see the profiles in this link - Jim Joseph Foundation

Masters Concentration Program 2011 Student Bios
Rachel Cort
rachel.cort@gmail.com
Spertus Institute 314-494-3979
Rachel Cort is originally from St. Louis and graduated from Northwestern
University in 2007 with a degree in History, emphasis on the Middle East.
After working in the music industry in New York and Chicago for a few
years, she decided to refocus her energies on the field of Jewish
communal service. In addition to working in Admissions at Chicago Jewish
Day School, she is a Birthright Israel NEXT 2010-11 Community
Engagement Fellow and a Jewish United Fund LEADS program leader. She
will be studying at the Pardes Institute this summer in a special Israel
Education track.
Michael Emerson
memerson@gmail.com
New York University 901-573-3294
Michael Emerson grew up in Memphis, TN. after graduating from the
local day school, he enjoyed a two year stint in Yeshivat Shaalvim in Nof
Ayalon, Israel. He attended Columbia University, where he majored in
Medieval Jewish History. Michael also attended Talmud shiur at Yeshiva
University, where he is currently enrolled in the RIETS seminary for
rabbinic ordination.
Michael has been involved with a number of Jewish and non-Jewish
organizations including NCSY, AJWS, Alternative Spring Break, Encounter,
and Meorot. He has also worked for a number of years for Camp Stone.
He recently completed a semester internship at JESNA-Lippman Kanfer
Institute where he helped in the launch of the Jewish Educators Change
Network.
Michael is currently a Wexner Fellow/Davidson Scholar and a Jim Joseph
Fellow, and recently completed his first year in the doctoral program in
Education and Jewish Studies at NYU-Steinhardt.

Chaviva Galatz
kvetching.editor@gmail.com
New York University 312-772-4281
Social Media Maven Chaviva Galatz was born in Missouri, bred in
Nebraska, and currently hails from Teaneck, NJ, by way of Washington
D.C., Chicago, and Connecticut. With a Bachelor of Journalism from the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Chaviva worked as a copy editor for The
Washington Post, after which she moved to Chicago to work for a Nobelprize-winning
economist at the University of Chicago. While there, she
honed her Social Media skills through her blog, Twitter, Facebook, and
other web platforms. Then, halfway across the country, from 2008-2010
Chaviva worked toward and obtained an M.A. in Judaic Studies from the
University of Connecticut. Now, she is a Jim Joseph Fellow in NYU’s Dual
M.A. program for Education/Jewish Studies and Hebrew/Judaic Studies.
Her passion is Social Media in the classroom and Hebrew Language
Education, and she recently was accepted to the 2011 ROI Summit and
was named one of The New York Jewish Week's "36 Under 36." When not
consulting on Social Media and operating blogs, Facebook Pages, and
Twitter accounts for The Partnership for Jewish Learning and Life of
Metrowest’s three-day schools, Chaviva is dominating and collaborating
with other Jewish educators and Social Media evangelists.
Seth Grauer
Grauer@ramaz.org
Yeshiva University 212-774-8092
Rabbi Seth Grauer is the Associate Rabbi at the Fifth Avenue Synagogue
in Manhattan and in his 9th year as an educator at the Ramaz Upper
School. After graduating Ramaz in 1996 he studied in Yeshivat Har Etzion
(Gush) in Israel for two years. Rabbi Grauer returned to NY and attended
Yeshiva University where he graduated with honors with a BA in history.
He continued his education at Fordham Law School where he was an
editor of the Environmental Law Journal and received his J.D. in 2004.
Rabbi Grauer has smicha from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological
Seminary (RIETS) of Yeshiva University and is currently enrolled in the
Azrieli graduate school at Yeshiva University where he is working on his
dissertation towards the completion of a doctoral degree in education.

