BadyRobin

Robin Bady
Award winning storyteller Robin Bady has been called, “tender, big-hearted and gutsy”, “compassionate and street smart.” She performs in festivals, theaters, museums, schools, colleges and other venues across the United States and parts of Europe. She is the founder of the multi-ethnic storytelling ensemble, Shirazad’s Children, and a member of the musical group Bash the Trash Environmental Arts. She is a teaching artist with various arts organizations. She collaborates on projects with other artists, including visual artist Judy Hoffman, alt-rock violinist Deni Bonet, and instrument builder and composer Skip LaPlante. Her project “Aesop Sez: Fables for Our Times” was created with cartoonist Richard Codor. She was a founder of Chicago’s Bread and Roses Theater, the Artistic Director of Chicago’s Organic Theater, and director of the Children’s Theater Workshop of the 92nd Street Y

Robin attended Antioch College, graduated from New York University’s Professional Actor Training Program, took classes at NYU’s Educational Theater program, and has studied story with Peninnah Schram, Elizabeth Ellis and Laura Simms.

Her work is nurtured with joy, performed with exuberance and compassion, and shaped by her commitment to social justice.

Her favorite review? “Are you coming back tomorrow too?”

 Robin is the winner of the 2012 J.J. Reneaux Emergins Artists Grant.

Visit Robin’s website at RobinBady.com

 Robin’s Podcast Beyond Chelm

BlackJoe

Rabbi Joe Black
Rabbi Black is Senior Rabbi of Temple Emanuel in Denver, Colorado. Prior to moving to Denver, he served as Senior Rabbi of Congregation Albert in Albuquerque, New Mexico from 1996-2010,and as Assistant then Associate Rabbi of Temple Israel in Minneapolis, Minnesota from 1987- 1996. He is married and has two children.

Rabbi Joe Black is one of the most popular Jewish contemporary artists in the United States. He has been a featured performer at the Coalition for Alternatives in Jewish Education (CAJE) Conference as well as the Biennial Conventions of the Union for Reform Judaism. He has shared his music with hundreds of Jewish communities around the United States and Canada. He also has been featured in many acoustic music venues around the country. Rabbi Black has been honored as one of the “Top Ten Artists” in both the categories of “Jewish Children’s Music” and “Male, Adult Contemporary Jewish Music” by Moment Magazine and TARA Publications. His recordings have received accolades from sources as diverse asThe New York Times, Haddasah Magazine, Parent’s Choice, The American Library Journal and Kids First: The Coalition for Quality Children’s Video. While living in Chicago, he hosted the Emmy award winning television program, The Magic Door on WBBM TV. 

 Joe’s Blog Torah Limericks

BurkemanDanny

Rabbi Danny Burkeman
Rabbi Danny Burkeman was born and raised in London, England. As a teenager he was active in the British Reform Jewish-Zionist youth movement RSY-Netzer, spending a year with them in Israel before attending Cambridge University, where he received a BA in History and Theology. Following university he worked as an educator in the British Jewish community and studied for his Masters in Jewish Christian relations (which he completed in 2008).

Rabbi Danny’s rabbinical training had an international feel to it, with a year at Leo Baeck College, in London, a year at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in Jerusalem, and three years at HUC-JIR in Los Angeles. While in Israel he met Micol Zimmerman (an American Jewish education student) and they were married two weeks before his ordination in May 2009.

Following ordination, Rabbi Danny and Micol moved back to London where he became an Associate Rabbi at West London Synagogue (Britain’s oldest Reform congregation). There Rabbi Danny fulfilled a variety of roles as part of the clergy team. He expanded their young adult provision, establishing a series of new programs and a young adult group, which received coverage in the British Jewish press. He also led the development of the Synagogue’s online presence through Twitter and Facebook, setting them up to broadcast services on the internet.

Rabbi Danny is currently the Vice-President of Arzenu (the International Federation of Reform and Progressive Religious Zionists) and is a member of the World Union for Progressive Judaism Executive Board, attending and presenting at their conferences, most recently in San Francisco in 2010. He enjoys writing, and has been published in several European journals, the book A Passion for Judaism, and in The Jewish News of England (a weekly national newspaper) for which he writes a regular column.

