Benjy Behrman grew up in England and was an active member of Bnei Akiva, reaching the position of Mazkir in 2001. He spent two years studying in Yeshivat Hakibutz Hadati in Ein Tzurim.  Benjy has a BA in Archaeology and MA in Jewish Studies. Since making Aliyah in 2005, Benjy has completed a teaching certificate in Jewish Studies at the Shalom Hartman Institute and has worked as a teacher and a guide. He joined the Year Course teaching faculty in 2010 and teaches Zionism, Israel Studies, and Jewish studies.  Benjy has also guided the Kuma Poland trip. Benjy lives in Modiin with his wife Emma and daughters Noa and Adi.

Rabbi Rob Kahn began as a full-time instructor for Year Course in 2008, becoming the Director of Academics in 2009. Rob was born in Portland, Oregon. He attended Brandeis University, majoring in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies. While finishing Brandeis and proceeding through Rabbinical School, Rob served as the summer director of Camp Solomon Schechter, where he spent most of his childhood summers. His ordination from The Jewish Theological Seminary comprised of studies at University of Judaism (now AJU), Hebrew University, Machon Schechter , and JTS in New York. Rabbi Kahn served as rabbi of Beth El Synagogue in Minneapolis for 16 years. In the summer of 2008, Rabbi Kahn and his family made Aliyah. Rob is married to Camille (they met at summer camp), and has three children Avinoam, Dalya, and Elle. The Kahn’s continue to return to Camp Ramah Wisconsin each summer where Rob is director of the Educational Resource Center. Rob runs all of his Jerusalem errands via mountain bike.

 

Galit Roichman is a screenwriter and lecturer of film. She earned a BA in literature from the University of Haifa, her hometown, and an MA in film from Tel Aviv University, where she currently resides. Since 1997 Galit has worked in Jewish education in Israel and abroad with Young Judaea and with Jewish Agency summer camps. Her first involvement with Young Judaea was as a madricha for Year Course. She has also been involved with the Avi Chai Foundation in training Shlichim. Some of Galit’s past projects include the writing of two dramatic television series for children and experimentation with interactive film. She is currently working on a full-length feature film. Galit lives by the Albert Einstein quote: “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited; imagination is infinite.” Galit believes that through the integration of reality and imagination one can see all things in a new and improved light. For more information on Galit, please visit her website: www.israelfilm.co.il.

Dr. Avi Rose was born in Manhattan, raised in Canada and made aliyah in 2002. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in History, a Masters’ degree in Education and a PhD in Clinical Psychology. A passionate Jewish educator, Avi was privileged to be part of the Jerusalem Fellows Program in 2002-3. On the Year Course faculty since 2003, Dr. Rose has developed and taught curricula in the areas of Jewish Identity, Environmentalism, Cinema, Visual Art and Israeli Studies. A visual artist, Avi is currently working on several projects related to Jewish art and Zionism. Avi is active in several community projects in Jerusalem in the areas of religious pluralism, social justice and coexistence. Avi is married to Binyamin, a therapist/social worker.

Donna Rudolph has a BFA in theater and film from the University of Illinois, an MA in Jewish Education from the Hebrew University, and a higher degree of Jewish Education from Pardes.  Donna is also a certified yoga instructor in Ashtanga yoga, having trained at Yoga Shala in Tel Aviv.  She has taught at the Jewish Primary Day School of the Nation’s Capital in Washington, D.C. and Camp Ramah Wisconsin. Donna has been teaching for Year Course since 2010.  Donna made aliyah in 2004, and lives with her husband Ari and son Eitan in Jerusalem.

Zeev Ben-Shachar has been a Middle East Analyst for the David Project in Israel for the last 4 years. He was born and raised in Ramat Gan, Israel. In the IDF, he served with the elite infantry unit Sayeret Givati, as a combat soldier and then as a commander.

Zeev received his undergraduate degree from Harvard College. After graduating, he stayed on at Harvard to teach in the Psychology as well as Hebrew Studies departments, where he received Harvard’s certificate of distinction for excellence in teaching. Zeev is currently pursuing an MA degree in Middle Eastern Studies at Tel Aviv University. He lives in Tel Jerusalem.

