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.

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

Abrah Dresdale, M.A., is an educator, curriculum designer, and a culture-shift consultant in the fields of social permaculture, food justice, and Jewish earth-based traditions. She serves on faculty in the Sustainable Food and Farming program at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and at Omega Institute for Holistic Studies. She is founding Coordinator of the Local Food & Gardening Program at the Franklin County Jail, MA. She is an educator and consultant for progressive Jewish organizations, helping them to develop ecological and justice-based programming. She is Director of Regenerate Change, offering social permaculture trainings and consulting services for change makers, organizations, and institutions, and her related book, Regenerative Design for Change Makers: A Social Permaculture Guidebook, will be out September 2020. As a cultural artist, she applies whole-systems frameworks to make connections between the personal, social, ecological, and economic dimensions of projects centered around healing and justice. Abrah is willing to travel.

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 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 her community centered around Judaism and social action.

Rabbi Aderet is a spiritual leader, educator, entrepreneur & community organizer. She is Co-Director for The Den. She has served as the spiritual leader for a congregation in Northern California and Campus Rabbi for Hillel at the University of Maryland. She loves traveling, spending time by the water, cooking & spontaneous dance parties with her husband and two kids. Rabbi Aderet loves using and creating ritual for individuals and groups of people for life cycle moments, mindful living, and other times of transition. Rabbi Aderet loves teaching and co-creating meaningful and impactful opportunities with students and adults in the community.

Dr. Aileen Heinberg is passionate about using traditional Jewish texts to undogmatically grapple with life’s big questions. She’s also a big fan of adding insights and strategies from fields like psychology and behavioral economics to the mix. At her day job, she’s a behavioral scientist in Design & Innovation at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Before that, she taught high school Talmud and was a behavioral scientist at RAND.  Aileen studied in the Pardes Kollel and is a graduate of the Pardes Educators Program. She also holds a BA from Columbia University and a PhD from UCLA, both in psychology.

Alex Weisberg 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. She has led ceremony for all the holy days, taught at ALEPH (“Kabbalah of Relating”), in shuls around the country, and led Moishe House retreats including Channukah “Light Up the Dark,” and Pesach of this year. She is a poet and a speaker about the unity of humanity. Her book of poetry is called “My Real Name is You.”

Amanda completed her Master’s degree in Experiential Education and Jewish Cultural Arts at the George Washington University in August 2018 and the JOFEE (Jewish Outdoor, Food, Farming and Environmental Education) Fellowship with Hazon in January 2019. She worked as a Hillel professional, Israel on Campus Coalition Regional Coordinator, and has been trained as a Birthright Fellow. Her 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.

Andy’s basis comes from the psychological world. She is a Mental Health Counselor, specialized in Family Psychotherapy and Transgender Health. Concerning her Jewish Experience, she has worked at Beit Scopus Rosario, planning and coordinating non-formal education and Judaic observance activities for young people; at Taglit Birthright, recruiting, training madrijim and monitoring groups; and as a facilitator in training workshops at Rabbinic school of the Marshal Meyer Rabbinic Seminar. Currently, she is studying crisis spiritual accompaniment of the Jewish life cycle, traumatic experiences and current problems at the Latin American Rabbinic Assembly. Her area of expertise is family, diversity, spirituality and self observance.

Anise Simon is a reproductive health advocate and non-profit professional. She is an alumnus of the Brandeis Collegiate Institute program through AJU and a co-founder of the Triangle, NC Moishe House. As a racial and reproductive justice facilitator, she enjoys weaving Jewish themes to help “wrestle” with Jewish text and connect our values with our religious and cultural tradition. Anise grew up in Jewish communities in both the US and the Caribbean and currently lives between South Florida and Northern California with her partner and two dogs. Currently, Anise works as the Member Systems Manager at the National Network of Abortion Funds and renovates vacation rental properties near the beach. Anise enjoys community organizing, vegetable gardens, and live music.

Anna is a student rabbi in her final year at Leo Baeck College. She is also the new rabbi at synagogue Beit Klal Yisrael. She is an expert in LGBTQIA+ inclusion in Jewish education and spaces as the rabbi of a predominantly LGBTQIA+ congregation. Recently she was one of the rabbi’s leading London’s Pride Shabbat at Finchley Progressive synagogue.

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. Annie 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, Annie was chosen to be a mentor in the 92Y Shababa Network for Jewish professionals. Annie is 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.

Ari is passionate about experiential Jewish outdoor education and programming as a tool for personal transformation and community building. She has been working and serving as a program facilitator for the past 5 years with Camp Ramah in California as assistant director, as a counselor at camp Urban Adamah, and as the public programs director and retreats manager.

Ariel Resnikoff is a poet, scholar, translator and educator. His most recent works include Ten-Four: Poems, Translations, Variations (Operating System 2015), with Jerome Rothenberg, and Between Shades (Materialist Press 2014). With Stephen Ross, he is at work on the first critical bilingual edition of Mikhl Likht’s modernist Yiddish long poem, Processions; with Lilach Lachman and Gabriel Levin, he is translating into English the collected writings of the translingual-Hebrew poet, Avot Yeshurun. His own writing has been translated into French, Spanish and Russian, and is forthcoming in German in a special issue of Schreibheft Zeitschrift Für Literatur. Ariel lives in the San Francisco East Bay Area with his wife, the artist and landscape architect, Rivka Weinstock.

