The Path Forward: Your Post-October 7th Toolkit

Rabba Wendy Amsellem teaches Talmud and Halakha at Yeshivat Maharat and directs The Beit Midrash Program, a joint project of Maharat and Yeshivat Chovevei Torah. She also teaches regularly at Drisha and is a member of Sefaria’s Word by Word Fellowship. Rabba Wendy received semikha from Yeshivat Maharat and is an alumna of the Drisha Scholars Circle. She has a BA in History and Literature from Harvard University.

A composer, multi-instrumentalist, and prayer leader, Elana Arian is one of the leading voices in contemporary Jewish music. Elana’s music is part of Jewish life across the globe, and her compositions are sung in spiritual communities, summer camps, and synagogues from Chicago to the Czech Republic. Elana has released four albums of original music, and her compositions have been published in countless Transcontinental Music collections. Elana serves proudly on the faculty of Hava Nashira (Oconomowoc, WI), the Wexner Heritage Foundation (Aspen, CO), Shirei Chagiga (London, England), and Hebrew Union College in New York, where she teaches in the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music. Elana has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Tanglewood, and perhaps most memorably, five separate appearances at the (Obama) White House. She lives in the Hudson Valley with her wife, Julia, and their two daughters, Maya and Acadia.

Ayal Beer is a Program Director at M²: The Institute for Experiential Jewish Education. Based out of the Israel office, he directs M²’s flagship program in Israel, “Mabat” as well as other work with Israeli educators. Prior to this Ayal directed a pre-Army “mechina” program focused on Jewish Israeli identity and social change. He has also trained educational staff for a variety of Jewish organizations in the U.S and Canada, including in Poland. Ayal earned a B.A in Social Work at Bar Ilan University and a Master’s degree in Talmud and Religious Law from the Schechter Institute. A licensed tour guide, Ayal lives with his wife and four children in Kibbutz Hannaton in the Lower Galilee. 

Flora Cassen is Senior Faculty at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America. Flora was born and raised in Antwerp, Belgium. She attended college in Brussels, where she studied history and law. She moved to the US to continue her studies, earning an MA in comparative history from Brandeis University and a Ph.D. in Jewish History from New York University. She has taught European and Jewish history at the University of Vermont, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Washington University in Saint Louis, where she also served as chair of the Department of Jewish, Islamic, and Middle Eastern Studies. An accomplished author, her articles have appeared in publications such as Haaretz, Slate, The Conversation, Psyche/Aeon, Smithsonian Magazine, and The Forward. She lives in St. Louis with her husband and two sons.

Camellia is the Diversity Officer at the Equity, Diversity and Community Commission, Office of the Vice President, Tel Aviv University. In this capacity, she works on designing and implementing policies to promote equity, diversity and partnership in the academic institution. In addition to directing the “Faculty Diversity Forum” and accompanying academic units, she is responsible for the “Shared Space” Project on campus, aiming to increase a sense of belonging among diverse groups. Camellia has a master’s degree in literature and American studies from Tel Aviv University. 

Abi Dauber Sterne is co-director and co-author of For the Sake of Argument, an initiative that harnesses the energy and passion contained in healthy arguments to create deep educational engagement. Abi has worked in the United States and in Israel as an educator and organizational leader for more than 20 years. Through her roles in senior management at two international organizations -- Hillel International and The Jewish Agency for Israel's Makom – she has invested her time in developing pluralistic education experiences. Abi has rabbinic ordination from the Beit Midrash for Israeli Rabbis of the Shalom Hartman Institute and the Midrasha in Oranim. She is a Senior Schusterman Fellow and holds an MA in Religious Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. She lives in Jerusalem, with her spouse and four children. Her family dinner table is always a raucous mixture of laughter and disagreement.

