico.

He holds a BA in Universal History, a BA in Jewish History and a MA in Universal History, all by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He also studied Holocaust Studies at the Yad Vashem Institute in Jerusalem and Jewish Thought, Tradition and Texts at the Hebraic University in Mexico City.

Daniel teaches both the historical and the religious reading of Jewish texts in an inspiring way. HIs classes instill pride in his students’ Jewish heritage and motivate them to lead others into the richness of our tradition and history.

Dan routinely tutors in leining, Jewish learning and barmitzvah education. He studied at a Jewish school and yeshiva for 2years. He is active in various Jewish communities

“Who is wise? One who learns from all”, these are the words that ring truest to Danniell. Through her work with the disability community, interfaith dialogue, and adult and family programming, Danniell excels at establishing connections and building relationships. Danniell is committed to cultivating mindful immersive opportunities for individuals to explore their Jewish identity and build community. Having recently moved to Seattle, Danniell enjoys hiking the beautiful national parks in Washington State and helping individuals delve into their heritage through education and experiences, as the Jewish Life and Learning Professional at the SJCC.

Daphne is the Executive Director of JOFA, the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance. She is also an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University Law Center, co-teaching a seminar in Jewish law to second- and third-year law students. Highlighted topics include gender issues, food ethics and religious roots of Israeli civil society.

Daphne worked at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (RAC), where she was the Development Director. During her tenure she engaged in program planning, management, strategic planning, alumni engagement and development. She is also the former North American Director of the Muslim Leadership Initiative at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, where she was responsible for fostering connections between Muslim and Jewish communities. More recently she served as a Vice President at West End Strategy Team.

Daphne received a BA with honors in Religious Studies from York University and an MA in Judaic Studies from Concordia University. She is currently an adjunct professor of Jewish Law at Georgetown University Law Center. She is active in the Orthodox community in her hometown of Silver Spring, MD, where she lives with her husband and two children.

Dr. David biton has a phd in Jewish history, written about the Halakha of northern africa’s rabbis.
Head of the MA program of Jewish studies in kiryat ono college.
Head and educator at Derech Eretz yeruham.
A teacher at Negba – pluralistic beit midrash in beer sheva.

David Manchester is a graduate research associate at the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Stuidies where he works on socio-demography projects including the American Jewish Population Project, local community studies, and organizational studies, such as the Thriving Synagogue project. He is a doctoral student at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, where his research focuses on using social media and digital content to explore communal dynamics and individuals’ expressions of Jewishness.

Prior to joining the CMJS, David lived in Washington, DC and worked for Blackboard, Inc., an educational software company, where he designed quantitative metrics and reports to track department progress and outcomes. He has also served as a Legislative Assistant for Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, where he focused on US foreign policy, energy and the environment, and health care reform. David received a BA in International Relations from American University in Washington, DC and masters’ degrees in both Public Policy and Jewish Professional Leadership from Brandeis University.

Prior to moving to Boston, David was active in the Washington, DC Jewish community and serves as the treasurer of the board of directors of American University Hillel.

David is a rabbinical student at Abraham Geiger Kolleg in Berlin. He is young, smart and very accesible future rabbi and huge hope for your Czech Jewish Community!

Day currently serves on the board for the Diller Award of the SFJCC. Currently, Day is a working artist (www.morningaltars.com), purpose mentor (www.legacyaslivelihood.com) and scholar at the Orphan Wisdom School (orphanwisdom.com) in Canada, studying the skills of deep living and human culture with his teacher, Stephen Jenkinson.

Débora Kantor is a Ph.D. candidate at the Social Sciences program of the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), her research is funded by the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET) of Argentina, and she has a degree in Political Science by the Catholic University of Córdoba (UCC).
Her current line of research is focused on contemporary argentine cinematic representations of Jewishness and her areas of interest are visual culture, argentine cinema, film studies, Jewish studies and aesthetics.

Don has spent the majority of his professional career working in Jewish educational settings. He has experience teaching many different Judaic courses for differing levels of knowledge, as well as creating/leading retreats, giving him a unique ability to build on themes and lessons.

Dor Haberer brings passion and enthusiasm for everything he does. A deep lover of permaculture and ecology, Dor has spent the last few years investigating holistic farming systems, regenerative agriculture, community structures, and simple living. He graduated from Tulane University with a bachelor’s degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Afterwards, he managed the farm at Ramah in the Rockies summer camp for three years. There he developed a program that incorporated organic farming and animal husbandry with permaculture and Jewish earth-based ethics and philosophy. The whole program was rooted in Jewish text and ritual. When he was not at camp, he was engaged in deep investigation in permaculture, living and studying in places including Sadhana Forest in Auroville India, Turtle Lake Refuge in Durango, CO, Sierra Seeds Cooperative in Northern California, Kibbutz Neot Smadar in the Negev, the Possibility Alliance in northeastern Missouri, and the Panya Project in Thailand where he completed his permaculture design course. He just completed his second course at the Practical Permaculture Research Institute in the sierra foothills and is currently working on a perennial nursery. He also helps out with Wilderness Torah, serving as the village offering coordinator during festivals and as a substitute mentor for their Sunday school in the wilderness.

M. Dove Kent has over 15 years of experience in grassroots organizing, political education, and movement building. As the outgoing executive director of Jews for Racial & Economic Justice (2011 through 2016), Dove supported the organization to triple in size and win game-changing legislative victories for police accountability and worker’s rights through powerful local coalitions. Under Dove’s tenure, JFREJ grew into one of the strongest and most effective progressive Jewish organizations in the country, creating significant culture shifts within the Jewish community, New York and nationally. She has been published in What We Do Now: Standing Up for Your Values in Trump’s America (2017), Towards the “Other America”: Anti-racist Resources for White People Taking Action for Black Lives Matter (2015), in the Guardian, Ha’aretz, Tikkun, and the Forward, among many other media outlets. Dove teaches throughout the country on the intersections of anti-Semitism and racism, historical trauma, and the roles of Jews in the movement for justice. She currently resides in Durham, North Carolina.

Dr. Marlon Danilewitz is a highly sought after speaker and Jewish educator. He completed an undergraduate degree at Yeshiva University with a diploma in Jewish studies. He is also a certified yoga instructor and mindfulness teacher. He has a special interest in Jewish yoga and has taught previously at Romemu in NYC and led workshops across North America. His approach to yoga and meditation, is also informed by his clinical work as a physician specializing in mental health and addictions, and as a researcher. His research explores the therapeutic benefit of yoga and also the impact of yoga and meditation on the brain. Moishe House and building local Jewish community is an important part of his identity. In his spare time, he loves to write and has published poetry and short stories in a variety of literary magazines.

Dr. Mira Neshama Niculescu is a Paris-born Scholar, student and teacher of Jewish thought and contemplative practices.

Founder of Neshama, a Paris Based Jewish spirituality project, she studied as an Art Fellow at the ‘Drisha Institute for Jewish Studies’ in New York and as a Yesod Fellow at the ‘Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies’ inJerusalem, where she received a certificate of ‘Jewish Experiential Jewish Educator’. A contributor to leading French Jewish learning website “Akadem”, she regularly publishes articles in the French Jewish media JewPop, Tenou’a and L’Eclaireur and on her Times of Israel blog, and podcasts videos on Jewish spirituality and Torah. A certified Jewish Mindfulness Teacher from the Institute of Jewish Spirituality (IJS), she has been teaching parshanut, Hassidic meditation and mindfulness meditation since 2012.

She currently lives in Jerusalem, where she teaches a weekly Hassidic Meditation class at Pardes and learns torah at Matan. A dedicated Ashtanga and Vinyasa yoga teacher, she is a strong believer in body-mind-soul balance, and in changing the world by changing ourselves, one person at a time.

She travels in Europe and in the United States to visit various Jewish communities and help them set up local Jewish meditation groups.

Max Jared Einsohn’s unique and energetic music has brought this engaging Jewish Educator to communities across North America, Australia, and Israel, building diverse communities together through song, study, and prayer. After launching his debut album in 2012, and completing a Masters in Jewish Education from HUC-JIR in 2016, Max has been working as a Jewish musician, educator, prayer-leader, and social entrepreneur.

Max’s career pursuits have extended to include work as an environmental activist, interfaith progress initiate, tour guide, and youth-leadership advocate in North America and Israel. Max is currently based in Melbourne and is working to creating intention Jewish moments for the Australian community.