  Danny’s Podcast Two Minutes of Torah

EcksteinPeter

Peter Eckstein

Peter Eckstein began his career a Jewish educator in 1982 on Kibbutz Ketura, working with children of all ages and serving as the kibbutz Education Coordinator. In 1993 upon returning to the U.S. he became the Director of Education and Programming at Temple Israel in West Palm Beach. Currently he is the Director of Congregational Learning at Temple Beth David in Palm Beach Gardens. In addition, serves as the Technology Integration Educator for the Friedman Commission for Jewish Education.

He was very active with the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education as programming co-chair, Shabbat chair and conference chair for several conferences. He has taught professional development for educators, Judaic adult education classes, and the Palm Beach County’s “Introduction to Judaism” course for those seeking to become part of the community. He is specializing in teaching educators how to integrate Education Technology into the Jewish classroom. He has also served on the faculty at URJ Camp Coleman as an informal Jewish educator.

Peter is fascinated by how technology and experiential education will aid in the transmission of Jewish awareness to the next generations.

Follow Peter on Twitter @Redmenace56

 Peter’s Blog The Fifth Child

FinmanHerschel

Rabbi Herschel Finman
Herschel Finman is a Chabad Rabbi serving greater Detroit and cyberspace. He and his wife Chana spent four years in Australia where Rabbi Finman devoted his time to the study of medical/legal/business ethics. For more than 20 years, Rabbi Finman has been teaching Kaballa, Chasidus and Judaism in a variety of settings; home, offices, phone, web conference. Feel free to contact Rabbi Herschel Finman with any comment or query.

 Rabbi Finman’s Podcast The Jewish Hour

GeffenJonah

Jonah Geffen
Jonah Geffen is a 4th year Rabbinical student at the Jewish Theological Seminary and just returned from a year living in Jerusalem. He is currently serving as a Rabbinic Intern at B’nai Jeshurun in New York City. He holds a Masters in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University. He is married to Julia Mannes, a Doula and Yoga teacher and is the father of a daughter, Bina.

 Jonah’s Blog Ish Ben Partzi

HarcholHanan

Hanan Harchol
Hanan Harchol is a multimedia artist, born in Israel, who moved to the US as a child. Harchol creates paintings, drawings, animations, videos, and multimedia installations that explore the human condition through family narratives.

Harchol earned a Master of Fine Arts from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts with Highest Honors from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University. Harchol received a 1998 New Jersey State Council on the Arts Fellowship, and The Foundation for Jewish Culture’s Ronnie Heyman Prize in 2004. Harchol was awarded a 2011 Covenant Foundation Signature Grant. Harchol’s work has been published in the book “Jewish Art In America: An Introduction”, by Prof. Baigell, and reviewed in ARTnews, The Chicago Tribune, and The Jewish Week.

Harchol has exhibited extensively in museums and galleries across the country, and his films and animations have been broadcast on Channel 13 (WNET) and in nearly 100 film festivals worldwide. Harchol is also a professional classical guitarist with eight CD releases.

 Hanan’s Annimated Podcast Jewish Food For Thought

HermanAaron

Aaron Herman
Aaron “The Schmoz” Herman is the Director of Missions and Development for the Jewish Federations of North America and CEO of ABH Consulting, which specializes in fundraising and multimedia engagement. Aaron is a leader in social media engagement and user experience. Aaron has worked for UJF of Greater Stamford, Birthright Israel Foundation,and the Jewish New Teacher Project helping to enhance annual campaigns and community outreach. Aaron is an informal Jewish educator who has staffed 12 Taglit-Birthright Israel trips, USY European experience, taught nursery school in Riverdale and Hebrew school in Vestal, NY.

 Aaron’s Podcast Schmoozer

KalmanofskyJeremy

Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky
Jeremy Kalmanofsky has served as rabbi at Ansche Chesed since 2001. He loves working at this synagogue because our community embodies the best of committed Jewish life: study that stretches the mind, ritual that moves the heart, and acts of caring that improve the world. You will find him engaged in each of these areas of Jewish life at Ansche Chesed.