Rabba Yaffa Epstein is the Senior Scholar and Educator in Residence at the Jewish Education Project. Formerly, she served as the Director of the Wexner Heritage Program at the Wexner Foundation. Epstein has also served as the Director of Education, North America for the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies and was a member of the faculty. She has served on the faculties of Yeshivat Maharat and the Drisha Institute. Epstein has served as an Educator and Scholar in Residence for the Dorot Fellowship, Moishe House, Jewish Federation of North America, the Covenant Foundation, the Nahum Goldmann Fellowship, Repair the World, the Meorot Fellowship, and the KADIMA Fellowship. She has lectured at numerous Limmud events around the globe, has written curriculum for the Global Day of Jewish Learning and has created innovative educational programming for Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life. She received Rabbinic Ordination from Yeshivat Maharat, earned an additional private Ordination from Rabbi Daniel Landes, holds a Law Degree from Bar-Ilan University, and studied at the Talmud Department at Hebrew University.

Rabba Epstein is passionate about making Jewish learning accessible and exciting, and creating learning environments that are welcoming, diverse, and inclusive to all who wish to participate. She has taught educators, rabbis and lay leaders from across the spectrum of Jewish denominations. Rabba Epstein is the winner of the prestigious Covenant Award.

Fadi contributes to the cultural enrichment of Arab society as a strategy consultant at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. In this role, he leads efforts to make the museum more accessible and relevant to the Arab community. Fadi’s passion for art and its social impact has driven him to pursue studies in art curation at the Shenkar College of Arts, Engineering, and Design. Previously, Fadi was a Strategy Consultant at TASC Consulting and Capital, where he played a pivotal role in the implementation and oversight of Government Resolution 550 (GR-550), the Ministry for Social Equality’s 30 billion NIS Plan for Socioeconomic Development in Arab Society in Israel (“Takadum”). He collaborated with ministries and local authorities to address barriers faced by Arabs in Israel. Fadi is also a certified writer for Wikipedia, teaches communications skills, and previously volunteered with the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers community. Fadi holds a B.Sc. degree in Linguistics and Biology (Neuroscience Focus) from Tel Aviv University.

Sarah Gordon is the Senior Director of Israel Education for Unpacked for Educators, a division of OpenDor Media. Previously, Sarah served as the Director of Israel Guidance and Experiential Education at Ma’ayanot High School, where she taught Talmud, and chaired a course on Contemporary Israel. Sarah holds dual masters degrees in Jewish Education and Modern Jewish History from Yeshiva University, where she is currently pursuing her Ed.D as a Wexner Fellow and Davidson Scholar.

Mikhael Reuven Kesher is a curator of educational experiences and resources, whose professional passion is supporting Jewish educators and learners in building informed, constructive, and committed relationships with am yisrael (the Jewish people) and medinat yisrael (the Jewish state). As a British-born Israeli-by-choice and new American, he cares deeply about strengthening each Jew’s connection to global Jewry. Before joining The Jewish Education Project as Director, Israel Education, Mikhael worked at Harvard Hillel, MIT Hillel, and Hebrew College. He holds Master’s degrees in Philosophy (University of Cambridge), Near Eastern & Judaic Studies (Brandeis University), and Jewish professional leadership (Brandeis University). At home, Mikhael is an avid reader, ḥevruta enthusiast, and devoted abba to two young children.

Dr. Ezra Kopelowitz is a sociologist whose expertise is in Jewish education, community, and issues of collective Jewish identity. He is the CEO of Research Success Technologies, a company that specializes in research and evaluation for Jewish organizations. Ezra is also the Co-Director of the Center for Jewish Peoplehood Education, and on the faculty of the Spertus Institute.  He has published widely in areas that touch on Jewish identification, education, and Peoplehood.  Ezra lives in Kibbutz Hannaton, Israel.

