The Aardvark Israel Programs are exciting programs developed and run by veteran Israel Programs staff who have devoted their careers to Jewish and Zionist educational endeavors. The Aardvark Israel team has collaborated successfully for many years, most for close to a decade, and together set the industry standard for long-term Israel programs. They are experts in the field and have proven success in working with today's youth.

A talented and inspiring group of Educators and Educational Consultants are an integral part of Aardvark Israel.  Representing a diverse group of individuals, from various streams of Judaism, backgrounds, and cultures, each brings to the students opportunities for personal and spiritual growth and for connecting more deeply with Israel and Zionism.

Staff

Keith Berman, Director and Co-Founder of Aardvark Israel, served as the Director of the Young Judaea/FZY Year Course gap year program in Israel for the past 11 years. Through his leadership, vision, and creativity, the program underwent tremendous growth, both in enrollment and diversity of program offerings. Keith’s accomplishments also include founding and serving as the first Director of the Merkaz Hamagshimim (a popular Jerusalem center for English speaking young adults.) He was also a participant in Year Course in 1984-85 and is a graduate of the WUJS Arad program. A native of Florida, Keith made aliya to Israel in 1988 and served in the Nachal Infantry Unit of the Israeli army. He earned his B.A. from the University of Miami in psychology and Judaic Studies and studied towards his master’s degree in psychology at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Keith has three children and lives in Tel Aviv.

Debbie Goldsmith, Assistant Director and Co-Founder of Aardvark Israel, has worked in the field of Jewish and Zionist education for almost 20 years. Prior to the establishment of Aardvark, she served as the Assistant Director of Young Judaea/FZY Year Course gap year program in Israel. She is a graduate of USY’s Nativ gap year in Israel. Debbie grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and completed her B.A. at Columbia University majoring in Religion and at the Jewish Theological Seminary majoring in Talmud. She also has an M.A. in Jewish Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary. Prior to making aliya to Israel in 2001, Debbie was a Jewish Family Education coordinator, youth professional, and worked in several summer camps in the Midwest and Tri-State areas. She also has led Jewish educational tours to Ethiopia and Holland. Debbie lives in Yishuv Alon with her husband and their three children.

Simon Cohen, Senior Program Coordinator and Co-Founder of Aardvark Israel, has worked professionally in the field of Jewish and Zionist Education since 1999.  Having grown up in England as an active participant in the Federation of Zionist Youth (FZY), Simon served as the Movement’s National Director of Education prior to moving to Israel in 2000.  In addition to participating in Young Judaea/FZY’s Year Course in 1994-95, he dedicated a decade to working for the program as well as a senior staff member and most recently as the Director of the program’s Jerusalem Department.  Among his accomplishments is having founded and directed the Shevet Program which provides participants a structured venue for religious exploration and growth.  Simon is also an experienced guide for Jewish educational tours to Poland.  He earned his B.A. in Economics and Economic History from Manchester University and his M.A. in Jewish Education from the Hebrew University.  Simon lives in Tzur Hadassah with his wife and their daughter.

Dana Ben Chail, Tel Aviv Coordinator, recently returned from the United States where she was a shlicha (emissary) for the Jewish Agency at the University of Florida Hillel as an Israel Fellow.  Dana, born and raised in Israel, was actively involved in HaNoar Haoved Ve’Halomed youth movement as a participant and counselor.  In 2004 and 2005, Dana was a summer shlicha at JCC camps in Ohio and Arizona.  During her military service in the Israeli Air Force, she was an operations officer in a Helicopter squadron.  Dana completed her B.A. in in Government, Diplomacy and Strategy at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) in Herzelia.  She currently lives in Tel Aviv.

