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Meet the Tel Aviv Community Involvement Staff:
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-Yafo, and are on a quest to eat in every restaurant in the city (recommendations upon request).
Ayelet Binstock, City Coordinator, Tel Aviv-Yafo
Born and raised in Jerusalem, Ayelet spent her youth in the Israeli scouts youth movement, where she entered the world of Israeli, Zionist education. In the IDF Ayelet served as a "Mashakit Tash" in COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories). After the army service Ayelet entered the world of Jewish Education and Israel- Diaspora relations by joining the summer camp shlichim program with the Jewish Agency. She then moved to Be'er Sheva where she got her BA in behavioral sciences from Ben Gurion University. Ayelet has recently returned from a year of shlichut in the Jewish Federation of New Hampshire USA, moved to Tel Aviv and joined Oranim as TLV city coordinator.
Sitvanit Chishinski, Placement Coordinator, Tel Aviv-Yafo
Sitvanit Chishinski was raised in the northern part of Israel. After the army, she traveled and then studied psychology and economics at Haifa University. Sitvanit worked as a coordinator for the "Perach" tutoring project and as a placement coordinator at one of the leading placement companies in Israel. On her last job, Sitvanit was a project director at the Galillee College, an international management school for professionals from all over the globe and especially from developing countries.
Ruth, Hebrew Ulpan Teacher, Tel Aviv-Yafo
Hi, my name is Ruth. I'm a mother to an amazing five and a half year old girl. I've lived in Los Angeles for the past 24 years, and moved back home to Israel recently. There's no place like home. Being in Israel with my daughter is the best. I've been teaching Hebrew for many years at the University of Judaism and at Temple Isaiah in LA. I am a director of theater and a filmmaker. I've directed plays in Israel and in LA and have done a few documentaries. I love the Hebrew language and it gives me a lot of pleasure teaching it and watching my students grow to know it.
Ilana Shani, Hebrew Ulpan Teacher, Tel Aviv-Yafo
Ilana Shani has a rich experience in teaching Hebrew all over the world. She was a principle and a teacher at a Kibbutz-Educational Village Junior High School and a Hebrew teacher at the Philippines University in Manila. She also taught Hebrew at Queensland University and at a Jewish Day School in Brisbane, Australia. In addition, she has coordinated the Hebrew teaching project for senior "Olim Hadashim" in Tel Aviv.
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