Arielle Braude Krule is the Director of the Jewish Learning Fellowship (JLF), the largest Jewish educational provider on campuses in North America. Arielle joins OOI from Hunter College Hillel, where as Assistant Director her team increased student engagement by 600%. Before Hunter, she worked at NYU’s Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life as the Senior Associate for Student Life and Education. Arielle’s run more than 20 JLF cohorts (200 sessions). Arielle grew up in Cherry Hill, New Jersey and spent a year before attending college to serve as the International President of BBYO, Inc., the world’s leading pluralistic Jewish youth movement. She then graduated from NYU with a Bachelor of Social Work and later a Master of Social Work (LMSW) and has a certificate in Jewish Education. On the side, Arielle is a birth doula and lover of Phish. Arielle lives in Crown Heights Brooklyn with her husband, Jackson, and their dog, Frida.

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 UC San Diego, and a master’s degree in Organizational Behavior from NYU. Arya has embraced his full 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 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. His dedication to Jewish leadership and community have earned him a place on the LA Jewish Journal’s 30 Under 30 list, a feature in Iranwire’s Top 50 Iranian-American You Should Know, and most recently the 2019 JPro Young Professional Award.

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 a teacher during Shnat Hachshara in Israel. His areas of expertise are informal education, activism and leadership

Atara Cohen graduated Princeton University with a BA in Religion and a certificate in Judaic Studies, where she focused her non-academic time on interfaith work. After studying Torah in a variety of settings, including Midreshet Nishmat, Yeshivat Hadar, and the Drisha Institute throughout college, she began to study full time at Yeshivat Maharat. She was a T’ruah Rabbinical Fellow for Human Rights, a JOIN for Justice fellow, and is a UJA Graduate fellow. She has taught Torah as a scholar in residence in multiple communities and served as a rabbinic intern at the Columbia-Barnard Hillel. Atara currently serves as a Cooperberg-Rittmaster Pastoral and Educational Intern at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah. She lives on the upper west side, where she thinks about social justice issues, knits, and cooks inventive chickpea recipes.

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. Avery has worked in a cider mill, NYC’s bougiest bagel shop, Tel Aviv’s fanciest croissant bakery, built a clay oven, and baked challah for 300 in an open pit fire. Avery works as editor for the Posen Library of Jewish Culture while researching the diversity of Jewish food ways. He is a wilderness educator, an alumnus of yeshivat Hadar’s year program, and guided tours of 5+ Israeli shuks.

Avraham Khazin is a graduate of the Beit Midrash program in Beit Berl College. Avraham is 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.

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.

Becca was the Assistant Farm Manager at Urban Adamah and completed the Urban Adamah fellowship.

Boris Dov Dolin is a guide and an educator leading various projects in Israel and abroad. He “grew up” as a leader of Birthright and Masa projects, and various expeditions to Poland and Eastern Europe, following the story of the Jewish People. He believes that in order to deeply understand Israel, it’s people and the Jewish story one needs “to love Israel with their feet”. Only standing on top of a Galilee mountain, crawling in the Bar Kokhva tunnel of Judea or watching the sunrise from the rooftops of Jerusalem you can truly feel the land and the countless stories that live in her. In his other life, Boris is an investigator in the IDF Eitan unit – a branch of the military responsible for bringing home MIA soldiers – and a military historian. His first book, “Suez Wall”, is about to be published soon.

Charlie is a full time song leader at Temple Israel of Hollywood, Head Songleader 3 years running at Camp Hess Kramer in Malibu, Faculty at the 2019 SLBC National Conference (SongLeader Bootcamp), featured as an “Emerging Artist” on Jewish Rock Radio, Presenter at the 2018 & 2019 ACC Mid Winter Retreat (American Conference of Cantors), Faculty at the 2016 UPJ Shir Chadash Conference (Union for Progressive Judaism), and host of 2 Jewish Rock Radio shows (Artist Feature and Jewish Camp Rocks). Pioneering generous gear and instrument donations, Charlie worked to transform the camp library into “The Lab”, Camp Hess Kramer’s first ever fully designated music space. Enabling campers to explore their musicality in a fresh environment, the creation of “The Lab” culminated with CHK’s first inaugural Rock Band. Charlie established a thriving youth choir culture with 3 different age groups at Temple Israel of Hollywood (1st-3rd, 4th-6th and 7th-10th grades). This year, co-leading the Teen Chavurah at SLBC, Charlie is more present in the Jewish world of song than ever as he unlocks and activates the potential of each community he leads.

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.

Chen Shair has 10 years of of experience educating youth at risk. He is the head of a district at Hanoar Haoved Vehalomed – social change youth movement and a graduate of the Beit Berl College of Education. He has a B.E.D degree in education and teaching credentials, specialization in the history of the State of Israel and Israeli society. He is the coordinator of the Dror Israel Movement Educational Training Programs. He is also the founder, coordinator and community organizer of the Rujum Community Network – Gen Y’ers for social change.

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.

Chloe Zelkha is an educator, facilitator, and spiritual caregiver. She directed the Urban Adamah fellowship for 3 years, where she led Jewish ritual (Avodat Lev, Shabbat, mikvah), facilitated creative games and community sharing, and taught workshops on a range of topics, focusing especially on mindfulness meditation and anti-oppression concepts. She trained as a chaplain at UCSF, where she completed 3 units of CPE, offered emotional and spiritual care to patients and their families in moments of crisis and transition, and led mindfulness-related programming. She is currently enrolled in a Master’s program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she studies Transformative Experiences.