Eli Reiter is a teacher, writer, and storyteller. He blogs extensively and his writings have been published in the Forward, Gothamist, and in the Beit Hatfusot museum in Tel Aviv

Psychologist and Professor of Psychology (UBA). Educational Coordinator of Taglit Birthright Israel Argentina: in charge of the selection and madrichim’s training. Arrangement of schedules and work programs. Educational Coordinator of Noam Argentina: planning and implementation of educational projects. Supervision of projects and work team

Liz Aeschlimann is the Rose and Irving Rachlin Director of Jewish Student Life and Assistant Director of Religious and Spiritual Life. Prior to beginning her role at Vassar, she worked as Associate Director of United Interfaith Action in Southeastern Massachusetts and served as a leader in independent Jewish communities in Boston. Liz received her Masters in Divinity from Harvard Divinity School, interviewing dozens of social change agents for her thesis on the role of religion and spirituality in organizing. She is the winner of the Billings Preaching Prize and the Hopkins Prize for Ministerial Promise.

Ellie Lobovits is an anthropologist, filmmaker, and land-based educator. She has six years of organic farming experience and has taught numerous plant and gardening workshops at Adamah, Urban Adamah, and community organizations in New England and the Bay Area. Ellie is also a Jewish ritual leader. She has lead wedding rituals and tischs as well as an ongoing contemplative Shabbat morning service called Lev Chadash (New Heart). Ellie has been studying the history of Jewish herbal medicine, “shtetl” medicine, and plant remedies for the past year. More at ellielobovits.com

Anti-Defamation League- Education Director Cleveland, OH 07/2013-Present
Responsible for regional education programming, young leadership, and regional social media
Supervise a cadre of 20 facilitators by providing training and professional development.
Design, coordinate, and implement approximately 70 regional education workshops yearly.
Manage an Education Committee made of up over 25 lay leaders and educators.
Cultivate relationships within the diverse Cleveland community in order to address concerns over bias-related incidences in schools.
Write and execute requirements for educational grant funding.
Recruit approximately 15 young professionals each year to participate in monthly sessions introducing them to the ADL.
B’nai Jeshurun Synagogue- Religious School Teacher Cleveland, OH 09/2013-05/2015
Created and taught weekly lessons on Torah to fourth and fifth grade religious school students.
Denver Jewish Community Center-Pre-School Teacher Denver, CO 05/2011- 05/2013
Responsible for well-being and daily educational programming for kids in a Pre-Kindergarten class.
Created and delivered cooking classes bi-weekly to fifteen students between the ages of 3-5.
Hebrew Educational Alliance-Religious School Teacher Denver, CO 09/2011- 05/2013
Creation and delivery of relevant curriculum to first and second graders concerning the following subject matter: Judaic values, Torah study, Jewish holidays, and Israel.
Goodwill Industries-AmeriCorps Vista Kansas City, MO 04/2009- 05/2010
Wrote and received an AmeriCorps Planning Grant for 25,000 dollars.
Wrote curriculum, developed programming, and hired and supervised staff for a school district-wide environmental program with the goal being to help support special needs students in gaining job skills.
EDUCATION:
Kibbutz Lotan-Green Apprenticeship Arava Valley, Israel 01/2011-03/2011
7-week Permaculture design course
University of Kansas-Bachelor of Arts Lawrence, KS 08/2006-12/2008
Majored in Latin American Studies
Costa Rican Language Academy-Spanish Language Immersion Program San Jose, Costa Rica 06/2006-08/2006
Completed a 6-week, intensive Spanish Language course
University of Miami at Ohio-Undergraduate Student Oxford, OH, 08/2004-05/2006
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:
Community Activities:
Hogan’s Hero’s Golf Club Drive
Omaha Jewish Press Writer
BBYO Youth Group Advisor
ESL Tutor
Moishe House Cleveland Board Member
Co-founder of Urbanites, a downtown-based young professional group for Jews in Cleveland
Mentor for 8th grade students at the Mandel Jewish Day School

Emma Howitt is a Licensed Professional Counselor as well as a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor. She obtained her Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling at Yeshiva University in New York, and prior to that she graduated from Texas State University with a Bachelor’s in Psychology. Emma has variety of experience providing therapy to individuals, groups, couples and families dealing with issues of mental health and substance abuse.

She has facilitated psychoeducation workshops and group therapy sessions that included material regarding the incorporation of Judaism in mental health and substance abuse treatment. In Fall 2016 and Spring 2017, she ran a substance abuse recovery group for Jewish individuals called Arukah. The content was focused on incorporating Jewish principles and rituals into addiction recovery. On a few different occasions, she has given the Mindfulness for Daily Living session that included a discussion of Jewish spirituality. Another educational workshop that she provided, Emotional Well-being, had a component of how connection with Judaism can support ongoing health and wellness.

https://shalomaustin.org/emmahowitt

Erica works at the Office of Innovation for Hillel International. She runs a Base-like program with her husband in Harlem (Kehillat Harlem) where she does many Jewish education activities. She also received a certificate from experiential Jewish education from Yeshiva University.

Here is her LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericafrankel/

– Israel Educator through the icenter and Shoreshim
– Columbia University, New York, Dual Masters Student in Psychology and Education in their Mind, Body Spirit 2016 Cohort
– Certification Candidate from the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy
– Certified Yoga Teacher through Yoga Alliance while in Kerala, India
– Completed 100+ hours of meditation at Sivasoorya School of Divine India Ashram
– Certified Spin Instructor through Maddogg Athletics

Director of the Madrichim School of the Iona Hebrew Center. Former director of the Iona Youth movement. Educator and trainer at multiples workshops for madrichim and youth communities. Graduate of the Nofim – coordinators educational program of the conservative movement for jewish professionals in Argentina. He has been a participant of our Retreat Yom Haatzmaut Experience.

https://www.schusterman.org/users/franklin-drob

Hosted Round table kabbalah classes, tefillin programs and have had an active role co-hosting and organizing themes for talks with Rabbi speakers to make it digestible for guests to enjoy their time

Gavi Kornsgold is finishing up her masters in Jewish education at the Davidson school at JTS. in the fall, she will begin rabbinical school, also at JTS. Gavi really values experiential education and loves to incorporate multimedia and art into her teaching; she has brought these skills to the fore in a number of contexts. As mentioned, she is also a Jewish Life Director at List College. The is very involved in Camp Ramah in California. Gavi’s main interests are midrash and art.

Gavrila Nikhila is a mindfulness and awakening practitioner whose work has been developed from a diverse background of teachers and cultures. Certified in Osho Meditation and Yoga Nidra, she has worked with spiritual communities around the world to invite people into the radical space of awareness, liberation, and self-acceptance. Gavrila is a University of Michigan Industrial and Operations Engineer with experience in optimizing the food industry, which she is now applying to
sustainable and restorative living systems. A writer, awakening coach, and mindfulness educator, Gavrila is currently teaching mindfulness at the Wayne Brown Correctional Facility, offering a weekly active meditation class at the Golden Mandala and pioneering modern day grief ritual through grief circle offerings throughout Northern California. In addition, Gavrila is a member and contributor of the Evolutionary Leadership Community, as well as the Wild Feminine

Georgina is a seasoned Jewish educator and is passionate about building inclusive, cross-communal Jewish community. She frequently presents at Limmud Festival and facilitates Jewish learnings sessions through her work at JDC Entwine and OLAM as well as in her women’s Rosh Chodesh circle supported by Moishe House Without Walls. She is also a former Moishe House London resident where she often led Jewish learning sessions and has been involved with March of the Living and Grassroots Jews.

Hadar is a community organizer and Jewish educator based in the Bay Area. She teaches at Moishe House as the Regional Jewish West Coast Educator and at At The Well. She loves incorporating Jewish learning with feminism, creativity, and movement. She is passionate about helping create meaningful relevant ritual for communities to deepen their retreat experience.

Hana Waxman was born in Chisinau, Moldova, and has lived in Odessa, Ukraine since 2012. She have graduated from the Polytechnic University in Chisinau and became master of Arts and Architecture. She is also an artist with a specialization in water painting, decoupage, pastel painting, quilling, sculpturing, glass-painting, soap-making, culinary. She is also an accredited mashgiach. She was a Moishe House resident in Chisinau from 2010-2012. Now, she is a director of programs in the Congregation of Conservative Judaism in Odessa.

Hannah is the Rabbinic Intern at
Congregation Bonai Shalom and Faculty on the Bronfman
Youth Fellowships. She has collaboratively developed several
Jewish learning initiatives, including the Tefilah Retreat, a
weekend of Jewish spiritual practice for young adults;
Come & Listen, a progressive Jewish podcast; and
Girls In Trouble Curriculum, exploring creative interpretation
of women’s stories in torah. She also has worked as a birth doula.

