Dr. Joe Freedman
Director of Ramah Programs In Israel
joe@ramah.co.il
Joe holds an M.A. in Jewish Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary and an Ed.D. from Teacher’s College, Columbia University. Before coming to Ramah, Joe served as Director of in-service training at Hebrew University’s Melton Center for Jewish Education in the Diaspora. Joe served as director of the Ramah Israel Seminar from 1986-1999, during which time he also earned the prestigious tour guide license issued by Israel’s Ministry of Tourism. Joe has produced numerous educational and hadracha materials, going all the way back to his days with the Jewish Theological Seminary’s Leader’s Training Fellowship beginning in 1971. Joe has also worked extensively with Camp Ramah in Wisconsin and served as Summer Director of Camp Ramah in New England in 1988. He came on aliya in 1980 with his wife. They have four children and live in Jerusalem.
Hudi Kfir - Administrative Director. hudi@ramah.co.il
Rabbi Ed Snitkoff
Director of Ramah Israel Seminar
ed@ramah.co.il
Over the past 30 years Ed has served as a congregational rabbi, teacher, religious school principal, camp educator, and Israel tour educator/guide. Ed studied at Columbia University, The Jewish Theological Seminary of America, Hebrew University, Teacher’s College, and the Jordan Valley College. He has degrees in Anthropology and Jewish History, and advanced degrees in Rabbinic Literature and Jewish Education. Ed is also a licensed Israeli tour guide.
After being ordained at JTS he served for 6 years as a congregational rabbi and religious school principal in Harrisburg PA. When they made Aliyah in 1992, Ed and his family settled on Kibbutz Lavi and lived there as members for 8 years. After moving to Jerusalem in 2000, Ed served as the Educational Director of the Young Judaea Year Course, and Educational Coordinator for North America at the Department for Jewish Zionist Education of the Jewish Agency for Israel. Ed’s relationship with Ramah began in 1983 when he was a Rosh Eida at Camp Ramah in California, and continued when he served as a teacher at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires in the years before making Aliyah. Ed joined the staff of Seminar in 2007. He is married to Minda and has 4 children and a baby grandson (born in Jerusalem during the first Shabbat of Seminar 2010- the first Snitkoff Sabra in 2000 years!).
Michal Chacham
Asst. Director of Ramah Israel Seminar
michal@ramah.co.il
Michal is currently completing her degree in Land of Israel Studies in Bar Ilan University. She has many years of experience with Ramah as a family educator with Ramah Programs in Israel, and was also a madricha on TRY 2005 (Tichon Ramah Yerushalayim), Ramah’s Jerusalem High School. Michal worked for six summers at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires from 2003-2008, where she served as Rosh Edah and rosh mishlachat. Michal also works with the Jewish Agency Shlichut Department and the Avichai foundation, in selecting and training Shlichim to work in Jewish summer camps in North America. Michal grew up in Tiberias, and currently lives in Jerusalem. This is going to be her 4th summer as Assistant Director of Seminar.
Betsalel Steinhart
Educator and Rosh Chinuch on Ramah Israel Seminar
betsalel@ramah.co.il
Betsalel was born in London, England, and made Aliyah as a teen with his family in 1986. After his army service, he earned a B.A. in Psychology from Bar Ilan University, and is currently studying towards an M.A. in Jewish Education at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Betsalel has worked with a number of Israeli institutions involved in educating Diaspora youth, joining Ramah in 2000. He has worked in all of Ramah’s departments in many educational and logistical capacities, and is currently teaching the ICC (Israel Core Course) on TRY. He is blessed to live in Jerusalem with his wife and four sons.
Devora Greenberg
Poland Seminar & “Daber” Program coordinator
devora@ramah.co.il
Devora holds an MA in Contemporary Judaism with a specialty in Holocaust Studies and a B.A in Jewish Philosophy and Political Science from Hebrew University.After completing her military service in an Intelligence Unit of the Israel Defense Forces she was on shlichut as a staff member to Camp Ramah N.E. Devora has worked in many educational capacities in Ramah Programs in Israel since 1999, she served as an educator, rosh kvutza and assistant director on Ramah Israel Seminar. In 2004 Devora spent two years in the U.S. as a shlicha for the Conservative Movement. She currently coordinates the Ramah Seminar Poland Program. In addition, Devora works with the National Ramah Commission as a senior educator in the Daber-Hebrew language project.