Rabbi Dan Horwitz is the founding director of The Well, a nationally recognized Jewish community-building, education, and spirituality outreach initiative in Metro Detroit geared to the needs of young adults. Committed to lifelong learning, Dan holds a BA in Politics from Brandeis University, an MA in Jewish Studies from Gratz College, a JD and an MA in Sport Management from the University of Michigan, and an MA in Jewish Education from Hebrew College. Ordained by the non-denominational Mesifta Adas Wolkowisk, he worked for a number of years as the Rabbi and Director of Immersive Learning for Moishe House, has been designated one of America’s Most Inspiring Rabbis by The Forward, is a graduate of the Clergy Leadership Incubator housed at Hazon, and is 1/4 of The Open Dor Project’s inaugural cohort of spiritual entrepreneurs. A regular basketball player, Jewish jam session participant and hummus enthusiast, Dan makes his home in suburban Detroit with his spouse Miriam and their kiddos Jonah and Micah.

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.

Danielle Pitkoff, the Program Coordinator at Sacred Spaces, was selected to be part of the Jewish Week’s 36 Under 36 for her groundbreaking abuse-prevention work in the Jewish community. In addition to policy and curricula development, Danielle jets around the country lecturing at conferences and training Jewish professionals on how to prevent and respond to sexual abuse. Danielle grounds all her work in Jewish values, communicating that this type of education and prevention is part of our moral Jewish imperative to care for one another. While this is her current area of expertise, Danielle’s experience as a Jewish educator includes her years as a division-head at Jewish summer camp, where she created workshops on leadership, community/team building, and crafted 6 weeks of programming for over 50 teenagers. She majored in Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University with a double minor in Near Eastern Studies and Judaic Studies. A skilled educator with advanced knowledge of Jewish texts, Danielle utilizes various learning modalities and engages deeply with her audiences.

To read more about Danielle Pitkoff and her impact on the Jewish community:

https://www.jewishlinkbwc.com/index.php/features/11439-danielle-pitkoff-looks-to-make-a-difference https://jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/danielle-pitkoff-24/

“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. Born and raised in Metro-Detroit, Danniell has also lived in Seattle where she helped individuals delve into their heritage through education and experiences, as the Jewish Life and Learning Professional at the SJCC, and currently lives in Atlanta serving as the Senior Director of Jewish Journeys, Places, and Welcoming and the Jewish Federation. Danniell loves bold flavors, deep conversations, and anything with peanut butter and chocolate.

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.

David Manchester is the Associate Director of Impact Assessment and Learning at the Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP), Greater Boston’s Jewish Federation. In his role he supports efforts to measure the impact generated through communal giving. Additionally, he is a Ph.D. candidate in social policy at Brandies University and a Berman Fellow in Jewish Socio-Demographic Studies. David completed Masters’ degrees in Public Policy and Jewish Professional Leadership as part of the Hornstein Program and received his BA in International Affairs from American University’s School of International Service.

He previously lived in Washington, DC where he began his career as a legislative assistant for Hadassah’s Washington Action Office. He then became an operations analyst at Blackboard, Inc., where he honed his skills in quantitative metrics and evaluation. Growing up in Scarsdale, NY, he was active at Westchester Reform Temple. David recently completed 12 years of service on the Board of Directors of American University Hillel. During that time, he was instrumental in reinvigorating the organization leading a reorganization and recruiting a new, executive director.

David is a rabbinical student at Abraham Geiger Kolleg in Berlin. He is a young, smart and very accessible future rabbi and a huge hope for the Czech Jewish Community! David focuses on making Judaism accessible in post-Shoah Europe and educating people about finding answers to the issues of the modern world, including fake news, extremism, and loneliness, in the traditional Jewish texts. He speaks English, German, Hebrew, and Czech.

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.

Dmitry is a Cantor with ROOPI (Religious Association of Communities of Progressive Judaism), a professional musician, and he conducts training courses for Bar and Bat Mitzvah. Being the only cantor for the progressive Judaism communities in the former USSR, Dmitry regularly participates in seminars, conducts services and master classes in the communities of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and the Baltic states. The music for prayers is the music of his heart and in his work, the motives of Jewish, Ukrainian and Russian folklore were combined.

Don is an experienced educator with a background in history, as well as teaching Hebrew and Jewish values. He has worked at many congregations in youth education including Beth Hillel Academy, Peninsula Temple Beth El, Temple Sinai, and Wilshire Boulevard Temple. He has also developed and led workshops as a Moishe House resident in Palo Alto, and as regional coordinator for StandWithUs. He currently works at the Anti-Defamation League in Los Angeles and volunteers as a docent at the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust. Don is also a plant aficionado and gardener and is excited to combine his knowledge of Jewish tradition and values to this retreat focusing on connection with nature.

Dor Haberer currently lives in Boulder, CO where he studies Shiatshu massage therapy and doing a master degree through Gaia University in Integrative Ecosocial design. He works with youth on rites of passage, as a coach for OneTable & as a community organizer. Dor has helped facilitate and run the kitchen at a few retreats and has been involved in facilitating a variety of gatherings, mens groups, and sharing/grief circles. He has worked as an educator for many Jewish organizations including Ramah in the Rockies, Wilderness Torah, and Moishe House.