Heela lives and works in Florentine, Tel Aviv. Coming from an orthodox background in Jerusalem, Heela is a graphic designer (working at Eretz Nehedert tv show), a cultural creator of colorful events around the city (notably, through collaborations with TEDER.FM and others), a member of Oniya collective, the Florentine community garden, and a managing partner in CTLV urban tours. Heela is an urban activist, taking part in most of the significant community struggles of recent years against the municipality’s reckless development plans for south Tel Aviv.

Hindy Finman is the Communications Associate for BaMidbar Wilderness Therapy and loves fusing her passion for Torah and commitment to normalizing mental health into her teachings. She enjoys challenging our traditions and texts to align with the here and now. While not implementing a new and much needed program for struggling young adults Hindy enjoys ceramics, working in the greenhouse and learning how to trail run.

Ilana Lerman is a core member of the ‘Let My People Sing‘ team, organizing Jewish singing retreats for hundreds of people across the country. Ilana is a community organizer and trainer, with over a decade of experience in youth organizing, coalition building, and engaging the Jewish community in social justice issues through her work with Boston Mobilization and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Boston. Ilana is an alum of Adamah, the JOIN Fellowship, and Shefa Gold’s Kol Zimra program.

Born in a multicultural family and raised in Israel and the USA. Currently living, creating and working in Tel Aviv after having lived in Granada (Spain), Paris (France) and Buenos Aires (Argentina). Ilyll is a cultural entrepreneur, urbanist, writer and researcher. Ilyll has over nine years of experience in leading, training and guiding diverse groups and individuals in cross-cultural fields in English, French, Hebrew & Arabic. Ilyll holds a BA in Middle Eastern and African and French and a MA in Mediation and Conflict Resolution both from the Tel Aviv University. Founding Encounters – Cross Cultural Tours & Workshops incorporates her eagerly curious nature, passion for people and their cultures, entrepreneurship and love for dialoguing via cultures and human encounters.

In 2008, Irina won a second higher education, graduating from the Open University of Israel, and received a diploma with distinction in social and social sciences with a specialization in the history of the Jewish people

Prize-winner of the European Forum of Innovator Teachers in Lisbon (2nd place in the nomination “Teacher as an innovator and change agent”)

Author of several methodical and articles on subjects of Jewish cycle and programs for teaching Jewish history and tradition and the author of a handbook for teachers’ Roots – Weight Shorashym: Ukraine “, approved by the Ministry of Education of Ukraine, methodical set (manual and working Notebook) “History and Cultural Heritage of Jews in Eastern Europe”.

Guided tour of Ukraine for the program “Masa Shorashim” -trip around jewish towns

Conducting master classes at seminars of teachers of Jewish schools of the CIS and Baltic countries on the theme “History and cultural heritage of Jews of Eastern Europe”, Moscow-Vilnius-Kiev

Link on potfolio: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pZaY7UTQmkpm3osI7BYg0LY_tUp1Ghky

Jacklina Eshaya has worked for two years as the program director for Hillel at Tel-Hai college, and 4 more years as a center director for The Jewish Agency “Project TEN”. For 6 years she developed and facilitated educational programs, based on Jewish wisdom and values. Jacklina established, managed and facilitated activist Beit Midrash for women for 2.5 years. Her area of expertise is developing and facilitating Beit Midrash Sessions about Judaism and Social Justice.

Jamie is an alumnus of the Pardes Year Program (’99) and the Pardes Educators Program (’04-’06). He is a Jewish Educator and licensed Israel tour guide. Jamie earned his BA in Modern History from Oxford University and his MA in Jewish Education from Hebrew University. Jamie works in many different Jewish educational arenas. In recent years he has taught in a Jewish school in America, guided British Members of Parliament on their trip to Israel and lectured in England on the most recent archaeological discoveries in the City of David. Before joining Pardes, Jamie was the educational director for the Ministry of Tourism’s tour guide course at the Yad Ben Zvi Institute. He is a regular guide and educator in Israel for Pardes, the Nachshon Project, JCCA professionals, and others. Jamie and his family live in Jerusalem.

Jessica Jobanek studied two years at the Pardes Insitute for Jewish Learning in Israel. She is currently getting two Master’s degrees at the Jewish Theological Seminary: one in Jewish Education, and another in Jewish Gender Studies. Jessica also teaches at several Hebrew schools across NYC.

Jessica Tamar Deutsch is a New York based artist whose art explores the intersection of Jewish spirituality and contemporary culture. She earned her BFA in illustration at Parsons School for Design and her first published book, The Illustrated Pirkei Avot, is currently available in print. Jessica has experience as a Jewish educator teaching creative expression of Judaism workshops at the New Shul Hebrew School as well as working at the BCI summer program, where she helped participants explore Jewish principles through art and creativity. Jessica has also completed a residency at the Art Kibbutz. Jessica’s area of expertise is exploring Jewish principles, ethics, and values through creative expression and art.

Rabbi Jill Hammer, PhD, is an author, teacher, midrashist, mystic, poet, essayist, and priestess. She is committed to an earth-based and wildly mythic view of the world in which nature, ritual, and story connect us to the body of the cosmos and to ourselves.

Rabbi Hammer is the Director of Spiritual Education at the Academy for Jewish Religion, a pluralistic rabbinical and cantorial seminary in Yonkers, NY. At AJR, she specializes in ancient and contemporary midrash, mysticism, ritual, and contemporary spirituality.

Rabbi Hammer is also the co-founder of the Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute, a program in spiritual leadership for Jewish women. As a leader of the Kohenet Institute, she creates and teaches earth-based, embodied ritual and study that transforms Jewish conceptions of prayer and ceremony. The Kohenet Institute holds its trainings in partnership with the Elat Chayyim Center for Jewish Spirituality in Falls Village, CT, and conducts other programming around the country.

Rabbi Hammer received her B.A. from Brandeis University in 1991. She holds a doctorate in social psychology from the University of Connecticut and received rabbinical ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2001.

– Facilitates creative, liberatory social justice trainings for young adults in Jewish community for over a decade – Facilitated for programs such as Adamah, Urban Adamah, Eden Village Camp, Bend the Arc’s Jeremiah Fellowship in San Francisco, JOIN in Boston and Jews United for Justice in Baltimore – Part of Kohenet Priestess training where she is learning to weave her role as an educator with her gift for healing arts and community ritual

Former Moishe House resident and Senior Director of House Programs, Joel learned Torah in Israel at Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo and the Conservative Yeshivah. He combines his Jewish education background with his Masters in Applied Theater and ten years experience as a 5Rhythms dancer. He has taught at multiple Limmud conferences, Moishe House programs, and various retreats.

Josh is a scholar of informal adult education, Jewish educator, and retreat mentor.
While he is now finishing his PhD on Jewish identity, meaning-making, and education among young adults in the USA, he has designed, facilitated, mentored, and educated at retreats in the USA and internationally.
He can offer insight regarding educational modalities and arc, help with playful integration of Jewish ritual, text, and inspiration, tips for building community … and guidance throughout your process, to enable you to gracefully pull off the bad-ass retreat you envision.

emigrated from Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine as a Jewish refugee when she was six years old. She is a Ph.D. candidate in Comparative Literature at the University of Pennsylvania where her research focuses on contemporary American poetry related to the Holocaust. She has received fellowships from the Yiddish Book Center’s TENT Writing Conference, the Auschwitz Jewish Center, the USHMM’s Seminar on the Holocaust in the Soviet Union, and UPenn’s Jewish Studies Louis Schwartz and Elaine Friedman Schwartz Memorial Research Award. This year, Julia is organizing (Un)Witnessable: Holocaust in the East, a two day conference comprised of a poetry & prose reading as well as a day of panels dedicated to this under-explored history from multidisciplinary points of view.

Julie Dean is a phenomenal facilitator, educator, musician, and community member, with over 24 years of professional experience. She is a regular facilitator and leader of Mussar groups, women’s spirituality groups, and more.

Justin Lieberman is an artist and art professor who has garnered recognition not just for his artistic work but because of his engagement with politics, identity, and theory. He has built two fantastic workshops for our retreat and will also do studio visits with the artists.

24 years of professional and teaching experience in fitness/health, consulting, energy healing, and body/mind movement practices.
Certified Yoga and Jewish Wisdom Teacher (through Jewish Learning Works http://www.jewishlearningworks.org/ )
Her approach is reverent and lighthearted.
Strongly influenced by the Eastern practices of mindfulness and meditation, and Judaism. I am passionate about creating a safe space for my clients and students to experience deep healing and transformation in their lives.
Teaches: Neshamah yoga will help you tone and relax your body, calm your mind, and nurture your Jewish spirit. This class is inspired by the weekly Torah portions, Jewish Holidays, Mussar, and other spiritual wisdom teachings of our tradition.