He particularly enjoys opportunities to talk with our members about their own spiritual journeys. “My favorite line of classical prayer is P’tach Libi, open my heart,” he says. “That is what religion is meant for: opening up your heart to life.” He is grateful for the opportunities to share the special moments of your lives, whether joyous or sad.

Rabbi Kalmanofsky is a diligent student, especially in the traditions of Jewish thought and mysticism, and engaged daily with Talmud.

He was ordained in 1997 by the Jewish Theological Seminary, where he was a Wexner Graduate Fellow. He also studied Torah at Machon Pardes in Jerusalem, and earned a B.A. at Cornell University. He and Dr. Amy Kalmanofsky have four children: Yedidya, Hadas, Isaiah and Odelya. 

  Jeremy’s Blog Honest To God

KayeLeora

Rabbi Leora Kaye
Leora Kaye’s experience spans across the spectrum of the “Jewish World” including education, programming, and filmmaking. As a rabbi she has focused on seeking new ways to expand people’s understanding of Judaism – encouraging them to approach Judaism on their own terms, through teaching and offering opportunities in sophisticated and innovative ways, while infusing them with knowledge of Jewish tradition.

While in rabbinical school she worked as a production associate on the award-winning documentary Blue Vinyl, which was shown at the Sundance Film Festival in 2001 and subsequently aired on HBO in 2002. Since then she has combined her interest in media and religion by producing videos for NFTY, Matan, and other Jewish organizations. Leora acted as a rabbinic consultant for the new Shalom Sesame project which launched in November of 2010 and has also acted in an advisory position for various documentaries and television shows.

As the Program Director for Congregation Rodeph Sholom since 2004, she creates and organizes inventive programs including a film festival, inviting dynamic speakers and fostering intimate discussions and study opportunities for the congregation and greater New York City community.

She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin at Madison and received her rabbinical ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York in 2002. She lives in Brooklyn, New York with her daughter Galit and husband Doug Gordon, a writer and television producer.

  Leora writes the Study Guides for the Annimated Podcast Jewish Food For Thought

KnopfMichael

Rabbi Michael Knopf
Rabbi Michael Knopf is the Assistant Rabbi of Har Zion Temple in Penn Valley, PA. He is dedicated to engaging and supporting spiritual seekers; communicating the transformative power of Torah and prayer; and building welcoming, supportive, and inspiring community. These passions inspired him, prior to his ordination from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in 2011, to help coordinate the nation’s largest preparatory program for conversion to Judaism; to work as a spiritual counselor at Beit T’Shuvah, a Jewish addiction treatment facility; and to serve several congregations and educational institutions in the U.S. and Canada. Rabbi Knopf is a regular contributor to Haaretz’s “Rabbi’s Roundtable” blog, Jewish Values Online, and other publications; produces a weekly video message; and is cultivating a national reputation for scholarship in theology and Jewish law.

Rabbi Knopf, originally from Atlanta, Georgia, is happily married to his best friend, Adira, and enjoys movies, traveling, and pizza.

 Michael’s Podcast The Tisch

Lau-LavieAmichai

Amichai Lau-Lavie
Amichai is an Israeli-born teacher of Judaic Literature, described as ‘one of the most interesting thinkers in the Jewish world’ by the NY Jewish Week. Amichai studied at various yeshivot, including the Shalom Hartman Institute and the Elul Center in Jerusalem. Between 1992 and 1996 he directed the summer programs at Melitz: the Jewish Zionist Centers in Jerusalem, focusing on the integration of Jewish education via the arts. His theatrical experience as a writer and performer includes the Theatre Company Jerusalem, The Acco Theatre Group in Israel and the Avodah Dance Ensemble in the U.S. Between 1997-2000 he served as Artist-in-Residence at Congregation B’nai Jeshurun in New York City. Amichai is currently in Rabbinical School at The Jewish Theological Seminary.

