Israel Staff
Dr. Joe Freedman
Director of Ramah Programs In Israel
joe@ramah.co.il
Joe holds an M.A. in Jewish Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary and an Ed.D. from Teacher’s College, Columbia University. Before coming to Ramah, Joe served as Director of in-service training at Hebrew University’s Melton Center for Jewish Education in the Diaspora. Joe served as director of the Ramah Israel Seminar from 1986-1999, during which time he also earned the prestigious tour guide license issued by Israel’s Ministry of Tourism. Joe has produced numerous educational and hadracha materials, going all the way back to his days with the Jewish Theological Seminary’s Leader’s Training Fellowship beginning in 1971. Joe has also worked extensively with Camp Ramah in Wisconsin and served as Summer Director of Camp Ramah in New England in 1988. He came on aliya in 1980 with his wife. They have four children and live in Jerusalem.
Rabbi Ed Snitkoff
Director of Ramah Israel Seminar
ed@ramah.co.il
Over the past 30 years Ed has served as a congregational rabbi, teacher, religious school principal, camp educator, and Israel tour educator/guide. Ed studied at Columbia University, The Jewish Theological Seminary of America, Hebrew University, Teacher’s College, and the Jordan Valley College. He has degrees in Anthropology and Jewish History, and advanced degrees in Rabbinic Literature and Jewish Education. Ed is also a licensed Israeli tour guide.
After being ordained at JTS he served for 6 years as a congregational rabbi and religious school principal in Harrisburg PA. When they made Aliyah in 1992, Ed and his family settled on Kibbutz Lavi and lived there as members for 8 years. After moving to Jerusalem in 2000, Ed served as the Educational Director of the Young Judaea Year Course, and Educational Coordinator for North America at the Department for Jewish Zionist Education of the Jewish Agency for Israel. Ed’s relationship with Ramah began in 1983 when he was a Rosh Eida at Camp Ramah in California, and continued when he served as a teacher at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires in the years before making Aliyah. Ed joined the staff of Seminar in 2007. He is married to Minda and has 4 children and a baby grandson (born in Jerusalem during the first Shabbat of Seminar 2010- the first Snitkoff Sabra in 2000 years!).
Michal Chacham
Asst. Director of Ramah Israel Seminar
michal@ramah.co.il
Michal is currently completing her degree in Land of Israel Studies in Bar Ilan University. She has many years of experience with Ramah as a family educator with Ramah Programs in Israel, and was also a madricha on TRY 2005 (Tichon Ramah Yerushalayim), Ramah’s Jerusalem High School. Michal worked for six summers at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires from 2003-2008, where she served as Rosh Edah and rosh mishlachat. Michal also works with the Jewish Agency Shlichut Department and the Avichai foundation, in selecting and training Shlichim to work in Jewish summer camps in North America. Michal grew up in Tiberias, and currently lives in Jerusalem. This is going to be her 4th summer as Assistant Director of Seminar.
Betsalel Steinhart
Educator and Rosh Chinuch on Ramah Israel Seminar
betsalel@ramah.co.il
Betsalel was born in London, England, and made Aliyah as a teen with his family in 1986. After his army service, he earned a B.A. in Psychology from Bar Ilan University, and is currently studying towards an M.A. in Jewish Education at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Betsalel has worked with a number of Israeli institutions involved in educating Diaspora youth, joining Ramah in 2000. He has worked in all of Ramah’s departments in many educational and logistical capacities, and is currently teaching the ICC (Israel Core Course) on TRY. He is blessed to live in Jerusalem with his wife and four sons.
Devora Greenberg
Poland Seminar & “Daber” Program coordinator
devora@ramah.co.il
Devora has worked in many educational capacities in Ramah Programs in Israel since 1999. Devora served as an educator, rosh kvutza and assistant director on Ramah Israel Seminar, since 2006, Devora coordinates the Ramah Seminar Poland Program, working with Rabbi Ed and the Ramah Poland educators in building this acclaimed program. She spent two years in the U.S. as a shlicha for the Conservative Movement, and holds an MA from the Hebrew University in Contemporary Judaism with a specialty in Holocaust Studies. In addition, Devora works with the National Ramah Commission as a senior educator in the Daber-Hebrew language project, and worked on the staff of Ramah New England.
Nicole Dror
Parent Liaison
nicoled@ramah.co.il
Nicole grew up in London, England, and made aliyah in January 1994. Just three months later she was employed as Ramah’s administrative assistant. Nicole worked for Ramah until the year 2000 and held various positions including Trip Coordinator for RII (Ramah Israel Institute), as well as working for the Israel Desk in the Ramah New York office. In the winter of 2008, Nicole returned to the Ramah family! Nicole has a rich background in administration and logistics and has worked at the Prime Minister’s Office, the World Zionist Organization, and most recently at the Jerusalem Foundation as a writer for Culture Affairs. Nicole is married and lives with her husband and two children in Jerusalem.
Rinat Armon
Ramah Programs In Israel Hebrew Coordinator
hebrew.ramah@gmail.com
Rinat brings to Ramah her broad experience in Hebrew education that includes teaching adults in Budapest, Hungary; olim soldiers in the IDF; Arab-Israeli students at the Hebrew University Jerusalem; American and British participants in the Young Judaea Year Course, and hundreds of international students at the Hebrew University Ulpan programs. She also enjoyed teaching at Ramah prior to becoming the Hebrew Coordinator for TRY/USY High and Ramah Israel Seminar. Rinat, who was born in Jerusalem, earned her BA in Education and Jewish studies at the Hebrew University where she is currently completing her MA in Hebrew language studies. She lives with her husband Noam and four children in Efrat.
New York Staff
Judy Greene
Israel Program Coordinator, National Office
ramahisrael@jtsa.edu
Judy Diamond Greene has an MSW from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University and received Certification as a Family Educator from Hebrew College, University of Hartford. Judy is the co-author of the new curriculum, “Sacred Choices”, published through the Union for Reform Judaism. She is also a Founder of Mayyim Hayyim, the Community Mikveh and Education Resource Center in Newton, MA. Judy lived in Massachusetts for 27 years before moving to New York. While in MA, she was Director of the Teen Initiative sponsored by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, Outreach Coordinator for the New England Region of Conservative Judaism, teacher at Solomon Shechter Day School in Newton, and Gann Academy/New Jewish High School in Waltham. She also spent 16 years working at Camp Ramah in New England. Judy is married to Rabbi Gary Greene and has four sons; Amichai, Hillel, Roni, and Asaf. She is currently residing in Douglaston, NY.