Daniel Laufer
Director of High School Division
dlaufer@ramah.co.il
Daniel earned his MA in Jewish Education from Brandeis University and a BA in Jewish Studies from the University of Maryland. After making aliya in 1989 from Boston, he worked with a number of Israeli institutions bringing youth to Israel from abroad, including the Young Judea Year Course, the Alexander Muss High School in Israel, and the Youth and Hechalutz Department of the World Zionist Organization. Other positions he has held include Educational Researcher for the Mandel Institute for Jewish Education, Program Director at Harvard University Hillel, and Educational Consultant for long-term programs in Israel. Daniel has been with Ramah in Israel since 1993, and served as a program director, teacher, director of education, and shaliach to North America. He lives with his wife, two daughters, and twin sons in Arnona – around the corner from one of the most beautiful views in the world.
Dr. Melissa Ser
High School Academic Coordinator & Director of Jerusalem Day Camps
melissa@ramah.co.il
Melissa holds an MA and PhD in English Literature from the University of Rochester and a BA from Florida State University. She is the Academic Coordinator for TRY and USY High. Before making aliyah, Melissa served as a synagogue youth director and educational administrator; she has been teaching for over a decade in university and high school settings, and she is excited about a new semester of TRY and USY High. Melissa is also the Director of the English speaking Ramah Jerusalem Day Camp. She lives in Jerusalem with her husband, Sam, and their sons Ariel and Yonatan.
Aliza Grabin
High School Program Yoetzet and head of Hadracha
aliza@ramah.co.il
Aliza holds an MSW from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University, and a BSW from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She grew up in Israel and served in the Education Corps of the IDF. After completing her military service, Aliza worked as part of the mishlachat to Ramah Wisconsin during the course of two summers. Since 2001 she has been an integral part of the Ramah Israel staff, having been involved with both TRY / USY High and Seminar. Aliza has also worked extensively with youth and communities around the world, under the auspices of the Jewish Agency for Israel.
Moshe Gold
Ramah Programs In Israel Educational Director
moshe@ramah.co.il
Moshe is the Educational Director of Ramah Programs in Israel. He studied at the Hebrew University and he holds an M.A. in Contemporary Judaism. He lives in Jerusalem and has worked as an educator and tour guide for Ramah since 1999. Moshe is involved in Ramah Seminar, TRY/USY High, and short-term programs through the Ramah Israel Institute (RII)
Nicole Dror
High School Administrative Coordinator & Parent Liaison on Ramah Seminar
nicoled@ramah.co.il
Nicole grew up in London, England, and made aliyah in January 1994. Just three months later she was employed as Ramah’s administrative assistant. Nicole worked for Ramah until the year 2000 and held various positions including Trip Coordinator for RII (Ramah Israel Institute), as well as working for the Israel Desk in the Ramah New York office. In the winter of 2008, Nicole returned to the Ramah family! Nicole has a rich background in administration and logistics and has worked at the Prime Minister’s Office, the World Zionist Organization, and most recently at the Jerusalem Foundation as a writer for Culture Affairs. Nicole is married and lives with her husband and two children in Jerusalem.
Arie Hasit
High School Coordinator of Programming and Recruitment
arieh@ramah.co.il
Arie moved to Israel in 2005 after completing his BA in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations and History at Harvard University. Since being in Israel, Arie has learned at the Conservative Yeshiva and worked in various capacities at Ramah, including as a madrich and later teacher for TRY/USY High. In 2010, Arie completed his IDF service in the Spokesperson Unit, where he coordinated all contact between the IDF and the North American press. Arie has spent 13 summers at Camp Ramah in the Poconos, as a camper and as staff, and during the year, he calls Tel Aviv his home.
Ilan Bloch
Educator, Curriculum Developer and RII Trip Coordinator
ilinil@hotmail.com
Ilan has worked as an educator for TRY, Seminar, and RII, for which he has also served as a Trip Coordinator. As a RILI Israel Education curriculum developer for the NRC, he wrote several Israel Education units of study for Ramah Camp, as well as trained madrichim in the field of Israel Education. Before making Aliyah in 2004, he worked as a Jewish Studies, Hebrew and Israel Studies teacher, and served as the Head of Informal Jewish/Israel Education, at The King David School in Melbourne, Australia.
