Masters Concentration Program 2011 Student Bios. Rachel Cort

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1 Masters Concentration Program 2011 Student Bios Rachel Cort Spertus Institute Rachel Cort is originally from St. Louis and graduated from Northwestern University in 2007 with a degree in History, emphasis on the Middle East. After working in the music industry in New York and Chicago for a few years, she decided to refocus her energies on the field of Jewish communal service. In addition to working in Admissions at Chicago Jewish Day School, she is a Birthright Israel NEXT Community Engagement Fellow and a Jewish United Fund LEADS program leader. She will be studying at the Pardes Institute this summer in a special Israel Education track. Michael Emerson memerson@gmail.com New York University Michael Emerson grew up in Memphis, TN. after graduating from the local day school, he enjoyed a two year stint in Yeshivat Shaalvim in Nof Ayalon, Israel. He attended Columbia University, where he majored in Medieval Jewish History. Michael also attended Talmud shiur at Yeshiva University, where he is currently enrolled in the RIETS seminary for rabbinic ordination. Michael has been involved with a number of Jewish and non-jewish organizations including NCSY, AJWS, Alternative Spring Break, Encounter, and Meorot. He has also worked for a number of years for Camp Stone. He recently completed a semester internship at JESNA-Lippman Kanfer Institute where he helped in the launch of the Jewish Educators Change Network. Michael is currently a Wexner Fellow/Davidson Scholar and a Jim Joseph Fellow, and recently completed his first year in the doctoral program in Education and Jewish Studies at NYU-Steinhardt.

2 Chaviva Galatz New York University Social Media Maven Chaviva Galatz was born in Missouri, bred in Nebraska, and currently hails from Teaneck, NJ, by way of Washington D.C., Chicago, and Connecticut. With a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Chaviva worked as a copy editor for The Washington Post, after which she moved to Chicago to work for a Nobelprize-winning economist at the University of Chicago. While there, she honed her Social Media skills through her blog, Twitter, Facebook, and other web platforms. Then, halfway across the country, from Chaviva worked toward and obtained an M.A. in Judaic Studies from the University of Connecticut. Now, she is a Jim Joseph Fellow in NYU s Dual M.A. program for Education/Jewish Studies and Hebrew/Judaic Studies. Her passion is Social Media in the classroom and Hebrew Language Education, and she recently was accepted to the 2011 ROI Summit and was named one of The New York Jewish Week's "36 Under 36." When not consulting on Social Media and operating blogs, Facebook Pages, and Twitter accounts for The Partnership for Jewish Learning and Life of Metrowest s three-day schools, Chaviva is dominating and collaborating with other Jewish educators and Social Media evangelists. Seth Grauer Grauer@ramaz.org Yeshiva University Rabbi Seth Grauer is the Associate Rabbi at the Fifth Avenue Synagogue in Manhattan and in his 9th year as an educator at the Ramaz Upper School. After graduating Ramaz in 1996 he studied in Yeshivat Har Etzion (Gush) in Israel for two years. Rabbi Grauer returned to NY and attended Yeshiva University where he graduated with honors with a BA in history. He continued his education at Fordham Law School where he was an editor of the Environmental Law Journal and received his J.D. in Rabbi Grauer has smicha from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) of Yeshiva University and is currently enrolled in the Azrieli graduate school at Yeshiva University where he is working on his dissertation towards the completion of a doctoral degree in education.

3 Amanda Greene Hebrew Union College Amanda is from Deerfield, IL and grew up at North Shore Congregation Israel. She attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and received her Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies in Currently, Amanda is studying at HUC-JIR's in the Rhea Hirsch School of Jewish Education and School of Jewish Nonprofit Management. Amanda has spent a total of a year and half living in Israel. She is very excited to be part of the icenter Master Concentration program. Allie Harris alliedorieharris@gmail.com Hebrew Union College Allie Harris grew up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago and spent seven summers at OSRUI, a Reform overnight camp in Wisconsin. She has just finished her second year as an education student at HUC-JIR and plans on finishing the rabbinical program there as well. Allie is marrying her high school sweetheart in two weeks and is basically consumed with lastminute wedding details but is so excited to be a part of this cohort. And every time she thinks of Israel, she thinks of baking challah on a Friday morning. Deborah Harris deb@debharris.com Spertus Institute Debbie Harris is the technology coordinator at the Sager Solomon Schechter Middle School in Northbrook, Illinois and teaches religious school at Lakeside Congregation for Reform Judaism. She received an education degree from Northwestern University with a concentration in instructional media and is enrolled in the Spertus MAJPS program. Her students podcast, blog, edit video and create claymations. She blogs at about integrating technology into Jewish education.

4 Ami Hersh Jewish Theological Seminary Ami Hersh is a senior rabbinical student and a 2nd year graduate student in education at the Jewish Theological Seminary. He also works as the Assistant Director of Camp Ramah in Nyack. Ami is an alumnus of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship and an active fellow in the Legacy Heritage Rabbinic Fellowship. Along with his wife Loni, he is the proud parent of a two-year old son named Micah. Abby Kerbel abkerbel@jtsa.edu Jewish Theological Seminary I am completing my first year of the Davidson School's Masters of Jewish Education. I graduated from Barnard College and List College a year ago with degrees in Middle Eastern Studies and Jewish History. When not doing school work, I am a teacher at the Ansche Chesed Hebrew School on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. I love Israeli dancing and baking when I have the time. Lisa Kingston lisa.kingston@gmail.com Hebrew Union College Lisa Kingston just completed her third year as a rabbinical student at HUC-JIR in New York. She is originally from Hartsdale, NY and grew up at Woodlands Community Temple in White Plains, NY. After graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Skidmore College and attending a NATE Kallah as an intern, Lisa received her M.A.R.E degree from The Hebrew Union College NY School of Education in She enjoys working in the Department of Lifelong Learning at Temple Emanu-el in NYC and serving as the student rabbi for Temple Israel in Uniontown, PA. As a recipient of the Bonnie and Daniel Tisch fellowship, Lisa is spending her summer learning about congregational leadership with Rabbi Jim Prosnit at B'nai Israel in Bridgeport, CT.

