[Home] [Programs] [What's New] [Educational Materials] [Alumni]
[Photo Album] [Links] [Write to us]
© Ramah Israel, 2011
Daniel Laufer - Director of High School Division
Daniel earned his MA in Jewish Education from Brandeis University and a BA in Jewish Studies from the University of Maryland. After making aliya in 1989 from Boston, he worked with a number of Israeli institutions bringing youth to Israel from abroad, including the Young Judea Year Course, the Alexander Muss High School in Israel, and the Youth and Hechalutz Department of the World Zionist Organization. Other positions he has held include Educational Researcher for the Mandel Institute for Jewish Education, Program Director at Harvard University Hillel, and Educational Consultant for long-term programs in Israel. Daniel has been with Ramah in Israel since 1993, and served as a program director, teacher, director of education, and shaliach to North America. He lives with his wife, two daughters, and twin sons in Arnona - around the corner from one of the most beautiful views in the world.
Dr. Joe Freedman - Director of Ramah Programs in Israel
Joe holds an M.A. in Jewish Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary and an Ed.D. from Teacher's College, Columbia University. Before coming to Ramah, Joe served as Director of in-service training at Hebrew University's Melton Center for Jewish Education in the Diaspora. Joe served as director of the Ramah Israel Seminar from 1986-1999, during which time he also earned the prestigious tour guide license issued by Israel's Ministry of Tourism. Joe has produced numerous educational and hadracha materials, going all the way back to his days with the Jewish Theological Seminary's Leader's Training Fellowship beginning in 1971. Joe has also worked extensively with Camp Ramah in Wisconsin and served as Summer Director of Camp Ramah in New England in 1988. He came on aliya in 1980 with his wife. They have four children and live in Jerusalem.
Dr. Melissa Ser - Academic Coordinator
Melissa holds an MA and PhD in English Literature from the University of Rochester and a BA from Florida State University. She is the Academic Coordinator for TRY and USY High. Before making aliyah, Melissa served as a synagogue youth director and educational administrator; she has been teaching for over a decade in university and high school settings, and she is excited about a new semester of TRY and USY High. Melissa is also the Director of the English speaking Ramah Jerusalem Day Camp. She lives in Jerusalem with her husband, Sam, and their sons Ariel and Yonatan.
Aliza holds an MSW from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University, and a BSW from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She grew up in Israel and served in the Education Corps of the IDF. After completing her military service, Aliza worked as part of the mishlachat to Ramah Wisconsin during the course of two summers. Since 2001 she has been an integral part of the Ramah Israel staff, having been involved with both TRY / USY High and Seminar. Aliza has also worked extensively with youth and communities around the world, under the auspices of the Jewish Agency for Israel.
Moshe Gold - Israel Education Director
Moshe is the Educational Director of Ramah Programs in Israel. He lives in Jerusalem and works as an educator and tour guide throughout the year for Ramah. This includes Ramah Summer Seminar, RII, TRY and Poland Seminar. He is studying for his Masters in Contemporary Judaism at the Hebrew University.
Betsalel Steinhart - Israel Core Course
Betsalel was born in London, England, and made Aliyah as a teen with his family in 1986. After his army service, he earned a B.A. in Psychology from Bar Ilan University, and is currently studying towards an M.A. in Jewish Education at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. A licensed Israeli Tour Guide, Betsalel has worked with a number of Israeli institutions involved in educating Diaspora youth, joining Ramah in 2000. He has worked in all of Ramah's departments in many educational and logistical capacities, and is one of our ICC teaching faculty. He is blessed to live in Jerusalem with his wife and four sons.
Judy Greene - Israel Program Coordinator, National Office
Judy Diamond Greene has an MSW from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University and received Certification as a Family Educator from Hebrew College, University of Hartford. Judy is the co-author of the new curriculum, “Sacred Choices”, published through the Union for Reform Judaism. She is also a Founder of Mayyim Hayyim, the Community Mikveh and Education Resource Center in Newton, MA. Judy lived in Massachusetts for 27 years before moving to New York. While in MA, she was Director of the Teen Initiative sponsored by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, Outreach Coordinator for the New England Region of Conservative Judaism, teacher at Solomon Shechter Day School in Newton, and Gann Academy/New Jewish High School in Waltham. She also spent 16 years working at Camp Ramah in New England. Judy is married to Rabbi Gary Greene and has four sons; Amichai, Hillel, Roni, and Asaf. She is currently residing in Douglaston, NY.
at the ramah jerusalem high school we know that our staff are crucial elements for the success of our programs. here is some information about the people involved in TRY / USY High.
