Andrea Arbel    AndreaA@jafi.org
Director, Partnership Unit, The Jewish Agency for Israel

Andrea Arbel is the Director of the Partnership Unit at the Jewish Agency for Israel, where she is responsible for "Partnership2Gether," the Global School Twining Network, allocations to the religious streams and the loan fund division. Before entering the world of Partnership, she served as Advisor to the Director General of The Jewish Agency’s aliyah and absorption department.  After making aliyah 31 years ago from the United States, she worked at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, a think-tank where she published numerous books and articles. Highlighted in Andrea's bibliography are: "Riding the Wave: The Jewish Agency's Role in the Mass Aliyah of Soviet and Ethiopian Jewry to Israel" and "The Blue Box Revisited: Keren Kayemeth Le'Israel-The Jewish National Fund." Andrea lives with her husband and three children in Kfar Uriyah, Israel.

Jay Weinstein     jayw@jafi.org
Director, Global Intergenerational Initiative

Jay Weinstein recently made Aliyah to Israel together with his wife Sharon and four children. Prior to making Aliyah, he served as the Rabbi of the Young Israel of East Brunswick for six years. Jay, a native of Miami Beach, FL, holds a B.A. in Accounting from Sy Syms School of Business, a Masters Degree in Special Education from Columbia University and Rabbinical Ordination from Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary.

Amit Zehavi
Associate Director, G2 Israel

Amit currently also serves as the Associate Director for the Yoav/Lehigh Valley Partnership. She was born in the USA, and made Aliya at age 10, growing up in Rehovot. Amit is married and a mother of three. She is a member of Kibbutz Tzora and graduate of Nahal Army corps. She has been a part of the Partnership2Gether family since 2007, starting her career as People-to-People Coordinator for the Beit Shemesh/Mateh Yehuda/South Africa P2G. She served as Community Emissary (Shlicha) for The Jewish Federation of Milwaukee for three years, there worked with Sovev Kinneret P2G. She holds a Masters in Group Leadership via the Arts. In her free time, she enjoys making art from reused materials. She loves people, film, nature & art.

Susie Rosengarten, Milwaukee
SusieR@milwaukeejewish.org

Susie Rosengarten is the Partnership2Gether Coordinator at the Milwaukee Jewish Federation.  In addition she has worked as a Jewish educator for 27 years in synagogues, day school, camp and with private students.  She lives in Glendale, Wisconsin and has five awesome sons and an incredible foster daughter.

Ris Arbel Even, Sovev Kinneret Partnership Director

Six years ago Ris arrived back in Israel after she was the Israeli Shlicha (Emissary) to the Jewish Federation of Greater St. Paul and to the Hillel at the University of Minnesota. 

After her Shlichut she worked for JAFI in the Central Galilee and in Nesher P2G as a Living Bridge Coordinator.

Eilat Harel, Minneapolis
eharel@jewishminneapolis.org

Director, Community Impact & Engagement, Israel

Eilat first became involved with the MPLS Jewish Federation when she moved from Canada in 2000 (during the 2nd Intifada) with her husband Noam, son Ely and soon to be born daughter Lia. Watching the reaction in MPLS to what was going on in Israel was troubling to her which was why she volunteered to Chair the Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut programs that year (not knowing this would probably never end for her). In 2006 when she got her Greencard, she was asked if she wants to stop volunteering and actually work at Federation. Leaving her multi media background, Eilat became a full time Israeli Israel advocate in the community where she also learned what being Jewish was about and has made a point to raise her family (husband included) to be Jewish and not just Israeli.

Being bi-cultural has been the root of her passion for connecting between the Diaspora Jews and the Israelis. She finds each side just as annoying as the other but when connections are made, stories are told and Jewish and Israeli experiences born – she becomes the Jewish mom and would love to be able to just feed all these new people who have found new friends and are passionate about their personal experiences.

Peoplehood is not just a word for her but a mindset and a value she bring to her work place on a daily basis. 

Einat Winter, Nesher
EinatW@jafi.org

Einat is in her fifth year as the Living Bridge Coordinator for Nesher-Broward County Parntership2Gether, by the Jewish Agency for Israel. Einat is Married to Lior and a mother of 2 beautiful boys: Golan (4) and Tavor (1). Einat is a born and raised country girl; she lives in moshav Ramat Tzvi in central-northern Israel. Einat holds a BA in International Relations & Jewish Thought, and a MA in Jewish Education from The Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Einat holds a Teacher’s Diploma in Jewish Thought from Oranim College and taught special Judaism class for non-religious students for a few years before her current position. Einat did a year of service as a JAFI ShinShin at the Jewish community of Eastern CT in New London, CT and participated in many delegations in her teen years. Einat completed her military service on the Observation battalion of the IDF. Einat loves her job as she finds great passion in the Jewish world.