Paula Garshowitz, Jerusalem Coordinator, grew up in Toronto, Ontario, was educated at the Associated Hebrew Schools and Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto and was an active member of Canadian Young Judaea, having been both a camper and staff member for many years at Camp Kinneret-Biluim.  Paula came to Israel on Birthright as a participant in May 2005 and returned as a madricha twice thereafter.  After completing her B.A. at York University, Paula continued her studies in Israel and recently completed her Masters in Community Leadership and Philanthropy Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.  In her spare time, Paula enjoys hiking, live music, and watching her Planet Earth dvds.  Having recently made aliyah, Paula is excited to join the Aardvark Israel team, and can't wait to meet you in Israel!

Deena Hassan, Recruitment Coordinator, grew up in Los Angeles, CA.  After graduating from YULA high school, she spent a year and a half learning at Midreshet Lindenbaum in Jerusalem and several years later she returned there to work as a Program Coordinator for their post-high school program.  Deena received her BA in psychology from Yeshiva University in New York.  After graduating, she worked as the Head Resident Advisor at Yeshiva University’s women’s campus and spent two years working in the national office of Young Judaea in the Israel Programs department.  Most recently Deena worked as an early childhood educator in a Jewish day school and as the Bnei Akiva program coordinator in Los Angeles.  Deena recently made Aliyah and is now living in Jerusalem.

Cara Katz, Recruitment Coordinator, is originally from Cape Town, South Africa, and grew up in Sydney, Australia.  She recently made aliya to Israel.  Cara earned her BA in Business in Leisure and Events Management and worked for many years in events planning, public relations, and marketing.  She also worked at Blue Star Camp in the United States as a Counselor.  Prior to working with Aardvark Israel, Cara was a co-director of the community organization Network.org,au which hosts social and networking events for young Jewish Professionals.  Cara currently lives in Tel Aviv.

Aardvark Madrichim (Counselors)

Or Peretz grew up in Mevasseret Tzion, just outside Jerusalem.  Throughout school, she was actively involved in the "Seeds of Peace" organization and took part in a student exchange program with German youth.  During her army service, Or was in charge of education among soldiers on the border of Gaza.  She has spent two summers on staff at Camp Alonim in California working on the art staff and as a general programmer.  This past summer she was the head of the Israeli delegation at camp.  Or has a passion for art and photography as well as music and guitar.  She currently lives in Jerusalem.

Shayna Moliver grew up in Newtown, Connecticut and graduated with honors from the University of Connecticut with a BA in history. You may recognize her famous last name since her great-great uncle was Rabbi Shmuel Moliver, one of the founders of religious Zionism, who has streets named after him in every major city in Israel.  In University, Shayna was an active member of the Jewish community on campus and also served as a Resident Assistant. She participated in Young Judaea's Year Course gap year program in Israel in 2007-08 where she fell in love with the country and later moved back to Israel to help future gap year participants.  Shayna currently lives in Tel Aviv.

Amir Levy grew up in Kfar Vradim in the north of Israel.  He was involved in the Israeli Scouts (Tsofim) youth movement and served as a counselor and area director.  Following high school, he completed a year of community service in Yokneam where he worked with teenagers.  Amir served as a commander in the Israel Defense Forces in a special forces unit of the Armored Corps.  For two years, he was on the staff of Camp Shalom in Canada, where he worked as the head of the Israeli delegation.  Amir has traveled extensively throughout the United States and South America.  He currently lives in Jerusalem.

Rotem Regev grew up in Givatayim, near Tel Aviv, and spent three years there as a madrich (counselor) in the HaNoar V'Haoved youth movement, prior to completing a year of volunteer service for the movement in the Jerusalem area as well.  He has also worked in the Givatayim Youth Club.  His experience with young people lead him to spend a summer in the United States working in a JCC summer camp in Indiana.  During his army service, Rotem was in the Nachal as a commander and achieved the rank of Senior Sergeant.  After the army, Rotem spent six months traveling through South America before serving as a counselor for Aardvark last year.  Now, after a long trip to India, he returns to the Aardvark team for another round as a counselor in Tel Aviv, and we're thrilled to have him back! Rotem currently resides in Tel Aviv.

