Teachers
Oren Benyamin Benoff
Oren studies under Rabbi Shalom Brodt at Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo, in Jerusalem. Oren learned his skills as a Sofer under Rav Natan Siegel, a Master Sofer living in Gush Etzion. Oren was afforded the privilege to engage in a protege master relationship with Rav Siegel. Oren resides in what he believes is the most beautiful and inspiring place on earth; Beit Zayit, located in the Jerusalem forest. Oren's community is filled with talented artists, with whom he collaborates on his projects.
http://orenbenyamin.com/
Rabbi Ozer Bergman
Ozer Bergman was born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised on Long Island's South Shore. He moved to Israel in February 1978. He has taught Jews of every stream, as old as four years and as young as 80, formally and informally, in English, Hebrew and Yiddish, in Jerusalem and from coast-to-coast in the USA. He has worked for the Breslov Research Institute for more than 12 years as translator, editor and web master. He and his wife Udel, a social worker at Retorno, a therapeutic community in Beit Shemesh, live in Jerusalem with their as yet unmarried children. Their married children and grandchildren live in Beit Shemesh.
His weekly divrei torah on Breslov themes can be accessed at
http://www.breslov.org/parsha.html/
Rabbi Sholom Brodt
Sholom
Brodt is a Judaic studies teacher and storyteller. Sholom was educated at
the Chabad yeshiva in Montreal, and at other yeshivot in Toronto and Jerusalem.
As a student of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach zt"l,
he received rabbinic ordination 1989. He received his BA and Diploma in Instructional
Technology from Concordia University in Montreal and his MA in Jewish Education
from Yeshiva University in New York.
Sholom has been working in formal and informal Jewish education for thirty
years, teaching in Jewish communities of all denominations. For the past nine
years he has also been a visiting Rabbi to the Jewish community in Montpelier,
VT. As a teacher and participant at the Conference of Rural Judaism, he leads
workshops, tells Chassidic stories and conducts services.
Sholom is committed to working for the unity of the Jewish people by providing
high quality Jewish education. Believing that it is vital that we interact
and study Torah together, that we share and celebrate together, and that we
truly learn how to live together as one people, Sholom visits and teaches
across North America in communities of all denominations.
Leiba Chaya David
Since her aliyah from the U.S. in 1996, Leiba Chaya has been exploring the Land of Israel and the Israeli environmental movement. She studied for a year at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, and she is a certified SPNI field guide. She holds an MA in Jewish Education from Hebrew University, where she researched the relationship between Jewish culture and sense of place. Currently, Leiba Chaya works at the SPNI Urban Field School in Jerusalem. She combines her love of Torah and Eretz Yisrael with her experience as an educator and activist to create Jewish Eco-Volunteer programs for visiting students, tourists, and Israeli youth. She lives with her husband, Yonah, and two small children, Aviel and Noam, on a moshav near Jerusalem.
Rabbi Betzalel Philip Edwards
Betzalel, formerly from Boston, has been living in the Old City of Jerusalem for the past twelve years, is a known teacher and translator of Jewish thought in the areas of Chassidut and Kabbalah. Betzalel's major contributions to the public so far are translations of the Mei HaShiloach, (known as the Ishbitzer Rebbe) and the Piasetsner Rebbe (know as the Eysh Kodesh, or the Rebbe of the Warsaw Ghetto). People who have studied Betzalel's works have found an entrance to texts and ideas that were hitherto inaccessible. We invite you to join Betzalel in his explorations of the world of Chassidut and Kabbalah and its expressions in the Arts, Music, and Psychology. Betzalel's interests are music, nature, Torah, Kabbalah, Chassidut, jazz and silat.
Morah Leah Golomb
Leah Golomb was raised in New Jersey in a modern orthodox home. She is a chassidah of Reb Shlomo and was a student of his for many years. She continues her journey that lead her to Eretz Israel over 40 years ago. Leah has been teaching the Jewish calendar, holidays and weekly Torah portions for the past 30 years. She currently lives on Moshav Mevo Modiin with her husband Michael. For more information visit http://leahgolomb.com/
Morah Leah Hartman
Leah Hartman is originally from Colorado where she received a B.A. from the University of Colorado. In Israel, she has studied at Midreshet Bat Ayin, Matan, and Midreshet Lindenbaum. She currently lives in Jerusalem with her husband and four children and is involved with several different writing projects. Leah uses her love of Torah, Israel, writing, and her family to deepen her own connection with Judaism and aspires to deepen the connection of the students with whom she learns.
Rabbi Raz Hartman
Raz
Hartman received a Bachelor of Music from the University of Southern California.