Amichai was a Jerusalem Fellow at the Mandel Leadership Institute in Israel (2008-2009) and is a consultant to the Reboot Network, a member of the Synagogue 3000 Leadership Network, serves on the Advisory Council for the Six Points Fellowship, the Advisory Board for Faithhouse Manhattan, and the Board of Directors of Nehirim.

Amichai’s Podcast Word

NachmanyMichal

Michal Nachmany
Michal Nachmany is a graduate of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Michal has taught liturgical, biblical, and modern Hebrew for more than 20 years at synagogues and other institutions throughout New York City. Michal teaches at Columbia University.

Michal’s Podcast Rega Shel Ivrit (A Moment of Hebrew)

RiegelDeborahGrayson

Deborah Grayson Riegel
Deborah Grayson Riegel, MSW, PCC is a certified coach, speaker, and writer who helps people, teams and organizations  get further, faster―and with more fun―through her consulting companies, Elevated Training Inc. and MyJewishCoach.com. Deborah’s clients dramatically improve their presentation, communication, interpersonal, and management skills through her dynamic workshops, keynote speeches, and one-on-one coaching. Deborah’s clients have included American Express, Discover Financial, Monster Worldwide, Pfizer, and the United States Army to Jewish Federations, synagogues, agencies, schools and camps.  Deborah speaks 100 times a year, from her native New York City to Beijing, China and in dozens of cities in between.

Deborah is a visiting Professor of Executive Communication for the Beijing International MBA Program at Peking University, where she teaches senior leaders from multinational corporations how to present themselves and their ideas with polish, passion, and professionalism in the growing global marketplace. Deborah is also the former Director of Education and Training for the Mandel Center for Leadership Excellence at the Jewish Federations of North America, where she designed and developed a full roster of training programs for Jewish professional and volunteer leaders.  

Deborah holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of Michigan, a Master’s in Social Work from Columbia University, and is a graduate of both Coach U. and the Coaches Training Institute. Deborah’s unique, energetic, and results-driven style combines her background and experience in coaching, behavioral and cognitive psychology, adult learning, and improvisational comedy, which she performed at some of New York City’s top comedy clubs.

Deborah is a contributor to Choice: The Magazine of Professional Coaching, and writes a bi-weekly online coaching column for the New York Jewish Week, reaching over 160,000 readers. Deborah’s new book Oy Vey! Isn’t A Strategy is available for pre-order and will be available in early May, 2012 by Behrman House. Deborah and her husband Michael are the proud parents of twins, Jacob and Sophie.

 Deborah’s Podcast Oy Vey! Isn’t A Strategy

RosenfieldRachelJacoby

Rachel Jacoby Rosenfield
Rachel Jacoby Rosenfield is co-founder and director of the Jewish Greening Fellowship, an initiative of the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, which aims to cultivate environmental change leadership among Jewish communal professionals, reduce the environmental impacts of Jewish organizations in the New York area, and generate meaningful responses to global climate change while strengthening Jewish life. Rachel has served as an educator, organizer and advocate in the field of Jewish service-learning in for more than a decade. She serves on the Governance Committee of COEJL, the Board of Advisors for Urban Adamah as Founder and Chair of the GreenFaith Certification Committee at her synagogue (Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale), as well as Vice President for Social Action and Israel Affairs. She is currently a fellow in the Selah Leadership Program and is a graduate of the Muehlstein Fellowship for Jewish Professional Leadership and earned her M.A. in Comparative Literature at the University of California at Berkeley with a focus on Hebrew literature. She lives in Riverdale, NY with her family.

 Rachel’s Podcast Isabella FreeRadio

RuskayDarone

Darone Ruskay
Darone has spent the past fifteen years working in the Jewish Education field, providing top-quality Jewish education to the North American community. he served as the Conference Coordinator for The Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education (CAJE) for many years. Since then he has worked at United Jewish Communities (UJC), as their Director of Young Leadership Cabinet Membership, at The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS), in the Department of Institutional Advancement, and most recently as the Managing Director of The Skirball Center for Adult Jewish Learning at Temple Emanu-El.  He brings his passion for Jewish Life and Education, as well as his personal interest and passion for media and technology to this new venture, and is perfectly suited to lead the JCast Network (which he might just have to call JCN as he is so used to working at institutions that use their initials.)