Aardvark Campus Rabbis

An integral part of the Aardvark Israel team is our Campus Rabbis.  Filling a similar role to that of a university "Hillel Rabbi," our Campus Rabbis serve as senior educators and a resource for students.  Recognizing the importance of the spiritual growth of our Jewishly-diverse student population, our Campus Rabbis bring a wealth of experiences to the position and are committed to our vision of building a multi-demoninational community of respect and tolerance where each individual can grow within their own understanding and commitment to Judaism.

Rav Yonatan Udren is a Jewish educator and creative writing teacher who has been studying and teaching in Israel since 2001. Originally from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Rav Yonatan grew up in a Reform home with strong cultural ties to Judaism and Israel. After completing college and moving to New York City, he left his job and came to Israel in order to further explore his Jewish identity. That spiritual journey blossomed into many years of yeshiva learning, including Darche Noam, Machon Meir, and Yeshivat Hamivtar, where he received his rabbinical ordination.  In addition to his experiences in Jewish education, Yonatan has worked as a journalist in the US and Israel, and has facilitated creative writing workshops through Bar Ilan University and the OU Israel Center. He has an undergraduate degree from Florida State University and a graduate degree from Bar Ilan University, both in English Creative Writing. He also works as the co-director of the RRG Hillel Beit Midrash Program at Hebrew University, and lives in Maale Adumim with his wife Dena and their two daughters.

Rav Judah Mischel is passionate about Am Yisrael, and through open forum discussions and dialogue, as well as textual and “hands-on” study, engages students to connect - with Jewish life, learning, history, tradition, culture, and above all, with each other.  He is the founder of "Tzama Nafshi" - a non-profit start-up dedicated to developing educational initiatives in Israel and the Diaspora, and is the Rabbi of the Hebrew Academy for Special Children, a summer program for individuals with developmental disabilities in Parksville, NY. He was Director of Programming at Yeshivat Reishit for the past nine years, and previously taught at The Frisch School in Paramus, NJ.  Rav Judah studied Public Administration at the City University of New York School of Public Affairs, and was a Graduate Fellow at CUNY’s Center for Coexistence. He is a Talmid of Yeshivat Shaalvim and a graduate of Yeshiva University, having completed a B.A. in History, an M.A. from Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration, as well as Rabbinic Ordination through the Jerusalem Rabbinate. He & his wife, Ora, live in Ramat Beit Shemesh with their five awesome daughters.

Educators and Educational Consultants

Abraham Silver is a licensed tour guide and Jewish educator who has devoted the last 18 years to creating and implementing innovative informal Jewish and Israel education.  His experience includes working with Young Judaea, the United Jewish Communities, the United Israel Appeal of Canada, Melitz, Dorot Fellowship, Archeological Seminars, and other organizations.  He is currently the Educational Director of Israel Interactive, providing educators with inventive, attractive, DVD and Internet based instructional programs.  Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, Abraham was deeply involved in Young Judaea and after completing his B.A. in History and Philosophy from S.U.N.Y. Binghamton, Abraham served as a madrich (counselor) on Young Judaea’s Year Course gap year program in Israel.  He then moved to Kibbutz Ketura where he spent many years as a date farmer.  In the army, Abraham served in the Nachal Paratrooper Corps and was in a front line combat unit as a reservist in the IDF until retirement in 2003, serving in Lebanon and during both Intifatas.  Abraham also completed an M.A. in Architecture from University of Pennsylvania and in addition to practicing architecture, he currently lectures on the architecture of Jerusalem at Hebrew University.   He is also the co-author of the book “Living the Dream: Israel at 50”.  Abraham and his wife live in Tel Aviv with their two daughters.