Kiki is a Jewish educator, musician, voice teacher, and prayer leader in the Bay Area. She grew up at the intersection of Judaism and music, and finds much joy in creating meaningful, musical Jewish ritual with and for others. She tutors b’nai mitzvah students in Hebrew and Torah trope, and she leads b’nai mitzvah ceremonies. Kiki leads a monthly Rosh Chodesh circle for teenage girls, focusing the curriculum through a Jewish feminist lens. She also teaches private voice lessons to women to empower them to get more comfortable with the sound and power of their own voice. Kiki is the music specialist in several Jewish preschools in the Bay Area.

As a child, Shoshana Jedwab would drum on parked cars, plates, tables, books and other people’s bodies. Hailing from a family of rabbis and community leaders decimated by the Holocaust, Shoshana became a prize winning Jewish Studies Day School teacher, and the Jewish Life Coordinator at the A.J. Heschel Middle School in NYC. Shoshana Jedwab holds down the beat as ritual drummer and worship leader for cutting edge communities, including Romemu, LabShul, Kohenet, Kirtan Rabbi and the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center.

Leah Josephson is a graduate of the Jewish Communal Leadership Program at the University of Michigan, with includes a Masters in Social Work in addition to a certificate in Judaic Studies from the Jean and Samuel Frankel Center. Her coursework included study of Talmud, Jewish culture and history, and community building. In 2015, she completed the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies summer program in Jerusalem, Israel. She specializes in gender, social justice, and spirituality.

Leah is from Durham, North Carolina, where she has worked as a fundraiser and communications strategist, and most recently as Director of Development at North Carolina Hillel. Leah was co-founder of Moishe House Triangle.

Denver Colorado born and breed native that is currently transplanted in New York. Worked with educating and mentoring Jewish young adults and youth for over 8 years. Traveled to over eighteen different countries. Love working with and meeting people.

Leo Natanzon has worked in the following organizations that deal with Jewish identity and Limud of Jewish texts and traditions:
– Hanaton Educational Centre, 2012-2015. Facilitator and Educators for 2 days Mitzvah seminars with 12-13 old children from all over Israel. Expertise – connection to Jewish identity, knowledge of important Jewish scholars, texts and basic traditions (Tfilin, Mezuza, Shabat and more).
– Yuvalim – Tel Hai College, 2011-2013. Manager, facilitator and educator of a Sia’h Tzair program – meeting of pre-military, religious and secular, colleges on the subjects of Judaism and the burning issues in Israeli society today, through the wisdom of Jewish wisdom, from ancient days until today.
– Hillel – Tel Hai College, 2009-2011. Manager and facilitator of various programs in the college regarding the Jewish calendar, Tzedek Hevrati and Tikun Olam.

Leora Fridman has worked as an artist, organizer and educator in Jewish and arts communities since 2005. Her work has been published widely in magazines including Zeek and the Forward, and she’s taught writing for universities and communities organizations across the United States and Israel. A creative facilitator experienced in integrating arts and social justice into Jewish practice, Leora has led immersive programming for organizations including the Dorot Foundation, Moishe House East Bay, and Sukkat Shalom, where she serves on the Board of Directors. Her work has been supported by grants and residencies from the Center for Cultural Innovation, Art Kibbutz and the Vermont Studio Center, among many others. More at leorafridman.com.

-Founder + Director of Living in the Light
-Holocaust and genocide historian
-Jewish Mindfulness teacher

Rav Lisa is a passionate educator, deeply committed to helping others connect with Jewish life, learning, and community. Lisa received her rabbinic ordination from the Rabbinical School at Hebrew College, a pluralistic, trans-denominational institution in Newton, Massachusetts. During rabbinical school she also earned a certificate in Jewish Sacred Music from Hebrew College.

* rosh chodesh facilitator, jewish kabbala teacher, yoga teacher, large group facilitator

Liz Alpern’s career in food is driven by her passion for bringing people together. Based in Brooklyn, Liz travels around the globe as a cook, recipe tester, educator and entrepreneur. Alpern holds an MBA from Baruch College and is a faculty member in the Culinary Entrepreneurship Program at the International Culinary Center in NYC. She been featured in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list for food and wine and was named one of the Forward 50 for 2016.

Madeline Dolgin is the Student Life Coordinator at Hillel Jewish Student Center at ASU. She is in her second year of Hillel International’s Springboard Fellowship, a robust professional development program focused on entrepreneurship and innovation, Jewish learning, and experiential education. At Hillel, Madeline supervises the Student Leadership Board running weekly meetings in leadership development and Jewish education. She oversees a monthly women’s program that brings in prominent Jewish women from the area to share their life stories and offer career advice. In addition, Madeline co-teaches 2 classes of the Jewish Learning Fellowship: Life’s Big Questions (http://www.jewishlearningfellowship.org/) which is a 10-week seminar geared towards college students who are newer to text study but interested in exploring their Jewish identity. In the past, Madeline created and taught an original curriculum called Mi Cha Mocha: Jewish Learning in a Coffee Shop (pronounced moka like the coffee). Each week’s class looked at a Shabbat prayer or ritual in depth and used historical context, English translations, related art pieces, or scholarly quotes as a way of thinking about the relevance of the ritual to college student’s modern day lives. Madeline has a special interest in Mindfulness and received a Mindfulness Leadership Certificate from ASU in March 2018. She has taught mindfulness sessions incorporating texts from th Jewish Mussar movement as well as secular mindfulness at conferences for Hillel professionals. In her work at Hillel, Madeline loves exposing her students to the rich questions present in the Jewish tradition and getting to explore her Jewish identity alongside those of her students!

Matthew has worked with many different age groups and had multiple experiences leading jewish experiences in a retreat type setting. During his time on staff at Kivunim, Matthew led programing centered around unplugging for shabbat, and adding mindfulness and intention framework for the participants. From his time at Ramah Matthew planned lessons incorporating nature into campers’ shabbat experience. Matthew is also skilled in content creation, travel, photography/video production, community engagement, social media marketing, the Adobe Suite, event planning, and more.

Mauricio is an educator, jewish leader and scholar who holds studies in both pedagogy and jewish studies. He holds a masters in Jewish Studies by the Hebrew University in Mexico, and has been working as an active educator for more than 20 years.

As part of his profesional work he now directs the Mejanjei Project for Keren Hayesod, and was the director of Bitui Sojnut, and sub-principal of the Monte Sinai Hebrew School.

He was very active on the Hanoar Hatzioni movement, holding various high responsability educational roles in the institution.

He is great working with young people and helping them understand that their relationship with judaism can transcend their formal education or jewish school.

Max Jared Einsohn’s unique and energetic music has brought this engaging Jewish Educator to communities across North America, Australia, and Israel, building diverse communities together through song, study, and prayer. After launching his debut album in 2012, and completing a Masters in Jewish Education from HUC-JIR in 2016, Max has been working as a Jewish musician, educator, prayer-leader, and social entrepreneur.
Max’s career pursuits have extended to include work as an environmental activist, interfaith progress initiate, tour guide, and youth-leadership advocate in North America and Israel. Max is currently based in Melbourne and is working to creating intention Jewish moments for the Australian community.

Maximiliano Diel has a degree in Psychology and since 2008 he teaches History of Zionism Jewish Culture, History and Hebrew school in the EIHU, which examines issues of shoa, Hasbará, history of the Jewish state and major Jewish thinkers. He is compiler and author of the book “Aches in the city. Analysts five nights in the polis “(2017), contributor to the weekly dedicated especially for the Uruguayan Jewish community, and broadcaster of Radio Sefarad.

Megan is the Rabbi at the Silverstein Base Hillel at Lincoln Park and the campus Rabbi of Metro Chicago Hillel.
Megan grew up in Oak Park where she found her voice as a Jewish leader at her Conservative youth group and Reform summer camp. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2006 with a B.A. in Psychology and Women’s Studies. Megan then went to work for the Hillel at Yale University where she discovered her passion for working with college students, and realized that rather than pursuing a PhD in Clinical psychology she wanted to use the Jewish tradition as a source of meaning to empower young adults to create their own rich Jewish identities. Megan was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2014 and also received an MA in Jewish Gender and Women’s Studies and a certificate in Pastoral Care and Counseling.
Megan in an alumna of the Wexner graduate fellowship and prior to joining Metro Chicago Hillel, Megan served as the Senior Jewish Educator at Columbia/Barnard Hillel. She also has a passion for travel and outdoor adventure- which has currently led her to forty-eight of the fifty states in the US.
Megan and her wife Paige are thrilled to begin the second year of the Silverstein Base Hillel home, which serves as a hub for young adults craving meaningful, welcoming, vibrant Jewish life in the best city in the world!

