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About Oranim:
Founded in 1986 as a travel company geared toward the young Jewish traveler, today Oranim Educational Initiatives is Israel's premiere educational tourism provider. Our broad menu of programs in Israel and abroad focuses on a Jewish audience but includes a diversity of populations including Christian tourism. Oranim has developed unique travel curricula based on the communality of the Jewish people, and we encourage travel to Israel as part of life-long learning concerning the history and heritage of the Jewish People. Some of our groups also travel to Europe in order to trace the roots of Jewish and Israeli history, and to mark the contributions made by Jews to various cities across the globe. Because Oranim was established and is operated in Israel - in the Jewish national and cultural heart - we are just the people to turn to when you are looking for a special, out-of-the-ordinary look at the Jewish People.
In 1999, Oranim operated the first Taglit-Birthright Israel program and quickly grew to be the largest organizer with over 55,000 international alumni. Always committed to Tikkun Olam (Repairing the World) and eager to engage his groups in meaningful, long term community service, Oranim president Shlomo (Momo) Lifshitz fulfilled a life-long dream and established the Community Involvement program in 2006. Three years after its inception, Oranim continues to build meaningful, long term programs in Israel - each of which include a community involvement component, interjecting positive and hopeful messages to communities throughout Israel and participants in our programs. Oranim Educational Initiatives proudly stands behind each dedicated and committed participant who contributes his or her time to our long term Israel programs.
Meet our Staff:
Shlomo (Momo) Lifshitz, President - Oranim Educational Initiatives
Momo is the founder and president of Oranim Educational Initiatives, Israel's leading educational travel company. His vision of securing the future of Israel and the Jewish People has been a guiding light through his entire career. Born in Tel Aviv in 1956, he served with distinction in the Israeli Army, rising to the rank of Lt. Colonel and saw action in the first Lebanon War (1982). He acquired a B.A. from Bar Ilan University in Sociology and Political Science, sociology and high-school teacher's certification. Momo left the army in 1984 and joined the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI). Momo has a certification from the Israeli Ministry of Tourism as a Specialist in Israeli Tourism.
Amnon Weigler, Vice President - Oranim Educational Initiatives
Amnon Weigler was born on the first Independence Day of the State of Israel in 1949. In 1967 he joined the Nahal unit of the Israeli Army - a unit that shares settlement and social endeavors as well as combat. Amnon served in the paratrooper unit of the Nahal and was the founder of Moshav of Zofar in the Arava. Amnon joined the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) and earned his guiding license from the Israeli Ministry of Tourism. In the SPNI he established Field Study Centers, was the Coastal Plains Regional Director and built groundbreaking educational programming that is still in use. After 12 years he departed from the SPNI and was involved in various educational tourism programs. He joined Oranim Educational Initiatives as Vice President and oversees the programming and educational content of Oranim's Teen and Jewish School programs, Jewish Teachers programs as well as Oranim's Jewish Travel programs around the world. Amnon has raised 5 children and is the proud grandfather of Ohad, born in December 2007.
Ofer Gutman, Director of Oranim Long Term Israel Programs
Ofer was born in 1975 and raised in Tivon, a town in the north of Israel, as a third generation to one of the first families' founders of the town in the late 1930s. He served on a battleship in the Navy of the Israel Defense Force. Ofer has L.L.B. degree and he is an attorney. He has worked in the Israel Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism, dealing with civil rights in Israel and helping new Olim with legal issues. Over the years, Ofer was very active on the campuses in Israel with peace and social issues and arranged many seminars for young adult and student leadership in Israel about Zionism and social issues. From 2004-2008, Ofer was the Central Shaliach (emissary) for the University Student Division/Hagshama Department of the World Zionist Organization in North America, working to bring Israel to the campuses and the campuses to Israel. Ofer has also worked in politics for several campaigns and was the chairman of Young Meretz and was in charge of the young adult and student activities of the party. Ofer was also a delegate to the World Zionist Congress.