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 Jewish meditation scholar and teacher. She studied Torah, Gemara and Jewish thought at the Drisha Institute for Jewish Studies in New York, at the Section Normale des Etudes Juives in Paris, at Matan and at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, where she was a Yesod Fellow and received a certificate of ‘Experiential Jewish Educator’. She received her Ph.D in Sociolgy of Religion at the Ecole de Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales in Paris, focusing her research on contemporary Jewish Spirituality, and her certification as a “Jewish Mindfulness Teacher” from the Institute of Jewish Spirituality in New York. She contributes regularly to French Jewish learning website “Akadem” and to leading French Jewish Journals (JewPop, Tenou’a and L’Eclaireur). A strong believer in body-mind balance, she also teaches Vinyasa and Ashtanga Yoga specially designed for Jewish audiences. A faculty member at the Or Ha Lev Center for Jewish spirituality in Israel, she has been teaching meditation in various settings (Moishe Houses, JCCs, Yeshivot and Synagogues) since 2013. An advocate of fixing the world by improving ourselves and by creating happy healthy communities, one person at a time, she travels in Europe and in the United States to offer Jewish Meditation workshops and retreats and to help Jewish communities set up local meditation groups.

After many wild musical adventures in NYC, Elana moved to Boulder Colorado to re-root, or you could say “return” to an earthier sense of self, place, and pace, she began to notice her Jewishness, in an atmosphere sparkled by the influence of Jewish Renewal founder Reb Zalman Schaecter Shalomi and Naropa University. Several revelational sparks later, after a few years, her gut led her to seek out an environment of Jewish people, so as to be able to “talk candidly about the Holocaust and Palestine,” and learn what it meant to be “Jewish”. She relocated back east to become an Adamah fellow, and live at Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center where she met collaborators Kohenet Shamira Chandler, Rabbi Sarah Bracha Gershuny, and Shir Yaakov, amongst others.

The first month of her time there, Shir Yaakov asked Elana if she would sing Kol Nidre for the Yom Kipper renewal service there. Being that she was raised in rural Appalachia, without much ritual Judaism, Elana did not actually know what Kol Nidre was. Still, she said yes. What followed was the most transcendental “performing” experience Elana had ever felt at that point in her life. She knew that she had connected with something she had always been yearning for: a way to bridge creative music with authentic transcendental and communal spirituality. Since that moment, she has felt divinely swept into leadership in the Jewish renewal world and is so grateful to get to use her musical talents therein. She is currently in the 9th cohort of the Kohenet Institute, studying with Rabbi Jill Hammer, Shoshana Jedwab, and Taya Ma. Elana is hoping to grow her ritual leadership so as to create services for all kinds of Jewish folk, bridging divides and sowing seeds of joy and peace. It is her honor to be able to “make people feel things”, in both her own personal songwriting work, as well as in her ritual leadership and musical healing she offers for the larger Jewish community, as we grow and stretch through these trying times.

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

Emily Muskin has been the Project Manager at HeyNow! Media for a little over a year. Before joining the HeyNow! Team, Emily served as the Cleveland Region of the Anti-Defamation League’s Education Director. In this role she was responsible for the creation, coordination, and implementation of anti-bias educational workshops and materials in schools and the greater communities of Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Within this role, Emily had the opportunity to work with a variety of diverse stakeholders; including the Regional Board, National Office Staff members, Regional Staff members, Schools, the Regional Education Committee, and many others. In her current and past roles, Emily has especially enjoyed working with people and having the opportunity to build meaningful working relationships. Her ability to maintain consistency, attention to detail, and passionate care for her work is essential to every project she manages.

Emma Howitt is a Licensed Professional Counselor as well as a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor. Originally from Houston, Emma earned her Bachelor’s in Psychology at Texas State University and her Master’s in Mental Health Counseling at Yeshiva University. Prior to working at Jewish Family Service of Austin, Emma was a therapist at several non-profit behavioral health and substance abuse agencies in the Austin area. She brings ten years of experience counseling individuals, couples, and families dealing with issues such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, relationships, and life transitions.

As a therapist and community educator with Jewish Family Service of Austin, Emma has facilitated many psychoeducation workshops and group therapy sessions that incorporate Judaism in mental health and substance abuse treatment. She has created programming specifically at the intersection of mental health and Judaism, including a community storytelling event which highlighted Austin Jews in recovery, an ongoing Mood and Mindfulness workshop, and Shalom Village, a supportive social group for new Jewish parents.

https://shalomaustin.org/emmahowitt

Erin Rachel Doppelt is an international wellness consultant, spiritual teacher and retreat leader. She specialized in female (and all those who identify as women) spiritual-based retreats filled with holistic eats, meditation, movement, manifestation, circling and ceremony. She facilitates innovative mindfulness workshops in the areas of meditation, emotional intelligence, positive psychology, conflict competency, nutrition, yoga, and spiritual, personal and professional development. The workshops help foster individual and group wellness, advancing soul connection and healing. Erin developed the workshops based on her experience living and learning in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Erin earned an MA in Clinical Psychology and Education from Columbia University, and is a Certified Functional Medicine Health Coach. Check out her Instagram @ErinRDoppelt and her website https://www.erinracheldoppelt.com/

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Franklin Drob learned to speak Russian fluently from his mother and grandmother. At the age of 16, he began to take his academic pursuits and self-study seriously. By the age of 18, Franklin received seven scholarly first class awards and scholarships to DePaul University, where he became a National Honor Roll student. While in college, Franklin met his first mentor, a retired hedge fund manager with more than 40 years of meditation and yoga experience. Those years would provide Franklin with the business and emotional intelligence resources to consult corporations, micro-small & medium sized business owners, private organizations and learn how to support and work with 501(C)3’s.

Franklin is now an international yoga teacher. Outside of weekly work life, you can find Franklin around the globe co-hosting wellbeing and yoga retreats, leading workshops , participating on panels at social events , professionally speaking at conferences, collaborating with various charity and social media personnel around the world.