Melila Hellner-Eshed, Ph.D., is a research fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute. She is a professor of Jewish mysticism and Zohar in the department of Jewish Studies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She received her degree from Hebrew University under the tutelage of Professor Yehuda Liebes.

For the past two decades, Melila has been a central figure in the Israeli renaissance of the study of Jewish texts by Israeli adults of all paths of life in various frameworks. She initiated and directs the Rabbinic Students Seminar, a program for rabbinic students from all denominations spending a year in Israel. She is also the co-director of the Institute’s Beit Midrash program. She has been teaching and working with Jewish communities in North America, Europe and the former Soviet Union for many years.

Her book: “And a River Flows from Eden: On the Language of Mystical Experience in the Zohar,” was published by Stanford University Press in 2009.

Melila is on the faculty of the Institute of Jewish Spirituality and is active in the ‘Sulha’ – a reconciliation project that brings together Israelis and Palestinians.

Melila Hellner-Eshed, Ph.D., is a research fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute. She is a professor of Jewish mysticism and Zohar in thedepartment of Jewish Studies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She received her degree from Hebrew University under the tutelage of Professor Yehuda Liebes.

For the past two decades, Melila has been a central figure in the Israeli renaissance of study of Jewish texts by Israeli adults of all paths of life in various frameworks. She initiated and directs the Rabbinic Students Seminar, a program for rabbinic students from all denominations spending a year in Israel. She is also the co-director of the Institute’s Beit Midrash program.She has been teaching and working with Jewish communities in North America, Europe and the former Soviet Union for many years.

Hillel professional doing engagement around Jewish identity and Israel for 2 years before joining the Ramah Darom year round staff. He ran programs for them. He’s part of a Ramah national educator cohort that he travels around the world with other peers working on Jewish/Israel content.

Mike has many years of experience working in informal Jewish education (from summer camp, to BBYO, to a variety of consulting projects for Jewish retreats and fundraisers). What makes him uniquely special for our group is that he has the RSJ background, and has worked with many RSJ programs, and he “gets” our contingency. He’s a dear friend, and has a meaningful connection with us, and enters the space with a lot of trust and excitements already earned form the crowd, simply by association. He has what it takes to make this retreat program engaging, eye-level, and meaningful. The topic of Jewish holiday and ritual is one that he has explored many times with teens, youth, and young[er] adults. This will be a great collaborative experience to bring meaning and depth to the holiday of lights.

Michelle Weiser is the Communications and Development Director at Boston Workmen’s Circle Center for Jewish Culture & Social Justice. Michelle has been leading trainings for young Jews for the past 5 years, on topics including Antisemitism, Leadership Oppression, and Equity & Inclusion. Michelle is a graduate of Boston University, where she majored in Communications and minored in Women, Gender and Sexuality studies. Michelle participated in the JOIN for Justice Fellowship program, and was a community organizer at Toxics Action Center prior to joining Workmen’s Circle. She also worked for two years in Public Affairs at Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD). Michelle uses she/her/hers pronouns.

Was born in 1973 in Rovno, Ukraine. In 1991 graduated from Rovno Music college on a class of piano.Started Jewish life in 1995 in JAFI Ulpan in Donetsk. Since 2000 worked as a Hebrew teacher and teacher of Jewish music in Donetsk. In 2003 graduated Jewish studies department in Donetsk state university. In 2005 graduated Philology department at Rovno state humanitarian university. Made Aliyah in a year. In 2010 graduated Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem. Since 2012 works as a director of Jewish public-educational center “Masoret”. In 2017 became a Master of History in Jewish studies in National University “Kiev-Mohylyanska academy”. Now studies at PhD program in Donetsk national university. Also works as a director of Family camp and organizes original courses on Jewish literature, history and music. Specializes in the history of the Jews of Bukovina and Galicia region in Ukraine.

Mikey Pauker is a Folk/World Artist, Producer and Prayer Leader hailing from Oakland, CA. His music written in Hebrew, English and Sanskrit described as “Medicine Music,” is inspired by mystical teachings and spiritual experience, and connects to people from all faiths

Mimi Micner is a fourth year Rabbinical Student at Hebrew College in Boston and Keshet’s Advocacy and Campaigns Specialist and Rabbinic Intern. While in school, Mimi has prioritized justice work. She was a Fellow with T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights and worked with The Good Old Lower East Side (GOLES) to combat gentrification in the Lower East Side of New York City, and the Program Director of Mitzvah Corps DC, a Reform teen community service and social justice summer program. She was a Community Organizing Trainer and Online Course Instructor for Don’t Kvetch, Organize with JOIN for Justice, and is the co-founder of the Jewschool column #TorahForTheResistance. Before attending Rabbinical School, Mimi was the Senior New England Campus Organizer with J Street U, where she organized college students for a two state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and an end to the occupation. Mimi was a JOIN for Justice Fellow from 2010-2011 and organized early childhood educators with the American Federation of Teachers. Mimi is from Vancouver, BC and now lives in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts.

Miriam Eisenberger, LCSW believes that Mindfulness practices are accessible to anyone once they are given some good introductory guidance. For years, she has studied with many great teachers from Buddhist, Jewish, and Mindfulness meditative traditions and enjoys integrating these varying perspectives into her teachings. Miriam is a licensed clinical social worker with over a decade of experience in the field of mental health and group work. She helps to run and frequently teaches at the Jewish Meditation Center of Brooklyn, has collaborated with a variety of other organizations to create meditative offerings, and is a certified Mindfulness Teacher through The Mindfulness Training Institute.

Miriam was the founding Director of Meditation and Mindfulness at “Because Jewish” in 2015 – 2016, and spearheaded adding Jewish meditation practice to Friday night “Korban Shabbat” services, High Holiday programming, and Saturday morning family events. In 2017, she co-created “Embody Shabbos” together with Rishe Groner of The Gene-Sis, bringing meditation, chant and dance practices to a traditional Friday night along with Jewish holiday programming.

Mor Shimonie – Community Development Director
BINA – The Jewish movement for social change
Tel Aviv, Israel

Having established BINA HOUSE in India, an open Jewish house for travelers engaging in Jewish culture and Tikkun Olam (Social Change) with the local community, Mor is back in Israel and is now BINA’s Community Development Director, in charge of BINA’s Alumni Community and the young adults department, as well as the Director of the post-army programs.
Mor is also a high school teacher of Jewish philosophy and Bible and an educator at the Secular Yeshiva of BINA in Tel Aviv. This year Mor is taking part of the OLAM Impact Fellowship.
Mor is a graduate of the Secular Yeshiva of BINA in Tel Aviv and the “Ofakim” program for BA in Jewish Philosophy and education in Tel Aviv University.

rabbinical student at the Zieglar School of Rabbinic Studies

Bio:

Natalie Haziza is an alumnus of Yeshivat Hadar, Midreshet Nishmat and Matan in Jerusalem. She is currently a doctoral student of clinical psychology at The City University of New York – The Graduate Center. She has extensive experience with teaching, education and Jewish content, especially through a Mizrachi and Sephardi prism. She has led experiential learning sessions at Mechon Hadar’s alumni shabbatons and has taught and developed shiurim and learning events for the Fort Tryon Jewish Center, Matan, and Degel Yehuda – a Sephardi Egalitarian community in Jerusalem.

Some of her projects include:

-A’ofa Eshkona, a workshop on shlichut tzibbur in Sepharadi Nusach. In the first part, students learned the halachot of shlichut tzibbur based on halachic works of the Shulchan Aruch, Ben Ish Chai, Kaf HaHaim. The second part of the workshop was led by Chazzan Ariel Carsiente, a ba’al tefillah who taught the tunes and basic makams of Moroccan nusach of Shabbat prayers. Upon completion of the workshop, recordings of Sephardi Nusach sung in women’s voices were posted to YouTube. You can listen to some of the recordings here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEWgvAXsv3Dx7FNcYTqwBVw
-A Baqashot and Tu Bishvat Seder event: for two consecutive years, I initiated and hosted a Tu Bishvat seder modeled on the Passover seder, the Tu Bishvat seder includes drinking four cups of wine and eating fruits representing the four Kabbalistic “worlds”. During the seder we also learned several piyuttim related to the festival. Following the seder we concluded the evening with Baqashot, a collection of songs, supplications and prayers that have been sung by Sephardi communities each week on Shabbat in the early hours of Saturday morning. In preparation for the seder I compiled together with Eliana Kissner two booklets with the seder texts, baqashot and piyuttim with translations to texts and piyuttim from the Sephardi tradition that have never before been translated to English. Link to the event on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/138788376923730/
-A shiur and source sheet about women who say kaddish titled Edge of Heaven: Women mourners and the challenges they pose to the custom of Kaddish. The shiur included marginalized voices of Sephardi poskim and halachic traditions that are often not part of the conversation when speaking about moderate or progressive halachic traditions.