Nicole Dror - Administrative Coordinator and Parent Liaison
Nicole grew up in London, England, and made aliyah in January 1994. Just three months later she was employed as Ramah's administrative assistant. Nicole worked for Ramah until the year 2000 and held various positions including Trip Coordinator for RII (Ramah Israel Institute), as well as working for the Israel Desk in the Ramah New York office. In the winter of 2008, Nicole returned to the Ramah family! Nicole has a rich background in administration and logistics and has worked at the Prime Minister's Office, the World Zionist Organization, and most recently at the Jerusalem Foundation as a writer for Culture Affairs. Nicole is married and lives with her husband and two children in Jerusalem.
Galia Dasberg - Hebrew Coordinator
Galia holds an MA in Jewish Education from the Lander Institution, and a BA in Sociology and Judaism from Hebrew University. She is the Hebrew Coordinator for TRY and USY High and has been teaching Hebrew for over a decade. Galia is also in charge of all the Hebrew programming at Ramah Israel. Galia lives in Alon Shvut with her husband, and 5 children.
Aliza Grabin - Yoetzet and Head of Hadracha
Arie Hasit - Coordinator of Programming and Recruitment
Arie moved to Israel in 2005 after completing his BA in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations and History at Harvard University. Since being in Israel, Arie has learned at the Conservative Yeshiva and worked in various capacities at Ramah, including as a madrich and later teacher for TRY/USY High. In 2010, Arie completed his IDF service in the Spokesperson Unit, where he coordinated all contact between the IDF and the North American press. Arie has spent 13 summers at Camp Ramah in the Poconos, as a camper and as staff, and during the year, he calls Tel Aviv his home.
OUR MADRICHIM!!
Amishar Frutkoff
Amishar was Born and raised in Jerusalem. Throughout his high school years was very active in the Masorti youth movement NOAM, and took on many leadership and hadracha roles in the movement and in the NOAM summer camps. In a gap year between high school and the army, he joined a NOAM Garin volunteering on Kibbutz Ketura down south. Recently finished his National Service followed by some traveling, is very excited and looking forward to staff TRY 2011!
Ari Roskies
Ari was born and raised in New York. He graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 2009 with a BA in History. As a senior at Wash. U. Ari served as the Vice President of the Washington University Jewish Student Union, and was a recipient of St. Louis Hillel's annual leadership award. Ari has been involved with Ramah all his life, including eight summers as a camper and two summers on staff at Ramah Berkshires, a summer in Israel on Ramah Seminar, and a semester in Jerusalem as a participant on TRY 2002. Ari also spent a pre-college gap year in Israel with Nativ 24, and returned after his freshman year for a summer internship at the Shalem Center in Jerusalem. In August Ari will begin studying for his JD at New York University.
Ayelet Ben Meir
Ayelet is 20 years old and recently finished her two years of national service in Jerusalem. She feels that Jerusalem is the best place to live. She is originally from Ra'anana where she grew up with her parents and 7 siblings. This past summer she loved working as a madricha at Camp Ramah in Canada and she is very excited to be a member of the staff for TRY/USY High 2011.
Frannie Shechter
Frannie was born and raised on Long Island, New York. She attended Camp Ramah in the Berkshires for seven summers as a camper and also spent four summers as a counselor, working with chanichim between the ages of 10 and 16. In May 2010 she received her B.S. from Cornell University in Policy Analysis and Management. During her time as an undergraduate student Frannie spent a semester abroad at Hebrew University in Jerusalem where she studied the history of Israel and Jerusalem. She is recently engaged and met her fianc © while studying abroad at Hebrew University. In July he made aliyah so that he could serve in the IDF. Frannie is currently working for the Nassau County Board of Elections and is very excited to return to Israel and start working as a TRY madricha.
Frannie Amishar Ayelet Ari