Diana A

Diana holds a degree in law from the Universidad Externado de Colombia. She was the Administrator of the Associacion Israelita Montefiore, the Masorti Community of Bogota, where she had previously served as the young adult representative on its Board of Directors. Diana also served on the boards of the Maccabi Federation, the Hebrew Day School and her synagogue. Currently, she is focused on national and international activities, such as Limmud and AIPAC.

Lina Abadi

Lina is from Mexico City and is a graduate of Universidad Iberoamericana. She is passionate about social justice, inclusivity, values and Jewish identity. She has worked in communication strategy and media content for more than 15 years, and has also worked a community builder. Lina is deeply invested in influencing new generations and in youth empowerment. She is the leader of Lazos in México, a network of young adults from Latin America, who works to strengthen Jewish identity in the region. In that capacity she is now focused on bringing new projects to enhance the Jewish community experience in her city. She's also leading BBYO in Mexico.

Arash Abaie

Arash Abaie is an activist in Iranian Jewish culture and community life, based in Tehran, a community which has had a presence in the region since 727 BCE.  He teaches Judaism at the University of Religions and Denominations and is a service leader at synagogues around Tehran. He has also served as the editor  of the Tehran Jewish magazine-BINA.

Arash is an alum of NGF 12 held in Sweden in 2003.

Ester Acunis

 Ester Acunis was born in Santiago, Chile and is a lawyer and Cantorial Soloist.

Since 2017 Ester has lived in Miami Florida with her husband, Andres and three boys, Ruben, Yoel and Ariel.

Ester is an alumna of NGF 9 in Sao Paolo, Brazil in 2001.

Pamela Alcala

Pam was born in Chile but now makes Long Island, NY her home. She holds a Master’s in Social Work from Adelphi University. Her specialty is leadership development and Justice, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training. She believes that leadership and Jewish education must start at a young age, and that investment in future generations will make a significant difference in the continuity of our Jewish spaces and traditions.

Pam was in Cohort 5 of the NGF Leadership Seminar. Watch her Lesson in Leadership "Text Beyond the Study."

Nelly Altenburger

Rabbi Nelly Altenburger is the spiritual leader of Congregation Adath Israel in Middletown, CT, USA. Originally from Brazil, she received a BA in Hebrew Language and Literature from the University of São Paulo and a MA in Rabbinic Studies in 2004 from the Ziegler School. She was ordained in 2006. Prior to joining Adath Israel, she was the Rabbi and Religious School Director at Congregation B’nai Israel in Danbury, CT for fourteen years. The concepts of peoplehood and inclusion are fundamental to how Nelly sees Judaism unfolding and surviving into the 21st century. Nelly attended NGF 6 in Brazil and is part of Cohort 6 of the NGF Network Leadership Seminar.

David Amar

David Amar, from Paris, is an executive manager with many years of experience in Non-Profit Organizations. David has dual training (Law University and Business administration / project management), added to a diversified professional expertise, including several years in expatriation conducting international welfare development. David currently work as the General director of the Centre Israelite de Montmartre (CIM) for the Paris area. David is an alum of NGF 8 in Glamsta, Sweden held in 1999. 

Neri Ariel

Neri, from Jerusalem,  completed his Ph.D. dissertation at the Talmud Department of Hebrew University. He is a team member of the Hebrew Fragments Projects of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna. Neri has also been a visiting lecturer and faculty member of the Hochschule für Jüdische Studien at the University of Heidelberg. He has done volunteer work with disabled students and at Hadassah Hospital. Neri is also a professional Torah reader.

Ester Asa

Ester is the President of informal Jewish education of the Jewish Community in Turkey, which is responsible for Bar/Bat Mitzvah clubs, Sevivon Jewish website, seminars for couples before wedding, Hebrew ulpan, the Momentum Project for women, and additional Jewish education courses. She has served as a volunteer for 20 years for the Chief Rabbinate in Turkey on Jewish Education. She oversees the translation of Hebrew texts and Siddurim into Turkish for the community and is the local representative to Masa Israel Journey and Taglit Birthright programs. Ester attended NGF 16 in Sweden.

Adrián Asallas-Lederman

Adrian, born in Uruguay and currently residing in Peru, is the founder and CEO of a food distribution company. He has a B.A. in business administration from ORT Uruguay, a postgraduate degree in Marketing from the Universidad de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay and an M.B.A. from George Washington University. Adrian has been involved in several Jewish institutions including: Hebraica Macabi, Betar, Universidad ORT, Comunidad Sefaradí.

Adrian was in Cohort 5 of the NGF Leadership Seminar. Watch his Lesson in Leadership "Jewdemy."

Dario Atijas

Dario Atijas is vice-president of the Jewish community in the town of Doboj in Bosnia and Herzegovina.  He develops and implements programs for public schools about Judaism and the Holocaust. He also volunteers with several community programs.

Dario is member of the Young Jewish Diplomats of the World Jewish Congress. He has also twice represented the Jewish community of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the World Jewish Congress Assemblies (Jerusalem 2011 & Buenos Aires 2016), as well on the 23rd International Nahum Goldmann Fellowship, Ohalo Manor, Kinneret, Israel. 

Jaime Azrad

Jaime, from Mexico, is a communications consultant to various NGO’s in Latin America’s Jewish community. He holds a BA in Communication Studies from Universidad Anahuac in Mexico City. Jaime is a founding member of Moishe House – Mexico City. He is also an Igniter for ROI Mexico. Jaime participated in NGF 31 in Israel.

Tamar Azulay

Tamar lives in Oslo, Norway.She works in the legal department of the Norwegian Central Bank. Tamar holds a Master’s of Law degree from the University of Oslo. She is a board member of Det Mosaiske Trossamfund – the Jewish Community of Oslo and a volunteer for Bnei Akiva.

Maayan Baker

Ma’ayan Baker is an Israeli-born, Melbourne-raised educator. She teaches Academic English to international students at Melbourne University. Ma’ayan has completed a B.A. and a Master’s of Teaching, and is currently pursuing a postgraduate degree in Psychology. She was an active member in Habonim Dror and participated in a year-long leadership program in Israel, after which she was appointed Rosh Chinuch (Head of Education).

Lena Bakman

Lena Bakman (Abayev) currently resides in Berlin, Germany. She is an alumni of NGF since 2012. She serves as a member of Jewish Diplomatic Corps on behalf of WJC. 

Prior the move to Berlin in February 2019, she served as Media and Communications Advisor to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Hotovely at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs up until January 2019. Prior to this position, Lena served as a Deputy Director of Communications, Knesset & Government Liaison and Social Media Strategy Manager at NGO Monitor, a Jerusalem-based research institute that was awarded the Begin Prize in 2013. Lena's previous role was as Spokesperson and Parliamentary Advisor to Chair of Education, Culture and Sports Committee, Member of Knesset Dr. Einat Wilf at the 18th Knesset; In 2008, Lena was Director of Communications for the World Congress of Russian-speaking Jewry to the Israeli Parliament and the media. In this role, she represented Russian-speaking Jews to the Israeli Parliament and the media. During her work as Senior Media Adviser at Shalmor Communications, she managed PR campaigns for many of the largest companies in Israel.

One of Lena's passions is public diplomacy and international relations and she enjoys acting as an ambassador of the State of Israel wherever she goes. She is concerned about the fate of the Jewish people because of the Antisemitism that is generated by the delegitimization of Israel, which she believes is increasing for the past decade. 

She is also a member of the Interpeace Russian Project of the UN in Israel and an IVLP alumna on behalf of the U.S. State Department and a member of the alumni steering committee. Lena is also a member of the ROI community. 

Lena holds a BA in Communications (with honors) and MBA in Business Management.

Ran Bar Yoshafat

Ran holds a law degree from Hebrew University, Jerusalem, an MBA from Tel-Aviv University, an MA from Haifa University and is currently working on a Ph.D. in History. He is the Deputy Director of Kohelet Policy Forum and has conducted numerous Israel - advocacy speaking tours in the United States. He is the author of two books. Among other organizations, he has worked for The Israeli Jewish Congress, the Legal Department of the Knesset and MASA. Ran is an alumnus of the regional NGF in Israel in 2011 and NGF 29 in Israel. 

Odelia Barkin-Kamil

Odelia is an educator in the fields of Art and Jewish Philosophy.  She holds a B.A and an M.A in communication as culture (HUJI).

Odelia is currently the director of the Film department and content editor at Sal Tarbut Artzi (National Basket of Culture), a program of the ministry of education, aimed at exposing Israeli pupils, from kindergarten to senior year, to all fields of art in a methodical way, lending them skills of art appreciation, inspiration and creativity.  She is also a teacher at Alma- House of Hebrew culture (a pluralistic Beit Midrash).

Odelia is a Vampirologist – an expert on Vampires in TV and Film, analyzing Vampires as cultural heroes.  She teaches at Julia Cameron's The Artist Way workshops.

Odelia lives in Givatayim with her husband Ran, their son Harel and their dog, Chili.  

She is an alumna of NGF 16, 19 and the Israeli Regional in 2011.

Natalie Barnett

Natalie has volunteered in various community organisations for over twenty 25 years, and has always focused her work around her passion for education and learning. Ever curious, she is continually inspired by the wonderful programmes and learning opportunities around Jewish themes, Social and Emotional Development, and Education, and endeavours to share and utilise what she learns in the organisations she serves.

Natalie has taught Art and Ceramics, developed and implemented a School Readiness Program for Ikamva Labantu — where she’s also a trustee — and is an accredited HIV/Aids storyteller. She volunteered as educator at the CT Holocaust Centre and coordinated their Brundibár Project, which focused on overcoming prejudice. She is a vice-chair of the United Herzlia Schools Committee and heads the Jewish Life and Learning portfolio. Mostly, she’s a committed and enthusiastic mother.

Orli Barnett

Orli is the director of education at the Cape Town Holocaust and Genocide Centre, South Africa. She grew up in the Cape Town Jewish community and was involved in the Habonim Dror youth movement for many years. Orli lived in Israel for several years, where she studied for a master’s degree in maritime civilizations and later a master’s degree in Holocaust Studies (both at the University of Haifa). She also trained at Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum. Orli is passionate about empowering youth and teachers by critically engaging with Holocaust history and the lessons for humanity that emerge. 

Robbert Baruch

Robbert Baruch is Public Affairs manager at Buma/Stemra. He studied Political Science (Political Philosophy) and Public Administration in Leiden and Theology in Jerusalem and Amsterdam.

Robbert lives in The Hague, is married and has three children.

Robbert is an alum of NGF 14 in Uruguay in 2004.

Elisheva Baskin

Elisheva is the Audience Development Manager for 70 Faces Media, the largest Jewish digital media company in North America. She graduated with a M.A. in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and a B.A. in Sociology and Near Eastern and Judaic Studies from Brandeis University. She is a member of Darkhei Noam, a lay-led partnership minyan in New York City, and serves on the national board of the American Zionist movement.

David Basok

David Basok is a program manager for the Conference of European Rabbis in Munich. Born and raised in Jerusalem, he graduated from Yeshivat Yerucham and Hebrew University. In the last 8 years he has been involved in the development of Jewish life in Europe serving as a rabbi in Wroclaw, Poland and as a Jewish educator in Estonia. David is married to Danielle Chaimovitz-Basok and father to Noam, Gili, and Roni. David participated in NGF 32 in France.

Esther Belgorodski

Irina Belskaia

Irina, from Belarus, holds a Master’s in Jewish Education from Leo Baeck College, London.She works for the Union for Progressive Judaism in Belarus, overseeing their educational programs. Irina is the co-author and editor of various Jewish themed books for children.She is very involved in organizing her community’s celebrations of Jewish holidays.Irina is an alumna of various Nahum Goldmann Fellowship programs.

Lior Benisty

Lior Benisty is the Director of the Young Adult Center in Lod, providing guidance and support in the areas of higher education, vocational training, work readiness and social engagement. He is also the chairman of the Association of Young Adult Centers in Israel. He founded Kanfei Yona, an initiative to record the oral history of the aliyah of Ethiopan Jews. Recently, he wrote and published a children’s book in Hebrew on the subject of Moroccan Jewish heritage. He holds a B.A. in Education from Oranim College.

Jacqui Benson-Mabombo

Jacqui (they/them) is a life coach who considers their greatest strength to be a conversational disruptor – interrupting ordinary conversations/ paradigms to give people space to access their superpower(s). An entrepreneur since 9yrs old, they love treasure hunting, and are passionate about social activism, using skills learnt in Netzer, and later leadership training from Landmark Worldwide, to contribute to community organisations – Souper Troopers, the Cape SA Jewish Board of Deputies (2020-22) and Limmud SA. In 2022 they co-founded Shemah Koleinu, an LGBTQIA+ organisation that does its advocacy work through a Jewish lens. They participated in the 1st JDC/Entwine Inside Uruguay & Argentina LGBTIQA Leaders cohort, and the international Online NGF Online in 2021. With their spouse Xoli Mabombo-Benson, they are in servitude to Jada & Willow, their fur babies.

Morane Bensoussan

Zhanna Beyl

Zhanna Beyl is a Licensed Master Social Worker who has spent the past
decade engaging Jewish youth in quality community programs.
Originally from Moscow, Zhanna now lives in the USA. She received her
B.A. degree from Boston University and her MSW from Hunter Graduate
School of Social Work. In her current role as Communal Education
Networker at The Jewish Education Project, Zhanna works with Jewish
youth professionals who practice in various settings, such as JCCs,
social service agencies, synagogues, and youth groups. She is an
alumna of NGF 21 and 28.

Stefan Bialoguski

Stefan is a serving officer with the Metropolitan Police Service in London and is an alum of NGF 12 held in Glamsta, Sweden in 2003. 

Daniel Bloch

Daniel, from South Africa, was educated at Herzlia School and carries a matric certificate. He holds a national diploma and a bachelor of technology degree in sports management from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Since 2021 he has served as the executive director of the Cape South African Jewish Board of Deputies where he protects the civil and religious rights of more than 12,500 Jewish community members. He spent the previous 15 years working in the events industry organizing international and local conferences and exhibitions. Daniel has been serving on the Green and Sea Point Hebrew Congregation management committee since 2017 and is its current vice president. He also served on the United Herzlia Schools Board of Governors. Daniel has a passion for sport, food and community, and is married with two young children. 

Ilan Bloch

Ilan Bloch works as a tour guide, teacher and session facilitator for individual tourists, and adult, family and student/young adult groups from overseas. Before making Aliyah more than 15 years ago, he worked as a Jewish Studies, Hebrew and Israel Studies teacher, and served as the Head of Informal Jewish Education, at The King David School in Melbourne, Australia. He is married with twins and lives in Jerusalem.

Ilan holds a Ministry of Tourism Tour Guide License and a Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) Ministry of Education-authorized Tour Guiding Certificate. He also holds a Master of Arts degree in Jewish Education, and a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Graduate Diploma of Education (Teaching Diploma) in Jewish Studies and Hebrew Literature. 

Avigayil Bloch-Geiger

As an educator, Avigayil involves herself with strengthening secular Israeli Jewish identity. She teaches in a liberal arts high school in Tel Aviv, facilitates high school educational staff as part of the Beeri-Shalom Hartman Institute and lectures at Tel Aviv University. Avigayil received a Bachelor’s degree in Bible and Jewish Thought from Hebrew University where she also studied towards her Master’s in Hebrew Literature and Bible.

Ady Blum

Ady is the Leadership and Educational Program Director for WUPJ’s youth movement, Netzer Olami. He holds Bachelor’s degrees in Philosophy, Economics and Political Science from Hebrew University, and has studied at TAKUM Global Social Justice Beit Midrash. He teaches in different pre- and post- army programs in Israel focusing on social and economic issues. Ady volunteers in community cooperatives, trade unions, anti-racism organizations, and is a delegate to the Israeli Labour party's Central Assembly.

Miranda Bogen

Miranda, from D.C., is a Senior Policy Analyst at Upturn, a nonprofit organization that promotes equity and justice in the design, use, and governance of digital technology. Prior to working in technology policy, Miranda worked as a Jewish professional ultimately serving as the Director of Communications for Masa Israel Journey in New York. She holds a MA in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy at Tufts University, and a BA in Middle Eastern & North African Studies and Political Science from UCLA.

Shana Boltin

Shana, originally from Australia, resides in London and works as an Occupational Therapist for children and young people. Shana is on the Limmud Global Board with the portfolio of volunteer training and development. Shana co-founded the North West London Partnership Minyan and is currently partaking in the Susi Bradfield Fellowship.

Shana was an alumna of the NGF in Mumbai in 2005/6.

Helena Bondar

Helena is currently pursuing a MSc at the London School of Economics. She spent almost a decade in the Jewish nonprofit sector and at a tech startup. Helena took part in Avodah's NYC Justice Fellowship and JDC Entwine trips. She is a former resident and co-founder of Moishe House Harlem. She learned in the year program at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies and volunteered with Ultimate Peace during her free time. Helena was born in Moldova and emigrated with her family to the USA. She is an alumna of NGF 29 in Israel and regional NGF in the United States. 

Rachael Sara Bootcov

Arthur Braunschweig

Arthur is married to Monika and is the father of three children. After studying Economics at St. Gallen University, he built öbu, the Swiss business association for sustainable management. He is now a consultant at E2 on integrating sustainability into organizations' strategies and management systems. He has wide experience in the environmental assessment tools Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Company Ecobalance, which he also teaches at ETH Zürich. Arthur has been active in Jewish youth and student movements in Zürich and other cities in Switzerland. He serves on various committees of the ICZ (the largest Jewish congregation in CH) and is a member of the ICZ synagogue choir. He also volunteers for: the Mifne Foundation (an Israeli company which supports innovative autism therapy), WWF Switzerland, and the GAIA journal, among others. My Linkedin page(https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthur-braunschweig-712b9754). Arthur participated in NGF 1 in the United Kingdom.

Gila Brill

Gila is the Director of International Initiatives for the Jerusalem Unity Prize and Unity Day. Born in South Africa, she is a Jewish educator who has spearheaded projects in Israel and North America.She has served as Education Director of Bnei Akiva of the US and Canada, program coordinator for the Jewish Agency, and manager of Global Encounters for the Israel missions department of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. She holds a degree in Political Science and Communications from Bar Ilan University.

David Brom

Dovi is currently studying Law at the University of South Africa. Previously he was a consultant for the South African Board of Jewish Education on informal Jewish education. In the past he was involved in youth leadership seminars in South Africa and Israel as well as with Bnei Akiva and the South African Union of Jewish Students. He currently heads up Justifi's South African operations. Dovi is an alumnus of Nahum Goldmann Fellowship 27 and Cohort 1 of the Network Leadership Seminar. 