Rabbi David E. Levy is the Director, Field Consultation at The Jewish Education Project. His primary work focuses on supporting congregational educators across the country to explore the big questions in Jewish Education, and how they are particularly positioned to respond to them. Prior to The Jewish Education Project, David worked at Westchester Reform Temple for a decade, where he served as the Associate Rabbi and the Director of the Jewish Learning Lab. He also has extensive experience working with Jewish camps, and as a consultant. David received Rabbinic ordination and a Masters in Religious Education from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Systems from Drexel University. 

Akiva Mattenson is Faculty at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America. Akiva has taught Jews of all ages and experiences in settings including the Hadar Institute, Hillels across the country, Limmud North America, and The Orot Center for New Jewish Learning. He received semikhah (rabbinic ordination) at Hadar and holds a BA in philosophy from DePaul University, where he focused on twentieth-century Continental thought. He has written and taught extensively on Jewish theology, prayer, rabbinic hermeneutics, and halakhic jurisprudence.

Rabbi Aviva Richman is a Rosh Yeshiva at Hadar, and has been on the faculty since 2010. A graduate of Oberlin College, she studied in the Pardes Kollel and the Drisha Scholars' Circle and was ordained by Rabbi Danny Landes. She completed a doctorate in Talmud at NYU. Interests include Talmud, Halakhah, Midrash and gender, and also a healthy dose of nigunim.

Mina Rush is the National Director of Middle School Education for StandWithUs. With a master's degree in education with a master's certification in Israel education, Mina has presented and has been a panelist at Jewish educators’ and leadership conferences. Grounded in an experiential, and relational educational philosophy, Mina created IsraelLINK, a learner-centered approach focused on Israel exploration through the prism of identity and values. IsraelLINK has been implemented in over 450 educational institutions across North America and has inspired over 19,000 students to integrate Israel into their Jewish identity-building process.
 

Ivy Schreiber is the Managing Director, Professional Learning and Growth at The Jewish Education Project. Her current work focuses on supporting Jewish educators towards adopting new models that lead to thriving and are responsive to today’s learners and families. Prior to The Jewish Education Project, Ivy worked at B’nai Jeshurun (BJ) in NYC for a decade, where she served as the Education Director, and also has experience in Jewish camping and as a consultant to synagogues. Ivy holds an MA in Jewish Education from the Davidson School at JTS, is an alum of the Leadership Institute, and is a Wexner Field Fellow. Ivy lives in Westchester with her husband and three children.

Erica Shaps is the U.S Associate Director at IATF and manages strategic partnerships and develops educational programs, trainings, and resources pertaining to Arab citizens and Jewish-Arab relations in Israel. She has planned immersive learning experiences with Palestinians in the West Bank at Encounter Programs and supported social mobility programs, focused on Arab citizens and Haredim, as a Fellow with JDC-Israel. She received her BA from Brandeis University in Islamic & Middle Eastern Studies and an MA from the Fletcher School at Tufts University in International Law and Diplomacy as a Wexner Fellow/Davidson Scholar. Erica is a trained facilitator and mediator and currently lives in Cambridge, MA.

David Singer is CEO of Limmud North America, an organization animating Jewish communities by connecting Jews from diverse backgrounds with transformative learning and each other. Named by the Jewish Daily Forward as one of America’s Most Inspiring Rabbis, he previously served as Executive Director of UC San Diego Hillel and, before that, Associate Rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel in Dallas, where he was the Director and Founding Rabbi of Makom, a young spiritual community recognized by Slingshot 14-15 as one of the most innovative Jewish organizations in North America. David received rabbinic ordination at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in 2012 and is a graduate of Clal’s Clergy Leadership Incubator and Rabbis Without Borders. David studied history at the University of California, Berkeley and is a graduate of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies. He is the author of many articles as well as “Yisrael Sheli,” a religious school textbook about Israel. David is married to Danielle Rugoff, with whom he raises their son, Ezra, and a french bulldog, Jackson.
 

