Hey!
Thanks for taking the time to find out a little more about us. We hope this gives you a taste of what our community is all about.
Please, read on!
Funny, isn't it?
How a world buzzing with so much data offers so little of the simple things we actually want.
The news, the trends and the gurus, the infographics and masterminds, the books and podcasts, all a click away.
So much noise, so little music.
What about the questions, the conversations, the exploration, adventure and authentic connections that lead us to what we actually want? Because they’re pretty simple.
We want to lead a life of meaning – to do work that fills us with purpose and fulfillment.
We want adventure – to have fun and enjoy life! To grow authentic roots and to branch out into new worlds.
We want to be good – to be better humans, and contribute our unique color to the full spectrum of light that makes the world a better place.
And we want to do it with others – a community of like-minded people. To make new friends, and deepen our existing relationships.
We don’t think these are complicated or too much to ask for.
And that’s why Olami exists.
Olami creates the kinds of spaces, opportunities and experiences that enable us to grow in goodness together.
Through conversations with friends and meaningful one-on-ones with mentors. Through exhilarating trips exploring ourselves, and bonding with the people and world around us. Through business networks of people who recognize that meaningful work starts with meaningful relationships. Or simply through taking time out every now and again to meditate, to remain still.
We’re a modern Jewish tribe.
We bring the wisdom and traditions that our families shared for generations into the present in a way that makes sense.
Together we explore the idea of what it means to be part of a community that cares about making the world better. This is what Olami sees as the Jewish way. Not just to go through life but to grow through life as a global community in pursuit of a good life, and a better world.
Our community is in 28 countries, with close to 300 chapters, and like each of us,
it's growing daily.
We are global
- Menora Palermo
- Cordoba Maimonides School
- Oxigeno – Rosario
- Olami Center – Cordoba
- Beyajad – Tucuman
- NCSY – Argentina
- Achim – Lanus
- Atid – La Plata
- Har Hamoria – Villa Urquiza
- Or Lachaim – Barracas
- Olami Soho (ACILBA)
- Olami Belgrano (Aish)
- Olami Ashreinu
- Olami Villa Crespo (Menora)
- Maimonides School in Tucuman
- OhrSom Student Melbourne
- OhrSom Student Sydney
- Melbourne Kiruv Project
Olami Vienna
- Baku Chabad
- Bryansk Chabad
- Kuba Chabad
- Sumgait Chabad
- Gomel Aish HaTorah
- Minsk Chabad
- Minsk Lech Lecha
- Mogilev Chabad
- Mogilev
- Ohr Darom – Porto Alegre
- Kollel – Rio
- Makom Goias
- Makom Hebraica
- Bait – Rio
- Monte Sinai – Tijuca
- Olami Faria Lima
- Ohr Somayach Toronto
- Montreal Jewish Experience – McGill U
- Olami Montreal
- Olami Toronto – McMaster
- Olami Toronto – Ryerson
- Olami Toronto – Thornhill
- Olami Toronto – U. of Toronto
- Olami Toronto – York
- Olami Toronto – YP
- Maguen David – Bogota
- NCSY – Chile
- Olami Chile
- Lev Tahor – Grenbole
- Olami Lyon
- Heritage Marseille
- Lev Echad, Aix En Provence
- Lev Tahor – Toulouse
- Makhome
- French Yeshiva in Israel
- Olami Montpellier
- Ohr Torah St. Mande
- Olami Nancy
- Olami Nice
- Olami Villaneuva
- Otzar HaTorah – Shema Beni
- Reguesh
- ReLev
- Nefesh Yehoudi
- Yam Shlomo – 13th & 19th Districts
- Olami Georgia
- Olami Berlin
- Olami Zussamen
- Chabad Budapest
- Tikvah Budapest
- Emek Learning Center
- Inspired Tel Aviv (ITV)
- JAM Israel
- Nefesh Yehudi – Ariel
- Nefesh Yehudi – Ashkleon
- Nefesh Yehudi – Ashdod
- Nefesh Yehudi – Bar Ilan
- Nefesh Yehudi – Be’er Sheva
- Nefesh Yehudi – Emek Azriel
- Nefesh Yehudi – Eilat
- Nefesh Yehudi – Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment
- Nefesh Yehudi – Haifa
- Nefesh Yehudi – Hertzlya
- Nefesh Yehudi – Kiryat Ono
- Nefesh Yehudi – Netanya
- Nefesh Yehudi – Petach Tikva
- Nefesh Yehudi – Rishon L’Tzion
- Nefesh Yehudi – Rechovot
- Nefesh Yehudi – Rechovot Faculty
- Nefesh Yehudi – Sami Shimon
- Nefesh Yehudi – Savion
- Nefesh Yehudi – Sderot
- Nefesh Yehudi – Technion
- Nefesh Yehudi – Tel Hai
- Nefesh Yehudi – Tel Aviv Center
- Nefesh Yehudi – Tel Aviv Ramat Aviv
- Nefesh Yehudi – Wingate
- Nefesh Yehudi – Zfat
- Olami Herzliya
- Thrive – Hebrew U
- Thrive – Tel Aviv
- Way More Israel
Rome Kollel
- Almaty Chabad
- Astrakhan Chabad
- Riga Chabad
- Riga Beis Midrash
Aish Mexico
Porto, Portugal
- Bryansk Chabad
- Kaliningrad Chabad
- Krasnodar Chabad
- Lipetsk Chabad
- Moscow Chabad
- Moscow Izmailovo Chabad
- Moscow Juhuro Chabad
- Moscow Machon Chamesh
- Moscow Shamir
- Moscow – Yugozapadnaya