Alex Bronzo

Alex serves as the Associate Director of AJC's New York regional office, where he works in global Jewish advocacy with diplomats and legislators from New York and around the world. He has a Master’s degree from IDC Herzliya in Israel, and a B.A. from the University of Maryland. Before AJC, Alex worked for President Obama's re-election campaign in 2012, and at AIPAC's headquarters in Washington, DC.

Dan Brotman

Originally from Boston, Dan spent most of his adult life living in South Africa, where he worked in advocacy roles on behalf of the South African Jewish community. He launched a travel education company, which took nearly 1,000 South African business leaders around the world to learn about innovation. He then went on to head the Jewish community of Windsor, Canada, and started an immigration program to bolster the community’s shrinking Jewish population. Dan now works as an immigration coach and is currently pursuing an MSc in International Migration and Public Policy at the London School of Economics.

Joshua Brown

Joshua from Australia, now lives in New Zealand. He is a business development executive for a global money transfer company. Joshua serves on the board of the Wellington Jewish Center and the Zionist Federation in New Zealand.He established a networking group for Jewish professionals which has become the largest Jewish group in Wellington. He holds a MA in Economics from Victoria University.

Meir Bunytow

Meir Bunytow is the Director of Jewish Education at the “ Bet Hayladim", a pluralistic Jewish Montessori school in Mexico City.

He is the creator and director of the "Educators of Israel" “Mejanjei Israel” program, on behalf of Keren Hayesod - Mexico, a project that trains teachers in Jewish education, teaching Israel and building contacts with the State of Israel.

Meir has a Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Education and has been teaching Jewish education in the Diaspora for 34 years

Margee Burch

Margee is the co-founder and president of Sacramento’s Kol Rinah, an engaged, egalitarian, participatory community driven by Jewish values and tradition. Now a middle school history teacher and mom, she has worked for 10+ years within synagogues and Jewish communities. She holds a B.A. degree in Education from Mills College.

Tamas Büchler

Tamas works as the European Project Coordinator  for CEJI - A Jewish Contribution to an Inclusive Europe. Originally from Hungary, Tamas served previously as the director of the Israeli Cultural Institute in Budapest. Before that, he worked for the Jewish Agency's Global Leadership Institute, as the director of Minyanim, a network of young community activists from Europe. He holds an M.A. in Law and undertook teacher training in Jewish studies. He also completed the University of Haifa’s Peace and Conflict Studies program, and the Social Impact program of the University of Pennsylvania. In the last couple of years he worked with global Jewish organizations, such as the Jewish Agency, Limmud, the Schusterman Foundation and Rene Cassin.    

Samantha Castiel Menda

Samantha, from Brazil, works as a Human Resources consultant in the banking industry. Her educational background is in Psychology and Business Management.Samantha is a former president of the Hebrew Cultural Center in Porto Alegre.

Efraim Chalamish

Efraim earned his doctorate in International Economic Law from the University of Michigan. Currently, he teaches International Investment Law at NYU Law School. He is the founder and president of the Global Center for Economic Development and Security. Efraim is involved in public service and diplomacy, helping various nonprofit organizations with strategic thinking and leadership development. He is a frequent guest speaker at various international forums and universities. Efraim is an alumnus of NGF 27 in Israel and the NGF 28 Leadership Seminar in Mexico

Adam Charnas

Adam is an analyst at the South African Jewish Board of Deputies. There his responsibilities include documenting and researching antisemitism and representing the community in media responses. He has held executive positions in companies dealing primarily in research and due diligence, with a core focus on sub-Saharan Africa. Previously Adam lived for 15 years in Israel, where he studied at Ben Gurion University and was a fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute in Jerusalem. 

Tali Cheses

Tali Cheses, from Boston, Ma., is employed by Gensler, the biggest architecture firm in the world.Tali holds a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Pratt Institute. She was fortunate enough to do a semester abroad in Israel at The Bezalel Academy of Art & Design. Tali is involved with various groups at the UJA/FED NY and Drisha Institute.

Micael Chokler

Micael is a senior analyst at AMIA in Buenos Aires, works with the national management team of Habonim Dror in strategic planning, and is a mentor in the Ma HaMatzav program of Federacion Argentina de Centros Comunitarios (FACCMA). Micael holds both Argentinian and German citizenship.

Etan Cohen

Etan is employed by the Shalom Hartman Institute as a designer of online Jewish educational learning environments for Israel's non-religious public schools. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in the Learning Sciences at Haifa University, and is a fellow at LINKS, a research center focused on learning in a networked society.

Dario Cohen

Kelita Cohen

Kelita Cohen has a PhD in psychology and is currently in her final year of rabbinical studies at the Instituto Iberoamericano de Formacion Rabinico Reformista. She works at Congregação Israelita Paulista as the executive director of the Academia Judaica. Kelita attended the Regional NGF in Cuba in 2016 and received an MFJC Fellowship Grant for her 'Project Memories,' which led to the production of the booklet "Guesher L'Kesher”, whose goal was to recover records and life stories from members of the Jewish community of Brasília.

Rivka Cohen

Rivka is the Program Manager at JOFA, the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance in New York, where she creates content, runs logistics, handles marketing and communications. Rivka graduated from Brandeis University, where she studied Islamic & Middle Eastern Studies and Near Eastern & Judaic Studies and minored in Politics. At Brandeis, Rivka served as: Education Coordinator of the Brandeis Orthodox Organization; Executive Coordinator of bVIEW – Brandeis Visions for Israel in an Evolving World; and co-founded JFAB – Jewish Feminist Association at Brandeis.

Gabriel Cohen-Henriquez

Gabriel, from Panama, owns a label manufacturing business. He also manages an investment portfolio. In addition to his professional pursuits, Gabriel is an avid yoga practitioner with over 25 years of experience. Gabriel is active in his community. He serves as a board member of the Isaac Rabin School and as a member of the Jewish Diplomatic Corps of the World Jewish Congress. Gabriel is a past president of the B’nai B’rith Carlos Zelenka chapter. In his free time, he enjoys reading, kitesurfing, hiking, and traveling. Gabriel lives in Panama City with his wife and son.

Jody Comins

Jody worked for over 25 years in the Boston Jewish Community in a multitude of Jewish agencies and was a participant on the NJF in 2009 in Israel. She served as a founder and Board member of the MetroWest Jewish Day School (K-8) and is currently finishing a 4 year term on the Gann Parent’s Association (Gann Academy is a pluralistic Jewish high school). Jody is the incoming Co-chair of the Momentum Alumni Council as part of the National Assembly of Hadassah, the largest women’s Zionist organization in collaboration with Momentum (formerly the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project which brings moms to Israel).

Jody has her Masters in Social Work from Boston University and is a Divorce & Family Mediator and Collaborative Coach in the Greater Boston area. She is an adult child of divorce and uses her experience to create a child-centered practice at A Better Way: Divorce Mediation.  Jody is a court-approved facilitator for the required parenting classes in MA and is the creator of “Honor thy Children; Jewish Parenting through a Divorced Lens”. Her book “Speaking Out; Voices of Adult Children of Divorce” reached #1 in 3 parenting categories and is available on Amazon. Jody is the Managing Director of the MetroWest chapter of Polka Dot Powerhouse, a global women’s connection company.  She serves as the Diversity Advisor on Polka Dot’s Legacy Leadership Council. 

Jody’s been happily married for over 22 years and is the proud mama of two teenage girls who she’s raised to be self-aware, kind, compassionate young women. In her “spare” time, she loves to spend time with her family, travel, practice yoga, read, and knit.

Bradley Cook

Bradley, from California, holds a doctorate in Education from Walden University. He is a: graduate of Upstart; Birthright Israel Fellow; Schusterman ROI community member; Amplifier Giving Circle Fellow; Eli Talk Fellow; and co-founder of the City of Beverly Hills\' Entrepreneurship Incubator. Bradley works for Career Up - Hillel, a national program originated at the University of Florida. He also serves on various non-profit boards and holds several civic leadership positions.

Felipe Cusnir

Felipe, from Brazil, studied law at PUC-RIO. He is an attorney specializing in capital market and banking law. He was the First Secretary of the Jewish Federation of Rio de Janeiro. Felipe is the Rosh Chinuch of Chazit Hanoar, a Zionist youth movement, for whom he develops Jewish identity focused activities.

Sasa Cvejin

Sasha was in the past the president of the Jewish community of Sombor, and a member of the board of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Serbia. Sasa holds a degree from the Faculty of Technical Science in the are of Computer Science. In 2013 he made Aliya and he now lives in Israel. Sasa attended NGF 22 in Croatia.

Emma Daitz

Emma is a doctoral student at the University of Cape Town. Previously, she was involved in community organizing with the South African Jewish Voice for a Just Peace. Emma is connected to Temple Israel in Cape Town. She is an alumna of the South African Regional NGF in 2018.

Haris Dajc

Haris is a professor of History at the University of Belgrade.He is involved with the Federation of Jewish Communities of Serbia and the Belgrade Jewish Community.The Serbian government has appointed Haris its representative and Chairman of the Supervisory Board for Jewish Restitution Law.He holds a Ph.D. in History from the Univ. of Belgrade.

Ryan Davis

Ryan lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he grew up in a proudly Jewish family and held leadership roles in a youth movement. He is a people development consultant and coach, and founded Next Peak, partnering with diverse global organizations and communities, advising, designing, and implementing innovative solutions that enhance performance. He volunteers in various nonprofits focused on education, sustainable impact, international development, and leadership. He recently co-chaired Limmud Johannesburg and sits on Limmud’s National Executive. Ryan graduated from UPenn with a certificate in Social Impact Strategy and participated in the Global Social Impact House Fellowship.

Lance Davis

Lance lives in Toronto and serves as the CEO of the Jewish National Fund of Canada. He has worked in the field of Jewish communal service for over 25 years in a variety of areas including informal education, leadership development and fundraising. Lance has degrees in Jewish Studies, International Relations, and Jewish Communal Service. He was awarded a doctoral fellowship from the University of Toronto where he focused on Modern Jewish Thought, in particular, pluralism and the work of Rabbi Yitz Greenberg. Lance is passionate about Israel and has visited more than 60 times since his first trip in 1986.

Lance was in Cohort 5 of the NGF Leadership Seminar. Watch his Lesson in Leadership "Leaders Learn."

Tamar Dekel

Tamar is the Executive Director of a not-for-profit organization that uses art as leverage for social change. She lives and works in Tel Aviv and has been active in the fields of art and art education. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in the History of Art and General History from Tel Aviv University and a Master’s in the History of Art from the joint program of Christie’s and the University of Glasgow. She is the founder and former executive director of Picnic Magazine Art & Music Distribution. Tamar also works as an independent international art producer.

Ellie Dellingr

Ellie, from the United Kingdom, served as an officer in the Armed Forces for 11 years and has spent the last 13 years using those skills as a volunteer on an emergency disaster response team. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in engineering from the Royal Military College of Science. After taking a career 'shmita year' Ellie is moving into academia to formalize research in behavioral decision making in high stress situations, with an ultimate focus of studying courage as an opponent to rising antisemitism. Ellie attended NGF 28 in Mexico and NGF 32 in France as a member of Cohort 5 of the NGF Network Leadership Seminar.

Ellie was in Cohort 5 of the NGF Leadership Seminar. Watch her Lesson in Leadership "Increasing Female Inclusivity in Jewish Life."

Guido Dercauttan

Stuart Diamond

Stuart left his career in public service to become the director of the Cape SA Jewish Board of Deputies. He holds a degree in Management from the University of Cape Town. Stuart is a governor of the Cape Town Jewish school system, Herzlia, and has served on the board of Maccabi South Africa.

Katherine Dolgenos

Kate holds the position of media relations associate for B'nai B'rith International. She is from Philadelphia, lives in Washington, D.C., and went to college in Southern California. Kate earned a Bachelor’s degree in Politics from Pomona College She is involved in outreach to young professionals through the 2239 Steering Committee at Washington Hebrew Congregation.

Josefin Dolsten

Josefin is a New York-based journalist who writes about gender, politics and culture as they relate to the Jewish community. She currently works as a staff writer at JTA, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Swedish by nationality, she moved to NY with her family at a young age. She attended Cornell University, where she studied government and Near Eastern Studies. Josefin earned a Master’s degree in Jewish Studies and Comparative Religion from Hebrew University.

Oren Drori

Oren Drori is the Program Officer for United Nations Affairs at B’nai B’rith International.He supports advocacy and programming efforts that advance B’nai B’rith’s goals at the U.N. including: defending Israel, combating anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism, and promoting global human rights and humanitarian concerns. He received a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Minnesota and a M.A. in International Relations from the University of Chicago.

Sarah Drukarch

Sarah is a lawyer and partner in a well-established full-service business law firm in Zurich, Switzerland. She mainly advises on intellectual property law, with a particular focus on the life sciences industry. After graduating from public high school, Sarah spent a year in a midrasha in Israel, diving into the depths of Jewish sources and fostering her passion for studying Jewish texts. Sarah serves as the vice-chair of the compliance and audit committee of the biggest Jewish community in Switzerland. In addition, Sarah is a member of the committee organizing regular scholar-in-residence weekends in the Minyan she regularly attends. Sarah likes to sing, bike, and ski. 

Jessica Druker

Jessica Druker from Johannesburg, studied for a BA in Dramatic Arts at WITS and worked in advertising before going to Toronto to study for a MA in English Literature and Fiction Writing. She currently works as a Marketing and Communications specialist. Jessica voluntarily mentors students from the African Leadership Academy. She has been involved with Limmud and Betar.

Sophie Dunoff

Sophie Dunoff is Chief Executive Officer for University Jewish Chaplaincy, the premier Jewish organisation on campuses across the UK working with Jewish students and universities to enhance the Jewish student experience and safeguard Jewish university life. She manages UJC's 19 Rabbis and Rabbinic couples and leads operations across the organisation. She previously served as public and parliamentary affairs officer for the Board of Deputies of British Jews, focusing on concerns relating to the Jewish community including such issues as shechita and antisemitism and has a wealth of experience working and volunteering within the UK Jewish community.  Sophie graduated in Sociology with first-class honours from City University, London. 

Gili Dvash Yeshurun

Diego Edelberg

Diego has served as Hazzan and educator in communities in Brazil, Argentina, Hong Kong, Chile, and Mexico. He has a Master's Degree Summa Cum Laude from Hebrew College where he completed a thesis on "synagogue engagement". In 2010, he started a blog on Judaism that surpassed 10,000 subscribers and receives more than 50,000 visitors per month. He lives in Mexico where he serves Bet El Synagogue. He is married to Laila and they have 4 children. Rabbi Diego participated in the International Online NGF in 2021.

Heidi-Jane Esakov-Jacobson

Heidi-Jane Esakov-Jacobson has a Master's in Education. When not being a full-time mother she is the coordinator of a new online forum, DafkaDotCom, that seeks to deepen conversation about issues affecting the South African Jewish community. She has been very involved in Limmud South Africa, co-chairing Limmud Cape Town as well as heading up its marketing committee. She participated in NGF 25 and 27 in Israel and was a member of the organizing committee of the South African Regional Nahum Goldmann Fellowship.

Lucas Espinosa

Lucas is a photographer by vocation and Design Anthropologist by profession. A Talmudist aficionado, Lucas is an active member in the Limmud Global community. He holds Colombian and Spanish passports and is a Danish resident. Lucas completed his BS at KEA Media/IT in eConcept Development, with a focus on UX and User Testing.

Yael Feinblum

Yael Feinblum is a South African born Israeli. After receiving her master’s in Jewish history from Bar-Ilan University, Yael joined the high-tech scene where she is currently a people manager for a team of technical writers. While working, Yael has continued studying, most recently group facilitation. She is most proud of her TED Talk at work about breaking the stigmas surrounding mental health, and currently volunteers at Mental Health First Aid Israel. Yael tries to get in yoga every day, catch at least one sunrise a week, and loves live music. 

Gabriel Feldman

Gabriel Feldman holds a B.A. in Social Communication from the University of Buenos Aires. Currently, Gabriel works at AMIA’s "Marc Turkow" Center for Documentation and Information on Argentinean Jewry. Previously, he worked as a journalist in independent cultural media.

Matthew Fieldman

Matt, from Cleveland, holds a MBA from George Washington University. After spending nine years working in the Jewish community, Matt was engaged in the field of international humanitarian aid. He also helped start a leadership institute for ex-offenders and the first software development boot camp specifically for low-income adults. He is now working on an award-winning apprenticeship program focused on inner-city youth

Deborah Fishman

Deborah, from New York, founded FED, a member organization of Hakhel: The Jewish Intentional Communities Incubator. She serves as Hakhel's Network Manager and PR Director and leads its Arts & Culture Subnetwork. Deborah is a member of the ROI Community and served as grassroots ROI Igniter for NYC for two years. She holds a M.A. from Spertus Institute
and a B.A. in Slavic Languages and Literatures with a certificate in Judaic Studies from Princeton University. Deborah has been a member of the 248 Network of JAFI, a JewV'Nation Fellow with the URJ, an iFellow with the iCenter, and was named one of the Jewish Week's "36 under 36."

Yael Fleichman

Niki Forman

André Frank

André Frank is a Jewish educator originally from Brazil and now living in Israel. With a Master's degree in Jewish Education from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, his academic journey actually began with a B.A. in Graphic Design. André also dedicated six years to rigorous studies at yeshivot in both Brazil and Israel. He further honed his expertise through extension courses, specializing in the teaching of Jewish History at the UFRJ (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro) and the Teaching of the Tanakh at Herzog College. After making a significant impact as a teacher in two of São Paulo's largest Jewish schools, Renascença and Beit Yaacov, André took over the direction of Jewish Education at TTH Barilan (Rio de Janeiro), being subsequently named school dean - a position he held for four years. In 2022, André fulfilled his dream of making Aliyah.Today, he serves as Judaic Director at Keshet Shoham School, balancing this role with educational marketing consultancy for the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Wikipedia Israel. Beyond his professional achievements, André is a dedicated family man, happily married to Esther.Together, they are loving parents to Moriah, Naomi, Ilana, and Liat. André attended NGF 26 in Uruguay.

Shai Franklin

Shai, from White Plains, NY, served numerous non-governmental organizations including: The World Jewish Congress; NCSEJ; American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC); United Nations Watch; and the Anti-Defamation League. He was a Senior Fellow with the Institute on Religion and Public Policy and a Treasurer of the UN-affiliated Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations (CoNGO). Shai holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a Master’s in Middle East Studies from Johns Hopkins. He serves on the U.S. advisory board of ZAKA as well as the board of the DCJCC. Shai is an alumnus of NGF 10 in Sweden as well as the North American Regional NGF in Ottawa.