Amanda Greene
amandabgreene@gmail.com
Hebrew Union College 847-902-0047
Amanda is from Deerfield, IL and grew up at North Shore Congregation
Israel. She attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and
received her Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family
Studies in 2009. Currently, Amanda is studying at HUC-JIR's in the Rhea
Hirsch School of Jewish Education and School of Jewish Nonprofit
Management. Amanda has spent a total of a year and half living in
Israel. She is very excited to be part of the iCenter Master Concentration
program.
Allie Harris
alliedorieharris@gmail.com
Hebrew Union College 847- 682-7493
Allie Harris grew up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago and spent seven
summers at OSRUI, a Reform overnight camp in Wisconsin. She has just
finished her second year as an education student at HUC-JIR and plans on
finishing the rabbinical program there as well. Allie is marrying her high
school sweetheart in two weeks and is basically consumed with lastminute
wedding details but is so excited to be a part of this cohort. And
every time she thinks of Israel, she thinks of baking challah on a Friday
morning.
Deborah Harris
deb@debharris.com
Spertus Institute 847-682-4838
Debbie Harris is the technology coordinator at the Sager Solomon
Schechter Middle School in Northbrook, Illinois and teaches religious
school at Lakeside Congregation for Reform Judaism. She received an
education degree from Northwestern University with a concentration in
instructional media and is enrolled in the Spertus MAJPS program. Her
students podcast, blog, edit video and create claymations. She blogs at
www.museforjews.com about integrating technology into Jewish
education.

Ami Hersh
AmielHersh@jtsa.edu
Jewish Theological Seminary 860-716-7172
Ami Hersh is a senior rabbinical student and a 2nd year graduate student
in education at the Jewish Theological Seminary. He also works as the
Assistant Director of Camp Ramah in Nyack. Ami is an alumnus of the
Wexner Graduate Fellowship and an active fellow in the Legacy Heritage
Rabbinic Fellowship. Along with his wife Loni, he is the proud parent of a
two-year old son named Micah.
Abby Kerbel
abkerbel@jtsa.edu
Jewish Theological Seminary 301-332-2733
I am completing my first year of the Davidson School's Masters of Jewish
Education. I graduated from Barnard College and List College a year ago
with degrees in Middle Eastern Studies and Jewish History. When not
doing school work, I am a teacher at the Ansche Chesed Hebrew School
on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. I love Israeli dancing and baking
when I have the time.
Lisa Kingston
lisa.kingston@gmail.com
Hebrew Union College 914-772-8109
Lisa Kingston just completed her third year as a rabbinical student at
HUC-JIR in New York. She is originally from Hartsdale, NY and grew up at
Woodlands Community Temple in White Plains, NY. After graduating Phi
Beta Kappa from Skidmore College and attending a NATE Kallah as an
intern, Lisa received her M.A.R.E degree from The Hebrew Union College
NY School of Education in 2009. She enjoys working in the Department of
Lifelong Learning at Temple Emanu-el in NYC and serving as the student
rabbi for Temple Israel in Uniontown, PA. As a recipient of the Bonnie and
Daniel Tisch fellowship, Lisa is spending her summer learning about
congregational leadership with Rabbi Jim Prosnit at B'nai Israel in
Bridgeport, CT.

Jennifer Kirsch
jskirsch@brandeis.edu
Brandeis University 847-630-9119
I graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a B.S.
in Kinesiology and then went on to get a B.S. in Nursing from Rush
University. I was working as a registered nurse in Chicago for the past five
years before moving to Boston for graduate school. I am hoping to
combine my passion for Judaism and nursing to work with Jews who have
been affected by cancer or who have the BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations.
Joshua Knobel
joshua.knobel@gmail.com
Hebrew Union College 570-650-9104
A native of Wilkes-Barre, PA, Josh left home after high school in order to
study physics at the United States Military Academy, earning a
commission and a bachelor's degree in 2001. Afterwards, Josh spent the
next seven years serving as a telecommunications officer in Arizona,
Georgia, North Carolina, Iraq, and Afghanistan. In 2008, he left the Army
in order to pursue rabbinical studies.
Erica Korman
ericakorman@gmail.com
New York University 954-235-3504
I grew up in Fort Lauderdale, FL., and I am a graduate of Florida State
University. Last year I lived in Katamon in Jerusalem while studying at the
Mayanot Institute for Jewish Studies. Klal Yisroel and Eretz Yisroel are my
number one priorities. In my spare time, I enjoy music, theater, learning
and exploring the diversity of Manhattan.