Sara Reichenbach Manor, Director of Gap, Academic & Tel Aviv Programs
Sara was raised in Ridgewood, New Jersey and grew up in the American Reform Movement. Sara holds a BA in English Literature and an MA in Jewish Education from Hebrew Union College. Jewish camping and youth group secured in Sara a love for Israel and living Jewishly - so when she met her future husband (a sabra) at camp in 2001, she was ready to move to Israel. Since making Aliyah in 2002, Sara has designed innovative and exciting curricula for Israel and camp environments. Sara creates programs which foster a sense of love and commitment to Am ("people"), Eretz ("land") and Medinat ("state") Israel by "hugging and wrestling" with these subjects in an open, safe and honest environment. Sara and her husband Oded live in the heart of Tel Aviv, and are on a quest to eat in every restaurant in the city (recommendations upon request).
Dana Lev, Director of Israel Volunteer Center
Dana was born and raised in Kfar Saba, Israel. In 1999, Dana volunteered a year in the north of Israel as Community Coordinator of the "Hanoar Haoved Vehalomed" youth movement. She joined the army and served as an Education Officer in the Nahal. After the army, Dana was sent by the Jewish Agency to Argentina as a Shaliach, where there, she volunteered in two communities working in education and bringing the Israeli spirit to them. During that year she met her husband - an Israeli diplomat. They got married and Dana moved with him to San Paulo, Brazil, there she worked in the conservative community as the Director of Informal Education and the Youth Movement. After three years in South America, she moved with her husband to Moscow, Russia, she worked in the Jewish Agency for three years. Dana returned to Israel in August 2009. She holds a B.A. in Psychology and Education from The Open University and is doing her M.A. in Public Studies in Tel Aviv University.
Yariv Ofer, Director of Educational Programs
Yariv was born and raised in Kibbutz Yechiam in the Galilee. He graduated from Ashrat High School in 1988 and served as a combat team commander in the IDF from 1988 - 1992. Yariv has traveled extensively in Europe, Asia as well as North and South America and studied criminology at Bar Ilan University, graduating in 1997. After getting his tour guiding license from Haifa University in 1999, Yariv has guided many Israeli and American high schools, families, youth movements and Taglit-Birthright Israel groups. He is married to Dana and father to Roi and Ma'ayan.
Todd Edelman, Director of Marketing
New York born, but New Jersey raised. Coming from a conservative family, Todd attended Hebrew school until his Bar-Mitzvah at age 13. After his Bar-Mitzvah, Todd's connection to Judaism started to fade, attending Synagogue less often and no longer feeling connected to his Jewish roots. After hearing about Taglit-Birthright Israel in March of 2005, Todd found himself touring Israel just 3 short months later. Todd felt an instant connection to the land of Israel. He knew he needed to come back, and in May 2006, Todd returned to Israel by staffing a Taglit-Birthright Israel trip. Momo quickly saw his passion with the land of the chosen people and encouraged Todd to make a change in his life - to give back to not only the land, but the people of Israel. In August 2006, during the second Lebanon War, Todd returned to Israel to participate in the inaugural round of the 'Israel Service Corps - Community Involvement' program in Ramla. Within months of his arrival, Todd was already filing paperwork to make Aliyah, and on Dec 21, 2006, Todd became an Israeli citizen. Todd has worked with Oranim since January 2007, and continues to 'live the dream' in the land of Israel.
Dana Ganot, Administrative Coordinator
Dana was born and raised in Kfar Saba, Israel. She holds a B.A. in Islam and Middle East studies from Tel Aviv University. During her studies, she worked as a research assistant at the Center for Iranian Studies at the university and improved her Farsi knowledge in parallel to intensive Arabic studies. Dana also worked at the Peres Center for Peace as a project manager for the economy and business department. As such, she organized and initiated many business meetings and professional trainings for both Israelis and Palestinians from similar fields for the benefit of both sides. Over the years, Dana participated in many coexistence and peace building activities and also functioned as a counselor at the "Hanoar Haoved Vehalomed" youth movement. During her free time, Dana likes to Jog, read and play with her dog.
Ofir Teva, Admissions Coordinator
Ofir was born in Israel and moved to Toronto with his family at an early age. Upon completing his undergraduate degree in Psychology at York University (Toronto, Ontario), Ofir decided to reacquaint himself with family, friends, and the people of Israel by embarking on a personal journey back to Israel. Since his first participation with Taglit-Birthright Israel: Oranim trips in 2003, Ofir has staffed multiple North American trips. In 2007, after researching various programs in Israel, Ofir made the decision to pursue a long-term volunteer program through Oranim's Israel Service Corps. Ofir enjoyed the freedom to design his own volunteering schedule and be involved in projects matching his own interests. After completing the 5 months, he chose to stay in Israel and join the Oranim team.