Michael Freedman

Michael is an occasional writer and podcaster, full-time analogue nomad and investor. He previously led efforts to bridge the gap between Israel and the Diaspora by adding investment as a third strategy alongside philanthropy and advocacy. He is now taking an indefinite sabbatical to recover from this!. Michael attended International NGF 26 in Uruguay and NGF 28 in Germany as a participant in Cohort 3 of the NGF Network Leadership Seminar.

Eric Fusfield

Eric is the Deputy Director of the B’nai B’rith International Center for Human Rights and Public Policy and also serves as its Director of Legislative Affairs. He formulates and promotes B’nai B’rith’s agenda on Capitol Hill and represents the agency before numerous political entities. An attorney formerly in private practice, he holds degrees from Columbia University (B.A. in History), Oxford University (M.St. in Modern Jewish Studies), and American University (J.D./M.A. in Law and International Affairs). He serves on the Board of Directors of Agudas Achim Congregation in Alexandria, Virginia. Eric is an alumnus of NGF 8 in Sweden and a regional NGF in Brazil in 2013 as well as Cohort 2 of the NGF Leadership Seminar. 

Oshrith Gadkar

Oshrith Gadkar, from Mumbai, is a human resources manager for the Indian Stock Exchange.She arranges events for Jewish singles in her community.Oshrith raises funds for community members to meet education expenses.She holds a Master’s degree in Commerce from Mumbai University.

Lean Galaternik

Leandro (Lean or Le) Galanternik received a B.A. in administration at Universidad de Buenos Aires in 2008. In 2007, he created a project called Diun, a Knesset simulation run in Jewish high schools. Lean was also involved in the creation of MiNU Argentina, a group of Jewish young adults that facilitate programs for their peers. In addition to organizing Diun and MiNU, Lean created MAROM Latin America in 2007, a network for young Jewish adults in four countries for groups involved with the Conservative movement. Lean was MAROM's Chairman for its first three years and the Youth Representative on the Masorti Latin America Board. He continues to be involved as the Jewish Youth Representative for Interfaith Dialogue with Religions for Peace.

In 2008, Lean was the Director of the Youth Department at Noam Sao Paulo, at Shalom, a Conservative community in Brazil. He has a specialization in Youth Work and Education from FLACSO and an M.A. from Hebrew University in Nonprofit Management. In 2016, he was elected to serve on the Board of Mercaz Olami as the Marom representative, and he was also elected to serve on the Board of Marom Olami.

Currently, he lived (until October 2019) in São Paulo, Brazil with his wife, Fernanda and their daughters, Naomi and Taly together with Bela, a great dog! Lean is a rabbinical student at the Seminario Rabinico Latinoamericano, and they will be in Israel 2019/2020 academic year.

Marcos Gandelsman

Marcos is studying Psychology, at a university in Recife, Brazil. He is a Jewish educator in the youth movement Habonim Dror. Marcos is also a Jewish studies teacher in his community’s elementary school. He organizes cultural events for Jewish youth and the wider local society for an organization called Zehut

Tova Ganzel

Dr. Tova Ganzel is the Director of the Midrasha in Bar-Ilan University, and was one of the first two women to have earned certification as a Yo’etzet Halachah (halachic counsellor) from Nishmat, the Jerusalem Center for Advanced Jewish Studies for Women.

Dr. Ganzel is an alumna of NGF 21, in Israel in 2009 and has subsequently also served as faculty for the NGF in Israel in 2017. Dr. Ganzel comes from Jerusalem and received her Ph.D. in Bible from Bar-Ilan University. A former Tikvah Fellow, Tova is the recipient of a number of other prestigious academic awards and grants, published articles, book chapters and encyclopedia entries and is the author of A Visionary's Oracles – From Destruction to Restoration, Studies in the Prophecies of Ezekiel (Tevunot-Herzog, Alon Shvut 2012), and among the editors of: In the Eyes of God and Man: The Believer and Scientific Study of the Bible (Beit Morasha, 2015). In 2013 Tova received a Fellowship Grant from the MFJC for her work: Uncovering Ezekiel’s Unique Theological Stance: A Thematic -Linguistic Analysis.

Tova is married to Chezi and they have seven children.

Karolina Garlinska

Greg Gelb

Greg Gelb, from Cape Town, matriculated from Herzlia, holds an honours degree in Clinical Psychology and a post-graduate diploma in Business Project Management. As well as being the executive director of the Cape Town Torah High School, Greg is a professional magician performing for corporate companies in and around South Africa and internationally as well. He serves as the Torah reader in his local synagogue.

Jorge Gershon

Jorge, from Seville, Spain, organizes Jewish events and activities in Andalusia. He holds a diploma in Tourism from the University of Seville. Jorge is a leader in Beit Rambam - the Jewish community center of Seville. He is also active in the Spanish branch of ROI.

Justin Gillman

Justin Gillman is currently doing his law articles in Johannesburg, where he aspires to be an attorney of the High Courts of South Africa. He volunteers for Hatzolah Medical Rescue, K Space and the South African Union of Jewish Students. Justin earned degrees in business and law from the University of Johannesburg and studied Talmud at Yeshivat Eretz Hatzvi.

Daniel Gindis

Daniel was born in the USA and currently lives in Tel Aviv. He is an entrepreneur, educator, and community activist. Daniel is the director of Ambassador Academy, an education company which works across Israel teaching students English, public speaking, and critical thinking skills. Daniel is also a co-founder of Kerem House, a Jewish community focused organization which runs events, provides volunteering opportunities, and coordinates services for olim and young professionals in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Daniel recently ran for a seat on the Tel Aviv Municipality with the Maaminim party. While Daniel didn’t make it onto the council (He was #6 on the party list) he looks forward to continuing to be very involved and working for the interests of olim and young professional communities. 

Anna Ginzburg

nna Ginzburg is a graduate of the Russian State University for the Humanities, Center for Biblical and Jewish Studies, a joint project of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and YIVO institute. Currently she is working for Hillel, Russia as a senior Jewish educator. She volunteers for educational and cultural projects and events, related to the Jewish community of Moscow.Anna is an alumna of the 2015 Regional NGF in Copenhagen.

Sienna Girgenti

Sienna Girgenti is a high-impact strategist and relationship builder who is passionate about thoughtful convening. As network coordinator of the Nahum Goldmann Fellowship, she supports program development and engagement for more than 1,200 NGF Network members. In her full-time capacity as Director of the Meridian International Center for Diplomatic Engagement, Sienna is responsible for the design and execution of programs dedicated to strengthening and accelerating collaboration between the foreign diplomatic corps in Washington, DC and the U.S. public and private sectors. She has held positions across sectors, including within U.S. and foreign governments, private event management, and eight years at a Jewish communal organization—driving meaningful impact through advocacy, immersive education, and storytelling. Sienna holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from the American University and resides in Washington, DC. Sienna participated in NGF 28, Cohort 3 of the Network Leadership Seminar at NGF 30, and served as the onsite coordinator for the U.S.A. Regional NGF.

Tamara Gleason Freidberg

Tamara Gleason Freidberg is a historian (MPhil by UNAM, Mexico) and a gerontologist (MSc by King's College London). Author of Di Shvue, los bundistas en México y su participación en la comunidad judía. Her work includes publications on Mexican Yiddish literature and the Jewish Left in Mexico. Tamara facilitates Yiddish sessions at the Holocaust Survivor's Centre, is an active organiser of the Yiddish Open Mic (London) and Yiddish House London. As a PhD candidate at UCL London, she currently studies the Yiddish press in Mexico, its sources and its unique role in the communication of news about the Holocaust as it developed.

In 2020, Tamara received an NGF Network Grant for his project Yiddishe Sphrakhn Arum Der Velt. 

Victoria Godik

A native of Kyiv, Ukraine, Victoria participates, organizes, initiates and runs Ukrainian and international projects (both Jewish and non-Jewish). She holds a Master’s degree with honors in engineering. Victoria is involved in Jewish organizations both locally and globally. She is an alumna of  various leadership and educational programs and member of international networks. 

Victoria is a Board member of the Association of Jewish Organizations and Communities of Ukraine and a member of WJC's Jewish Diplomatic Corps.

Recently, Victoria has been the Development Director and Board member of a NGO which focuses on supporting community-led energy efficiency as well as green initiatives, educational programs and public events promoting sustainability.

Nissen Goldman

Nissen Goldman was born in Johannesburg. He attended the Torah Academy and pursued religious studies at a Yeshiva in the U.S. He and his wife founded and co-direct Chabad on Campus CT. Nissen is a member of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies .

Karen Lisa Goldschmidt Salamon

KAREN LISA Goldschmidt SALAMON (Denmark) attended the NGF 1991 (Zvenigorod, USSR) and NGF 1997 (Glamsta, Sweden). 

Karen Lisa holds a PhD in management studies, a MSc+ in social anthropology and a diploma in Jewish Studies (Paideia Stockholm Paideia). After 20 years as a university lecturer, scholar and professor of anthropology and culture studies, she now works as organisational consultant and research consultant with her own company, Etnograf.dk.

Since 2019, she is also working as part-time Change Manager with the project Educating for Impact at the Danish Jewish Community, particularly in relation to developing the only Jewish school in Denmark - the Caroline School (founded in 1805). 

Salamon co-organised the Jewish Studies in a New Europe. Fifth EAJS Congress, Copenhagen, 14th-18th August 1994 and published the first English language Guide to Jewish Denmark. 

In the 1990s she coedited the Danish language journal of Jewish studies RAMBAM. In the 2000s she has been engaged in the foundation and development of an egalitarian, progressive synagogue in Copenhagen, the Shir Hatzafon community. 

She lives in Copenhagen and is married to another NGF 1991 alumni, Martin Salamon. They have two adult daughters. 

Daniel Goldstuck

Daniel Goldstuck, from Cape Town, studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Witwatersrand. He now works in the renewable energy industry. Daniel's communal interests center around his local synagogue, which he attends on a regular basis.

Alyssa Gorenberg

Alyssa works for Moishe House as a Program Coordinator, helping community builders in the Midwest create peer-led Jewish experiences. She is a religious school teacher and youth group advisor at her home congregation, Temple Chai in Long Grove, IL. Alyssa is a participant in the ADL’s Glass Leadership Institute, and is also a co-chair of the Union for Reform Judaism’s first class of Emergent Givers. She holds a Bachelor’s in Mathematical Sciences from the University of Michigan.

Daniel Grauer

Daniel from Colombia, is the COO of his family’s product packaging company. He holds an MBA from NYU and a BA from Boston University. Daniel is a diplomat for the World Jewish Congress, contributing to the fight against antisemitism, Israel defamation and Holocaust denial. He belongs to the Confederacion de Comunidades Judias de Colombia, the national body that represents Colombian Jewry

Samuel Green

Born in the UK, and now living in Israel, Samuel holds two degrees from the University of Cambridge in Hebrew & Israeli Studies. After several years as a Brand Manager at Procter & Gamble, he left to pursue his passion and is now a tour guide and educator in Israel. When not guiding, he runs an Israeli music radio show and produces his own rap music. He is a trustee of the Federation of Zionist Youth, Israel.

Samuel Green

Born in the UK, and now living in Israel, Samuel holds two degrees from the University of Cambridge in Hebrew & Israeli Studies. After several years as a Brand Manager at Procter & Gamble, he left to pursue his passion and is now a tour guide and educator in Israel. When not guiding, he runs an Israeli music radio show and produces his own rap music. He is a trustee of the Federation of Zionist Youth, Israel.

Ilana Grinblat

Rabbi Ilana Grinblat serves as the Vice-President of Community Engagement for the Board of Rabbis of Southern California at the Los Angeles Jewish Federation. She is the author of two books, Blessings and Baby Steps: The Spiritual Path of Parenthood (published by Behrman House in 2011) and Castles and Catch: Spiritual Lessons Children Teach Us (published by Author House in June of 2016).  She leads high holiday services at Temple Har Shalom in Idyllwild, CA She also taught Midrash to the rabbinical students Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies from 2002-2019. Her "Parent's Torah" blog, which consists of reflections on the weekly Torah portion and parenting, is found at www.parentstorah.com. She holds a M.A from UCLA in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures as well as a MA and rabbinic ordination from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies where she was ordained in 2001. Since her ordination, she worked as a congregational rabbi at Temple Beth Shalom in Long Beach and then at Temple Ner Maarav in Encino. She has also been trained as a Zumba dance instructor and she has taught Jewish dance at Sinai Temple and Open Temple. She and her husband Tal are the proud parents of Jeremy and Hannah. 

Ilana is an alumna of NGF 8 in Glamsta, Sweden in 1999. 

Sarah Groner

Sarah Groner is the Partnerships and Resource Development Manager of JDC's Israel Unlimited. Sarah has built a career in the non-profit sector, where she has focused on communications, resource development and program management for social change organizations. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Tel Aviv University and completed her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work at Bar-Ilan University. Sarah is an alumna of NGF 26 and the NGF Network Leadership Seminar Cohort 2 in Germany in 2018.

Peter Gyori

Peter is Vice President of the Federation of Czech Jewish Communities and Executive Director of Bejt Praha, the Jewish community’s civic organization in Prague. Peter, who studied at WUJS Institute in Arad, Israel, received his Masters in Jewish Communal Service at the Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles. He is an alumnus of several International Nahum Goldmann Fellowships.

Anita Halasz

Anita Halasz, from Switzerland, is the cultural manager of the Jewish Community of Geneva. She received a Master’s degree in International Relations from The Graduate Institute of Geneva.She is responsible for organizing many cultural activities including tours, conferences, concerts and workshops.

Sheri Hanson

Sheri holds a Ph.D. in social work from the University of Johannesburg. She is in private practice as a clinical social worker specializing in women’s issues and child abuse.Sheri has worked and published extensively on these topics both within the Jewish and broader South African communities and consults with many local organizations.She is an executive member of the Jewish Women's Benevolent Society and sits on its Psychoanalytic Ethics committee. Sheri does volunteer work with underprivileged school children.

Reviva Hasson

Laura Hemlock-Schaeffer

Laura, a resident of Queens, New York, is a Project Manager for the Platelet Disorder Support Association, where she conducts advocacy and educational programs for people like herself living with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). Prior to her current role, Laura spent 12+ years working in the Jewish non-profit space at organizations such as UJA-Federation of New York, BBYO, Hillel of Buffalo, and the Yeshiva Day Schools of Pittsburgh. Laura holds a Master’s in Education and a Bachelor's in Theater, both obtained at the University at Buffalo (go Bulls!). Outside of her professional life, Laura serves as Vice President of the Hillel of Buffalo Board of Directors. Laura participated in NGF 28 in Mexico and Cohort 5 of the Network Leadership Seminar at NGF 32 in France.

Laura was in Cohort 5 of the NGF Leadership Seminar. Watch her Lesson in Leadership "A New York City Zusha."

Kathryn Henning

Kathryn Henningworks as a designer and art director in the creative agency where the Shabbat Project takes its form. In addition, she works as an innovator, blogger and brand consultant for small upstart businesses in and around the city of Johannesburg. Kathryn earned a BA degree in Creative Brand Communications. She attended LaunchPad, Shnat Netzer and was a volunteer for Limmud S.A.

Karoline Henriques

Denmark native Karoline now lives in Jerusalem. She holds an MA in the Sociology of Religion from the University of Copenhagen. Karoline works as a political analyst. She is an informal consultant to the New York based 929 – Read Tanakh team and serves as a mentor to ROI programs. Karoline is an alumna of NGF 23, 25, 26 and the 2011 Israel Regional NGF.

Gabriel Hercman

Gabriel Hercman, from Argentina, dedicates himself to to the design and management of community programs. He has many years' experience in institutional management, leadership skills, Education and Spiritual Assistance and Jazan. He consults to organizations both within Argentina and internationally. 

Gabriel Hercman, Vivo en Argentina y me dedico al diseño y gestión de programas comunitarios. 

Tengo capacidades  de gestión y dirección institucional, Educación y de Asistencia Espiritual y Jazan. desarrolle mi actividad en Argentina y fuera del país. 

Noa Hermele

Noa is the rector and founder of Paideia Cultural College, the first Jewish College in Sweden. He also serves as Deputy Director of its sister institution – Paideia Institute for Jewish Studies. Noa holds Master’s degrees in Philosophy, Mathematics and Education. He has been a board member of the Forum for Jewish Studies at Uppsala University and an active member of the Jewish Community of Stockholm

Evan Hochberg

Evan, from New Jersey, is Senior Restitution Policy Specialist at the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany. In this capacity, he also serves as Director of International Affairs for the World Jewish Restitution Organization, working to secure restitution of Holocaust-era Jewish property. Evan has focused his Jewish lay activities on creating spirited prayer communities in which all members are encouraged to participate. He is on the Board of the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance, was founding chair of Minyan Tiferet, a prayer group in Englewood and Tenafly, NJ, and a founder and chair of Shirat Miriam and Minyan Tehillah in Cambridge, MA. Evan holds a law degree from Harvard and a bachelor’s degree from Columbia. Evan is an alumnus of NGF 17 in Cape Town.

Joe Hyman

Agnieszka Jablonska

Aga Jablonska is a social and cultural activist, an experienced project manager, fundraiser and researcher in Jewish studies. She is a graduate of the Center for Jewish Studies in Heidelberg, Germany and Political Science of the University of Wroclaw, Poland. In her research, drawing on history, topography, archeology and memory studies, she focused on the 18th-century Jewish cemetery in Wroclaw, which disappeared from the urban landscape of the city after WWII. Aga is the co-founder and president of the Urban Memory Foundation in Wroclaw, and the European Partnerships Manager at MEET, The Middle East Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow, an Israeli-Palestinian educational program.

In 2020, Aga received an NGF Network Grant for his project Rethinking Commemoration. 

Aliyah Jacobson

Aliyah, from Texas, now lives in New York.She is pursuing a BA in Early Childhood Education at Brooklyn College. Aliyah sings with the Brooklyn Community Chorus and with a musical theater group which performs Broadway covers. She serves on the board of the Chabad Young Professionals of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, organizing events, especially large Shabbat dinners. Aliyah belongs to the CAMERA Fellowship program on her college campus. She also serves on “Bulldogs for Israel”, a non-partisan Israel club at Brooklyn College.

Paul Jacobson

Paul Jacobson served for thirteen years as a congregational rabbi in Sydney, Australia and River Edge, New Jersey.  In 2020 he is beginning studies toward a Masters of Counselling and Psychotherapy. He lives with his wife and two daughters in Sydney. Paul is an alumnus of NGF 21 in Israel.