Natalya many years learn people to read Torah, and speak with people about Jewish traditional holidays

She was one of the Adin Shteinsalz student in “School of Juidaisme”. Natalya was studing in Jerusalem. Had visit with Adin Shteisalz and his school not just Israel, but Russia and Ukraine.

In Jewish community Natalia works with different age group.
Years ago she had helped to Stewen Spilberg foundation in creation of films of people who have survived in Holokost

Natan moved to Los Angeles 3 years ago from his hometown of São Paulo, Brazil and is now starting his 4th year of rabbinical school at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at American Jewish University. Natan grew up very engaged in the Jewish Community. As a volunteer, he was a counselor for many years, secretary of the Zionist Youth Council, and represented the youth groups of São Paulo in the Jewish Federation Board. He has taught in Hebrew schools and has worked with youth movements, summer camps and young adults’ groups.After graduating with a degree in Business, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship, and working as a business consultant for 2 years; Natan decided that he wanted to dedicate himself professionally to the Jewish community. With his experience in Jewish education and a great passion for learning, he became his Rabbis’ assistant in his home community, CIP – Congregação Israelita Paulista. After moving to Los Angeles, Natan has worked with different summer camps, hebrew schools and synagogues. Natan is now the rabbinic intern at Temple Beth Am in Los Angeles and at Congregation Etz Chaim in Atlanta.

Natanya Ruth Silverman brings a dynamic background in Jewish education, performing arts, yoga, and reiki to her facilitation. Owner of The Clearing Meditation and Healing Arts Studio in Buzzards Bay, MA, Natanya teaches yoga and meditation and facilitates theater workshops, infusing the theater creation process with mindfulness, moving with the breath, and flexibility, as well as exercises that connect participants in a safe space of creative, heart-centered expression.

As a former Hebrew Day School teacher and child of a rabbi, Natanya brings a playful approach to Jewish spirituality transmitted through lifelong study and integration of varied wisdom traditions. She draws on Jewish language in her yoga instruction, including the Kabbalistic Tree of Life as a body map to guide practice.

Attendee of Ramaz High School, Rosh Edah at Ramah Berkshires, Graduated w/ honors in History from Columbia, and Talmud from JTS. Former head of JTS undergrad student council. In JTS rabbinical school now (doing his year in Israel). Son of Rabbi and Jewish educator.

Oleg Melamed is a historian and journalism, with a speciality in antiquity and medieval studies, and Jewish history and classical texts. Oleg is a graduate of the Faculty of Judaism of the University of Jerusalem. From 2000-2008 Oleg was JDC director of Jewish programs in Ural and Volga regions. From 2008 to 2012 he was the head of Jewish Education Programs at the JCC Moscow. Since 2012 Oleg has been the Director of the Excursion Programs, Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center in Moscow.

Ophir Haberer is the Festival and Leadership Manager for Wilderness Torah, Center for Earth-based Judaism based in Berkeley, CA. In addition, Ophir is a guest educator, consultant, or coach with other organizations including Moishe House, Urban Adamah, and OneTable. Ophir comes with a passion for whole-system design and loves to teach and facilitate workshops on village building, earth-based Judaism, nature connection, regenerative agriculture and food systems, social permaculture, meditation & movement, and Kabbalah. He graduated from Tulane University in 2014 with a focus on Sustainable Development. There, he started several programs for the university including The Hope Gardens Project, an urban gardening &

farming program, and the Green Wave Community Market, a local market to link students with local businesses and farms. He then completed two Permaculture Design Courses, one with Turtle Lake Refuge in Durango, Colorado and one with the Center for Creative Ecology in Kibbutz Lotan, Israel through The Green Apprenticeship Program, and a seed apprenticeship with Sierra Seeds Co. He also spent 10 months in Southern Vietnam, where he taught in the university and facilitated leadership training as part of a Fulbright Fellowship.

By his first higher education Pavel is a stage manager. He was on educational program for social and community specialists at the University Mahon. Pavel worked on probation in the Jewish community in Moscow. He was a volunteer and a madrich. He was a project supervisor. This project was about integration of the Jewish children with special needs. From 2005 till now Pavel is a madrich, a facilitator of different Jewish camps, retreats in Moscow, Russia and Germany.

Piero studied at Beit Hamechanech Hahieudi (The House of the Jewish Educator) in Argentina and in Yad Vashem, Israel. He is an expert in Jewish values and has experience working in huge and small communities. He will help us lead a Jewish Rosh Hashana combining traditions and new meanings.

Adam is the Base Rabbi at Base Miami.

After growing up in the Five Towns of Long Island and studying in a yeshiva day school, Adam continued his Jewish education receiving a B.A. in Bible from the Jewish Theological Seminary and a B.A. in Religion from Columbia University. With a love of and dedication to learning, teaching, and experiencing Jewish texts, rituals, and life, Adam continued on to receive a Certificate of Jewish education at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. While living in Israel, Adam received rabbinic ordination from Yeshivat Pirchei Shoshanim and studied safrut (scribal arts) under the tutelage of Rabbi David Gottesman.

Adam worked as an experiential Jewish educator and classroom teacher designing his own curricula and courses at Golda Och Academy. After winning a Cholent cooking competition for charity, Adam established The Chosen Cholent and Smokehouse – a food truck specializing in Cholent and authentic BBQ to use as a tool to focus on community gathering, fundraising, and bringing back the love of cholent.

Wexner Fellow
Has led learning retreats in the past
Fellow Moishe Housnik and has great vibes and great chemistry with what we’re looking to create.

A rabbi, writer, meditation teacher, and yoga instructor, Benjamin Shalva regularly leads seminars in Spiritual Cross-Training, Kabbalah Yoga, Jewish Meditation, and Mindfulness Meditation. He received his rabbinical ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary and his yoga teacher certification from the Yogic Physical Culture Academy in Los Cabos, Mexico. He is the author of two books — Spiritual Cross-Training: Searching through Silence, Stretch, and Song and Ambition Addiction: How to Go Slow, Give Thanks, and Discover Joy Within.

Daniel is an ordained rabbi of the reform movement. He’s attended the Adama program in America, which is a Jewish agricultural program, which mean’s he’s well place to educate on nature and judaism. He also works closely within the London community, meaning he has good connections with some of the people already coming on this trip.

Rabbinic ordination from YCT (Chovevei), 15 years teaching experience, former Director of Jewish Life and Learning at Stanford Hillel (CA), Traditional Judaism as an embodied spiritual practice, Chasidut, Kaballah, Have performed Jewish poetry/rap and facilitated creative educational sessions throughout Europe, the US and Israel

Danny received his semicha (rabbinic ordination) from Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg after completing his studies at the Leo Baeck College.

Danny comes from an Orthodox background, having grown up in Stanmore at the United Synagogue. However, he has been a member of New North London for many years and his personal and professional approaches are pluralistic in nature. He currently works at a Masorti synagogue and a Reform synagogue.

He is the founder and director of HaMakom, an organisation which runs Jewish mindfulness meditation retreats for people from all parts of the Jewish community. Rabbis and lay people from all the different Jewish denominations (Masorti, Reform, Orthodox, Liberal) regularly attend. Prior to commencing his rabbinic studies, Rabbi Danny worked as a corporate lawyer in the City of London.

He read Jewish Studies at Oxford University and has studied at several Israeli yeshivot. He has been practicing meditation for over 20 years

Rabbi Paskin’s biography can be found at www.davidpaskin.com

David helps to lead and coordinate The Temple’s social justice efforts, including our multifaceted Anti-Sex Trafficking Initiative and our Educational Initiative with Fred A. Toomer Elementary School. He is also the co-founder of The Well at The Temple, the premiere Shabbat service for Atlanta’s post-college/pre-family community featuring outstanding music, resonant prayer, and meaningful conversation.

Rabbi Mintz is the current Rabbi of B’nai Israel The Downtown Synagogue. Rabbi Mintz lectures widely throughout the Baltimore community. He is active in community affairs, serving on the Executive Committee of Historic Jonestown, Inc., and various Associated Jewish Federation’s foundations and commissions.

Rabbi Mintz served for five years as Associate Rabbi at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale. He also taught Jewish thought, text and practice at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville, Maryland, and has served as a summer rabbi at The Hampton Synagogue in Westhampton Beach, NY.