Kely Levy, Registration Coordinator
Kelly was born and raised in Montreal and Toronto, and first visited Israel in 2005 on a Taglit-Birthright Israel trip. She found herself back in Israel that same year on a personal journey, and the following year taking time off her job as a photographer at a professional studio to backpack the Oceania/South East Asia Regions. In 2008, she was ready for another adventure, and decided to do an Internship in Tel Aviv where she worked as a photo and graphic artist for various web and print projects. Later that year, Kelly returned to Israel as an Olah Chadasha (new citizen) and currently lives in the heart of Tel Aviv. Kelly joins the Oranim team with the passion and excitement of knowing that she is helping hundreds of young people like herself prepare for the experience of a lifetime.
Jessica Trosterman, North American Program Recruiter
Jessica was raised in the Riverdale section of New York City, where she was regularly involved in the North American Reform Movement. She received a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Administration from Boston University. While Jessica has worked in nearly every facet of restaurants and hotels, her specialization lies in conference/event management and recruitment. She has extensive experience planning events in both the hotel and corporate environments, and on local and national levels. During her career in hospitality management, Jessica has been a world traveler, gaining experience in Australia, England, New Zealand, and the United States. Participating in a Taglit-Birthright Israel trip with Oranim allowed Jessica to combine her passion for travel with her connection to Judaism. Jessica fell in love with Israel and looks forward to helping you find your way home.
Mara Seidel, Program Adviser
Mara was born and raised in Wilmington, Delaware. She graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in Sociology and it was there she fell in love with college football and hiking in the mountains. She also went to Israel for the first time her sophomore year on the Taglit Birthright-Israel trip, but it wasn't until she studied abroad in Barcelona that her love affair with traveling began. After graduation, Mara started working for Hillel at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst bringing Jewish life to students on campus. She had the bodacious opportunity of staffing four Taglit-Birthright Israel trips with Oranim, and in September 2008, she participated in a MASA internship program in Tel Aviv volunteering with refugees from Darfur. Mara loves to travel and has backpacked through India, Southeast Asia, Nepal, and Western Europe, but the most exciting move she has done to date would be making Aliyah in November of 2009!
Jolene Ilkay, Program Adviser
Jolene was raised in San Diego, California where she grew up in a reform household. She was unaffiliated until she went on a Taglit-Birthright Israel: Oranim trip during the summer of 2004, where she explains that the trip changed her life and from that point on she decided to incorporate Judaism in her life. Upon her arrival back to the states, she became President of Hillel and founder of the Jewish studies club at CSU Long Beach. She also became involved in her community as Youth Director for the conservative movement through USY and also teaching 7th grade at her local synagogue. She returned back to Israel on various trips such as JAM, Chabad, Aish, Jewel, Neve, OSP Tel Aviv University, staff on a Taglit-Birthright Israel: Oranim trip and as a counselor at an Israeli international camp called Kimama. These trips only solidified her passion for Israel where after her completion of Oranim's Tel Aviv Internship Experience, she decided to make Aliyah. In September of 2009 she became a new olah and started working for Oranim shortly after. Jolene's passion for Judaism and love for Israel will continue to positively affect the Jewish community through her commitment and love for others.
Perri Klein, Program Adviser
Perri was born in upstate New York and grew up visiting her family in Israel almost every other summer. Perri has always felt a strong connection to Israel, falling in love with the country and people at a very early age. This is why she finally decided to make Aliyah in 2004, becoming a new olah. After serving in AmeriCorps for a year, she realized her passion for helping communities, and felt a strong desire to do the same for the country she loves the most. Since making Aliyah, she has received her MA in Middle Eastern History from Tel Aviv University, volunteered at an elementary school in Jaffa, interned at the Geneva Initiative, and managed a restaurant in Tel Aviv owned by fellow olim. By joining the Oranim team, Perri feels that she is able to combine her love for Israel and commitment to strengthening Israeli society by helping young enthusiasts of Israel, like herself, live the Israeli dream.
Meet our City Coordinators:
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