Ronit Janet

Ronit Janet, from Johannesburg, is a teacher and head of department at Yeshiva College. She studied education at the Univ. of Witwatersrand. Ronit's communal interests include dispatching for Hatzola Medical Rescue, adult education and leadership in Jewish camping.

Jessica Jantjies

Jessica resides at Moishe House, Cape Town. She is pursuing a degree in government and diplomacy at Reichman University. Jessica is a copy writer and digital marketer. She dedicated three years to youth leadership with the Netzer Progressive Youth Movement and participated in the Shnat gap-year program in Israel. Jessica volunteered at a local soup kitchen and taught English to asylum-seekers and refugees in South Tel Aviv. She also works with young girls and at-risk youth. 

Svetlana Jebrak

Jewish Diplomat of the World Jewish Congress, wife and mother of two, curated as a historian (PhD) migrant development exhibitions, works on talent, identity and biographies. Faculty member in Hannover/Germany (2018), NGF in Ohalo Manor/Israel (2009).

Jessica Jedeikin

Jessica Jedeikin, a Cape Town resident, previously worked as a social worker and is now pursuing a career in marketing. She earned degrees in psychology as well as social work. Jessica strives to see the integration of young South Africans into decision making roles within the Jewish community.

Ariel Jenik

Ariel is currently the CEO at Hacoaj JCC, the largest community center in Argentina. Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Ariel got a Masters in Nonprofit Management from the Hebrew Union College and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Southern California. After working at the Los Angeles` and Washington DC`s Federations Ariel returned to Buenos Aires to lead Hacoaj as a professional. He has also worked as CEO of Ieladeinu - a Chabad program created to serve and protect Jewish children victims of violence and abuse. Ariel has collaborated with the Maccabi World Union and JCC Global in several international progams. Recently he has voluntarily taken part of the creation of the Latin American Jewish Professionals Network. Married to Judith and father of Matias, Lara and Milena he resides in Buenos Aires.

In 2020, Ariel received an NGF Network Grant for his project Jevruta. 

Nathaniel Jirhad

Nathaniel was born and raised in Mumbai, India where he became an active lay leader at an early age.He is a Chartered Accountant currently working as a business advisor. Nathaniel completed a one-year program at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem and holds a Bachelor’s degree from Mumbai University. He has organized activities for Moishe House and officiated as a cantor on Jewish holidays.

Wayne Jones

Wayne is an entrepreneur and technology industry executive with a background in enterprise software, including senior leadership roles at IBM and Oracle. He holds an MTS from Harvard Divinity School and an AB from Harvard College in the Comparative Study of Religion. He was a board member of the Bronfman Fellowship and of the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education. He currently resides in Northern California. Wayne is an alumnus of NGF 22 in Croatia.

Shmuel Kagan

Shmuel Kaganis a rabbi employed by the Mizrachi Organization in Johannesburg. He earned a Bachelor's degree from the University of South Africa. Rabbi Shmuel was the first rabbi of the Young Adult Minyan of Mizrachi. He also does volunteer work for the Bnei Akiva youth movement.

Rael Kaimowitz

Rael Kaimowitz is the chairman of the Cape SA Jewish Board of Deputies and a director of his family's printing company. He was educated at Herzlia School and received a degree in Business Science from UCT. Formerly, he was the Chairman of Operations of the Community Security Organization. A past member of the MFJC International Advisory Committee, he now serves on its board. He is an alumnus of NGF 12, 19 and 21 as well as a member of the organizing committee of the S.A. Regional Nahum Goldmann Fellowship.

Martin Kalenberg

Martin Kalenberg was born in Montevideo, Uruguay. Kalenberg is a member of the Editorial Board of the academic magazine Coloquio, a publication of the Latin American Jewish Congress. Since 2004 he has been the Manager of the Universidad ORT Uruguay website, the biggest private university in Uruguay. He holds a BA in Journalism and has more than 20 years of experience working in the areas of journalism and corporate communication. He was one of the founders of the young arm of the Uruguayan Council of Christians and Jews.

Josh Kanter

Josh is the outreach and partnership manager at Reboot where he is responsible for scaling their projects and building the organization's voice. Josh has a wealth of experience in the Jewish community, having worked previously with UJA-Federation of New York, American Jewish World Service, the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, and Bend the Arc. Josh is the immediate past co-chair of Advancing Jewish Professionals of New York City, a local group of the JPRO Network. Originally from Detroit, he holds a MSW in Jewish Communal Leadership from the University of Michigan School of Social Work. Josh lives in Manhattan

Alex Kats

A native of Melbourne, Alex has been involved in the Jewish and general communities for many years. Having worked in government and public relations, he has also been an active member of AUJS, a mentor and long-term volunteer at Jewish Care and a volunteer English teacher to new migrants. He is currently Vice Chair of the Council of Christians and Jews (Vic), an advisor to the Victorian Multicultural Commission, and active with Impact for Women and the William Cooper Legacy Project. He has previously been a participant in a Young Foreign Diplomatic Leadership Mission to Israel, a Young Professionals Services and Leadership Trip to India run by the Joint, and an Australian delegate to the Australia-India Youth Dialogue. He has also been a participant in the Lauder Foundation Community Development Seminar in both Belarus and Germany, and a Jewish participant on the Joint Journey to Jerusalem. He participated in NGF in Australia 2003, Glamsta Sweden 2005 and Australia 2006.

Alex was in Cohort 5 of the NGF Leadership Seminar. Watch his Lesson in Leadership "Moses in the Modern Day."

Lance Katz

Lance Katz is the CEO of the South African College of Applied Psychology. An actuary by training, Lance qualified with a BSc in Actuarial Science at the University of the Witwatersrand, followed by a Post-graduate Diploma in Actuarial Science at UCT. He plays an active role in various community educational institutions. Lance is an alumnus of NGF 22 as well as a member of the organizing committee of the S.A. Regional Nahum Goldmann Fellowship.

Michael Kemerov

Michael Kemerov, from Belarus holds a Master’s degree in Philology. He is the Executive Director of the Religious Union for Progressive Judaism in Belarus, where he manages the activities of eleven religious congregations. Michael authored a book, later made into a movie, about the Jews of Grodno. He recently published an encyclopedia for young adults. Michael is an alumnus of various Nahum Goldmann Fellowship programs.

Manashe Khaimov

Manashe is a fourth-generation community organizer, serial entrepreneur, and social innovator who builds and consults organizations on Jewish diversity. Manashe is an Adjunct Professor in Jewish Studies, with a specialty in the History and Culture of the Central Asian Jews at Queens College. He is the founding CEO of SAMi Sephardic American Mizrahi Initiative which focuses on the Leadership Development of under-served Jewish communities on college campuses in North America. Manashe sits on the National Sephardic Advisory Committee at JIMENA: Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa. In 2021 Manashe was appointed by Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz as a member of the Jewish Advisory Council. In 2015, the Jewish Week named Manashe one of the 36 under 36 changemakers in Jewish life. In 2016, the TimesLedger Newspaper's named Manashe one of the borough’s unsung heroes who inspired youngsters to reach their full potential and was awarded their prestigious Queen's Impact Award. Manashe is an alum of NGF 27 in Israel.

Noa Kinstler

Noa Kinstler, originally from Israel, now makes her home in Sandton. She is the founder of her own law firm which bears her name. Noa earned an advanced degree in law from Rand Afrikaans University. She serves as a Board Member and Director of Ohr Sameach Sandton.

Ezra Klein

Ezra, from Israel, studied in various yeshivot and completed his rabbinical training at Eretz Chemda. He has an MA in Talmud as well as an extensive background in Chemistry. Ezra serves as the assistant rabbi of Beit Midrash Mevaser Shalom shul in Mevaseret. He writes curriculum and high school textbooks for Israel’s Ministry of Education as well as other educational institutions.

Roman Kogan

Roman Kogan, from Tallinn, now lives in Israel. He has a M.A in Journalism and Communications, and a B.A. in International Relations, Journalism and Communications from the Hebrew University, Jerusalem. He is currently Executive Director of Limmud FSU.

Mijal Kohan

Samuel Konig

Samuel Konig is the Director of the Development, Northeast Region for the American Friends of Bar-Ilan University. Sam was born in Vienna to Jewish-Polish parents, who were dispelled from Poland with their families in 1969 during the state-sponsored antisemitic campaign and sought refuge in Copenhagen, where Sam grew up. His MA thesis was on "The Jewish Community of Vienna during the Chancellorship of Bruno Kreisky 1970-1983."

Delfina Korn

Delfina works as a web journalist in Argentina specializing in international affairs. She earned a degree in Journalism at the Universidad de Palermo and continued her education at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Delfina is involved in volunteer work for Keren Hayesod. She is an alumna of the 2014 Nahum Goldmann Fellowship in Uruguay and the 2015 Fellowship in Israel.

David Krantz

David Krantzi s the co-founder and president of Aytzim: Ecological Judaism. He is a National Science Foundation IGERT doctoral researcher and Wrigley fellow at Arizona State University’s School of Sustainability. David is a member of: the board of the Interfaith Moral Action on Climate; the Interfaith Oceans founding team; and the American Zionist Movement cabinet. He holds three Master’s degrees, including one in the field of Judaism and environmental policy. David is an alumnus of NGF 29.

Julia Krantz

Julia is a fourth-generation Washingtonian who graduated from Brandeis University with a major in American Studies and a concentration in Film Studies. She serves the AJC Washington team as its Assistant Director of Development. Julia also organizes volunteers for major events at the DCJCC.She will soon leave AJC to become the Executive Director of the Tikkun Olam Women’s Foundation of Greater Washington, whose mission is to support social change for women and girls locally and in Israel

Shana Krauss

Shana has a degree in history from Barnard College. She recently assisted Stuart Eizenstat in researching and writing his newly published and highly acclaimed book “President Carter: The White House Years”. Prior to that, she was a program director for The Ronald S. Lauder Foundation in New York. Together with her husband, she moved to Frankfurt, Germany where they were instrumental in revitalizing and rebuilding Judaism in Eastern and Central Europe. Shana currently lives in Yonkers, NY. She plans to attend law school in the fall.

Neebashnee Kristnasamy

Neebashnee, from Cape Town, is a strategic program manager in the financial services industry. She holds a BA degree from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal. She is involved with Limmud SA.Neebashnee is an alumna of the 2018 S.A. Regional NGF and NGF 29, as well as Cohort 4 of the Network Leadership Seminar.

Adrian Krupnik

Adrián earned his doctorate in History at Tel Aviv University with a dissertation titled “Jewish-Argentine Return Migration from Israel, 1948–2006.” He previously studied sociology at the University of Buenos Aires, and completed Masters degrees in International Relations at Torcuato Di Tella University and at Haifa University in Israel Studies. He coordinated research for Latin American Jewish community building at the JDC. He is a fellow of the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University and is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Potsdam, Germany.  Adrian is an alumnus of NGF 20 and 25. 

Thais Kuperman Lancman

Thais, from São Paulo, is a PhD student in Comparative Literature, with research on contemporary arts and novels, and the transposition of works of art to literature.  She is also a published author, currently releasing her second book, a short story collection. She has worked in education, content curatorship for teachers and ghost-writing, as well as translation and proofreading. In the  Jewish Community, Thais was a member of the youth movement Habonim Dror and is still engaged with its activities, offering counseling in events like the traditional Passover Seder and a Yitzhak Rabin exhibition held in 2014.

Thais is an alumna of the Regional NGF in Cuba in 2016. 

Ezequiel Kupervaser

Ezequiel is a journalist currently working as a press officer for the Latin American Jewish Congress.Now living in Buenos Aires, Ezequiel is a member of the New Generations program for young Latin American Jewish leaders and works with Jewish communities in his area. He studied Media Management at the Universidad Argentina de la Empresa.

Csaba Kurti

Csaba, from Hungary, studied at the University of Pecs, Faculty of Economics and Dennis Gabor College. He holds diplomas in Finance and Marketing and Computer Engineering. Csaba is the strategic director of the Hungarian Orthodox Jewish Community. He is also the director of JMPoint , a communications portal for non-profit Jewish organizations. Csaba is an alumnus of Nahum Goldmann Fellowship 24 in Warsaw.

Andi Kuti

Andrea Kuti is a Jewish “edupreneur”, originally from Budapest, now living in Cape Town. She is the founding director of ChaiPowered - a Jewish visual experiential learning method, a ritual facilitator and a full time student of Holistic Midwifery. She has studied at: the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, Philadelphia; Elte University of Budapest; the Pardes Institute; as well as other institutions of higher learning.

Benjamin Kweskin

Currently an adjunct professor and freelance writer, Benjamin researches and writes on Middle East related issues and has traveled extensively throughout the region. He earned M.A. degrees in Middle East and International Studies. Benjamin has published many articles in numerous outlets and has presented across the world. He has lived in Iraqi Kurdistan where he was an educator, journalist, and tour guide. Benjamin is active in several local and international organizations including Limmud.

Kimberley Kyne

Kimberley Kyne, from California, holds a Bachelor’s degree from Otis College. She works as a fashion and jewelry designer.Kimberley has put her professional career on hold in order to pursue Jewish studies at Neve Yerushalayim seminary in Jerusalem.

Isaac Landes

Isaac, originally from the USA, now lives in Israel. He founded and directs the Classic Talmud Program at Yashrut, a liberal Orthodox yeshiva in Jerusalem. Isaac studied at Yeshivat Har Etzion (the Gush) and completed the five-year Hesder program. He is working on a PhD in history at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Isaac is a Fellow at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah’s Project Rikmah and organizes events for Abu Tor’s Young Families project. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife and two children.

Shawn Landres

Shawn is the co-founder of Jumpstart Labs and a Senior Fellow at UCLA Luskin’s School of Public Affairs. He holds degrees from Columbia, Oxford, and UCSB, where he earned a PhD in religious studies. He was an Ariane de Rothschild Fellow and is a member of the ROI Community and Bend the Arc’s Selah Leadership Network.He and his family spend most of the year in Santa Monica and the rest in and around the Slovak Republic. He is the co-editor of four books as well as innovative reports on charitable giving and civic leadership. Shawn is an alumnus of NGF 22 in Croatia and NGF 24 in Poland.

Shmuel Laurene

Shmuel, originally from Israel, now resides in Strasbourg. He was ordained as a rabbi and holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology. Shmuel is currently studying at the University of Strasbourg. While in Israel, Shmuel volunteered for a mental health hotline and served in the IDF Intelligence Unit.

Lara Lempert

Dr. Lara Lempert is the head of the Judaica Center at the Department of the Documentary Heritage Studies of the National Library of Lithuania. From the 2013 she is a part of the research team of the Edward Blank Vilna Collections Project (https://vilnacollections.yivo.org/) and the YIVO archivist in Vilnius. 

Her field is the cultural history of the European Jewry, more specifically - Jewish classical texts and their integration in Jewish education in various settings; Jewish book and press; and day-to-day life of Lithuanian Jewry.

Yuri Leving

Yuri is a Professor of Eastern European Cinema and Holocaust Studies at Dalhousie University in Canada. He is a Jewish activist and a member of Scholars for Peace in the Middle East (SPME). Yuri earned Ph.D.s from Hebrew University and the University of Southern California. Previously, he lived in Israel and served as a press secretary at the Ministry of Absorption. He is an alumnus of NGF 24 in Poland in 2012 and Cohort 2 of the NGF Leadership Seminar in Israel in 2017.

Alon Lichtenstein

Alon Lichtenstein,a South African/Israeli, earned a Master's Degree from UCT. He now heads a sales development company in Cape Town. Alon participated in LaunchPad and was active in SAUJS.

Ariela Lijavetzky

Ariela is the Youth Years Director for Ashoka Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. She started her work at Ashoka in 2015, leading the "Generación Cambio" youth gathering, where participated more than 300 youth from all around the country. Since then, Ariela has lead many initiatives related with Youth and Changemaker Education. 

She has co-founded MUJERES.JPG, a women  movement that works for Jewish women empowerment and advocates for women participation in decision making roles. 

Ariela studied Educational Sciences at Buenos Aires University and has participated in many leadership programs and seminars. Ariela strongly believes in Ashoka´s message that "everyone can be a changemaker" and that it is important to put empathy, teams of teams, and circular leadership in the center of our actions if we want to do things for the good of all.  She has a lot of experience in the educational sector, where she has worked as a teacher in kindergartens and primary schools, as well as an Israeli Folk Dance teacher, and  also Director of non formal education in Macabi Buenos Aires, an important organization in the local Jewish Community, where she grew up from being a child, then in charge of activities as madricha, and after many different positions she is now in charge of staff training and innovative programs in education. 

Ariela is a member at the Latin American Jewish Congress (New Generation Program) where she leads projects mainly related to interfaith dialogue and changemakers development among Youth, and she is also part of Jewish Diplomatic Corps from WJC. 

As a Schusterman Connector in 2014 she co- Founded  LAZOS, the Jewish Latinamerican Network that connects Young Professionals.  In 2011, she spent six months in Israel as an intern at an African Asylum Seekers organization, ASSAF, where she coordinated the Youth Club. Ariela has also been Taglit madricha and Limmud Buenos Aires coordinator and volunteer for many years.  She is married with Leo and she loves being Ciro’s mother. 

Ariela participated in Regional NGF  in Cuba in 2016. 

Emilia Litman

Emilia, from Moscow, works at the Jewish Museum and Center for Tolerance. She holds a diploma in Psychology from the Moscow Humanitarian Institute. Emilia is a children’s book author and volunteers at the Lauder School in Moscow. Emilia participated in NGF 23 in Israel, the Limmud FSU Regional NGF held in Belarus. Emilia also attended NGF 33 in Israel as a member of Cohort 6 of the NGF Network Leadership Seminar.

Sam Loefler

Sam is a freelance assistant director in the Swedish film industry. He studied screen writing and directing at the International Film School of Sydney. Sam is an activist in the internal political system of Stockholm’s Jewish Community. He is working on a B'nei Mitzva program that focuses on development of Jewish identity as well as traditional teachings and readings.

Eryn London

Eryn has smicha from Yeshivat Maharat and is a board certified chaplain. She is the program manager for Schwartz in HEI at the Point of Care Foundation and the project manager for the Honeycomb Project, a joint program with the Reform and Liberal movements in the UK enhancing wellbeing resources and volunteer training. Rabbi London regularly teaches about pastoral care, chaplaincy, and Judaism. She is involved with a number of projects within the UK and the global Jewish community. She is the co-author of Kol HaLev: A Jewish Chaplains Handbook. Eryn attended the International NGF Online and NGF 32 in France.