Dr. Steve Copeland received his PhD from Harvard University and has devoted over 30 years of his career to teaching young adults. Since 1988 he has been recognized as one of the leading professors at Boston's Hebrew College - in the fields of Jewish thought and education. Since Steve's return to Israel, he continues to serve on the College's faculty, through its online courses as well as for its joint program with Machon Pardes;  in addition he has been teaching variously at Hebrew University, Machon Schechter, Young Judaea Year Course, and  Ramah High School Semester in Israel. Steve spent nearly 20 years as an educator at Young Judaea's Camp Tel Yehudah and served as the movement's National Education Director. He has been described by the director of Hebrew University's department of Jewish thought as "one of the most important scholars with us in Jerusalem – possessing unusual depth of soul, sensitivity & broad-ranging perspective. His classes are an experience of intellectual journeying, seasoned with his unique character that engages the spirit as one freely at home in its realm."

Adimika Smith is a licensed clinical social worker and PhD candidate at Arizona State University where she also completed her MA.  She previously studied psychology and business administration at the University of Denver.  Prior to making aliya to Israel in September 2010, Mika worked as a therapist and educator in Arizona where she specialized in working with trauma victims including military personnel returning from war, adolescents suffering from psychotic episodes, mothers with a history of childhood trauma, and other people with psychological needs.  She also was Katrina Evacuee Volunteer.  One of the joys of her career is teaching staff, students, and colleagues to think outside of the box, to stretch their imaginations, and to develop skills.

Ari Rudolph is the Director of the Israel Research Fellowship, a fellowship that invests in young leaders researching in, working towards, and advocating for a peaceful and flourishing Middle East. After completing his undergraduate degree in Finance and Economics in Johannesburg, South Africa, Ari made aliyah to Israel in 2002. He volunteered in the Israeli army, where he served in the Nahal Infantry Brigade (and continues to serve in the reserves), before earning his MA in Diplomacy and National Security from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His thesis was in Refugee Resettlement as Conflict Resolution. Previously Ari was a Legacy Heritage Fellow at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and has worked in several foreign policy institutes, think tanks and NGOs both in Israel and Washington, D.C. He and his family currently live in Jerusalem.

Moshe Fisch was raised in Teaneck NJ before becoming inspired by Eastern religion and traveling through southeast Asia.  Always passionate about art, he studied Graphic Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, but decided to spend less time in front of a computer screen and more time in front of a classroom.  Mo taught art at the YU Museum in New York City and at Jewish day schools in New York and New Jersey.  He was asked to be a substitute teacher for a friend’s Judaic Studies class, which sparked a whole new interest in understanding his own background.  Mo moved to Jerusalem where he received a certificate in Advanced Jewish Studies from Pardes and a Masters degree in Jewish Education from Hebrew College in Boston.  He then spent three years teaching at Schechter Westchester High School in New York where he found new inspiration in his students.  Mo has recently returned to Jerusalem with his wife and son to continue teaching and learning in Israel.

Dr. Leigh (Rice) Bar-Yakov is a psychologist and educator specializing in attachment orientation from early childhood through adulthood. She is additionally involved in exploring the relationship between alternative and natural lifestyles, including sustainable concepts and veganism, with Torah observance.  She grew up in Florida, where she was an active member of Young Judaea.  Leigh was a participant of Young Judaea's Year Course gap year program in 1987-88. She made aliyah in 1988 and served in the Israeli Defense Forces.  She earned her BA from Bar-Ilan University in Psychology and English Literature.  She received her Doctoral degree in Psychology from the Miami Institute of Psychology in Florida. Leigh lives in Moshav Nes Harim with her husband Danny and their four children.

Jamie Salter is a licensed Israeli Tour Guide and highly respected Jewish educator.  He earned a BA in Modern History from Oxford University and a MA in Jewish Education from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.  Prior to making aliya, Jamie was the National Education Coordinator of the Union of Jewish Students of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and was the Education and Training Coordinator at Makor, the Jewish Agency’s Education Department in Great Britain.  In Israel, he served in the Israel Defense Forces’ tanks brigade and has worked in many different Jewish educational arenas -  he has guided British Members of Parliament on their trips to Israel, lectured in England on the most recent archaeological discoveries in the 'City of David', and is a regular guide and educator for many notable Jewish organizations, including Machon Pardes, Shalom Hartman Institute, Aardvark Israel, and Taglit-Birthright.  He also spent several years in the United States where he was an educator at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School of Greater Washington.  Jamie and his family live in Jerusalem.