Rebecca Strapp – After making aliya four years ago, Rebecca Strapp completed a masters at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Before aliya Rebecca taught Tanakh at the Ramaz Upper School in New York. Rebecca is originally from Los Angeles, and still displays that free spirit while cruising around Jerusalem on her scooter. In addition to Jewish Studies, Rebecca has a background in political science and international relations. Rebecca teaches Zionism and Jewish Studies at Young Judaea.

Susan Yammer was born and raised in Bridgeport, CT and has wanted to be a teacher for as long as she can remember. In the USA, she was a teacher and principal in synagogue schools, a classroom teacher in Jewish Day Schools, and Rosh Chinuch (Education Director) at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires. She earned a Masters Degree in Jewish Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary and is a 2004 recipient of the Grinspoon-Steinhardt Award for Excellence in Jewish Education. Susan and her family made aliyah in 2007 and she returned to Year Course as a teacher (She first taught on Year Course in 1978). Besides teaching on Year Course, Susan is a pedagogic mentor at the Pardes Master’s Degree Program. She is also the educational coordinator for the Remote Teacher’s Program at the Lookstein Center in Bar Ilan University. She is married to David, a psychologist, and has three adult children and two grandchildren. She brings her lifelong love of music and of Jewish learning to her teaching at YJYC.

Aviv Bertele has been a Hebrew teacher and tutor as well as Israeli Dance, Jazz and Ballet instructor for the past 10 years, ever since he started working for Camp Tel Yehudah, Young Judaea’s senior summer camp. During this period of time, he has worked at camp as head of performing arts department and Israeli dance specialist, as well as staffing Young Judaea’s Year course in Israel (2001-2002). Born and raised in Tel Aviv, Israel, Aviv served his military service in the elite combat unit of “Charuv”, as an infantry soldier and commander. He completed his MA degree majoring in Middle Eastern studies at Tel Aviv University. While studying, Aviv continued teaching Israeli dance and modern dance to Israeli kids aged 5-18, and also training the Israeli dance instructors working during the summer in Jewish camps all over North America. Aviv has taken upon himself to develop strong Jewish and Zionist identities among the Jewish youth he has been working with through development of informal educational curriculum for folk and current Israeli dance.

Besides working as an Israeli dance instructor, Aviv is also working as a Hebrew Ulpan teacher for Year Course and WUJS Israel. Aviv has been teaching Hebrew for the past ten years as a member of the staff at Tel Aviv university Ulpan. Aviv has a unique approach to languages and especially Hebrew since he speaks 5 different languages, including English, Arabic, Greman, Italian and Farsi. He is also working as a journalist for Israel’s biggest daily newspaper, “Yedioth Achronot”.

Alan Goldman grew up in Philadelphia PA and made aliyah in 1989 after completing a B.A. from Clark University in Sociology and Jewish Studies. Since aliyah Alan has been involved in formal and informal Jewish education in Israel programs serving on the senior faculty for a number of organizations, including Young Judaea Year Course, Ramah Israel Programs and Machon HaDati (B’nei Akiva Hachshara). Alan has also gained wide experience in teaching outside the classroom both in Israel and Eastern Europe. Throughout the years Alan has remained committed to his own personal development by studying at a number of Jerusalem Yeshivas, receiving semicha (Rabbinic Ordination) in 1998, and completing a Masters Degree in Jewish History from Touro College in Jerusalem (2010). Alan lives with his wife Missy, a tour guide, and their two children on Moshav Beit Meir in the Judaen Hills.

Sharon Bar Shaul has a long history with Young Judaea. In 1989, not too long after finishing her army service as a desert outdoor instructor, she saw an ad in the newspaper: “Counselors needed to work with American and British youth in a year program in Israel.” Little did she know that this would be the beginning of a long term relationship. After being a ‘madricha’ for the 89-90 Year Course program, Ms. Bar Shaul worked with summer programs for several years, was a Hebrew teacher and later the head of the Year Course Ulpan program. In 2002 she graduated from the Masters’ program in Education at Harvard University and since then she has also been certified as an Arabic teacher. In 2008 Ms. Bar Shaul was the first coordinator of the Olami program. and is now a full-time faculty member teaching advanced Hebrew classes as well as Arabic. She lives on a moshav just outside of Jerusalem with her partner Yael and their three children.