With the support and guidance of his local rabbi, Franklin became involved in the Russian-speaking Jewish community. As a result, he was selected as part of a pilot program to be one of the first residents of the Chicago Russian-Speaking Moishe House. He has hosted more than 100 programs, including Shabbat dinners, holiday celebrations, social soirees, Hebrew lessons, collaboration with synagogues, Russian guitar sing-along events and “good karma” cafés.Unit 1602. In 2016 Franklin was awarded a Tikkun Fellowships by the Jewish United Fund’s Russian Jewish Division to help develop and support the fine arts and culture, further health and wellness, enhance Jewish education, all with Jewish flair.

Gabriel currently works at the experience Documentation and Information Centre on Argentine Jewry, “Marc Turkow” Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA) since 2016. He provides administration of the different collections and attention to scholars and students from Argentina and abroad. He also coordinates 10 volunteers and oversees the assignment of tasks and monitoring and evaluation of results. Gabriel is also involved in interdisciplinary work with other areas for the creation of multimedia content. He has experience in the assistance in strategic planning with management positions as well as the generation of reports and presentations, budget management and relationship with suppliers. He has helped with the implementation of the “Creando Memoria” contest, aimed at high school students where they have contact with educational institutions and teachers and the development of activities (communication, selection of winners, awards).

Gabriel Weitz is a young successful Jewish entrepreneur, engineer and member of the ID teachers staff. Gabriel is the creator of a very well known app in Argentina aimed at encouraging people to car-pool. More information: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gweitz

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 on a range of topics. She is the Chief Executive of Mitzvah Day and has worked for JDC Entwine, OLAM and UJS (the Union of Jewish Students) to name a few. She founded and runs a women’s Rosh Chodesh circle supported by Moishe House Without Walls. She is also a former Moishe House London resident and has been involved with March of the Living and Grassroots Jews.

Gera is the co-founder of the Jewish film festival, the J-Camp (Jewish camp for children) and the PR manager of the Jewish cultural center “Beit Grand.”

Grigory is a psychologist and madrich in the community with at least 8 years of experience, ie is good in organizing group work, Jewish literature, and Beit-Midrashim.

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.

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.

CTLV.org.il
Florentine Community Garden: https://www.facebook.com/Florentin2012/
Onya Collective: http://onyacity.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nomi.berg

Hindy Finman is a rabbinical student at Hebrew College 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 in nature’s classroom- the great outdoors. She is an avid dirt lover, be it ceramics, gardening, creating composting systems, or trying to understand the Earth’s messages.

Ilan is a Sound Healer, Spiritual Mentor & Coach for those who desire to reclaim their power. He is a Certified in Sound Healing, Reiki, Reality Coaching, Solution Focused Coaching, NLP and CBT. For the past Eight years, Ilan has spent his time learning from a Shaman and different ancient wisdom teachings, continuously immersed in teachings from spiritual guides and ancient wisdom of Kabbalah. In workshops, he will explore together with you the different ways to be present through the teachings and wisdom of plants, Kabbalah and Sound Healing.

Cross Culturalist, Mediator, Urbanist and Entrepreneur. Ilyll has over a decade of experience in leading, training and guiding diverse groups and individuals in cross-cultural fields in English, Hebrew, French and Spanish. Ilyll has lived and worked in the USA, France, Spain and Argentina while researching cultures and initiating and leading entrepreneurial projects. Through international encounters she has gained knowledge and hands-on experience of how cultures shape business interactions and organizational norms. In one-on-one sessions, group trainings and workshops, Ilyll’s mediator skills allow her to bridge the challenging cultural gaps and transform them into strengths. Over the years she has developed elaborate models and tools for implementing the impact of cultures on the ways in which people think, feel and act. Ilyll holds an MA in Mediation & Conflict Resolution from Tel Aviv University.

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.

Jared Stein is a music educator, composer, song leader, and professional acoustic folk/rock artist. A multi-instrumentalist originally from Washington D.C., Jared is a proverbial jack-of-all-trades when it comes to musical performance, including violin-beatboxing and yodeling. He has played and recorded with many notable artists, including Theodore Bikel, Cathy Fink, and Marcy Marxer, Daniel Bedingfield, Craig Taubman, Yuval Ron, Joshua Nelson, Tom Paxton, Mike Stein, The Wellspring, Mikey Pauker, and has appeared on televised concert specials locally and internationally. He currently writes and performs with The Stein Brothers, his family band, “The Rolling Steins,” as well as the Nashuva Band. He is the Director of the Instrumental Music Program at de Toledo High School and is also the Music Director for the Brandeis Collegiate Institute. He was formally the Music Director for Camp Alonim.

Jess is a professional Jewish educator, queer activist, and Jewish community organizer. She focuses on inclusion, special education, nature education, connecting text to our lives, and cooking. She is currently in her third year of the Hebrew College Master of Jewish Education program, specializing in Special Education. Given her extensive education experience, Jess is able to strike a great balance of text learning that is accessible for all participants. In particular, she has done a lot of experiental education work, and brings a great creative flair to programming.

Jo(anna) Kent Katz is a social justice educator, youth worker, drama therapist, intuitive healer, Theater of the Oppressed practitioner, restorative justice circle keeper, rite of passage ritualist and an ordained Kohenet. She is a political educator who centers healing and a healing practitioner who believes in collective liberation. Jo’s work is a deep dive into healing from internalized anti-Semitism and the undoing oppression at the intersections of whiteness and Jewishness for Ashkenazi Jews.