He received his pastoral counseling training through a year-long chaplain residency program at the University of Virginia Health System, where he counseled individuals of all faiths in times of crisis. Rabbi Mintz is a senior rabbinic fellow of the Shalom Hartman Institute, and a long time group leader with the American Jewish World Service. Some of his fondest and earliest rabbinical experiences have included leading Passover seders in the Former Soviet Union and High Holiday services at Rashi’s shul in Worms, Germany.

He studied for two years at Yeshivat Sha’alvim in Israel, and received rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. He also holds a Masters Degree in Jewish Philosophy and Mysticism from the Bernard Revel Graduate School, and an M.P.A. from the Kennedy School at Harvard University.

See full bio online at: https://www.jewishdowntown.org/our-rabbi.html

Rabbi Hammer is the Director of Spiritual Education at the Academy for Jewish Religion, a pluralistic rabbinical and cantorial seminary in Yonkers, NY. At AJR, she specializes in ancient and contemporary midrash, mysticism, ritual, and contemporary spirituality.

Rabbi Hammer is also the co-founder of the Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute, a program in spiritual leadership for Jewish women. As a leader of the Kohenet Institute, she creates and teaches earth-based, embodied ritual and study that transforms Jewish conceptions of prayer and ceremony. The Kohenet Institute holds its trainings in partnership with the Elat Chayyim Center for Jewish Spirituality in Falls Village, CT, and conducts other programming around the country.

Judith Rosen-Berry served as part-time rabbi for Beit Klal Yisrael (BKY). Judith worked as a social worker before starting her studies at Leo Baeck College and has a PhD in theology; she worked with the Manchester Liberal Jewish Community during her fourth year at the college and was awarded LBC’s Rabbi John Rayner prize for excellent work at MA level. She currently lives on the Isle of Skye where she runs a small community.

Leah is currently a European Fellow at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. For the past five years, she served as Progressive Jewish Chaplain for University Students in the UK and as the congregational rabbi of Norwich Liberal Jewish Community. Among her projects, she built and co-led the doubling in size of the Progressive Jewish Chaplaincy program in the UK, taught and led on the coordinating team for the Open Talmud Project (https://www.facebook.com/opentalmudproject/) – the only cross-communal open-to-all-learners Talmud initiative in Britain – and she is a founding member of Na’amod: British Jews Against Occupation (@NaamodUK), a movement of British Jews dedicated to ending our community’s support for the Occupation.

Leah grew up in the great American Midwest, learned in Jerusalem for two years and as a Year Fellow at Yeshivat Hadar in New York City, received an MA in Jewish Studies from King’s College London, and semicha/rabbinical ordination from the Leo Baeck College. She loves working with young people, Torah & Jewish text study, community building, and organising for change, as well as travel and fictional universes. She lives in London with her partner, Benji Stanley, also a rabbi.

Rabbi Max Chaiken is excited and proud to join the team at Congregation Kol Ami as Assistant Rabbi. A native of Teaneck, New Jersey, Rabbi Chaiken also grew up at the URJ Camp Harlam, in Kunkletown, PA. It was at camp that he first fell in love with living Judaism, and music was his first doorway into that passion. Throughout high school and college, he continue to lead communities in song and prayer, building a lifelong passion for helping to create participatory, musical prayer experiences.

Rabbi Chaiken earned his Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Public Policy from Brown University in 2009. From there he moved to Boston, where he taught Jewish music, Hebrew, and various other topics in synagogue religious schools, and Jewish day schools. It was over the course of these years learning and teaching that Rabbi Chaiken felt the call towards the rabbinate.

Throughout his time at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Rabbi Chaiken had the honor to serve numerous communities here in Los Angeles and beyond. During his first year of seminary, while studying in Jerusalem, he served as the rabbinic intern at Birkat Shalom, a progressive community hosted at Kibbutz Gezer. Upon arriving to HUC-JIR in Los Angeles, he further served a number of communities, including two years as the student rabbi for Congregation Etz Chaim in Merced, California, teaching religious school at Temple Isaiah, and completing a course in pastoral education at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. During his final two years of seminary, Rabbi Chaiken served as the rabbinic intern here at Congregation Kol Ami.

Rabbi Chaiken earned his Masters of Arts in Hebrew Letters in 2016, and was ordained in 2018. His rabbinic thesis, “Telling a New Story: A Model for Economic Ethics in Jewish Law” combines his undergraduate interest in economics with his passion for Jewish thought and philosophy. A passionate writer, Rabbi Chaiken was twice awarded the Rubin Memorial Prize for Academic Writing while at HUC in Los Angeles. Additionally, he co-authored an article in the CCAR Press’ publication The Fragile Dialogue: New Voices of Liberal Zionism, and he participated as a fellow in the AIPAC Leffell Fellowship, a program which brings seminary students from across denominational lines into dialogue and learning about Israel.

Rabbi Chaiken is also a passionate composer of original Jewish music and poetry. His song Eliyahu Hanavi was first published in the Ruach 5771 compilation with Transcontinental Music, and his album of original Jewish music, All That Breathes, was recorded and produced in 2012.

At Congregation Kol Ami, Rabbi Chaiken is working hard to build community for folks in their 20s and 30s, and recently launched The Open Yad Project: Young Adults of Kol Ami. In addition to pastoral responsibilities, Rabbi Chaiken also teaches adult education courses, contributes to social justice initiatives, directs weekly Shabbat music, and helps manage our social media accounts.

Rabbi Chaiken passionately believes that our ancient tradition has incredible tools for helping to make contemporary life meaningful. He is grateful for the chance to bring together interests in storytelling and poetry, music, Hebrew, and more as he seeks to share this message with others. He lives in Altadena with his husband, Rabbi Danny Shapiro, and their dog, Oogie.

Rabbi Megan is the Director of the Silverstein Base Hillel here in Chicago. What makes R’ Megan qualified as a Jewish educator goes far beyond her credentials and resume. R’ Megan loves to produce programming that goes beyond the typical modalities. In addition, because she focuses on the same age range as Moishe House, she is in a unique position to offer support on the retreat as not only an educator but also as a community leader to talk to.

Since her ordination from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College of Philadelphia (RRC) in June 2016, Ora Nitkin-Kaner has worked as an oncology chaplain for New Orleans’ East Jefferson General Hospital. During her rabbinical studies, Ora served as a congregational rabbinic intern, chaplain, and Hillel advisor at a variety of synagogues, nursing homes, hospitals, and colleges in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. Prior to attending rabbinical school, Ora served as the Program Manager of Resurrection After Exoneration, a New Orleans non-profit dedicated to helping men rebuild their lives after their release from wrongful imprisonment. Originally from Toronto, Ora received a BA and MA – both in Religion – from the University of Toronto.

Rabbi Paul Yedwab has served Temple Israel of West Bloomfield, Michigan since his ordination from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1986, where he did his thesis work in the field of “faith development.” Prior to his rabbinic education, Rabbi Yedwab received an A.B. in Politics from Princeton University.

He has published six books: The Alef-Bet of Blessing; Learn Hebrew Today; To See God Through Jewish Eyes; Shema Yisrael, Hear O Israel: The Temple Israel Siddur; Sex in the Texts; and The God Book; and many articles and sermons in a variety of journals and newspapers.

Rabbi Yedwab is the past president of the Michigan Board of Rabbis. In his work as a rabbi, he has founded or co-founded a number of organizations and projects in the Detroit Metropolitan area, including The Miracle Mission to Israel for Teens, The March of the Living Unity Mission, The Future Leaders of Klal Yisrael Mission, The Singles Shabbat Network, and Forgotten Harvest: a prepared food distribution agency. He is also on the National Advisory Board of MAZON, a Jewish Response to Hunger, and the Rabbinic Advisory Group of the World Union for Progressive Judaism. In addition, he was appointed by the Governor of Michigan to represent the Independents on the Board of Ethics.

Rabbi Shulamit Izen is an Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) Associate Certified Educator and a Board Certified Chaplain with the Association of Professional Chaplains. Shulamit completed her ACPE educator training at the Cleveland Clinic (2015-2018). Prior to her time in Cleveland, Shulamit worked in Boston as a chaplain at the Massachusetts General Hospital and as a rabbi/chaplain for Hebrew SeniorLife. Shulamit holds rabbinic ordination from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (2013), where she specialized in issues related to aging and Judaism. She received a Wexner Graduate Fellowship for her rabbinic studies. Shulamit has a BA in Religion from Brown University (2007).

