Our Team
الطاقم
הצוות
Michal is an associate professor of Jewish education in the parallel track at the HUC-JIR, where she has been managing the educational and professional development department since 2006. She serves as the head of the “Rikma” program – a Master’s Degree for Change, which aims to cultivate and encourage pluralism and community in Jewish education – in collaboration with the Melton Center at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Michal is the founder and academic director of the ‘Teachers’ Lounge’ program in memory of Shira Banki, and the pedagogical director and editor of the accompanying research. Her studies address professional development for teachers, educational leaders, pluralism and multicultural teacher training.
Anat has worked extensively in the field of Jewish education in Israel and abroad. She has a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the Department of Jewish History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Anat had acted as head of the department of education and community at the Bible Lands Museum and has served as a Shlicha on behalf of the Jewish Agency in Australia and the United States, additionally managing the department of Aliya and Israeli Education in Washington, D.C. She was also part of teams for curriculum development at Yad Ben Zvi and the Ministry of Education.
Anat is the deputy director of the Department of Education and Professional Development at Hebrew Union College and has been managing the ‘Teachers’ Lounge’ program in memory of Shira Banki since 2019. She is also a facilitator and part of the content development team for the “Rikma” Program – a Master’s Degree for Change, in collaboration with the Melton Center at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Meir leads the resource and partnership development for the program. He has over twenty years of diverse business experience, in the fields of marketing, sales and business development in leading hi-tech companies. Meir holds a BA in communication and management from “The College of Management” and an MBA from the University of Bradford and has been part of the program’s managing team since 2017.
Anael holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a specialization in marketing from “The College of Academic Administration”. She has been working at the Department of Education since 2018.
Currently living in Jerusalem and originally from Beit Safafa, married with 3 children. Has a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and special education from David Yellin College. She worked as a kindergarten teacher in Beit Safafa, and taught Arabic in Jewish schools and Hebrew in Arab schools. Currently works as a teacher for visually impaired children. A Graduate of the Teacher’s Lounge program, year 1 and 2.
Noa has been an educator for 27 years, teaching history and citizenship civics in schools in the Western Galilee. She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in history from the University of Haifa. Noa has vast experience in facilitating groups of Jewish and Arab participants at the Center for Humanistic Education at the Ghetto Fighters’ House Museum. There she introduces groups of students, teachers, police officers and visitors from abroad to the humanistic and universal lessons of the Holocaust. She is also a leader at international youth camps (Peace in Four Voices) for youth from Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Italy and Germany.
Vivian has been working for over 20 years as a group facilitator in the areas of Jewish-Arab relations, personal identity, female empowerment and more. She manages The Open House in Ramla, as well as the “Healing Hatred” program. In the past, she has coordinated the “Educators for Change” programs in Arab schools and has acted as a facilitator for the Dialogue and Identity program. Vivian holds an MA in Gender Studies from Bar-Ilan University and lives in Ramla.
Noga manages the educational department at The Daniel Centers for Progressive Judaism in Tel Aviv – Jaffa. She holds a bachelor’s degree in education and sociology, and is studying for her master’s degree at the “Rikma” program for pluralistic Jewish education in collaboration with HUC. Noga has a background in informal Jewish education. She has worked as a group facilitator at Bina (the Movement for Social Judaism), and is a tour guide, specializing in Jewish education and educational tours in Tel Aviv. As part of her work at The Daniel Centers, she leads the “Living Together” project, which fosters cultural pluralism through the arts.
Graduated from the University of Haifa in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and in the Department of Human Services. Has an extensive experience in non-formal education, worked with teenagers and children at risk and in special education. Lives in Haifa, married to Omer and mother to Adam and Aviv.