As an educator, Jo creates and facilitates dynamic, liberatory anti-oppression trainings, supporting youth and young-adult leaders around the country to strengthen themselves as agents of social change. She has worked on-going with groups such as Bend the Arc’s Jeremiah Fellowship, JOIN for Justice, Adamah and Urban Adamah. Supporting individuals and collectives in building their capacity to interrupt patterns of oppression, Jo attends to the learning, unlearning, and the healing required to release ourselves –and one another– from our unconscious allegiance to systems that hold us captive, availing us to imagine and manifest the world we long for.

Joanna holds a Masters degree in Social Justice Education from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with a degree in Counseling Psychology/Drama Therapy from California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. You can find out more about her work at www.jokentkatz.com

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.

Jonathan Hartig is the executive chef/owner of J2Food, a full-service, Kosher catering company serving the New York Metro area and Philadelphia. Jonathan is also a cooking instructor, MHWOW host, Jewish history and storyteller, and host of the semi-monthly “Pop Up Foodie Shabbat” dinner series for NYC young professionals.

Jonathan was raised in a Conservative Jewish NYC household, attended modern Orthodox day school, and enjoyed summers at UJA or USY affiliated camps and programs. He attended the Columbia University/Jewish Theological Seminary joint program and then received his MA in Sociology and Education from Columbia University Teacher’s College. Since moving back from Philadelphia in late 2016, Jon has dedicated himself to J2Food and working with the local Jewish community.

Jonathan and J2Food frequently collaborate with many local NYC organizations including Moishe House, JCC, Hazon, JDC Entwine, Tribe12 in Philly, and Edlavitch DCJCC in Washington, DC. His “Entwine and Dine” and “Edible Education” programs focus on Jewish food history and culture and feature relevant text study, interactive discussions, and communal cooking. Recent sessions have featured the Jewish community of Morocco, a “Who Owns Falafel?” workshop, and a multi-part Shabbat cooking series for Moishe House UWS.

Jonathan not only is creative with menus and recipes, but he aims to infuse unique and fun Jewish texts and learning into his events. He has hosted a dinner on the concept of Jewish Food Ownership, Jewish Food and Memory, The History of the Matzah Ball, and Establishing Jewish Identity through Food. Other topics that have been discussed have included Kashrut, holidays and rituals, the Shabbat table, and of course food prep, catering, and hosting.

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.

Julia Kolchinsky Dasbach (www.juliakolchinskydasbach.com) 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. Julia is the author of the Wick Poetry Prize-winning collection The Many Names for Mother (Kent State University Press, 2019) and the chapbook The Bear Who Ate the Stars (Split Lip Press, 2014). Her poems appear in POETRY, American Poetry Review, and The Nation, among others. She has received fellowships from the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute, Yiddish Book Center’s TENT Writing Conference, the Auschwitz Jewish Center, and the USHMM’s Seminar on the Holocaust in the Soviet Union. Julia organized (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.

Kelila was at Camp Moshavah IO for two months as a Beit midrash participant and Drama instructor (2012), a madricha for Hineni Youth and Welfare (2013, 2014,) Rosh Chinuch for the Victorian branch of Hineni Youth and Welfare (2014), a United Jewish Education Board teacher (2014) (for public schools in Melbourne), an education and room assistant at Chabad Malvern Childcare (2015, 2016), a shlicha for the Canberra Jewish community, working in education and social activities with youth and young adults (2016), a madricha for Mach Hach Hesder (2017), an educator and hadracha for Hineni Youth and Welfare gap year program (2017, 2018), a madricha at Midrshet Lindenbaum (2018-2017) and is Student Life Coordinator at Amudim (2019-2020). Kelila studied at Midreshet Lindenbaum where she recieved her Bachelor of Arts at Monash University with an APA accredited major in Psychology and a minor in Linguistics. She also studied at Ulpan Etzion Yerushalayim and had a fellowship at the Bellow’s Eshkolot Educator’s Institute for Tanakh and Jewish Studies at Matan Women’s Institute for Torah Studies. She is currently a participant in World Mizrachi’s Shalhevet Leadership Program and Matan-Mizrachi’s Lapidot Educators Program.

Kendra Fried has 24 years of professional and teaching experience in fitness/health, consulting, energy healing, and body/mind movement practices. She is a certified Yoga and Jewish Wisdom Teacher (through Jewish Learning Works). Her approach is reverent and lighthearted, and she is strongly influenced by the Eastern practices of mindfulness and meditation, and Judaism. She is passionate about creating a safe space for her clients and students to experience deep healing and transformation in their lives.

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. She also co-leads Shabbat Services and High Holiday Prayer Services. 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.

Kimberly Dueñas is a California native with a global spirit. She is both Ashkenazi and Sephardic, and embraces her worldly Jewish heritage. Kimberly has found the greatest way to explore her dynamic Jewish identity was to immerse and involve herself in the Jewish world-both locally and globally. A Jewish educator for the last decade, her passion for experiential education and social justice have brought her to summer camps and classrooms around the world. After completing her undergraduate degree from American Jewish University, she volunteered as an educator at the Jewish Community Center in Mumbai, India as a JDC Entwine Jewish Service Corps fellow from 2013-2015. While living in India she also pursued her interest in Yoga and wellness by completing a teacher training from The Yoga Institute in Mumbai. Upon her return to Los Angeles, she brought her love of community and global Jewish knowledge to Brawerman Elementary School of Wilshire Boulevard Temple as the Judaic Studies Specialist where she taught for 3 years. Hearing the call to dive deeper into her Yoga practice and mindfulness coaching, she has transitioned to working in the wellness sphere full time. During a typical week, she is the Community Coordinator for Modo Yoga LA in Venice and is continuing to pursue a career in Women’s Health and Wellness. A highlight of her work these days is holding space for her Rosh Hodesh girls group, a teenage girl squad that gathers monthly to explore womanhood and femininity in a Jewish context.