Jemma Lopis

Jemma, from Australia, completed a Bachelor of Arts (Modern Hebrew) and a Master of Teaching (Judaic Studies, Modern Hebrew) at the University of Sydney. She has taught most grades from preschool to Year 11. Jemma created the ECAJ Pro-Active Debating Program piloted by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry in co-educational Jewish day schools. Jewry Duty, a program that encourages all able Jewish adults to participate in the Jewish education of their community is another program which Jemma created. 

Miriam Lorie

Miriam is a European Leadership Fellow at the Pardes Centre for Jewish Educators. She read Theology at Cambridge University and worked for its Inter-faith Program. Miriam co-founded Kehillat Nashira, the UK’s first regularly meeting Partnership Minyan. She was named as one of the Jewish Chronicle’s “Sixteen under 30’s to watch in 2016.” Miriam is a presenter at Limmud UK and teaches Jewish texts to children and adults in her community. She is a graduate of the Susi Bradfield Fellowship and the Adam Science Leadership Program.

Fernando Lottenberg

Dr. Fernando Lottenberg currently serves as the re-elected President of CONIB - the Brazilian Jewish Confederation - and also as a Vice-President of the Latin American and of the World Jewish Congress, where he is a member of its Executive Committee. Dr. Lottenberg also sits on the Board of the MFJC, as its Treasurer. 

As a young Jewish leader from São Paulo, Brazil, Dr. Lottenberg participated in the third cohort of the Nahum Goldmann Fellowship, held in Zevinigorod, FSU, in 1991. Soon after attending the NGF, Dr. Lottenberg engaged more strongly in the Jewish communal life in Brazil.

An attorney by training, heading up Lottenberg Associados, Dr. Lottenberg obtained his Masters and Ph.D. from the University of São Paulo. Dr. Lottenberg was instrumental in turning the focus of the Nahum Goldmann Fellowship towards Latin America, where the MFJC has organized five International Fellowships over the last two decades and a number of regional Fellowships.

He is also an Alumnus of the Fulbright Commission, having studied at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs in Austin, at the University of Texas.

He is a member of the Board of Directors of Porto Seguro, the leading auto insurance company in Brazil, of the Lasar Segall Museum, of the Fernando Henrique Cardoso Foundation and of the Albert Einstein Hospital.

Benji Lovitt

Since making aliyah in 2006, comedian Benji Lovitt has performed for audiences around the world including Birthright Israel, Jewish Federations, synagogues, Hillels, and more. His perspectives have been featured on Israeli television and radio and in outlets such as USA Today, Time Magazine, BBC Radio, The Atlantic, and the Times of Israel. Benji has worked as a cross-cultural trainer with groups including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Masa Israel and is a popular presenter on the Limmud circuit. Benji is an alumnus of NGF 29 in Israel.

Renéo Lukic

Renéo Lukic is Professor of International History in the Department of History at the Laval University in Canada. From 1991 to 1995, he taught International Relations and History at the University of Virginia and Emory, in United States. Born in Croatia, he was educated at the Zagreb University (Croatia) and at the University of Geneva (Switzerland). He is author, coauthor and editor of nine books and has written more than 50 journal articles. His work has also appeared in English, Croatian, German, French and Japanese. He has a broad interest in the international politics of the twentieth century, particularly in comparative history and international relations of Europe. His research work has been focused primarily on Soviet-East European relations and ethnic conflicts in South-Eastern Europe. His published work includes a comparative study of the disintegration of Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union as multinational, federal communist states and the reaction to these parallel collapses of European and US Foreign Policy.

Currently, Renéo is working on a new book entitled ‘’Russian Foreign Policy since 1991 to the present ‘’

Renéo is an alum of NGF 1 in the United Kingdom in 1987. 

Leda Macoro

Leda, from France, is an artist and yoga teacher. She is a trained graphic and fashion designer. Leda conducts art therapy
workshops in Paris. She works with two Moishe Houses and various Hillel chapters to create quality time around well-being and spirituality.

Shamira Malekar

Prior to relocating to the U.S., Shamira was an Assistant Professor at Mumbai University.Now living in New Jersey, she teaches business administration at the City University of New York and Touro College.Shamira holds a Ph.D. in Management from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science in India.She is active in her synagogue in Hoboken, N.J.Shamira is an alumna of NGF 21 in Israel and NGF 28 in Mexico. 

Sergio Mames

Sergio is originally from Argentina but made Aliyah with his family in 2022. He has a degree in Psychology from the University of Buenos Aires and an MBA in HR Management from the University of Salvador - State University of NY. He began two technology start-ups in Israel: NoWorKids (to prevent child labor) and CloudCemeteries (a virtual Jewish cemeteries network). Sergio attended International NGF 24 in Poland and NGF 29 in Israel.

Zohar Mandel

Zohar is the Director of Partnerships and Public Affairs at the Shahaf Foundation. She holds a B.A. in Government, Diplomacy and Strategy and an M.A. in Political Marketing, both from the IDC in Herzliya. Her volunteer activities include working for Limmud, Tikkun Olam Makers, Chabad and the ROI Community.

Claudio Mandler

Claudio was born in Santiago, Chile, in 1974. He emigrated with his family to Israel at the age of 12. After serving in the Nahal Brigade as a fighter during his whole military service, Claudio finished his B.A. degrees in History and General Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He worked with Jewish youth from Latin America - in short and long period educative programs in Israel - in The Israeli Experience, a subsidiary of the Jewish Agency. He was sent to Chile by the Hashomer Hatzair youth movement to work with the Santiago branch. There, he became member of the Meretz party branch, becoming President of the institution for several years. In 2018 he released his first documentary film - about Human Rights in Chile - the story of a family during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.

Nowadays he is working on other audio-visual projects and also trying to establish a new Jewish political group - with non-affiliated jews from Santiago.

He is an alumnus of NGF Cuba and the Mexican NGF in 2016.

Oded Maramwidze

Asher Marcus

Asher Marcus is the principal and sole-owner of an architecture firm in Johannesburg. He earned his Master's degree from Wits University. Asher and his wife are very involved in their local community, Linksfield Senderwood Hebrew Congregation, where they are recognized as prominent young leaders.

Jonathan Marcus

Jonathan, from Germany, holds graduate degrees in Future Studies and Marketing. When not working in real estate, he is involved with Limmud in Germany and in other parts of Europe. Jonathan is an alumnus of NGF 30 in Germany

Nikki Marczak

Nikki from Brisbane, Australia works in the field of atrocity prevention in the Asia Pacific. This includes policy, advocacy and program development, research and writing, early warning and risk assessment, and partnership building. Nikki was co-editor of the Genocide Perspectives series and has contributed to a range of publications, including the Jewish Australian outlet Plus61J, and ABC Religion and Ethics. Nikki served on the Board of the National Council for Jewish Women Australia and remains chair of its Combatting Hate committee. As the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, she has been involved in many events and initiatives relating to Holocaust commemoration and education, including as keynote speaker.

Talia Margolis

Talia Margolis Chomstein has been a Yiddish enthusiast since 1995. She started learning Yiddish in her grandparents' house and then at a Jewish school in Mexico. When she ended her Bachelor's Degree (Business Communication), she decided to learn more about Yiddish from an academic perspective and took some courses in Mexico and the USA. At the same time, she was working in the Kehila Ashkenazi Community Center organizing and cataloging donated Yiddish books. After that, a
recognized historian in Mexico, Enrique Krauze, asked her to do the same with his collection of Yiddish books and documents from his family. Right now, Talia is working in the business industry, but inher spare time, she loves to work on Yiddish projects.

 Talia is an alumna of NGF 27 in Israel and NGF Cuba and the on-site coordinator for NGF 28.

In 2020, Talia received an NGF Network Grant for his project Yiddishe Sphrakhn Arum Der Velt. 

Ezra Margulies

Dammara Markowitz

Dammara is an educator and entrepreneur who splits her time between Israel and New York. She holds a Master’s in Jewish
Education from Hebrew College and is a graduate of the Pardes Educators Program. Dammara received the 2021 Young Pioneers Award for her innovative and inclusive approach to teaching. She sits on the board of directors of the Jewish Education Project and is a part of UJA’s Shared Society Committee. Dammara trained with SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) at Wellesley College and is also the Person of Color Well Circle creator/facilitator for At the Well.

Tomer Marshall

Tomer, from Ariel, in Israel, is  the CEO of Tribe Effects and an Educational & Digital Transformation Consultant. He served in the I.D.F. as an R&D officer and is a Captain in the reserves. He is an alumnus of the 23^rd  and 25^th International Nahum Goldmann Fellowships in Israel in 2011 and 2013.

Karen Martin

Karen is the executive director of Rockdale Temple in Cincinnati, OH. She holds Master’s degrees in Humanities and Jewish Professional Studies. With materials from her MA thesis, she helped shape a new religious service, shabbatCTY, the first itinerant service in Cincinnati with the goal of reaching unaffiliated Jews across Cincinnati's urban core. She is a board member of Cincinnati Hillel and a teacher in a synagogue religious school program.

Jake Max

Jake grew up in the suburbs just outside of Baltimore. He graduated from Emory University with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration with a focus on Strategy & Management Consulting. Jake spent some time as a food justice fellow for Repair the World in Crown Heights, New York. He worked for and recruited volunteers for local soup kitchens and food pantries.In addition, he planned educational and social programming for young adults in Brooklyn. Currently he is the Program Manager at Charm City Tribe where he manages young adult programming for the Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore.

Blake McCabe

Blake is a Ph.D. student in Anthropology at Binghamton University.She serves as the educational coordinator and lead teacher at Temple Israel’s Sunday school and as an adjunct lecturer in Israel Studies at Binghamton University. Blake is a member of the e-board of MEOR at Binghamton and the board of the Joint Jewish Adult Education Committee in her home town. She also coordinates and develops curriculum focused on Jewish pluralism, which addresses the variety of Jewish ethnicities and the conflicts non-halachic Jews face. She is an alumna of NGF 29 in Israel.

Stacey Meadows

Stacey is a licensed clinical social worker and supervisor for Jewish Community Services of Baltimore. She holds a Master’s degree from New York University Graduate School of Social Work, as well as an Advanced Certification in Child and Adolescent Trauma Treatment from University of Maryland. Stacey is a member of the Leading from Within Jewish Leadership Cohort of DF Institute for Professional Development

Alon Meltzer

Alon Meltzer, a New Zealand native, has been involved in a number of communal organizations, including Bnei Akiva, AUJS, synagogue boards, and now serves as the rabbi of the Ohr Chadash Community in Sydney, Australia. He is highly engaged in political, diplomatic, and interfaith work and advocacy. Alon received rabbinical ordination from
Yeshiva University and holds M.S. degrees in Jewish History and Sociology. He is an alumnus of NGF 27, 28 and 29.

Linsay Meltzer

Linsay was born in South Africa, moved to New Zealand, lived in New York City, and is now in Australia. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance and has worked in both those fields.Linsay is now engaged in realizing her goal of working in the fashion industry.She has been involved in a number of Jewish organizations including NCJW Australia and Bnei Akiva and has participated in a number of learning programs, most recently in the Pardes Summer Program.

Hinda Mendelow

Hinda Mendelow is an attorney specializing in family law within her own law firm. After finishing school and before settling back in South Africa, Hinda studied Torah and Chassidut in seminaries in Australia and Israel. She ran a summer camp in Ukraine and studied and taught early childhood education in America. Hinda was twice appointed the chair of Limmud.

Gabriela Mendelsohn

Gabriela Mendelsohn, from South Africa, graduated from the University of Witwatersrand with degrees in Psychology and English Literature. She travelled and volunteered in Jewish communities in Russia, and studied in an Israeli seminary before returning home to study Logo Therapy and Community Art Counselling. She is now practicing as an Art Counsellor, using art as a therapeutic tool.

Lulu Mickelson

Lulu holds a Bachelor’s degree from Barnard University. Currently, she works at the NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development where she leads the City's "Where We Live NYC" community-driven process to confront segregation and develop the next chapter of fair housing policy. In her work, Lulu draws from a background in storytelling, design-thinking, and grassroots community organizing.In her hometown of Los Angeles, Lulu worked for IKAR, organizing Bnei Mitzvah and Tikun Olam programming. She also volunteers for Shir Hamaalot BK, a non-denominational independent community (havurah), where she organizes monthly services.

William Miller

William is the former Executive Vice President of the Jewish Community of Cuba. He is also the National Director of ORT-Cuba and is active in the Canada-Cuba Taglit/Birthright Israel program. William received a B.A. and M.Sc. in telecommunications from the Havana Technological Institute where he also teaches in its Mirco-electronics Research center. William is an alumnus of various Nahum Goldmann Fellowship programs.

Yair Miller

Yair Miller OAM is currently CEO of the Keren Hayesod - UIA Australia.

He is a Past President of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies and Vice President of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the peak bodies of NSW and Australian Jewry respectively.  

A founding member of the Australian Dialogue of Muslims, Christians and Jews, Yair has worked in interfaith for over a decade.  Yair has served on a wide range of community Boards including NSW Jewish War Memorial, Council for Jewish Communal Security, Kehillat Masada, Network, AUJS and The Shalom Institute.

Yair serves as a Member of the Board of the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture representing the Executive Council of Australian Jewry.

Yair served on the NSW Parole Authority Board for three years and now sits on the Judicial Commission of NSW as a community Board Member.

He was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for community service and interfaith relations on Australia Day 2017.

David Mizrachi

David is a lifelong volunteer activist of the Jewish Community of Panama, whose involvement dates back to his leadership role in the Community’s Youth Movement in the 1980’s. Since then, David has held numerous leadership positions within the Community’s principal institutions. David is currently the Vice-president of the Central Jewish Community Council of Panama, having served as its President from 2010 – 2013.  David also sits on the Board of Governors of B'nai B'rith International. 

David  is a Professor of Law at Quality Leadership University (accredited by University of Louisville and Illinois State University) in Panama and speaks regularly on matters of Panamanian law and Jewish topics, as well as regularly representing the Panamanian Jewish community at global Jewish conferences.

David is an alumnus of NGF 20 held in Uruguay in 2008.

Mahlodi Montlha

Mahlodi is a Lemba woman from the Hamese clan. Mahlodi was born at Ga-Ramokgopa village, in South Africa. Her parents and grandparents shared with her the oral Lemba history. When Mahlodi was at university, she became more aware of the
resemblance between the Lemba and the Jewish community. After completing a Master of Science in Medicine degree at Wits University, Mahlodi relocated from Johannesburg to Cape Town to work as a Medical Research Technologist at Cape Town HVTN Immunology Laboratory (Fred Hutch). Mahlodi Joined the Jewish by Choice program at Temple Israel Cape
Town Progressive Jewish Congregation in 2019 and graduated top achiever in 2020. Mahlodi joined the progressive stream because the egalitarian practice satisfied her inclination as a young modern Lemba woman. Mahlodi is passionate about raising awareness about Jews of Color.

Anya Morgulis

Anya lives in Manhattan and works in Port Washington on Long Island. Her role as the Director of Education and Engagement allows her to build meaningful relationships with learners in her K-10 supplementary religious school and their families. At home, she loves being a plant mom as her collection grows. Anya participated in NGF 29 in Israel.

Benjamin Morrison

Ben Morrison is a trusted advisor to charities and senior leaders who want to maximise their income and develop their fundraising capabilities. He is the CEO of Ben Morrison Consulting, which has helped over 40 Jewish and wider civic national and international charities across a wide range of causes and sectors raise over £350m for both revenue campaigns and capital appeals – from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, and government agencies.  Ben is a Trustee of a London University student union, a board member of The Association of Fundraising Consultants and was a Judge for the 2020 National Fundraising Awards.  

Ezra Moses

Ezra holds the position of senior lead, Strategic Planning and Grants, at UJA-Federation of New York. He oversees grant portfolios on: community development in Europe and the former Soviet Union; shared society in Israel; and Jewish religious pluralism in Israel. After receiving his bachelor’s degree from McGill University, he served as a Jewish Service Corps Fellow with the Joint Distribution Committee in Kharkiv, Ukraine, and Tbilisi, Georgia. While there he initiated Active Jewish Teen, a youth movement with over 50 chapters across the region. Ezra then went on to earn master’s degrees in public administration and Hebrew and Judaic studies from New York University. Ezra and his wife, Hannah, live on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and enjoy traveling. 

Federico Musicmann

Fredrico is from Buenos Aires and  is a clinical psychologist working as the Director  of GETS Consultancy. Fredrico has worked across multiple psychological disciplines, from workplace health to families and children. He has published numerous articles, and speaks regularly on issues of mental health, abuse and other topics of interest. Fredrico is an alumnus of NGF 16. 

Iona Naslauski Bacht

Iona, from Sao Paulo is a legal counsel in the pharmaceutical industry. She is working towards a Master’s degree in Contracts Law. Iona attended a leadership training program in Israel and went on to found and lead Noam, a youth organization in Sao Paulo.

Iona was in Cohort 5 of the NGF Leadership Seminar. Watch her Lesson in Leadership "How To Engage Youth."

William Nemesh

William Nemesh is the Jewish Community Relationship Manager of the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies in Australia. He was an advisor to various members of Parliament across federal and state governments. His involvement with the Jewish community includes executive membership of the Australasian Union of Jewish Students, volunteering at Montefiore nursing home, becoming a Deputy of the NSW JBD and now becoming a director of Emanuel Synagogue. He is currently finishing a Business Degree.

Rivka Neriya-Ben Shahar

Dr. Rivka Neriya-Ben Shahar is a senior lecturer at Sapir Academic College in Sderot, Israel, teaching courses in research methods, communication, religion, and gender. Her doctorate at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem was entitled "Ultra-Orthodox Women and Mass Media in Israel – Exposure Patterns and Reading Strategies." She was a Fulbright post-doctoral fellow and a Scholar in Residence at the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute at Brandeis University. She worked on a study that analyzes women's cultural-religious praxes.

Dr. Neriya Ben-Shahar researches the mass media from the perspectives of religion and gender. Her most recent research project addresses the tension between religious values and new technologies among Old Order Amish women and Jewish ultra-Orthodox women.

Shalev NessAiver

Shalev, currently living in Canberra, Australia, works remotely for an education technology startup designing personalized education plans. He studied computers and dance at the University of Maryland. Shalev is also setting up after school activities for a Jewish day school, hosting events and study groups, and planning a Jewish learning retreat at a kosher vegan farm.