Sarah Lauing
lauings@gmail.com
Hebrew Union College 650-380-3811
Sarah Lauing hails from the San Francisco Bay Area, where she also
worked for two years as a full time youth director and religious school
teacher before choosing to become a Jewish educator. She is a graduate
of Middlebury College, where she studied Religion, admired fall foliage,
and ate copious amounts of cheddar cheese. She just finished her second
year as a MAJE student at Hebrew Union College’s Rhea Hirsch School of
Education and is greatly looking forward to enriching her final year
learning about Israel with the iCenter!
Jessica Lebovits
Hebrew Union College 310-200-8024
jessicalebovits02@gmail.com
Jessica Lebovits is currently enrolled at the Hebrew Union College -
Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) where she will receive a joint
Masters in Jewish Education and Jewish Nonprofit Management. She
graduated Cum Laude from the University of California Santa Barbara
with a Religious Studies major and a Jewish Studies minor. During her
first year at HUC-JIR she spent the year living in Jerusalem, learning about
Israeli culture and society. Most recently she worked in the International
Relations department of the American Jewish Committee as well as
teaching Religious School at Sha'arei Am synagogue.
Rachel Levin
RachLFay@gmail.com
Hebrew Union College 818-970-2074
Rachel Levin is a joint Masters student at Hebrew Union College, studying
Jewish education and Jewish Nonprofit Management. She is originally
from the San Fernando Valley, CA and received her BA from UC Berkeley
in Religious Studies. Rachel spent several years working at Camp JCA
Shalom in Malibu and for a Bay Area based teen trip to Israel called Let’s
Go Israel--experiences which led to her deep interest in the field of Israel
Education. She is genuinely looking forward to being a part of this
wonderful opportunity.

Hannah Rubin-Schlansky
hrubinschlansky@gmail.com
Hebrew Union College 314-583-1675
Hannah Rubin-Schlansky, originally from St. Louis, Missouri is currently a
student at Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles. She is working toward a
Masters in Jewish Education in the Rhea Hirsch School and Education and
a masters in Nonprofit Management. She graduated from the University
of Wisconsin- Madison in 2008 with a joint degree in Hebrew and Jewish
Studies, focusing on education. She really excited about being a part of
the iCenter program is looking forward to meeting this cohort.
Tom Samuels
tsamuels123@gmail.com
Spertus Institute 773-899-0156
Tom hails from Toronto, Canada where he was recruited by Mayor Daley
to reshape Chicago’s transportation and urban design infrastructure. He
is the founder of numerous initiatives including the National Safe Routes
to School/Walking School Bus Program, which creates safe and enjoyable
opportunities for children to walk and bicycle to and from school. Tom
has a diverse Jewish background from ultra-orthodoxy to complete
secularism, and everything in-between. Before coming to JRC, Tom
worked as the director of a leadership-development program for Jewish
teens, and is the co-founder of a Chavurah which he no longer belongs
to. Tom lives in Chicago with his wife, Melissa, and two boys, Jonah and
Eli.

Bella Shapiro
bellashapiro86@gmail.com
Brandies University 408-460-5251
Bella graduated from St. Mary's College of California with a B.A. in
Integral Liberal Arts. She was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and was
raised in the Bay Area, California. She also spent a semester studying
abroad at Oxford University, England. After graduation, Bella spent 10
months living in Jerusalem and participated in a unique Israel
Government Fellows program through which she was able to intern at
both the Israel Ministry of Tourism and at the non-profit organization,
MEMRI.
Alana Tilman
altilman@JTSA.edu
Jewish Theological Seminary 215-915-0482
Alana Tilman recently completed her first year at the Davidson School of
Education where she is working towards an MA in Jewish Education with
a focus in Informal Education. Originally from suburban Philadelphia, she
grew up very active in her Jewish community. She attended Brandeis
University and received a BA in Judaic Studies and Psychology, with a
minor in Hebrew literature and also spent a semester at the Hebrew
University in Jerusalem. She's worked in a variety of Jewish educational
settings but her ultimate passion stems from her many summers spent
attending and working for Ramah, both in the Poconos and in Israel.