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.

Ksenia has been working in the field of Jewish informal education for the last 8 years. She has been studying Jewish tradition at different retreats, workshops, learning sessions, etc. all over FSU since 2010. She worked in JAFI camps and projects for 5 years, worked in J-Camp (Jewish educational camp) program for 7 years and led Taglit groups for 7 years as well. She was also a Moishe House resident for 3.5 years. Since 2017 Ksenia has been a program coordinator/Jewish educator in the family camp Tiyul, creating and managing programs at least 4 camps per year. She is also leading madrichim courses in the St. Petersburg community.

As a Pardes Educators Masters program graduate, Laura has been working as a Middle school Judaics teacher at Hannah Senesh Community Day School in Brooklyn. She began a mindfulness program for her middle school and wrote curriculum around intentional rituals, relaxation, and focus techniques. She shares her passion for intentional Judaism outside of school as well, serving on the board of Brooklyn Beit Midrash and leading Jewish meditation for adults. Laura is honored to have been a part of the Romemu Yeshiva this past summer and grow her personal and professional practice. She also writes and podcasts for Pardes in their Interactive Parsha Series.

Leah is a Denver, Colorado native that is currently transplanted in New York. She has worked educating and mentoring Jewish young adults and youth for over 8 years and traveled to over eighteen different countries. She loves working with and meeting people.

Leora Fridman has worked as an artist, organizer and educator in Jewish and arts communities since 2005. Leora is 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. Leora’s 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.

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 Cooper is a third-year rabbinical student at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in New York. She is also completing a Master of Arts in Jewish Non-Profit Management from the Zelikow School at HUC-JIR in Los Angeles and is a Wexner Graduate Fellow. Originally from Lexington, Mass., Madeline attended Gann Academy in Waltham, Mass., and graduated from Dartmouth College. Before matriculating at HUC-JIR, she served as Director of Education at the Upper Valley Jewish Community in Hanover, N.H.

This year, Madeline is serving as a Rabbinical Student Fellow with the Center for Small Town Jewish Life in Maine where she will work with Congregation Temple Beth El in Augusta, and with Bates College Hillel students. Madeline has worked extensively with college students supporting Jewish programming on campuses with small Jewish populations, read more about the fellowship program here: http://www.colby.edu/jewishlife/rabbinic-interns/

Madeline Dolgin is the Student Life Coordinator at the 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, 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 the professional 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 responsibility 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. Mauricio is the Project manager of a Jewish teacher development program inside Hebraica University is called Laofek. He is also a teacher of Zionism and Israel current events at two Jewish days schools in the 12th grade, CIM-ORT school and Maguen David 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 Masters degree in Education, and a degree in Psychology, focused in Psychoanalysis. Since 2008 he has taught the History of Zionism, Jewish Culture, Theory of Knowledge and Shoah at the baccalaureate in the Escuela Integral Hebreo Uruguaya, which examines issues of HaShoah, Antisemitism, the history of the Jewish state, and major Jewish thinkers and writers. He has collaborated in several Jewish publications and radio programs like Radio Sefarad. Languages spoken: Spanish, English, Hebrew.

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, her wife Paige and baby daughter Bri are thrilled to begin their fourth year at their 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!

From a young age Melanie have experienced her Jewish identity as a part of my her. Both, her way of seeing the world and her personality, are influenced by Judaism, its philosophy, values and education. This is traduced naturally in her art, which tries to be as faithful as possible to her feeling and thinking. In fact, it was her involvement with the Jewish community that triggered her interest in creative writing. When she started her undergraduate studies in acting, she was already writing and directing plays for the Jewish-Zionist movement that she was part of, as well as getting involved in the theatre plays that were produced in Jewish schools. Moreover, her first play, a children´s play called “Juan’s World”, emerged as a response to fundraising for one of the most important institutions of the Uruguayan Jewish community: The Jewish Eldery home. That is why she has always seen the influence of Judaism together with her art as an opportunity for growth and progress. The dialogue and intersection, has been constant and fruitful, and has always driven her to more.

She is currently involved in projects which are strongly committed to generating a social impact through theatre. She is deeply interested in exploring how artistic events have the potential to open doors, generate dialogue and mold our worldviews. In the context of the Uruguayan Jewish community, she is currently directing and producing a project entitled “The Black Box”, which was created by Helen Marcos in Mexico. This project employs improvisation, representation and interaction to cover a wide array of social issues. She strongly believes in this project, since it advocates for the importance of listening to one another and the value of social dialogue, while promoting psycho-drama and learning processes. She directs a group of 15 people in the context of a long-term project. Her goal is for this project to achieve what is has accomplished in Mexico – for it to transcend the Uruguayan Jewish community and reach the Uruguayan general public.

During her adolescence and youth, she volunteered at the Tnuá Betar for a 15 year period. During this period, she held different positions, such as: Madrija of young people of 9 and 10 years old, young people between 15 and 16 years old and people between 19 and 20 as well as a member of the hanagá (directory) of Betar fulfilling the position of external relations and also of preparing activities, seminars, talks, majanot etc. for the bogrim and the madrijim. She was also in charge of the educational area for all the bogrim of the Tnua advising, training and helping with any doubt or issue they might have with the young people they could be in charge of. On the other hand, she was also in charge specifically of the madrijim of young people between 12 and 13 years old meeting them each week in order to make a plan for all the year. Once she finished her stage as a volunteer, she continued participating in the different activities such as a speaker and teacher of: The Shoa project doing hasbara referred to the Shoa in non-Jewish schools and also coordinating it, as well as The institute of “Nativ” the training center for the madrijim of the tnuot.