Marc Kaye was born in Manchester, England and made Aliya to Jerusalem 4 years ago. Marc has spent 15 years helping people to smile and have fun whilst connecting to their Jewish heritage and homeland. He has worked with a wide range of zionist youth programmes in the UK and Israel. When he is not studying to become a Rabbi at an Israeli Bet Midrash programme, Marc can be found at home playing with his children or racing around the city teaching, talking and writing about Judaism, leadership and Zionism. Marc has a BA in French and Spanish as well as an MA in Education and Psychology.

Yael Patilon grew up in Tel Aviv and has always been interested in the visual side of things. She started her career working as an in-house studio designer at several major design and interactive companies including Mantis & Apregon. While studying in Shenkar College of Engineering & Design, she began working as a freelance graphic designer and currently runs her own design studio in Tel Aviv.  She produces all aspects of graphic design, including corporate identity, logos, DTP design and production, website design, presentations and design for video.  Yael is also the graphic designer of the beautiful Aardvark Israel webpage.  Her portfolio can be found online at http://yaelpatilon.blogspot.com/

Neal Levy has 30 years of experience in a wide array of organizations that rely on successful partnerships between Israel and the Jewish world. He has served as Director of the Hadassah Youth Center, Young Judaea Israel Programs and Year Course; spokesperson and US West Coast Regional Director of the Jerusalem Foundation; Director of Marketing & Fundraising at the Israel Tennis Centers; Director of International Relations at the Yitzhak Rabin Center;  Executive Director of the Israel Center of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco and Vice President, International Relations at the Beit Hatfutsot Museum in Tel Aviv. In addition, he directed the late Jerusalem mayor Teddy Kollek’s re-election campaign headquarters in 1988, and accompanied San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom on his first visit to Israel in 2008.  As a volunteer, Neal serves on the executive committee of the Board of Directors of the American Friends of the Yitzhak Rabin Center.  He holds an MBA degree in Non-Profit Management from American Jewish University.

Karyn Weldon currently serves as the Director of ATZUM's Roberta Project for Survivors of Terror. Raised in Florida, Karyn was an active member of Young Judaea and attended Young Judaea’s Year Course gap year program in Israel in 1982-1983. She lives near Jerusalem with her husband and four children. Karyn holds a Master of Social Work degree and was formally on staff at the Israeli Ministry of Welfare as a child abuse special investigator, one of Israel's most difficult and demanding social work positions. Karyn is a highly regarded lecturer on the social welfare system in Israel.

Danny Admasu, a social activist and premier educator, is the CEO of the Israel Association for Ethiopian Jews, the most important advocacy organization of the Ethiopian community in Israel. At age 8, Danny walked across the desert to Sudan to make aliya from Ethiopia to Israel as part of Operation Moses. Danny served in the Israeli Air Force and earned his B.A. in International Relations and Management at Israel’s Open University. He is also a trained a reporter for television and press. Danny was the founding executive director of the Ethiopian-Israeli Scouts – 'Tzofe Shva.' He also worked as a youth counselor and projects' coordinator for the 'Fidel' educational organization and at the Kannot Youth Village. In 1998, Danny served as a shaliach of the Jewish Agency to Canada, where he served as an Israel educator with youth. In 2008, Danny led a group of Young Judaea Year Course Israel gap year students on an educational trip to Ethiopia. Danny and his wife live in Nes Tsiona.

David London is the Executive Director of AACI, the Association of Americans & Canadians in Israel, Israel’s largest English speaking organization. David grew up in Florida and attend USY's Nativ gap year program in Israel in 1982-83. Prior to his Aliyah in 1991, David served as the Executive Director of Young Judaea’s Florida/Puerto Rico region. David has a degree in Business and Tourism from Florida International University and extensive course work in Judaic studies and history. David is active in his community and a noted lecturer on immigration and absorption issues facing new immigrants to Israel.