BEN BERLINER - CHILDREN'S ASSISTANT EDUCATOR, RJKRUG
Ben Berliner has dedicated the bulk of his professional life to Jewish education. After participating in Gratz College's Hebrew School certification program, he has consistently worked in Jewish education throughout his career. His earlier teaching experiences were working as s counselor for Camp Ramah in the Poconos for four summers, including one summer in Israel on the Ramah Seminar Program. While in college, he taught classes for Middle School Hebrew school in subjects such as Current Events and Torah. After graduating college, he taught Hebrew school for Beth Am Israel's Hebrew High School in Gladwyne, PA. He also taught at the Gratz College Hebrew High School, building syllabi and lesson plans for subjects such as Prophets, Mussar, and Israeli Heroes. Most recently, he served as a Bar Mitzvah tutor for the 92 Street Y's Connect program. Ben is very excited to continue working in Jewish education with HLC. |
RABBI DAVID E. MARKUS - ADULT EDUCATOR, RJKRUG
Rabbi David Evan Markus, J.D., M.P.P., is North America’s only active pulpit rabbi also to hold a full-time oath of public office. He is Senior Rabbi of Temple Beth El of City Island (New York, NY); Senior Builder at Bayit: Building Jewish; rabbinics faculty at the Academy for Jewish Religion (New York, NY); and spiritual direction faculty and past Board co-chair of ALEPH (the Jewish Renewal movement’s umbrella organization). A fellow of Rabbis Without Borders and sought-after scholar in residence, David publishes widely on governance, management, liturgy, and spiritual development in Jewish contexts. By day, David presides in the New York Judiciary (Supreme Court, 9th Judicial District) in a parallel public service career that has included presidential campaigns, all branches and levels of government, and university faculty in government and public administration. David earned dual ordination as rabbi and mashpia (spiritual director) from ALEPH; a Juris Doctor magna cum laude from Harvard Law School; and a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, which named David a global “Innovator in Public Service.” He lives in New York. |
RABBI RAFI COHEN - ADULT EDUCATOR, RJKRUG
Rabbi Rafi Cohen is a graduate of JTS Rabbinical School and the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education. He has previously served as Director of Jewish Student Life at CCNY Hillel and has taught in Jewish Day School settings as well as congregations in South Carolina, Florida, Texas, New Jersey and New York. He is an alumnus of the Anti-Defamation League Glass Leadership Institute and a past participant of the Mussar Institute's Mussar for Millenials. Rafi loves helping individual students and families find meaning in their lives. The only things Rafi might love more are a good cup of coffee and playing frisbee… and his family. He is married and has two boys, ages 11 and 8. |
RABBI MOLLY KARP - ADULT EDUCATOR, RJKRUG
Rabbi Molly Karp holds a BA in Judaic Studies from SUNY Binghamton and a Master’s degree in Jewish Education from HUC-JIR in New York. She spent 10 years in doctoral studies in Hebrew Bible at the Jewish Theological Seminary and was ordained as a rabbi at the Academy for Jewish Religion in Riverdale, New York. Rabbi Karp's training in Mindfulness Practice and Jewish Spirituality at the Institute for Jewish Spirituality is at the heart of all of her work. She is a deep listener, a skilled counselor and a pluralistic rabbi, passionate about teaching Torah, Hebrew and many other facets of Judaism. Rabbi Karp is devoted to teaching the texts and rituals of traditional Judaism and to finding contemporary spiritual meaning and joy in them. In her approach, she instantly creates an atmosphere of acceptance. Rabbi Karp is warm, scholarly, and committed to an egalitarian practice of Judaism and to social justice. She is a student and practitioner of Jewish Renewal, a view of Judaism that reconnects modern Jews to the spiritual practice and traditions of Judaism/ |
ALLA RAYKHMAN - CHILDREN'S EDUCATOR - RJKRUG
Alla Raykhman emigrated to the United States with her family in 2006. She holds a dual Master’s degree in Metallurgical and Chemical Engineering. Alla worked as a Research Associate at NMetAU science research laboratory, as well as at NYU- Polytech. Alla is passionate about developing the Russian-speaking Jewish community. She led multiple projects focused on Jewish non-formal education and strengthening the connection with Israel. Recently, from 2018 to 2019, she managed the successful launch of a pilot Brooklyn expansion of Club Z Institute. Alla is an educator for the program Krug for RSJ families in Brooklyn. A mother of three, she is passionate about developing projects that would help parents incorporate Jewish wisdom into the family's parenting style. She likes to run and stay active, cook healthy meals and entertain friends. |
JAKE FRIEDMAN - CHILDREN'S EDUCATOR, RJKRUG
Jake Friedman has been teaching Jewish studies for 23 years. Originally from the Philadelphia area, he has lived in New York City for 18 years. He has 12 years of Jewish day school education, and has been an educator for young people from grades 1 through college. He is well-versed in Jewish history, prayer, Torah, and Hebrew. He is a creative guy who likes to sing, draw, write, and tell stories. Currently, he is earning a graduate degree in Mental Health Counseling and studying to be a creative arts therapist. |
NACHLIEL SELAVAN - ADULT EDUCATOR, RJKRUG
Nachliel Selavan, 35, originally from Jerusalem’s Old City, is in his seventh year of teaching in the United States, developing his unique and engaging method of learning Torah through tour, travel and archaeology. During his undergraduate degree studies in Tanach and Mass-Communications at Lifshitz Teachers College, Nachliel hosted a local weekly radio show on 101.6 FM. Nachliel has engaged and taught thousands of students in both formal and non-formal settings (including Capoeira, a Brazilian martial art), as well as organizing and coordinating large and small scale events, community programs and group visits in Brazil, Spain and Portugal. Formally, Nachliel has taught Tanach, Jewish History and Communications in several Jerusalem schools, such as Rappaport Boys School, Dugma-Uziel, and Meled High School. Nachliel is now in his third year as a Jewish History teacher in Joe and Celia Esses Magen David Yeshivah High School, and has completed two years of teaching in Allegra Franco School of Educational Leadership, both in Flatbush, NY. He has completed his first MA through the Melton Blended Masters in Jewish Education, at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and is studying for his second MA in Ancient Jewish History at Bernard RevelGraduate School, Yeshiva University, in 2018-2020. Nachliel intends to continue his studies towards a Ph.D in the near future. |
RACHEL HALLOTE - ADULT EDUCATOR, RJKRUG
Rachel Hallote is an archaeologist and Professor of History at Purchase College SUNY, where she also coordinates the Jewish Studies Program. She is the author of several books about biblical archaeology and the history of archaeology. Her current research involves British and American archaeologists who excavated in Ottoman-controlled Palestine in the 19thcentury. She has worked at numerous archaeological sites in Israel, including Megiddo, Tell Dan, and Khirbet Summeily. Most summers she brings students to Israel to participate in archaeological excavations. |