He then studied for six years at the Bat Ayin Yeshiva where he received rabbinic
ordination. He now uses music to deepen his Torah teaching. Raz leads the V’Ani Tefillah Shtibel in the Nachlaot community of Jerusalem.
Rabbi Shaul David Judelman
Shaul David Judelman studied in the Yeshivat Bat Ayin Smicha Program and has joined the Simchat Shlomo staff as co-ordinator of the Eco-Activist Beit Midrash and a teacher in the Men's Beit Midrash Program. Raised in Seattle, WA with a passion and dedication to the world we live in, he completed a B.A. in International and Intercultural Studies at Pitzer College and came through kibbutz on a quest for a Judaism in touch with the Creator and the land that has led to much learning, music, and celebration with our people and our Torah.
Rabbi Shlomo Katz
Shlomo Katz was born in New Jersey but grew up in Raanana, Israel. Shlomo, a credentialed Chaplain, received his rabbinical ordination at the flagship Torah institution of Rabbi Shlomo Riskin and Yeshivat HaMivtar in Efrat under Rosh HaYeshiva, Rav Chaim Brovender. The Torah and music of Reb Shlomo Carlebach zt"l has inspired and strengthened Shlomo to become a prolific composer of beautiful music. Shlomo is invited quite often as Scholar in Residence to university campuses and synagogues to teach Torah and give concerts, lead Melave Malkas and kumsitzim. He was the lead Baal Tefilah and spiritual guide in the Carlebach Minyan of Beth Jacob of Beverly Hills. He taught Torah and Chassidut, where his classes boasted an average of 50 students on a regular basis.
Morah Esther Kitov
Rebbetzin Kitov is a graduate of Michala Jerusalem College for Women and a devoted student of the famous Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburg. She is a specialist in Women in the Bible, and has taught that subject and others in Jewish institutions worldwide.
Rabbi Aharon Rothman
R’ Rothman originally made Aliyah with his family 23 years ago. He most recently returned to Eretz Israel after teaching for 18 years in Shaar Yashuv in New York, where he taught Talmud, Chassidut and Jewish Philosophy. While in New York, Rabbi Rothman conducted an interactive chaburah with his alumni in order to reconnect with them and inspire them. Rabbi Rothman currently teaches in our Men’s Beit Midrash.
Morah Rochel Rena Silber
Morah Silber has had extensive experience in teaching over the past 30 years. While living in New York, Morah Silber taught in Ezra Academy and had weekly shiurim for women in the local communities. Since making Aliyah in 2001, she has continued teaching in various seminaries such as Neve Yerushalayim, Ba’er Miriam, Maayanot for Women, Tikvah, Midreshet Tehilla, Har Nof Women’s Parsha Shiur, Chabad of Ramat Shlomo and Tiferet. She brings in a broad variety of Chassidus sources in her shiurim, and helps her students develop practical ways of living according to chassidut. For more information about Rebbetzin Silber, visit her website http://www.kolrena.org/
Rabbi Avraham Sutton
Avraham
Sutton has been learning and teaching Torah, Kabbalah, Talmud, Midrash, Chassidut,
prayer and meditation for many years. He has translated, edited or authored
over 15 major works on the significance of Torah for our age.
Rabbi Sutton teaches a course called Kabbalistic Teachings on Prayer and
Meditation. His website is http://geulah.org/
Rabbi Avraham Aryeh Trugman
Rabbi Avraham Arieh and Rachel Trugman have been teaching thousands about Soul Tools and dozens of other important Jewish spiritual concepts for over 30 years. The Trugmans began Ohr Chadash to share creative, joyous, and non-coercive educational programs that allow participants to explore Judaism at their own pace and according to their own interests. His website is www.thetrugmans.com
Yael Ukeles
Yael
Ukeles, Founder and Director of Teva Adventure and Derech Hateva,
has extensive background in teaching about Judaism, nature, and the environment
in Israel and the US. As part of Teva Adventure, Yael has lead wilderness
programs in the Rockies for teens with NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School)
and through SPNI's (Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel) JEE/Derech
Hateva throughout Israel. Both programs continue to pioneer an integrated,
original outdoor Jewish curriculum and an innovative approach to Jewish education
overall.
Akiva Wolff
Akiva Wolff has been studying Jewish sources relating to the environment
for the past 12 years in various Jerusalem yeshivot and kollelim. He is a
lecturer at the Jerusalem College of Technology and has an MA in Energy and
Environmental Studies and a BSc in Soil Science. Before moving to Israel,
he worked as a program director for the New York City Recycling Department
and an environmental consultant for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental
Quality Engineering.