Rabbi Hannah Wallick, Milwaukee
Hannahw@milwaukeejewish.org

Rabbi Hannah Wallick currently serves as the VP of Outreach, Israel and Overseas for the Milwaukee Jewish Federation. Prior to re-entering organizational work, Rabbi Hannah served in two congregations, the Jewish Community Project in Tribeca and Congregation Beth Israel in southern Maryland. Rabbi Hannah’s professional work focuses primarily on outreach to the unaffiliated, she worked for the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation as an internal consultant to the 13 NY/NJ regional congregations and at the Jewish Outreach Institute. Rabbi Hannah holds a BA in Jewish Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, a Masters in Education from the William Davidson Graduate School of Education and Rabbinic Ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary.

Lital Donner, Parkland
ldonner@jewishbroward.org

Lital grew up in Tel-Aviv, Israel. She served for 5 years in the education unit of the IDF and achieved the rank of Officer. Lital trained new immigrants to Israel (Olim), providing them the tools to learn Hebrew, understand the Israeli and Jewish story and become acclimated within Israeli society. The passion for Jewish education led Lital to work for Taglit – Birthright Israel after her army service, study Jewish education in Seminar-Hakibutzim college in Tel-Aviv, and become a Jewish Agency Israel Fellow at Hillel of Broward and Palm Beach, educating and connecting college students to Israel. After three years of bringing Israel to campus, Lital moved on to her next chapter of professional work as Director of Youth and Family Programming at Congregation Kol Tikvah in Parkland. Living in the diaspora has made a great impact on Lital's understanding of the importance of Jewish community; it is a family. Lital is committed to connecting people to people - anywhere.

Biffy Borg, Rochester 

Biffy Borg is the PJ Library Manager and Family Engagement Specialist at the Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester. She has a background in literacy, the arts, and social work and is thrilled that she gets to use all these skills developing fun and engaging programs. Biffy lives in Rochester with her husband and three children.

Rachel Nahoum, Ashkelon, Israel

Mother of 3 sons.  Grandmother of 6 grandchildren.  President of the Rotary Club Tzavta Ashkelon.  Lecturer in the College of Children and Youth at Risk. 

Yosi Herbst, Arad, Israel
yosiherbst@gmail.com

Yosi, 34, is married with two daughters and is a proud native and resident of Arad. He serves as a facilitator of the G2 program on behalf of the Beit Midrash Elul (https://www.elul.org.il). He holds a BA in Psychology from Open University. Additionally, he works for the Ramon Foundation named for Ilan and Asaf Ramon and for the Center for Empowerment and Leadership of children and youth.

Michal Melker, Yeruham, Israel
michalme@jafi.org  

Michal Melker, 47 years old, married to Nachshon and mother of Hila, Mor and Dolev, is the Living Bridge Coordinator of P2G’s Yeruham-Miami Partnership. She was born and raised in Yeruham and has worked within the city for the last 22 years, focused on developing the relationship between Yeruham and Miami. She enjoys learning about the Jewish Community and creating people to people connections.

Idit Oshrat, Netanya, Israel
idito@jafi.org 

For the last 3 yea, Idit is proud to be part of the Netanya Cincinnati partnership as the "People to People coordinator", working in Netanya. She was born and raised in Kibbutz Mishmar Hashron only a few Kilometers north of Netanya. After many years of studying and working in Tel-Aviv, she decided to return to the Kibbutz, where she lives today with her husband Didi, her lovely four- year old daughter Ayala and her baby boy Erez. Idit holds a BA in political since and management form TA University.  Prior to her work in JAFI, she worked in various NGO'S providing her with a rich experience working with diverse populations and leading community projects.

Amit Perchuk, Miami
Amit@tbsmb.org

Amit Perchuk, 23 years old, is from Nazareth Illit in the north region of Israel. She finished the army 3 years ago and served a meaningful and enjoyable service in the Armored Corps as a Tank instructor, just like her father and older brother. She is the Israeli Shlicha (emissary) of Temple Beth Sholom in Miami Beach, and loves to share her love of Israel!

Justin Sakofs, Greater MetroWest
JSakofs@JFedGMW.org

Justin is a passionate Jewish educator who strongly believes that interpersonal connections drive us forward to create and do meaningful Jewish actions. Justin grew up and lives in Greater MetroWest with his family, and enjoys taking time to play and share experiences with all generations.

Sharon Spiegel, Cincinnati
sspiegel@jfedcin.org

Sharon is the Director of Youth Israel Experiences at the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati.  In this role, she is a director of the Partnership2GETHER  (P2G) with Netanya/Cincinnati and direct supervisor for the vibrant Chaverim M'Israel (ShinShin) program.  She has been a part of the Israel Team in Cincinnati since beginning her work at the Federation 14 years ago.  Her work with the Federation was an outgrowth of multiple volunteer positions she undertook while working as an Occupational Therapist.  

Sharon's passion to make her community thrive stems from her many moves throughout her youth.  She currently resides in Cincinnati OH with her husband and three children.