Darone lives in New York with his wife Rabbi Stephanie Ruskay and his two beautiful boys Nachshon and Betzalel. For lots and lots of pictures of his beautiful boys, visit ruskay.com.

 Darone’s Podcast The JCast Journey

 Darone’s Podcast Smorgasbord

 Darone is the Executive Director & Producer of JCast Network

Ruskay-KiddIlana

Ilana Ruskay-Kidd

Ilana Ruskay-Kidd is the Director of The Saul and Carole Zabar Nursery School at the JCC in Manhattan.  She has been working at the JCC since 2001 and has been the Director of the school since 2006.  Ilana was born and raised on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and now lives there with her husband and three children, Gabriella (13), Emma (11) and Daniel (7). 

Ilana received her BA from Harvard University and a Master’s Degree in Education from Bank Street College. After being inspired and trained at Central Park East in Harlem, she became a co-founding teacher at the Ella Baker School, an alternative public school in Manhattan. She then went on to work as an Early Childhood Curriculum Consultant for the Children’s Aid Society where she developed curricula with directors and teachers in day care, Head Start and private nursery school programs throughout the city. 

At The JCC in Manhattan, Ilana began as Director of Young Families and then became Senior Director of Family Life, supervising programs serving families and children ages newborn-eighteen years old. 

 Ilana’s Blog Eat, Play Love

SamlanArnie

Rabbi Arnie Samlan
Rabbi Arnold D. Samlan, MSW, is Founder and Owner of Jewish Connectivity. Arnie is an innovative and creative Jewish educational leader and rabbi. His programs and teachings have powerfully impacted Jewish learners and professionals across the country. A native of Chicago, he now lives in Long Island, NY. Arnie blogs as The Notorious R.A.V., and has a Twitter feed with over 700 followers, @jewishconnectiv.

  Arnie’s Podcast Meet Me At the Tzomet (Intersection)

SchwartzJoanJohn

Joan and John Schwartz
Joan and John Schwartz are ex New Yorkers, living in Los Angeles. They are married and see a lot of films. They usually disagree but always tell it like it is. John is most famous for creating the cult classic films Faces of Death. He has also written for various prime time series and has written movies for both Showtime and HBO. In the world of reality television John has produced, written and directed over 450 segments for various magazine shows He has also written and Executive Produced several Prime-Time Specials. Joan has appeared on the New York Stage on and off Broadway…and has been in several Los Angeles theater productions as well.. Joan has been in several low budget films and at present she is busy writing screenplays with her husband, John.

  Joan and John’s Podcast Two Jews On Film

Shapiro-PlevanSara

Sara Shapiro-Plevan
Sara Shapiro-Plevan is a doctoral student in the Davidson School of Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary,where her research focuses on the impact of social and professional networks on the career trajectory of congregational educators. and communities of practice in support of professional learning and growth.  In addition, Sara prepares graduate students in the field of congregational education to take leadership roles in the field, as an adjunct faculty member in the Davidson School.  

Sara most recently served as a consultant for the Board of Jewish Education NY-SAJES, (now The Jewish Education Project) working directly with congregational educators in the greater New York area to build strong collegial networks, improve practice and cultivate leadership. She has served as director of education and as assistant director of education in three Manhattan congregations, and has served as the director of professional development for the METNY region of USCJ, where she developed professional learning programs for teachers in congregational schools. In addition to her consultations for congregations in the New York area, Sara has partnered with congregations across the country to reimagine their model, build new governance structures and align curriculum with vision. 

Sara holds a BA in  Near Eastern and Judaic Studies from Brandeis  University, an MA in Jewish Education from JTS, and was a fellow in the Senior Educators’ Program at the  Melton Centre at Hebrew University.  She has served on the board of the Jewish Educators’ Assembly, the International Committee for Women of the Wall,  and on the Advisory Board of MATAN, and proudly serves in her own community as a layperson and volunteer.

  Sara’s Podcast Jewish Education Salon