Peter Neumann

Rachel Neumann

Rachel is an economist/data scientist living and working in Australia. She has a Master’s in Econometrics from Monash University.Rachel is a member of the ACT Jewish Community in Canberra and was a youth leader in the Hineni movement. She plans to become a Yoetzet Halacha

Rebecca Neuwirth

Rebecca is Director of Development at the Center for Popular Democracy. Previously, she worked as Director of Strategic Engagement & Senior Development Officer at JDC (American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee). Rebecca is on the Advisory Board of the Sandra Kahn Wasserman Jewish Studies Center at Baruch College. In 2014, Rebecca was a convener for JCPA’s inaugural Resetting the Table project around Israel dialogue. She has a BA from Yale University and an MA from the Free University in Berlin. Rebecca is an alumna of NGF 10 in Sweden

Mira Niculescu

Dr. Mira Neshama Niculescu is a Paris -born scholar and teacher Jewish spirituality and meditation. She received her Doctorate in Sociology of Religion from the Ecole de Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales in Paris working on Jews and Buddhism in a global world. She learned Torah at the Drisha Institute for Jewish Studies in New York, at Matan and at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, where she earned a certificate of Experiential Jewish Education as a Yesod European Leader Fellow.

A certified Jewish Mindfulness Teacher from the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, she currently lives in Jerusalem where she learns as a rabbinic fellow at Beit Midrash Har’El, and teaches Torah and Jewish meditation for the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, Or HaLev, Applied Jewish Spirituality (AJS), and lectures as a Jewish Educator for Moishe House Europe and at various institutions internationally. She publishes regularly articles and online classes for French Jewish medias Akadem, Tenou’a, JewPop and L’Arche, and chairs the Academic Council of Roots, a West-Bank NGO aiming at bringing together Palestinians and Israelis for peace making through meaningful personal encounters.

Brett Norton

Brett from New Jersey holds a B.S. in Computer Information Systems from the Univ. of Southern Indiana.He serves on the board of his local Temple where he has led several community initiatives and implemented various tech programs.Brett is employed in the field of information technology.He has participated in CAJE and was a delegate to the WIZO – ARZA congress.

Eli Novershtern

Eli is a venture capitalist by vocation and a Jewish activist and lay leader by avocation. He currently serves as an active board member of the Reut Institute, Israel's leading think tank. Eli is also the Chairman of the Jewish Diplomatic Corps, a program of the World Jewish Congress, where he is also a Governing Board Member. He holds Master's degrees from Harvard University and the London School of Economics. Eli is an alumnus of NGF 28 in Mexico and Cohort 2 of the Network Leadership Seminar.

Craig Nudelman

Craig holds a Master’s in Justice and Transformation from the University of Cape Town. Previously, he was a Habonim madrich, shul chorister in Johannesburg, and talk show host on the Jewish communal ChaiFM.He also conducted the Gardens Shul choir and was on the National Committee for Limmud South Africa. Craig writes a monthly column for the Cape Jewish Chronicle.

Craig was in Cohort 5 of the NGF Leadership Seminar. Watch his Lesson in Leadership "Think Global, Act Local."

Leigh Nudelman Sussman

Leigh Nudelman Sussman completed a Master's in Performance Arts at University of London and later perfected her craft in South Africa. Inspired by the NGF, Leigh has founded a community of Jewish artists based in Johannesburg called 9th Street, an initiative supported by Hakhel. Leigh also recently performed her Yiddish songs project in New York City. 

Avishag Ohayon

After graduating from the University of Oxford with a degree in Jewish studies, Avishag held a broad range of roles in education and community building in the UK, Israel, New York, and the Netherlands before finally landing in Finland. She is the Jewish program director in Helsinki’s Jewish community. Avishag coordinates, designs, and offers formal and informal education to community members. She develops curriculum for bnei mitzvah and adult discussion groups, arranges Shabbat dinners with light Jewish education, organizes tefila education and school theme days. 

Ariel Oliszewski

Ariel serves as a rabbi in the Jewish community of Porto Alegre and is a professor of Hebrew language at PUCRS University. He received a B.A. in Bible and Jewish Thought at Haifa University and was ordained at the Seminario Rabinico Latino Americano, with the support of the Memorial Foundation, and at the Schechter Institute in Jerusalem. He is also one of the members of CONIB’s leadership program. Ari is an alumnus of the Mini Nahum Goldmann Fellowship in Brazil in 2013 and NGF 26 in Uruguay in 2014. 

Daniel Orelowitz

Daniel Orelowitz, from Johannesburg, is the Head of Strategic Partners at Training Force, a company which helps previously disadvantaged people with skills development. He has held various positions within the Jewish community including: event organizer, fundraiser, and teacher. Daniel holds a degree in Marketing from UNISA.

Ruth Ouzouna

Ruth Ouazana, founder of Limoud France, is also representing the Jewish Scouts worldwide as General Secretary of the International Forum of Jewish Scouts. She worked as a lawyer for ten years in France before moving to the U.K., Mexico and Israel. She is very passionate about the connection between Jews and their Jewish identity, as well as their relationship with other communities and faiths. Ruth now lives in Lyon, with her partner and his 4 children.

In 2017, Ruth co-created "Roots of Tomorrow" (Les Racines de demain), an organization that is devoted to laying the foundation for better understanding and coexistence among different religions and communities in France. Through the creation of a sustained dialogue between Christian, Muslim, Secular and Jewish communities, the objective is to enable them to meet, understand each other’s culture and religion and to get to know the other’s identities through trainings, conversation, readings, cultural programs in France and experiential journeys in Israel. The goal is to break down barriers, ignorance and prejudices  and to create bridges between the different communities in order to build a better future together.

Eli Ovits

Eli, originally from London, now lives in Jerusalem where he serves as founder of Altruists - connecting Jewish leaders and philanthropists with meaningful causes. He has worked on every continent, helping connect communities, educators, and entrepreneurs. Committed to lifelong learning, Eli always seeks to explore new opportunities for collaboration - whether it be between the Abraham Accords countries and Israel, people of different faiths or political persuasion. Eli holds a master’s degree in international relations — diplomacy from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Elana Paice Lidsky

Elana serves as Paul Penna Downtown Jewish Day School’s Director of Institutional Advancement. She holds an undergraduate degree, a Bachelor of Education has recently completed a Master's Degree in Israel Education at George Washington University. She is a lifelong learner, taking courses and attending professional conferences regularly. When she’s not at the corner of Bloor and Spadina you can find Elana volunteering at her temple, walking with friends, listening to podcasts, buried in a book or hanging out with her husband and 2 children. Elana attended NGF 26 in Uruguay.

Heloisa Pait

Heloisa Pait, a Fulbright alumna, wrote her doctoral dissertation at the New School for Social Research, where she analyzed how soap opera writers and viewers attempted to make mass communication a meaningful activity. She teaches at the São Paulo State University Julio de Mesquita Filho, in Brazil, and she has written on the role of the media in public dialogue and public spaces. She has also written about Brazilian Jewish culture and is engaged with the Center for Jewish Studies of the University of São Paulo. She writes extensively for the general public on culture and politics.

Heloisa Pait’s fiction work has appeared in American and Brazilian publications, and she edits Revista Pasmas, an online women’s magazine. Her current project involves the examination of the experience of individuals who navigate between different communicative cultures. 

Heloisa is an alumna of NGF 9 in Brazil in 2001.

Sebastian Palatnik

Sebastian has a degree in Business and Systems from ITBA. He is a co-founder and COO of CLINC!, a mobile-commerce platform. Sebastian also teaches technology at ORT High School and is a professor of eCommerce at ITBA.He is involved in a number of voluntary projects for various Latin American Jewish organizations including OHA Macabi, LAZOS - ROI, Nuevas Generaciones of CJL and Youth Space.

Jeremy Pesner

Jeremy is a multidisciplinary technologist, researcher and Ph.D. candidate with a computer science and policy background. He is a member of several communities, including Repair the World, PresenTense, the Israel Tech Challenge and Israel Government Fellows. Jeremy is also a fellow of StartingBloc, the Hive Global Leaders Program, the Mankind Project, Baltimore Corps and the Center for Applied Rationality.He lives in New Jersey

Deborah Pessah

Deborah directs the youth department at AMIA / Fundacion Pardes, Buenos Aires.  She is studying Biochemistry at the University of B.A. Deborah is a Young Leadership Diplomate of NOAM, the youth division of the Masorti movement. She also teaches Jewish studies and science on the high school level.?

Dubravka Plese

Born in Croatia, Dubravka teaches English, Russian and Literature on the university level. She holds an M.Sc. and a Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of Zagreb. Dubravka is a member of the Bet Israel Jewish Community and currently serves as its Vice-President. She writes articles for Ruah Hadasha magazine about Jewish culture, tradition, history and religion as well as topics dealing with Israel and Zionism.

Joshua Poyurs

Joshua Poyurs is studying to become a rabbi while at the same time working towards a Master’s degree in psychology. He would like to dedicate himself to bridging the two worlds. Presently, Joshua teaches high school boys Talmud, Halacha and Jewish Philosophy. He makes his home in Johannesburg. Josh as an alum of the Regional NGF in SA in 2018 and the International NGF in Germany in 2018. 

Emanuel Pusztai

Emanuel, from Romania, received a Master’s degree from the Academy of Music of Cluj-Napoca, where he majored in piano.He recently became the cantor of the Choral Temple of Bucharest, taking responsibility for prayer services, the choir and many educational activities for members of all ages. He volunteers as a leader for Jewish students in Bucharest.

Chani Ravhon-Klein

Chani, from Israel, is a rabbanit, halachic scholar and a perpetual student. She learned Torah in Beit Midrash Migdal Oz and
Midreshet Lindenbaum. Chani studied Psychology and Talmud at Bar Ilan University. She is currently studying Sexual
and Family Therapy and working as a professional life coach and Torah teacher.

Saul Reichman

Saul, from Germany, serves as global director of Innovation & Corporate Venturing at Maxion Wheels and as head of Maxion Advanced Technologies (MAT). He holds an MBA and a PhD in Physical Chemistry from Tel Aviv University. In recent years, he has been active in German-Israeli collaborations: Innovation Network Cologne (INC), German Israeli Future Forum, Bertelsmann Stiftung - German-Israeli Young Leaders Exchange, and KKL JNF - Young Leadership Development (greenXchange). He enjoys hiking, Mysore-style yoga, scuba diving, photography, learning languages and writing on topics related to innovation and technology trends. 

Saul Reichman

Saul serves as Global Director of Innovation & Corporate Venturing in Maxion Wheels and as Head of Maxion Advanced Technologies (MAT). Saul is also an angel investor and Founder of Nord-Rhein Westfallen Multinational Automotive Forum (NMAF). Saul has always been engaged in social and environmental activities supporting organizations he feels strongly about. In recent years, he has been active in many German-Israeli collaborations. Together with his partner, he resides in Cologne (Germany). In his spare time, Saul enjoys hiking, Mysore-style yoga and scuba diving. Besides these activities, he likes photography, learning languages and writing on topics related to innovation and technology trends. He holds a PhD in Physical Chemistry and MBA; both from Tel-Aviv University.

Dasha Rein Dubinsky

Dasha was born in Russia and raised in a Jewish family of artists and musicians. Music has always been an intergral part of her mindset and lifestyle—she sings, plays piano and drums. Dasha holds degress in Russian Language and Literature as well as PR & Advertising. Since 2017, Dasha has worked with major international Jewish organizations, serving as an educational programs specialist at the Jewish Agency for Israel and as a PR coordinator for the JDC in Moscow. A significant part of her self-development was influenced by Jewish Leadership Programs; she is a graduate of the Knafaim Young Leadership Program, JDC Entwine, Taglit, NGF Cohort 2021, and a participant of the Kaplan Young Leadership initiative. When the war in Ukraine began, Dasha made aliyah and currently is Client Relations Manager at Kenes-tours, where she works closely with Jewish Federations and congregations from North America, organizing tailor-made missions and events. Her next career and life ambition is to reenter the non-profit field and contribute to social change. Driven by Jewish values, Dasha continues to honor Tikkun Olam through her volunteer work at the Ukrainian Refugee Aid Project. Dasha attended in the International Online NGF and NGF 32 in France.

Tamar Remz

Tamar is the founder and president of The Palm Collective, a private community of individuals involved in leadership-level Jewish and Israel giving. Additionally, Tamar serves as senior advisor to the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. Tamar’s current board service includes Hillel International, Moishe House, Educational Alliance, and the Constructive Dialogue Institute. Prior to holding a professional role in philanthropy, Tamar worked in e-commerce. Tamar received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from New York University. Tamar lives in New York City, though you will regularly find her at Shabbat dinner tables across the world. 

Jarod Rhine-Davis

Jarod, from Melbourne, serves as both Employment Consultant and Employer Liason at Jewish Care Victoria. He holds a Master’s in Commerce from Curtin University. Jarod is the Director of Jewmos, whose mission statement is to 'repair relationships between LGBT+ and Jewish communities'. He is the winner of the Australia-wide 2020 JNF/B'nei B'rith Jewish Changemaker Award for Leadership for his community work.

Nico Riethmüller

Gila Rockman

Gila is the Director of Service and Citizenship at Shalem College in Israel. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Bar Ilan University. Gila is an active board member of her community synagogue and the Afikim Family Enrichment Center. She co-founded the annual "Run4Afikim" - the world's longest charity relay-run. Gila is an alumna of NGF 25 in Israel.

Paul Rockower

Paul Rockower is the Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Phoenix. He previously managed the U.S. Department of State's American Music Abroad and Next Level programs in dozens of countries around the world, including many countries in conflict. Rockower has worked with multiple Foreign Ministries, including Israel, India and Taiwan. 

Agustin Dario Rodriguez Cohen

Daro is a student of International Relations and Political Science at the University of Palermo in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is also studying to be a Conservative rabbi at the Seminario Rabínico Latinoamericano (Latin American Rabbinical
Seminary). Daro also serves as a Professor of Jewish Studies at an ORT Elementary school and works in multiple areas of education within the Jewish community.

Jennifer Rolnick

A native Texan, Jen, completed her studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.She was a practicing attorney for several years before deciding to pursue her dream of becoming a cantor. She received her Juris Doctor from Nova Southeastern University and her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Miami. Jen is currently serving as the cantor of Beth Israel Congregation in Owings Mills, Maryland.

Uriel Romano

Daniel Rosenbaum

Daniel Rosenbaum, from Israel, currently lives in New Zealand, where he has become a core contributor and leader of the Wellington Jewish Community Center (WJCC). He serves as a member of its board. Daniel graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Film, Media Studies, Political Science and International Affairs from Victoria University of Wellington. He is a community adviser to the New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs.

Adam Rosenwasser

Adam serves as the senior rabbi at Temple Emanuel in Maryland, USA. He received rabbinical ordination from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and his bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Michigan. Adam enjoys teaching Torah using a wide array of texts, making worship engaging and fulfilling, advocating for a just and peaceful Israel, facilitating mussar (Jewish ethics) classes, and working for justice locally and globally. His other interests include musical theater, cooking and baking, swimming, reading, and raising his three children together with his husband. 

Katya Roshchyna

With many years of experience in the non-profit world, Kateryna is now the Program Officer at World Jewish Relief in London and a co-founder of Ukraine Jewish Relief. She holds an M.A. in Foreign Philology. The organizations she is involved with include: The Livelihood Development Programme in Ukraine; Limmud FSU Europe Conference; Global Shapers Community and The World Economic Forum. Kateryna is an alumna of NGF 24 in Warsaw in 2012 and Cohort 2 of the Leadership Seminar. 

Isaiah Rothstein

Isaiah serves as rabbinic scholar and public affairs advisor at Jewish Federations of North America. Prior to JFNA, Isaiah was rabbi-in-residence at Adamah, Isabella Freedman, and Be’chol Lashon. He also served as a rabbi for youth at Carmel Academy, Young Israel of Stamford, NCSY, and Camp Yavneh. Isaiah studied at Kushner Yeshiva High School, Lev HaTorah, Machon Lev, and Binghamton University, and received rabbinic ordination and a master’s of social work from Yeshiva University. Raised in a multi-racial Chabad family from Monsey, NY, he sees himself as a human bridge, connecting disparate parts of the Jewish community and America. 

Dani Rotstein

Dani Rotstein moved from New Jersey to the island of Majorca, Spain, in 2014. There, he learned of the taboo history of the Conversos of the island. In 2018, he founded Limud Mallorca and has run over 50 successful events promoting diversity and inclusion in the small, yet growing, Jewish community. During COVID he broadened the scope and now connects Jewish and non-Jewish guides all over the world with communities that are seeking quality virtual programming. His company’s mission is to offer an interactive learning experience that engages anyone and everyone interested in culture and history. In 2019 he produced and co-directed the documentary film Xueta Island (pronounced choo-weta) which has been making its way through many international film festivals in 2022. He is an alumna of various leadership and educational programs including networks such as NGF, Paideia, ROI, and Limmud. Dani attended NGF 29 in Israel and participated in Cohort 5 of the Network Leadership Seminar.

Dani was in Cohort 5 of the NGF Leadership Seminar. Watch his Lesson in Leadership "Re-Emerge."

Mark Rozanov

Jessica Rozenbaum

Jessica is from Buenos Aires, Argentina. She has always been passionate about the Jewish community in which she was raised and about the role of education in creating change, lowering barriers, and transforming lives and has been lucky enough to be able to combine the two. 

After completing her B.A. in education from the University of Buenos Aires, Jessica pursued a career in informal education and served for seven years as Director of the youth and education department at the Sociedad Hebraica Argentina. 

She is currently the first Director of BBYO Latin America, where her main challenge is to install new energy and creativity into Jewish teen leadership in the region. 

She has co-founded MUJERES.JPG, a women  movement that works for Jewish women empowerment and advocates for women participation in decision making roles. 

Curious and active, Jessica believes that constant movement is good for learning, creating, and thinking. She can often be found running in the park, which is where she gets her best ideas, clarifies old ideas, and realizes which ones won’t work. Jessica also works as a trainer, consultant, and teacher for Paradigma, a large consulting firm. 

Her passion for connecting ideas and education has led her to be part of the team of TEDxRiodelaplata and TED ED Clubs.

Jessica participated in Regional NGF  in Cuba in 2016. 

Magda Rubenfeld Koralewska

In addition to community building, Magda is particularly passionate about social change and the intersection of learning and the arts. She pioneered a number of cultural and artistic projects, such as: The Midrash Lab, which increases Jewish literacy, while inspiring the creation of modern Jewish art or The Jew Not Painted exhibition, which presents the 19th century history of Jews in Poland through art. In 2011 she joined the New Jewish Music Festival, which aims to reinvigorate the creative and radical Jewish musical scene in Poland. In 2017 she co-founded Festivalt, a program of performance and visual art that celebrates and investigates the complexities of the contemporary Jewish Polish landscape.

Magda was appointed Limmud's Regional Director for Central and Eastern Europe in November 2017.