Having told all of the above, she feels that she is qualified to be the mentor due to different reasons: her experience in all aspects of the community, both artistic and institutional. Since she was a girl, she knew very closely and deeply, all aspects of the Jewish community and she has trained throughout her life both artistically and educationally to be able to transmit all of her knowledge and reach the people who are in positions to exploit everything to their potential. Being part of different areas and institutions, made her know the community and its problems so closely, as well as Uruguayan problems in general, she has carried out many activities outside the community, She believes that she is able to demonstrate her knowledge and make people grow both personally and artistically, understanding the reason of everything we do and what the person who is listening needs from us.

Michael Rockman has been working in informal Jewish education for over 15 years (from summer camps to BBYO, to a variety of consulting projects for Jewish retreats and fundraisers). What makes Michael special is his RSJ background and his work with many RSJ programs. The topics of Israel and Jewish holiday are ones that Michael has explored many times with teens, youth, and young[er] adults. His personal immigration story provides an additional unique perspective on Jewish Identity which he shares with his audience.

Michelle Weiser is the Deputy Director at Boston Workmen’s Circle Center for Jewish Culture & Social Justice. Michelle is a Sephardi queer Jewish organizer and has been leading trainings for young Jews for the past 5 years on topics including Antisemitism, Israel/Palestine, Leadership, and Equity & Inclusion. She received a B.A. in Public Relations from Boston University, where she served on the board of the Center for Gender, Sexuality, and Activism and worked on the successful campaign to open a rape crisis center on campus. Michelle is a proud alum of the JOIN for Justice Fellowship program, where she worked side-by-side with front-line communities impacted by environmental threats. Prior to that, Michelle worked on local, state, and national communications strategies to support impact litigation at the LGBTQ law firm GLAD.

Mihal Stamova was born in 1973 in Rovno, Ukraine. In 1991, she graduated from the Rovno Music college with a degree in piano. She started her Jewish life in 1995 in JAFI Ulpan in Donetsk. Since 2000, she worked as a Hebrew teacher and teacher of Jewish music in Donetsk. In 2003, she graduated from the Jewish studies department at Donetsk State University. In 2005, she graduated from the Philology department at Rovno State Humanitarian University. She made Aliyah, then, in 2010, graduated Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem. Since 2012, she has worked as a the director of Jewish public-educational center “Masoret”. In 2017, she became a Master of History in Jewish studies in National University “Kiev-Mohylyanska Academy”. She now studies at a PhD program at Donetsk National University. She also works as a director of Family camp and organizes original courses on Jewish literature, history and music. She specializes in the history of the Jews of Bukovina and Galicia region in Ukraine.

Mikey Pauker is a folk and world artist, producer and prayer leader hailing from Oakland, CA. Mikey creates 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. Growing up in Orange County, Mikey’s early experiences at underground shows exposed him to the intense, primal energy of live music, as well as the strong community bonds that form in an authentic and close-knit scene. Inspired by teachers who blend yoga and mystical practices he went to study in Jerusalem, soaking up the hidden teachings of his ancestral lineage. These spiritual dimensions guided his artistic development as he explored ecstatic music festivals and mystical religious traditions.

Mo is a Jewish educator with expertise in arts-based, immersive learning, with a focus on intercultural training and social justice education. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Experiential Education and Jewish Cultural Arts from The George Washington University, where she was a Jim Joseph Foundation Fellow. During graduate school, Mo offered educational programming for a number of Jewish cultural institutions, such as Avodah DC, Asylum Arts, and Sixth & I Historic Synagogue. Mo is the co-founder and lead product designer for Gold Herring, LLC, a new Jewish publishing company that focuses on educational and interactive products that deepen our connection to Jewish wisdom. Gold Herring’s first product, The Jewish Planner, launched in February 2019 and has already been used at several retreats and gatherings as a teaching tool for organizations such as Hazon, BCI, and Moishe House. Mo is currently designing the programming and immersive experience for Mayyim Hayyim’s annual network gathering and serves as the curriculum designer and member of the leadership team for Minyan of Thinkers, a grassroots organization in Washington DC, supported by Moishe House. Through her work, Mo was invited into the Kenissa Network and The Jewish Week’s The Conversation. You can learn more about Mo at Artshul.com, MoGolden.com, and TheJewishPlanner.com and you can reach her at hello@MoGolden.com.

Mor Shimonie is a Community Leader at “Bina-Tel Aviv” community. Having established Bina house in India, an open Jewish house for travelers engaging in Jewish culture and Tikkun Olam with the local community in 2016, Mor is back in Israel and is currently an educator at the Secular Yeshiva of BINA in Tel Aviv and a high school teacher of Jewish philosophy and Bible. Mor is a graduate of the “Ofakim” program for her BA in Jewish Philosophy and education from Tel Aviv University.  Mor loves India, Gardening and Nigunim

Myra Meskin is a rabbinical student at the Zieglar School of Rabbinic Studies.

Nat Dukan has been fascinated by Jewish texts and commentaries ever since he was a child. Moved by power of words, he has become a respected essayist and Jewish educator in France, Israel and now the U.S. His areas of expertise are Jewish philosophy, ethics and Kabbalah, and he loves drawing connections/building bridges between Judaism and science, yoga, and Western and Eastern philosophical teachings. In addition to writing numerous essays, Nat has given several talks, led workshops, and participated in hevrutah learning with some of the worlds most beloved Rabbis for almost 20 years.