Michael Soberman is a Senior Educational Consultant with The iCenter. Prior to that, Michael was the Vice President of Canada Israel Experience and Next Generation Initiatives at the Jewish Federations of Canada–UIA. In that role, Michael maximized the number of Canadian teenagers and young adults traveling to Israel on programs such as Birthright Israel, the March of the Living and high school/youth movement programs. Michael has been invited to speak all over the world on topics of the Israel experience, Birthright Israel, Israel and experiential education. Michael holds a Bachelor of Arts from York University, a Juris Doctor from Osgoode Hall Law School, a Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto, and an Executive Master’s of Arts in Jewish Professional Studies from Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership. Michael is married to Rebecca, and they have a daughter named Jordyn and son named Joshua. In his spare time, Michael is studying Shotokan Karate and working towards earning his Black Belt. Stay tuned for updates.

Rabbi Brent works extensively with couples preparing for marriage, serves as a member of the faculty at Pardes North America and is the emeritus rabbi of Beacon Hebrew Alliance. Prior to that, he served as the Rabbi in Residence at American Jewish World Service and was the Marshall T. Meyer Fellow at Congregation B’nai Jeshurun in New York. Rabbi Brent has been recognized as one of the most inspiring rabbis in America and holds rabbinic ordination and a master's degree in philosophy from the Jewish Theological Seminary. Prior to entering the rabbinate, he attended Wesleyan University and worked as a daily journalist in Durham, NC. He lives in Beacon with his wife Alison and their two children.

Dr. Betsy Stone received her Doctorate in Psychology from Yale University. She is a psychologist and for the last seventeen years has served as an adjunct lecturer at Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion. Her classes include Human Development for Educators, Adolescent Development and Teens In and Out of Crisis. She also teaches a family education class in her synagogue, Temple Sinai of Stamford, for 6th and 7th graders and their parents, and likes to travel and teach about teenagers and their families. Her most recent book is Refuah Shlema.

Dan Tatar has dedicated over 25 years to experiential Israel education, from facilitating teen travel to Israel to his work as the Director of Engagement and Strategic Partnerships at The iCenter. Dan’s extensive background in the field is rooted in his own transformative teen Israel experience led by his then-teacher, Anne Lanski. With a Master’s degree in Israel Education from The George Washington University and an Executive MA in Jewish Professional Studies from Spertus Institute, he brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table. Dan also holds a certification in Innovative Strategies from Systematic Inventive Thinking. As a former stage and television actor with a fascination for educational technology, he offers a unique perspective on Israel education.

Dr. Samantha Vinokor-Meinrath, Ed.D., is the Senior Director of Knowledge, Ideas and Learning at The Jewish Education Project. A lifelong Jewish educator and learner, Samantha has lived and worked in Jewish communities in Israel, Washington DC, Cleveland, and New York. Samantha is a recognized expert on Israel education, Jewish teens, antisemitism education, and Jewish peoplehood. She is the author of #antisemitism: Coming of Age During the Resurgence of Hate, a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award in the category of Education and Jewish Identity. She is an alumna of the University of Pittsburgh, the Jewish Theological Seminary, and Gratz College. Samantha lives in Westchester with her husband, baby, and two beloved rescue dogs.

My name is Maya Yehezkel and I started guiding in 2008. I’m completely in love with what I do. I started my way in Jewish education working with many different summer camps from the state here in Israel. In 2011, I studied for two years to become a qualified tour guide. Since then I have guided Birthrights, different Federations, family trips to Israel, pilgrimage visits for all religions and private tours. I then continued to an MA Program in Jewish Peoplehood Studies and graduated with honors at the University of Haifa. Besides being a tour guide, I also studied for 4 years at Bezalel Academy of Art and Design and graduated with a B.Des.Visual Communication. My final project was Graffiti, as I am very connected to street art since my childhood. In the last few years I started creating sand art, and in 2020 I had the honor of publishing a book of my sand art called sand woman TLV. In 2021, the English version was published, and in 2023 the second edition was printed. I believe that art has the power to heal us, especially in these hard times.