Magda is an alumna of NGF 22 in Croatia in 2010. 

In 2020, Magda received an NGF Network Grant for his project Rethinking Commemoration. 

Elena Rudshtein

Rebeka Salame Farca

Rebeka is the head of the Latin America desk at Masorti Olami in Israel. She has volunteered at Kadima, an organization that helps people with special needs. She earned a Master’s in Jewish Studies from the Universidad Hebraica and a certificate in Holocaust Studies from Yad Vashem. Rebeka attended NGF 30 in Germany.

Mariana Salem

Mariana is currently the Members and Development Manager at AMIA, the national Jewish communal agency in Buenos Aires. She has a degree in Political Science from the Universidad de Buenos Aires and she studied an MA in Nonprofit Management in the Hebrew University. She is specialist in Fundraising since 2006. Mariana is an alumnus of NGF 25 in Israel 2013.

Paola Salem

Paola has worked for several years in different Jewish Organizations in the area of Education, Sports and Culture including many Jewish Schools and Hebraica Argentina, where she was the director of Adults and Culture department. When her children were born, she decided to work independently but collaborating on Jewish life, and that motivated her to create a social entrepreneurship.

She founded Judaic Tourism, a project whose mission is to strengthen Jewish identity through the preservation and appreciation of Jewish heritage, transforming Jewish places into interesting travel destinations and connecting travelers with history, culture, and Jewish life in Latin-America cities. The hallmark of the project is that all the guides of the Jewish Tours offered are leaded by active members of each local Jewish Community, telling their own stories of Jewish life, and also, that all places visited are worked hand by hand with local institutions, so that they can also make themselves known. The project provides information (such as Kosher food, relevant museums or monuments...) and also offer "Jewish City Tours," promoting connections between travelers and local Jewish communities. Her goal is to have travelers from around the world spend at least a day or a few hours of their vacation connecting with their Jewish roots by visiting different places where community life unfolds, wherever they may be, enjoying a new way of traveling.

A graduate of JDC’s Leatid Directores Program, she also works as an independent consultant, organizing Jewish events, seminars and gatherings across Latin America, for different Jewish Organizations. Besides overseeing education and volunteering programs, she also assists companies with CSR initiatives.

Apart from her enterprise, she has also volunteered for a wide range of programs in the Jewish community, including ROI, Lazos, Limud, and others.

Paola is an alumna of the 2016 Regional NGF in Cuba. 

Restless, energetic, and enterprising, Paola is constantly looking for new ideas. She lives in Buenos Aires with her husband and two beautiful sons.

In 2020, Paola received an NGF Network Grant for her project Hachnasat Orchim. 

Amos Samson

Sybil Sanchez

Sybil Sanchez Kessler is a health coach and writer. She blogs about wellness at chronicallywell.medium.com. Sybil worked with international and national Jewish NGOs for 15 years on UN affairs, human rights and antisemitism, and climate change policy, after which she was a communications expert in the field of nonprofit human milk banking for another five years. Sybil has a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University. She lives in Mexico City with her partner, daughter, and two dogs.

Gabriella Saven

Gabriella, from South Africa, completed her B.sc at the University of Cape Town, majoring in Politics and Governance, and Law. She undertook a postgraduate honors degree in Development Studies. Gabriella is the Executive Director of the Jewish Democratic Initiative (JDI), an NGO advocating for and educating about democracy in the South African Jewish community, South African society and Israel-Palestine. In addition, Gabriella is: the 2022 co-chair of Limmud Cape Town; a volunteer for Nechama: Counselling for the Bereaved; the South African representative for the J-Link Network and will soon begin a M.sc in Security Studies in London.

Naava Schafner

Naava, from Jerusalem, is a distinguished storyteller, activist, and strategic consultant. Her initiatives in women's rights, notably the establishment of ImaKadima, have garnered international acclaim, culminating in legislative reforms and recognition on the prestigious #Haddassah18 list. Currently serving as the director of strategic development at Magen crisis center and leading development at Social Delivery, Naava continues to drive meaningful change and inspire others with her unwavering commitment to social justice. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and is a climate sustainability specialist. 

Ariela Scher

Ariella is a 32 year old South African lawyer working in the NGO space to ensure corporate accountability for human rights. She holds undergraduate degrees in Law and Politics from the University of Cape Town, and a Masters degree in International Human Rights Law from the University of Oxford. Ariella was previously very involved in the communal space through youth movements, and retains her passion for youth leadership development. She has taken some time to explore broader interests over the past decade, and is again ready to contribute to her community. She believes strongly in ensuring the sustainability and relevance of the South African Jewish community, in a manner that is sensitive to broader South African realities and concerns. When not currently working from home, Ariella likes to switch off by hiking, listening to podcasts and watching soccer. She lives in Johannesburg with her lockdown shelter dog, Boetie, and far too many plants.

Gabriel Scherman

Gabriel is currently the director of the Department of Communication and Press at AMIA, the most important Jewish institution in Argentina. He is a graduate of the Advertising and Management of Civil Society Organizations. Sergio is an alumnus of NGF in Israel in 2011 and in Cuba (regional) in 2016. 

Michalya Schonwald Moss

Michalya Schonwald Moss is an independent international development strategist, philanthropic advisor and consultant to special projects. Originally from the U.S., Michalya has studied in numerous educational institutions including: Columbia University, Pardes, J.T.S. and the Univ. of Witwatersrand. Among the communal organizations Michalya is involved in are: ROI, Jewish Funders Network, and Tevel b'Tzedek.

Nadia Schraier

Nadia from Buenos Aires, Argentina has a postgraduate degree in Art, Communication, and Memory from FLACSO. Nadia serves as the coordinator of the Art and Production Department of AMIA and is responsible for programs, projects, and training which blend art and memory. She recently undertook fundraising with the AMIA Art and Solidarity Project. Nadia strives to preserve Jewish tradition and roots by instilling the importance of memory across generations, combating the erosion of history. 

Jay Schultz

Jay M. Shultz is the President of the Am Yisrael Foundation (www.AmYisrael.com) that champions the young pioneers of “Observant Zionism”.

Jay was raised in Fair Lawn, NJ, graduated from Rutgers University with a B.A. in art history, focusing on archaeology, which was supplemented at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. During school, Jay spent time interning for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Israeli Antiquities Authority, and Albright Institute of Archaeology, including a summer volunteering on Tel Nof Air Force Base with the IDF. Upon graduation, Jay entered Fordham University School of Law, graduating as the President of the Student Body. After obtaining his J.D. and New York State Bar admittance, he worked in entertainment and intellectual property litigation.

In addition to his involvement with multiple entrepreneurial ventures in the fields of healthcare and real estate, Jay is a representative for the World Jewish Congress on Jewish-Christian relations and at the Muslim-Jewish Conference, a diplomat for the Jewish Diplomatic Corps, a Nahum Goldmann Fellow, a Nexus global member, a member of the ROI Community, a Fellow of the Tikvah Advanced Institute, and recipient of the WeWork Creator Award. Jay moved up to Israel in 2006 from New York City and currently resides in Tel Aviv with his wife Rachelle and son, Wolf. He is founder of TLV Internationals, White City Shabbat, Adopt-A-Safta, Tel Aviv Arts Council, ProjecT.A., Tel Aviv International Salon, and Israel’s newest national holiday, Yom HaAliyah.

In 2014, Jay officially set the Guinness Record for the World’s Largest Shabbat Dinner, proclaiming it’s host city, Tel Aviv Ir HaKodesh. He plays piano and is an avid collector of art, antiques, Judaica, and antiquities.

Michael Schwartz

Originally from the southern part of Israel, Michael Schwartz has been serving the Jewish world as an educator for the past 10 years; with a growing curiosity for the Jewish global ecosystem, he has been exploring and engaging with a wide range of organizations in Israel and abroad (such as AMHSI, B'nai Brith Winnipeg, TavTech and The Koret Foundation and Shalem college peoplehood project in San Francisco.)

Michael is the former Educational R&D Manager of Masa Israel Journey, now running his own independent educational hub – HaMitpara – a home for meaningful experiences for young adults around powerful identity questions and transformative, effective and productive encounters between Jewish Israelis and their conflicting counterparts.

Michael holds a B.A with high honors in Humanities, Middle Eastern and Islam studies from Shalem college in Jerusalem, and is an expert in the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and in Educational Design - both culminating in a 10 day Israeli-Palestinian dialogue seminar he leads annually in Cyprus.

Michael currently lives in Tel Aviv with his life partner Assaf.

Diana Selechnik

Diana Selechnik was born and raised in Guatemala City. She is a dentist, language consultant, and volunteer activist. Diana serves on the board of directors of several institutions in Guatemala, such as Keren Hayesod and Dor Hemshej. She is also an active member of several international Jewish organizations, such as the Jewish Diplomatic Corps of the World Jewish Congress, the New Generations Program of the Latin American Jewish Congress, and LAZOS LATAM.Diana is an alumna of NGF 28 and Cohort 3 of the Network Leadership Seminar.

Natalia Seriakova

Natalia earned degrees in Education, Philology and Tourism. She is a member of the ROI community and the Christian-Jewish Society. A native of Russia, she now lives in Germany. She was the director of Taglit Germany and is now a project coordinator at JuBuk e.V., the first grass roots Jewish organization in Germany.

Melissa Shaw

Melissa is a writer, theater artist, and educator. She is currently on the faculty of the Foundation for Jewish Camp's Cornerstone Fellowship. She is a Teaching Artist for multiple organizations, including Brooklyn Arts Council and Community Word Project. Melissa also facilitates state-wide workshops for the Anti-Defamation League. She holds an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College. Melissa lives in New York City.

Melissa was in Cohort 5 of the NGF Leadership Seminar. Watch her Lesson in Leadership "Don't Let the Disagreement Scorch the Earth."

Aya Shechter

Aya, originally from Israel, now lives in the USA. She is a dedicated leader in the Israeli American community with over 15 years of active involvement. She is the chief programming officer of the Israeli American Council. Aya's academic journey began with a dual background in science and law, before transitioning into her role as a Jewish nonprofit professional. She holds an Executive MA in Jewish professional studies. Aya is a board member of Friends of Israeli Scouts and is passionate about community building. She lives with her husband and four children in California.

Eliraz Shifman Berman

Eliraz is a mentor for "Meitarim", a network that promotes inclusive Jewish education for religious, traditional and secular Jews in Israel. She is the founder and former director of HUC’s "Tnufah" program, which trains young Jewish professionals for social entrepreneurship and activism.Eliraz received a M.A. in Jewish Pluralistic Education and a B.A. in Philosophy and Communication at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.She also studied Film and Television at Hadassah College.

Mahrinah Shije

Mahrinah, from the U.S., is an entrepreneur and global development professional with a broad background in ITC startups and technology policy. She holds a BA and MS in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business. Mahrinah now serves as the CEO and Board Chair of the NGO - Pueblo Development. She has held Leadership and Board roles with the American Jewish Committee, the Alliance of Latinos and Jews, and Schusterman Family Philanthropies Reality Program. Mahrinah is Tewa (American Indian) and Sefardi and an impassioned advocate for Jewish and Indigenous rights.

Ruben Shimonov

Ruben is a Jewish educator, community builder, and social innovator based in New York City, by way of Seattle and Uzbekistan. He is the Co-Founder and Director of the Sephardic-Mizrahi Q Network—a grassroots movement for LGBTQ+ Jews from Sephardic and Mizrahi backgrounds. He also serves as Vice-President of Education and Community Engagement on the American Sephardi Federation's Young Leadership Board. Ruben holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington.

Roy Shukrun

Roy, from Canada, is working on a Master’s in Jewish Studies at McGill University. His research focuses on Moroccan Jewish experience and identity in the modern and contemporary periods. Roy spent some time in Korea where he taught English.

Benji Shulman

Benji Shulman, from Johannesburg, holds a Master's degree in Geography. He has played an active role in various sectors of the Jewish community including: education, advocacy, environment and outreach. He is a founding member of the South African Friends of Israel, an organization which reaches out to the broader South African community to educate them on issues of Israel and the Middle East. Benji is also a member of Limmud Johannesburg's programming team. He is an alumnus of NGF 29 and the Regional SA NGF. 

Nelli Shulman

Nelli holds a B.A. and M.A. in Hebrew and Jewish Studies from Leo Baeck College, London as well as a teaching degree in the Russian Language from Moscow State University. She was the Director of Education and Outreach at the World Union for Progressive Judaism in Minsk and Moscow. Recently she has concentrated on journalism and independent research in the areas of Holocaust, history of culture and the history of the Soviet Union. Nelli writes for a number of newspapers and magazines in Russia. She has authored four historical novels. Nelli is an alumna of NGF 16 in Sweden in 2005 and the European Regional NGF in Denmark in 2015.

Jona Sidonova

Yael Silberstein

Nurit Simbler

Nurit, from Argentina, is a graphic artist and administrative assistant at Fundacion Pardes, a Jewish education center located in Buenos Aires. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Anthropolgy from Rosario National University.

Ben Simkovich

Ben is the Assistant Director of Planned Giving for B’nai B’rith International in Washington D.C.He earned a B.S. degree in business from Thomas Edison College. Ben is active in local Jewish organizations and regularly advocates for Jewish causes.

Gideon Simon

Gideon, from Amsterdam originally, currently living in Amstelveen, The Netherlands.  Gideon works as  a Social Studies teacher and is a speaker and coach on the topic of Holocaust Education. Gideon is also the Chairman of the Nieuw Israelietisch Weekblad NIW, The National Jewish magazine.

Gideon is married to Karen and has 2 beautiful daughters, Chawi and Ella.

Gideon is alumni of the International NGF International in Israel in 2010.

Tobias Simon

Tobias is a community rabbi in Germany. He holds Master’s degrees in Romanistic and Jewish Studies from the University of Potsdam. He received rabbinic ordination from Abraham Geiger College.Tobias was instrumental in establishing the first Jewish exhibition in a museum in modern Spain.

Moshe Singer

Darina Sirkis

Darina, from Hanover, Germany, is studying law at Leibniz University Hanover. She organizes educational activities for members of her community of all ages. Darina also works with the refugee population in Hanover. She is an intern for a legal protection insurance company and works as a leader of the Jewish youth club CHAI Hanover. 

Luciana Slipakoff

Anna Slizinova

JessAnn Smith

JessAnn is a queer Jewish educator, producer, and teaching artist based in NYC. In addition to her current role as Teen + Tween program coordinator at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, she is a contract trainer for Keshet and a co-producer with Thank You For Coming Out. JessAnn is currently pursuing an MSW degree at Wurzweiler School of Social Work in New York and a graduate certificate in outdoor and adventure therapeutic practice at University of the Highlands and Islands in Scotland. In her spare time, JessAnn enjoys travel and cold-water swimming. 

Adam Solomons

Adam Solomons studied Taxation and Accounting at the University of Johannesburg. Presently, he works in the financial services industry. Although his religious background is secular, Adam is very committed to Jewish practice and study. In the past he was involved in Jewish youth organizations.

Brandon Srot

Brandon Srot is a psychotherapist and consultant who dedicates his professional life to developing human potential and connection. His Sydney-based consultancy offers a suite of services in psychotherapy, leadership development and facilitation, allowing him to work with a wide range of individuals, couples, groups and organisations that seek change and transformation. Brandon brings over 15 years of professional service and senior leadership experience in the Jewish sector to his work. He is a faculty member of both the Masa Leadership Centre in Israel and The School of Life in Australia and is the Chief Facilitation Officer of LaunchPad. Brandon is a Senior Fellow of the Schusterman Fellowship, a graduate of the Nahum Goldmann Fellowship and was the recipient of the inaugural Jewish Changemaker Award. He also works with criminal offenders through Corrective Services NSW, is an endorsed sexuality and gender diversity trainer and is a former pro bono therapist for the Aids Council of New South Wales (ACON).

Brandon holds qualifications in counselling, human change and Gestalt therapy and has trained in embodied leadership, adaptive leadership and facilitation in the USA and Australia.

Jennifer Starrett

Jennifer is a Jewish communal professional aiming to connect her local Jewish community in unique and unconventional ways through her marketing and event consulting business, Jew PHX. She was born and raised in Arizona and has been actively involved in the local Jewish community in many capacities since her teen years serving on numerous boards and
planning large and small events. She has a passion for connecting with and promoting local businesses and organizations, and when she isn't working or volunteering, Jennifer spends time with her husband and two young children.

Michael Stein

Michael is a faculty member of the Abraham Joshua Heschel High School in N.Y. After graduating NYU with a B.A. in American History, he received Rabbinic Ordination from Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, and earned a M.A. in American Studies from Columbia University. In addition to his work as a teacher, Michael spends his summers officiating as a Rabbi at various congregations.He is a board member of the Religious Zionists of America.

Anna Stern

Anna Stern is a program manager at Shalom, a cultural and educational organization in Sydney, Australia. Anna is also involved with Shalom’s many volunteer committees and is passionate about community development. Previously, Anna worked as an English teacher and teacher trainer. She completed a degree in Linguistics and French Literature at Haifa University.

Dane Stern

Dane plays an active role in Sydney’s Jewish community. He is a director of the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies, chairing the Shoah Remembrance Committee. He is also co-founder of the annual commemoration of Jewish refugees from Arab lands and Iran. Dane is an adviser to the Executive Council of Australian Jewry and volunteers for Limmud Sydney. In 2020, Dane won the Australian Jewish Change-maker Award for young adult contribution to the Jewish community. He works as a data scientist at a consulting firm and has degrees in both law and commerce (majoring in actuarial studies). He is a trivia nerd who has appeared on three TV quiz shows. 

Dan Stillerman

Dan Stillerman, from Johannesburg, studied Actuarial Science at Wits University. He is the founder and managing director of Excel Academy, a portal which provides online training to improve productivity and success in the workplace. Dan is a member of AlmaLinks and took part in the IUA-UCF Leadership Course 2018.

Mila Stojanovic

Mila, from Serbia, received a B.A. and M.A. in education from the Teacher Education Faculty in Belgrade. She is the education coordinator of Haver Serbia, a nonprofit seeking to create a more tolerant and open society. She develops and implements programs for public schools about Judaism and the Holocaust. Mila also volunteers with several community programs.

Sterling Stutz

Sterling is completing her PhD at the University of Toronto investigating the relationship between antisemitism and Jewish community health and wellbeing. Sterling was raised on Treaty 13 territory in Toronto and now splits her time between Toronto and Michi Saagiig Anishinaabe territory near Nogojiwanong (Peterborough, Ontario) and is an active member of the Jewish community in both cities. Sterling completed a master’s of public health in Indigenous health at the University of Toronto and currently works as a research officer at the Waakebiness Institute of Indigenous Health and is a course instructor at University of Toronto on courses related to Canadian Jewish history and contemporary contexts. 