Ilan holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, and a Graduate Diploma of Education, in Jewish Studies and Hebrew Literature. He also holds a Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) Ministry of Education-authorized Tour Guiding Certificate. He is currently completing his Masters of Arts in Jewish Education and Non-Profit Management at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Rinat Armon
Ramah Programs In Israel Hebrew Coordinator
hebrew.ramah@gmail.com
Rinat brings to Ramah her broad experience in Hebrew education that includes teaching adults in Budapest, Hungary; olim soldiers in the IDF; Arab-Israeli students at the Hebrew University Jerusalem; American and British participants in the Young Judaea Year Course, and hundreds of international students at the Hebrew University Ulpan programs. She also enjoyed teaching at Ramah prior to becoming the Hebrew Coordinator for TRY/USY High and Ramah Israel Seminar. Rinat, who was born in Jerusalem, earned her BA in Education and Jewish studies at the Hebrew University where she is currently completing her MA in Hebrew language studies. She lives with her husband Noam and four children in Efrat.
Richard Eisenberg
Director of Ramah Israel Institute ( RII)
rii@ramah.co.il
A licensed Israeli tour guide, for the last 30 years Richard has been guiding a variety of populations, including organizational missions, Bar Mitzva groups, geopolitical surveys for journalists and government officials, and pre-production tours for film crews. Richard holds an MA from Clark University in International Development and a California State teaching credential. He grew up in Burbank,CA, and he has lived inIsrael since 1972. He resides a few minutes outside of Jerusalem in Mevasseret Zion . Richard is married to Maxine, and they have four children.
Talia Leibler- Gabay
RII Trip Coordinator
talia@ramah.co.il
Talia was born and raised in Jerusalem to two olim (immigrant) parents. She has been a Ramah Trip Coordinator for the past 6 years. She holds a Masters degree in Jewish Education from the Hebrew University and a Bachelor’s degree in Informal Education and Israel Studies from Beit Berl College. Talia was sent by the Jewish Agency of Israel to serve as a community Shlicha (emissary) for four years at the Jewish Federation of the Greater East Bay in Oakland,California. Before that Talia worked at NFTY for many years. Talia is married, has two children and resides in Jerusalem.
Zimra Gold -Yanay
RII Trip Coordinator
zimra@ramah.co.il
Married + 1, Lives in Jerusalem, has been working at Ramah Israel in various positions in all departments since 2003. Zimra has worked at Camp Ramah Darom (summers of 1999 & 2001) and Ramah New England (summer of 2003), as part of the Israeli Mishlachat. Zimra has completed a General BA through the Open University and is working on an MA in Education. Since 2007 and currently, Zimra has been working in the RII Department as a Trip Coordinator.
Shirly Lerner
RII Trip Coordinator
Shirly@ramah.co.il
Shirly was born and raised in Binyamina, a small town (Moshava) in the North. Shirly worked in the field of informal Jewish education for many years, through the Jewish Agency and various other organizations. From 2004 to 2007 she served as the Shlicha (emissary) for Young Judaea and Hadassah in the Southeast region, based in Atlanta, GA. Shirly holds a BA in Education and Theater from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and is about to complete her MA in Jewish Education also at the Hebrew University. She has been working a trip coordinator for RII since 2009.
Limor Shimon
General Office and Logistics Manager
limor@ramah.co.il
Limor was born and raised in a Kibbutz, currently lives in Jerusalem. She has been the “Ramah Israel” Logistics Coordinator and Office Manager for all departments for the past 4 years. Formerly she worked as a travel agent and a teacher in a special needs school. She holds a Masters degree in Jewish Education from the Hebrew University and a Bachelor’s degree in Special Education from David Yellin College.
Edna Ayalon
Bookkeeper
Yossi Dar
Supplies and Logistics
Avi Mizrachi - Dorm Manager and Liaison with Goldstein Youth Village
New York Office
Judy Greene
Israel Program Coordinator, New York Office
ramahisrael@campramah.org
Judy Diamond Greene has an MSW from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University and received Certification as a Family Educator from Hebrew College, University of Hartford. Judy is the co-author of the new curriculum, “Sacred Choices”, published through the Union for Reform Judaism. She is also a Founder of Mayyim Hayyim, the Community Mikveh and Education Resource Center in Newton, MA. Judy lived in Massachusetts for 27 years before moving to New York. While in MA, she was Director of the Teen Initiative sponsored by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, Outreach Coordinator for the New England Region of Conservative Judaism, teacher at Solomon Shechter Day School in Newton, and Gann Academy/New Jewish High School in Waltham. She also spent 16 years working at Camp Ramah in New England. Judy is married to Rabbi Gary Greene and has four sons; Amichai, Hillel, Roni, and Asaf. She is currently residing in Douglaston, NY.