Rabbi Stephanie Crawley, recently ordained from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion is the incoming assistant rabbi at Temple Micah in Washington D.C. She has served as a Jewish educator and musician across the US (from NYC to Ohio to Cali) and in Jerusalem, Czech Republic, and Belarus. Stephanie has worked as a Spiritual Counselor at Beit T’Shuvah, a Jewish addiction treatment center; an education fellow at the Brandeis Collegiate Institute; and a tour educator with NFTY in Israel. She loves tacos almost as much as she loves Torah, and believes that the search for hidden voices in sacred texts helps us find our own.

Rabbi Tali Adler is a faculty member at Hadar. A musmekhet of Yeshivat Maharat, Tali received her undergraduate degree from Stern College, where she majored in Political Science and Jewish Studies. A Wexner Graduate Fellow, during her time at Yeshivat Maharat, Tali served as the clergy intern at Kehilat Rayim Ahuvim and Harvard Hillel. Tali has studied in a number of Jewish institutions, including Drisha and Midreshet Harova.

Rabbi Tiferet received rabbinic ordination and a Masters in Jewish Education from Hebrew College in Boston, a non-denominational, accredited school of Jewish Studies. She loves working with children and has teaching experience in Jewish educational settings. Prior to attending rabbinic school, Rabbi Tiferet attended Tufts University where she majored in clinical psychology and Judaic studies. Rabbi Tiferet’s experience includes working with two other congregations, as a teacher in a Hebrew Day School, and much more.

Rabbi Tiferet’s profound love of Judaism and Jewish culture; her knowledge of Ladino and Sephardic culture; her strong connection to her African American roots makes her a perfect fit for this retreat

Rachel works to open minds and create meaningful connections that extend beyond personal & cultural differences.
In the Jewish community, her mission has been to create opportunities for establishing common ground, & for the unaffiliated to reclaim their Jewish identity. She co-founded Moishe House London, developing the house’s network in the local area through collaborations with local Muslim, Transition Town, and volunteer groups. Rachel has been a key part of Grassroots Jews,(a pop-up High Holy Day community of 350), initially focusing on making prayer services accessible for a diverse range of people. As a director of Grassroots Jews 2016 she spearheaded a strategy for organisational cultural change, integrating emotional intelligence, wellbeing & community-building plans into conventional project logistics.

As the first European to be ordained by the Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute, Rachel facilitates workshops & prayer, sharing the heritage of Jewish women’s practices spanning from sacred texts to the modern era. She has worked with Wilderness Torah, Sukkat Shalom (now Milk + Honey) at Burning Man, Limmud UK, curating the Hearth, a space for experiential and meditative sessions)

In the wider World Rachel is driven by similar motivations, building bridges between people and narratives. As a professional storyteller and poet, she has written and performed commissions for BBC Radio 3, the London Symphony Orchestra, & the Royal Shakespeare Company amongst many others. Rachel’s annual urban community festival The Willesden Green Wassail has been praised by The Lonely Planet guide as one of the UK’s most inspiring winter events, whilst the Cena de los Muertos – created with Pablo Villierezz – enables participants to share stories of loved ones no longer living, in a warm and safe Seder-style meal. She is also the founder of the MeetMyStreet CookBook, a replicable community project to develop and improve relationships in urban and suburban neighbourhoods.

Rachel Weston is an incredible Yiddish singer. She runs radical walking tours through the East End where she sings traditional Anglo-Yiddish songs, she teaches about Diasporic Yiddish history, and is the cantor for Hendon Reform Synagogue. There is nobody more in line with the ethos and values of the community. She can lead in numerous ways, including building up people’s knowledge of radical history, developing people’s singing skills, leading prayers and running creative workshops.

Rebecca Blady is studying for rabbinic ordination at Yeshivat Maharat, the only seminary in the United States to ordain Orthodox Jewish women as clergy. She spends the bulk of her days studying ancient Jewish texts, including the Talmud and its commentaries, with a focus on mastering certain sections of Jewish law.

Aside from school, Rebecca works part-time at Hillel Office of Innovation, coordinating its Fellowship for Rabbinic Entrepreneurs, which trains clergy in startup skills, relationship building and community organizing and to inspire rabbis to act as catalytic leaders, lead boldly yet humbly and conscientiously attune themselves to their charisma. She is a certified yoga teacher and practices regularly and is also a certified ImmerseNYC Mikveh Guide.

Rebecca lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband Jeremy Borovitz. Rebecca and Jeremy co-founded Base Berlin, a home-based, pluralistic Jewish organization in Berlin, Germany. She holds a B.A. cum laude from Brandeis University and has taught and written on topics related to Jewish identity, mindfulness and spirituality, social justice and beyond. She is proud to serve as an educator on her 4th Moishe House retreat!

Rebekah Erev makes objects and creates public ritual as performance / ceremony. Erev’s work invokes the scholarship of re-remembering as relevant, immediate and anti-colonialist in it’s nature. Erev is an ordained kohenet, Hebrew priestess and self-published the Moon Angels / Malakh Halevanah Oracle Deck.

Erev has performed and participated in Open Engagement, HÄXÄN Festival and (Re)Visions Film Festival and shown work throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. They hold a Master in Teaching and over sixteen years of teaching experience. In 2014 Erev co-founded a two year collective art school, DIY Art School that met in public libraries. Additionally Erev, taught hebrew in a religous school k-12, worked with temple beth hatfiloh youth group as a youth group leader.

Reuven Stamov was born in Simferopol in the Crimean region of Ukraine in 1974 to a secular Jewish family. He always knew he was Jewish, but during the period of the Soviet regime, practicing his Judaism was forbidden. As the Soviet period came to an end, unlike many other Ukrainian Jewish families, the Stamovs decided to stay in Ukraine, and Reuven became involved in Jewish communal educational activities. Throughout the 1990’s his commitment to Judaism, the Jewish community and Jewish/Zionist education grew. This led him to be invited by Gila Katz of Schechter’s Midreshet Yerushalayim to be a madrich (counselor) at their Ramah-Yachad summer camp for Jewish children in Ukraine.
Reuven says that his passion for Jewish life and his eventual move to Israel in 2003 led him to a natural conclusion that studying to become a Masorti Rabbi was his destiny. He knew that the studies would enable him to deepen his knowledge and familiarity with Jewish texts and affirm his commitment to Masorti Judaism.

Throughout his studies he worked with Midreshet Yerushalayim and in partnership with Masorti Olami, travelling to Ukraine several times each year to run seminars, summer camp, a successful conversion program as well as many other projects which have developed the foundations for a vibrant Masorti movement in Ukraine. Reuven met his wife Lena during one of these trips in 2004, and the couple now have 2 daughters, Miriam and Alisia.

Rishe Groner was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, with a passion for serving the Jewish community driven by her ancestry in the Chassidic tradition. As the daughter, granddaughter and great-granddaughter of Rabbis, Rishe’s passion for Jewish text study led her to represent Australia in the International Bible Quiz in 2000, and spend several years studying in seminaries and yeshivot in Australia, Israel and the United States.
Rishe graduated from Monash University in Australia with a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Business and Commerce, majoring in Marketing and Communications. She has utilized both of those degrees across her wide career in marketing for over a decade, including designing sporting footwear, grantwriting in the Jewish non-profit world, directing social media for Jewish students on campus, and as senior strategist on Madison Avenue and Wall St.
In 2015, she founded The Gene-Sis, a movement towards embodied Jewish spirituality exploring the Divine Feminine with practical, mystical texts. She hosts events in Brooklyn and has taught at Isabella Freedman, Aleph Kallah, Limmud, and at venues ranging from Chabad houses to music festivals. With over 18 years of Jewish educational expertise, she has worked across many ages and settings, from Brooklyn Montessori preschoolers to Manhattan Bnei Mitzvah, from mature-age retreat goers to college students on Birthright. Rishe believes in leveraging existing and emerging frameworks for Jewish engagement; and spent the summer of 2018 bringing Shabbat ceremonies and Jewish spirituality workshops to festivals around the country while sharing Torah on social media networks.
Rishe’s spiritual practice includes a fierce focus on embodying the Divine through immersive mitzvot and ecstatic prayer. She incorporates Chassidic texts and traditions of niggun, meditation, dance, and ritual into her work and looks forward to deepening the exploration as she continues her journey at JTS.
Rishe currently serves as a volunteer Mikveh Guide and educator for Immerse NYC, a space for ritual transitions on the Upper West Side. She creates a monthly Embody Shabbos Friday evening service in Brooklyn as well as creating sacred spaces in the nightlife and wellness communities for Jewish and spiritual experiences. An active voice in the Jewish feminist spiritual community, Rishe is a freelance writer whose work has been featured on Tablet, Alma, Lilith and The Wisdom Daily.