KCJ Szwedzinski

KCJ is cofounder and executive director of Project Chance, a non-profit that raises and trains service dogs for children with autism and other disabilities. KCJ received a BA from the University of North Florida and an MFA from the University of Louisville. Her work addresses social and cultural indoctrination and edification and the nature of belief and perception.
Her recent work investigates the intersection of Jewish legacy and lived experience- asking questions about what we choose to embody, embrace, or deny from our inherited legacies. She was the 2018 recipient of the Mary Alice Hadley Prize for Visual Art and spent part of the year traveling to do research at the Holocaust Center and The Jewish Contemporary
Museum in San Francisco. KCJ exhibits her work nationally.

Pawel Szymanski

Pawel, from Poland, received his PhD in Engineering from Gdansk University of Technology. He also studied at Newcastle University in the UK. He is a lecturer and supervisor of undergraduate and graduate students at Gdansk University. Pawel participated in the Israel Taglit - Birthright program and represented Poland in the World Maccabiah Games, winning a silver medal in rowing. Pawel is very active in the Jewish community of Gdansk.

Guy Tal

Guy, from Israel, is currently working in the Jewish community in Athens, Greece. Guy was previously the rabbi of La Kehila Ashkenazi de Mexico.He holds a Master’s degree in Jewish Studies from Universidad Hebraica de Mexico. He devoted many years to learning Talmud in various Yeshivot in Israel. Guy is dedicated to teaching and spreading the values of Judaism.

Elmira Tarivierdiieva

Leora Tarshish

Leora Tarshish is an informal educator based in Kingston, ON, Canada. Originally from Cape Town, South Africa, Leora has taught all over the world, including in the UK, Israel and the United States. Today, Leora serves as the Senior Jewish Educator for Queen's Hillel and Western Hillel, two of the largest Jewish student communities in Canada. She is also currently studying for her Masters degree in Jewish Education through the Melton School at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.  She is passionate about social justice, climate action and building pluralistic Jewish spaces.

Yos Tarshish

Evelyn Tauben

Evelyn Tauben is a Montreal-born, Toronto-based producer, curator and writer. She is a leader in the field of contemporary Jewish arts and culture, curating FENTSTER – a window gallery that explores the Jewish experience through rotating contemporary art installations. Over the last 20 years, Evelyn has worked at Smithsonian Museums, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Koffler Centre of the Arts. She also produces theatre, concerts and cultural conversations featuring local and international luminaries, and collaborates with festivals as well as individual artists. Evelyn's writing has been published in the award-winning book Graphic Details (McFarland, 2014), The Forward, and The Canadian Jewish News where she contributed a regular arts column. She is a participant in the first Jewish Wisdom Fellowship organized by Hadar. Evelyn is an alumna of NGF 24 in Poland in 2012.

Hugo Tavares Vilela

Hugo is a Federal Judge in the State of Goias, Brazil.He received his Master’s degree in Law from the Federal University of Goias. Hugo is a founder of the Israel Center in his hometown and is the center’s cultural director, cultivating interest in learning about Israel among the diverse population of Goias.He also writes opinion pieces on law and politics for Brazilian newspapers.

Wanda Teplitsky

Wanda, originally from Buenos Aires, now lives in Valencia, Spain. She works for the Masorti Community Aviv as a director and teacher as well as the coordinator of volunteers. Wanda is currently researching her PhD project on Cultural Heritage on Jewish life in Medieval Galicia, in north-west Spain. She is a member of the Board of Masorti Spain and Masorti Europe and likes traveling, both for work and pleasure. Her dream is to make the Jewish presence in Spain, past and present, better known and appreciated.

Wanda was in Cohort 5 of the NGF Leadership Seminar. Watch her Lesson in Leadership "Transitional Leadership in Masorti Europe."

Vivianne Tesone

Vivianne, from Colombia, is the deputy director of the Colombian Jewish Federation, the country’s umbrella organization of Jewish communities. She is also the editor of Hashavua online magazine. Vivianne holds a degree in literature from the Universidad de los Andes, and master’s degrees in journalism and religions and culture and peace. She is a member of the Jewish Diplomatic Corps of the World Jewish Congress and has worked and volunteered with other Jewish organizations. Her focus is on interfaith initiatives, education, combating antisemitism, Holocaust remembrance, diplomacy, and advocacy.

Josh Todes

Joshua Todes is studying Law at Varsity College. He also earned degrees in Anthropology, Religious Studies and Counter Terrorism. Joshua was very active in SAUJS, holding various board positions there. Since childhood he has sung in his synagogue's choir. After living in Israel, Joshua has now returned to Cape Town where he plans to contribute to the Jewish and wider South African community.

Laurina Todesaite

Laurina Todesaite, from Lithuania, is an educator in the Shalom Aleichem ORT school in Vilnius.She earned Bachelor’s degrees in Sociology, Anthropology and Education from Haifa University. Laurina founded #CookJewishBeJewish, an educational project which connects people and preserves Jewish heritage through Europe-wide culinary workshops and communal Jewish holiday celebrations.She is involved with ROI, Paideia and Limmud. Laurina is an alumna of NGF 27 and Cohort 3 of the Network Leadership Seminar.

Jo Toledano

Jo Toledano was the Director General of the Alliance Israelite Universelle from March 2008 until October 2018 and in recognition of his contribution to the ALU was given the title of ‘Honorary Director General.’

Mr. Toledano, from Paris, France, participated as a journalist and teacher at the University Strasbourg, in the 2nd International Nahum Goldmann Fellowship at Carmel College outside London in 1989, which inspired him to undertake a professional career in Jewish education and communal service.  He has worked from Paris as the Director of the A. & R. Neher training institute for the national network of Jewish schools, Director of national network of Jewish communities Social Department s leaded by Jewish French Federation (Fonds Social Juif Unifie), Director of the Franco-Swiss Gustave Leven Rashi Foundation.

Today, Mr. Toledano is senior consultant for “Initiative for Renewal and Leadership Development”, which he initiated with the support of the major Jewish institutions and the Fondation pour la Mémoire de la Shoah chaired by David de Rothschild. He is also administrator of the Rabbinical school of France (Séminaire israélite de France), President of L’Ecole juive modern founded by the Conservative and Reform communities, president of Sciences Po-Emouna Fraternité Alumni, the association for research and dialogue between officials of the state and different religions about leadership development for the French religions face the challenges of French society.

Mr. Toledano also served as a Vice President of the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture from 2011 until 2016.

Joseph Toltz

Dr Joseph Toltz is a music researcher and administrator at the University of Sydney.  Choirmaster and Cantor for four major Sydney synagogues over the past 30 years, from 2014-2018 he was Co-Investigator for “Performing the Jewish Archive”, an UK Arts & Humanities Council project. He is an internationally recognised researcher in music and Jewish studies, a council member of the International Forum for Jewish Music Studies, and the Australian representative for the Memorial Scrolls Trust.

Together with Associate Professor Anna Boucher, Joseph is working on the first published collection of Holocaust songs (Bucharest, 1945). In 2021 he is co-producing a documentary with the renowned documentary filmmaker Tim Slade about the return of a child survivor to Lodz, where her musical memories will be performed in choral arrangements by the children’s choir of the city. Joseph is working with the ExilArte Centre at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna on the archive of the composer Wilhelm Grosz, and with the University of Akron Ohio, on recordings made by Dr David Boder in Displaced Persons camps in mid-1946 in Europe. In the area of Australian cultural policy, Joseph is involved in the recognition of creative artistic practice at an academic and national level.

Zsuzsanna Toronyi

Zsuzsanna Toronyi is an archivist and museum expert specialized in Judaica. Since 2015 she is the director of the Hungarian Jewish Museum and Archives, where she has been working since 1994. She is an associate professor at the Cultural History department of the Rabbinical Seminary – University of Jewish Studies, Budapest.

Zsuzsanna is an alumna of NGF XI, Melbourne 2002. 

Catia Valdman

Catia from Rio de Janeiro works as a patent examiner specializing in intellectual property.She holds a Ph.D. in Electronic Engineering from Universidade Federal in Rio.Catia participates in community activities provided by her local Jewish community – Federacao Israelita de Rio de Janeiro.

Anina Valle Thiele

Anina, from Luxembourg, is a journalist and correspondent for Berlin’s Jewish newspaper. She is the organizer of Luxembourg’s presentation at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Anina has a Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Bonn. She serves on the board of the Liberal Jewish Community of Luxembourg.

Lucia van Eeden

Lucia van Eeden lives in Amsterdam.Although trained in medicine, she is currently working as a licensed translator of Polish and Dutch. She is a board member and a teaching assistant at Ledor Wador, the Sunday school for pre-bar mitzvah children in her kehillah, Beit ha'Chidush. She would like to study Jewish Studies in Cracow, with a focus on pre-war and post-war Jewish history. Lucia holds a Master’s of Science from the University of Amsterdam.

Gidon van Emden

Gidon, raised in Amsterdam and having lived in Israel, London, Boston, and Brussels, now calls the Washington, DC area home. He is the CEO of KOL Foods, the kosher grass-fed meat company. He chairs the Chevra Kadisha of his shul, and is an active advocate for Jews United for Justice. Gidon serves on the Maryland Board of Funeral Directors. He also serves beer as his shul's brewer-in-residence. Gidon attended the USA Regional NGF and NGF 33 in Israel.

Benjamin Varhula

Ben joined the Moishe House staff in 2017 as the Midwest Regional Manager. Originally from Wisconsin, he now lives in Chicago. He earned his degree in plant science from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. While studying at the University of Minnesota, Ben was very active in Hillel, where he served as an Engagement Intern and the Student President. Ben is an alum of the Chicago – Lakeview Moishe House, and prior to that was at the Hillel at Northwestern University as the Program Associate

Richard Verber

Elizabeth Vexelman

Elizabeth Vexelman has been Executive Director of the Jewish Community in Peru for 6 years until 2017. Currently she is part of the Peruvian Hasbara Committee, co-organizing different events for external audiences. 

Sonja Vilicic

Sonja Vilicic was born in Serbia, worked for the American Joint Distribution Committee in Hungary in various positions as informal Jewish educator, out of which her favorite was being a program director of the Szarvas international youth camp. Sonja was co-running the “Matara”, youth leadership training program of the Rothschild Foundation (Hanadiv) Europe. She is a graduate of the Melton Senior Educators Program at the Hebrew University, Adaptive Leadership Lab led by Jewish Agency and is a Schusterman Fellow.

Today, Sonja lives in Belgrade, Serbia where she is one of the founders and Executive Director of NGO Haver Srbija whose aim is to introduce non-Jewish population to culture, history and tradition of Jewish people as a step in confronting prejudices and discrimination, she also coordinates educational program “Ledor Vador” of the Federation of Jewish communities of Serbia, is a facilitator for MASA and volunteers at Limmud International.

Sonja attended NGF 23 in Israel in 2011. 

Jessica Vinokur

Jessica Vinokur is currently working on her Master's in Educational Psychology at the University of Johannesburg. In addition, she studied at the Maayanot Institute of Jewish Studies in Israel. She has played a leadership role in the Bnei Akiva movement for a number of years. Jessica was active in K-Space as well as SAUJS.

Manny Waks

Manny Waks is the CEO of VoiCSA (formerly Kol v'Oz), an organization that addresses the issue of child sexual abuse in the Jewish community - he has been working in this field since 2011, both in Australia and globally. Manny has held numerous senior leadership positions in the Australian Jewish community, including as a vice-president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry. Manny was also an Assistant Director of the Office of Transport Security, an Australian Government counter-terrorism organization. Together with his family, he relocated to Israel in 2016 mainly to continue his work on his VoiCSA initiative. He holds a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from La Trobe University in Melbourne. Manny attended NGF 23 in Israel and NGF 28 in Mexico as part of Cohort 1 of the NGF Network Leadership Seminar.

Luiza Wandalsen

Luiza, from Brazil, works at the Israeli Desk of one of the largest business and legal consulting firms in the world. She is a member of ACIB - Israeli Cultural Association of Brasilia and the Zionist Jewish Group of Brasilia. Luiza is the Vice President of WIZO's Aviv Or chapter. She earned a M.B.A. from Univ. of La Verne and is currently pursuing further studies in management at SUNY.

Jade Weiner

Jade Weiner is a qualified attorney, notary and mediator, working currently as a legal researcher. A graduate of the University of Witwatersrand, Jade also attended a Midrasha in Israel. She serves as a non-executive director of the Union of Jewish Women assisting with projects including Kosher Mobile Meals and an after-care creche. She is also taking the Community Safety Organisation (CSO) course on community safety. Jade is an alumna of the Regional South African NGF and NGF 30 in Germany.

Alyssa Weiner

Alyssa is Assistant Director of International Jewish Affairs for the American Jewish Committee (AJC). She is the past board president of Jewish Women International’s DC Young Women’s Leadership Network. Alyssa graduated from George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs with a B.A. in International Affairs.She previously worked in fundraising for a fraternal organization before joining AJC. Alyssa was born and raised in South Florida. She is an alumna of NGF 30 in Germany.

Tammy Weiss

Tammy, from Buenos Aires, is a lawyer. In addition to her law degree, she has degrees in Jewish and Judeo-American studies, and Arabic, American-Arab and Islamic studies. Tammy has been a volunteer for the World Zionist Organization and the Holocaust Museum. She was a member of the board of directors of the Argentine Zionist organization. Tammy now serves on the board of the Association of Jewish Lawyers of the Argentine Republic. She collaborates with an initiative that distributes food to the homeless and lately with Jaialim del Asado, a group that makes barbecues for IDF soldiers.

Shira Weiss

Shira holds a Ph.D. in Medieval Jewish Philosophy and is the author of Joseph Albo on Free Choice: Exegetical Innovation in Medieval Jewish Philosophy(Oxford UP, 2017).She is currently doing research on ethics in the Bible. Shira teaches medieval and modern Jewish Philosophy at Stern College, Yeshiva University. She also holds an Ed.D. in Jewish Education and is a member of the administration at The Frisch School, Paramus, NJ.

Gilad Wiener

Gilad is the founder and director of a mediation company and lectures both in Israel and abroad on Jewish conflict resolution. He has a law degree from Bar Ilan University and is pursuing a Ph.D. there. He serves on the Board of Ein Prat Alumni Community and was the Director of Israel Operations for The Pardes Center for Judaism and Conflict Resolution. Gilad holds a research position at the Israel Democracy Center. He is an alumnus of a regional Nahum Goldmann Fellowship in Israel in 2011 and the NGF 28 Leadership Seminar.

David Wiseman

David Wiseman is a leader in digital branding and online reputation management. He is also the co-founder of Follow Team Israel, a page devoted to sharing the stories of Israeli and Jewish sports to the world. David attended NGF 13 in Australia and NGF 33 in Israel as a participant in Cohort 6 of the NGF Network Leadership Seminar.

Martin Yafe

Martin is the chief program officer of the YM&YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood. Born and raised in Argentina, he continued his Jewish professional journey in Sydney, Australia where he served as Director of Youth Education and cantor for Emanuel Synagogue, and as an educational consultant for the Jewish Board of Deputies of NSW. Martin then settled in New York, where he worked as an executive planner for UJA-Federation, supporting Jewish life in NY, Israel, and around the world. He is a graduate of IDC-Herzliya, having majored in Security Studies. Martin also holds a B.A. in International Relations, and studied at the Rabbinical Seminary in Buenos Aires.He is an alumnus of NGF 21 in Israel and NGF 22 in Croatia.

Semih Yasavul

Semih, from Istanbul, holds a Master’s degree in Communication and Public Relations as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Economics.He is the President of the Young Men’s Division of B’nai B’rith Turkey as well as a volunteer for Limmud.He is a digital marketer for a Turkish bank.

Cheri Yochelson

Cheri, from Virginia, is Senior Counsel at a large energy company.She earned a Juris Doctor degree from Albany Law School.Cheri is a board member of the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond. She has taken on a leadership role in Jewish life on college campus programs in nearby universities. Cheri is also a mentor at the University of Richmond Law School.

Diana Zadunaisky

Diana Zadunaisky lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  

Diana holds a MS in Physics and in a career spanning over 40 years, she has been a university lecturer, researcher and professor of Physics; a consultant at the UBA’s (University of Buenos Aires) Academic Affairs Secretariat and a Services Manager at CEITECH, a company providing Educational IT services.  Diana now works at the Faculty of Engineering of the UBA. Diana uses her rich general Jewish background to inform all the education-related projects with which she works.

Diana is an alumna of multiple NGFs, beginning in Brazil in 1996. She also participated in the Conference on Teaching the Holocaust for Latin American teachers, Houston, US (2008).

Salomon Zaed

Shlomi, from Mexico, is a consultant in the insurance industry. He studied Torah and Philosophy at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. He volunteers in his local Jewish community as a teacher and financial analyst. Shlomi was raised and educated in a very religiously observant home, but right now he is exploring his own perspective of Judaism and discovering how to participate as a Jew in his Community, and in the world. Shlomi attended NGF 28 in Mexico and NGF 32 in France as a participant in Cohort 5 of the NGF Network Leadership Seminar.

Shlomi was in Cohort 5 of the NGF Leadership Seminar. Watch his Lesson in Leadership "Plant a Seed and Nourish What Is Already Planted."

Patrycja Zaslwaska

Patrycja is a yoga teacher and life enthusiast. She is currently in Finland, chasing dreams of traveling and will soon join Masa Israel as a participant in the KCDC dance school. Patrycja is in love with Israel and Jewish culture and is a Hillel Poland and 248CAN activist. Patrycja has a medical background, but also dreams about the big world.

Charisse Zeifert

Charisse Zeifert is currently Head of Communications at the S.A. Jewish Board of Deputies. Born in Pretoria, she obtained a M.A. in Social Anthropology from Wits University and a M.A. in Museology, from the Reinwardt Academy in Amsterdam. Before joining the Board she worked for several years as a Senior Political Research Assistant at the Japanese Embassy.

Gavriel Ziegler

Gavi, from Cape Town, recently received Rabbinic ordination. He is the campus rabbi at a local C.T. Jewish day school. Gavi twice served as the co-chair of Limmud South Africa. He is an alumnus of the 2018 S.A. Regional NGF and the International NGF in Israel 2019. 

Karen Zingerevitz

Karin Zingerevitz is the director of PJ Library in Brazil, a program that will be launched in September 2020 for the first time in Portuguese. She holds a Master in Non-Profit Jewish management from HUC and has been involved with the local and Latin American Jewry for many years. She attended the NGF in São Paulo 2001.