5 Jennifer Kirsch Brandeis University I graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a B.S. in Kinesiology and then went on to get a B.S. in Nursing from Rush University. I was working as a registered nurse in Chicago for the past five years before moving to Boston for graduate school. I am hoping to combine my passion for Judaism and nursing to work with Jews who have been affected by cancer or who have the BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations. Joshua Knobel joshua.knobel@gmail.com Hebrew Union College A native of Wilkes-Barre, PA, Josh left home after high school in order to study physics at the United States Military Academy, earning a commission and a bachelor's degree in Afterwards, Josh spent the next seven years serving as a telecommunications officer in Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, Iraq, and Afghanistan. In 2008, he left the Army in order to pursue rabbinical studies. Erica Korman ericakorman@gmail.com New York University I grew up in Fort Lauderdale, FL., and I am a graduate of Florida State University. Last year I lived in Katamon in Jerusalem while studying at the Mayanot Institute for Jewish Studies. Klal Yisroel and Eretz Yisroel are my number one priorities. In my spare time, I enjoy music, theater, learning and exploring the diversity of Manhattan.

6 Sarah Lauing Hebrew Union College Sarah Lauing hails from the San Francisco Bay Area, where she also worked for two years as a full time youth director and religious school teacher before choosing to become a Jewish educator. She is a graduate of Middlebury College, where she studied Religion, admired fall foliage, and ate copious amounts of cheddar cheese. She just finished her second year as a MAJE student at Hebrew Union College s Rhea Hirsch School of Education and is greatly looking forward to enriching her final year learning about Israel with the icenter! Jessica Lebovits Hebrew Union College jessicalebovits02@gmail.com Jessica Lebovits is currently enrolled at the Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) where she will receive a joint Masters in Jewish Education and Jewish Nonprofit Management. She graduated Cum Laude from the University of California Santa Barbara with a Religious Studies major and a Jewish Studies minor. During her first year at HUC-JIR she spent the year living in Jerusalem, learning about Israeli culture and society. Most recently she worked in the International Relations department of the American Jewish Committee as well as teaching Religious School at Sha'arei Am synagogue. Rachel Levin RachLFay@gmail.com Hebrew Union College Rachel Levin is a joint Masters student at Hebrew Union College, studying Jewish education and Jewish Nonprofit Management. She is originally from the San Fernando Valley, CA and received her BA from UC Berkeley in Religious Studies. Rachel spent several years working at Camp JCA Shalom in Malibu and for a Bay Area based teen trip to Israel called Let s Go Israel--experiences which led to her deep interest in the field of Israel Education. She is genuinely looking forward to being a part of this wonderful opportunity.

7 Hannah Rubin-Schlansky Hebrew Union College Hannah Rubin-Schlansky, originally from St. Louis, Missouri is currently a student at Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles. She is working toward a Masters in Jewish Education in the Rhea Hirsch School and Education and a masters in Nonprofit Management. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin- Madison in 2008 with a joint degree in Hebrew and Jewish Studies, focusing on education. She really excited about being a part of the icenter program is looking forward to meeting this cohort. Tom Samuels tsamuels123@gmail.com Spertus Institute Tom hails from Toronto, Canada where he was recruited by Mayor Daley to reshape Chicago s transportation and urban design infrastructure. He is the founder of numerous initiatives including the National Safe Routes to School/Walking School Bus Program, which creates safe and enjoyable opportunities for children to walk and bicycle to and from school. Tom has a diverse Jewish background from ultra-orthodoxy to complete secularism, and everything in-between. Before coming to JRC, Tom worked as the director of a leadership-development program for Jewish teens, and is the co-founder of a Chavurah which he no longer belongs to. Tom lives in Chicago with his wife, Melissa, and two boys, Jonah and Eli.

8 Bella Shapiro Brandies University Bella graduated from St. Mary's College of California with a B.A. in Integral Liberal Arts. She was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and was raised in the Bay Area, California. She also spent a semester studying abroad at Oxford University, England. After graduation, Bella spent 10 months living in Jerusalem and participated in a unique Israel Government Fellows program through which she was able to intern at both the Israel Ministry of Tourism and at the non-profit organization, MEMRI. Alana Tilman altilman@jtsa.edu Jewish Theological Seminary Alana Tilman recently completed her first year at the Davidson School of Education where she is working towards an MA in Jewish Education with a focus in Informal Education. Originally from suburban Philadelphia, she grew up very active in her Jewish community. She attended Brandeis University and received a BA in Judaic Studies and Psychology, with a minor in Hebrew literature and also spent a semester at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She's worked in a variety of Jewish educational settings but her ultimate passion stems from her many summers spent attending and working for Ramah, both in the Poconos and in Israel.