- Moscow Dor Revii
- Moscow Shaarei Kdusha
- Moscow Torah MiTzion
- Nalchik Chabad
- Nizhni Novgorod Chabad
- Olami Moscow
- Omsk Chabad
- Orel Chabad
- Perm Chabad
- Pyatigorsk
- Samara Chabad
- Sevastopol Chabad
- Smolensk Chabad
- Sochi Chabad
- St. Petersburg Chabad
- St. Petersburg Kollel
- Tomsk Chabad
- Tumen Chabad
- Ufa Chabad
- Ulyanovsk Chabad
- Velikiy Novgorod Chabad
- Yekaterinburg Chabad
- Tula
- Yeshivat Torat Chaim Moscow
- Johannesburg & Capetown Community Expansion
- Johannesburg, South Africa (OS)
- Madrid Kiruv Center
- Torat Moshe Madrid
- Olami Geneve Lausanne
- Aish UK – Birmingham
- Aish UK – Bristol
- Aish UK – FJL
- Aish UK – Leeds
- Aish UK – London YPs
- Aish UK – Manchester
- Aish UK – Northern Campuses
- Aish UK – Nottingham
- Aish/Seed UK – Borehamwood
- JLE Campus
- JLE Women’s Division
- JLE YPs
- Olami House London
- Berdichev Chabad
- Cherkassy Chabad
- Chernovitz Chabad
- Dnepropetrovsk Chabad
- Donetsk Chabad
- Kharkov Chabad
- Kherson Chabad
- Khmelnitski Chabad
- Kiev Chabad
- Kiev Chabad Lubavitch
- Kiev Kedem Chabad
- Kiev Podol
- Kiev Yidishkeit
- Kirovograd Chabad
- Krivoy Rog Chabad
- Nikolaev Chabad
- Odessa Chabad
- Odessa Tikvah
- Poltava Chabad
- Zaporozhye Chabad
- Zhitomir Chabad
Olami Uruguay
- Aish Buffalo
- Aish Penn State
- AishLA
- AishLit
- ASK Israelis
- Bayit Yisraeli Las Vegas
- Batya
- Charlotte Torah Institute
- Chazaq
- Edison Chaburah
- EMET
- EMET NYC Campuses
- Etz Chaim – Baltimore Young Professionals
- Etz Chaim – Towson
- Exhibit J
- Explore Judaism
- Greater Washington Israeli Young Professionals
- Ignite Young Professionals
- JBeatz
- JCRY (Roslyn, NY)
- JEM
- JET – Chicago
- Jewish Leadership Association
- JHubLA
- J-HYPE
- JICNY
- JLIFE
- JRC – University of Michigan
- JRC – Michigan State University
- JWAY
- LAJ
- LAMP
- Las Vegas Jewish Experience
- LINK/TLC
- MAJOR
- Meor Berkley
- Meor Boston University/Tufts
- Meor Brown
- Meor Columbia
- Meor DC
- Meor Drexel
- Meor Emory
- Meor Harvard
- Meor Maryland
- Meor NYU
- Meor Penn
- Meor Philadelphia YPs
- Meor Rutgers
- Meor Stanford
- Meor Temple
- Meor Tufts
- Meor Upstate – Cornell
- Meor Upstate – Binghamton
- Mesorah DC
- Mesorah NJ
- NCSY Great Neck
- NCSY New York
- NCSY Southern
- Netivot
- Netzach
- Norfolk Community Kollel
- Ohel Sarah Women’s House
- Ohr on Campus Boca Boys
- Ohr on Campus Miami Girls
- Ohr on Campus NMB Boys
- Olami Arizona State University
- Olami Boca
- Olami Dallas
- Olami Denver
- Olami House @ the Shaar
- Olami House for Women
- Olami Manhattan
- Olami Miami University
- Olami Oregon
- Olami Texas
- Olami University of Arizona
- Olami University of Cincinnati
- Olami UCLA
- Olami West
- Partners Detroit
- Pico Bais Medrash
- Project 613
- Project Shoresh of RI
- RAJE Baltimore
- RAJE New York
- RAJE Philadelphia
- San Diego Jewish Experience (SAJE)
- The Chevra
- The Interactive Jewish Community
- The Kehilla
- Torah in the City
- Yehudi Gainesville
- Yehudi Miami
- Yehudi Orlando
- Yehudi Southern Florida Young Professionals
- Yehudi Tallahassee
- Yisraelink
- Zehut Yehudi
OUR TEAM
Staff
Rabbi David Markowitz
Executive Vice President of Olami and Managing Director of Vision and Partnerships
Rabbi David Markowitz has been focused on Jewish Outreach for the past 15 years. He has worked in numerous outreach capacities including: educational development, programming, Kiruv training, camp programming, campus outreach and management. Prior to his role with Olami, he worked at the COO of Aish NY and a campus Rabbi in UCLA and managed 10 college campuses for JAM in LA.
Yisrael Schwebel
Executive Vice President of Olami and Managing Director of Finance
Rabbi David Markowitz has been focused on Jewish Outreach for the past 15 years. He has worked in numerous outreach capacities including: educational development, programming, Kiruv training, camp programming, campus outreach and management. Prior to his role with Olami, he worked at the COO of Aish NY and a campus Rabbi in UCLA and managed 10 college campuses for JAM in LA.
Rabbi Raphael Butler
President
Rabbi Raphael Butler is the President of Olami and The Afikim Foundation, a leading consultant to many in the philanthropic community who seek his guidance to assist them in fulfilling their communal priorities.
Michal Nordmann
Director of Global Brand and Marketing
After graduating from Leeds University, Michal embarked on a career in marketing in London, implementing many successful and award-winning campaigns for Virgin, Heinz, and more. She then became Group Account Director working for the U.K.’s largest charities. In 2009 she moved to New York, where for five years she took her experience in-house to Aish NY. Upon moving to Israel, Michal became a consultant to a range of nonprofits, before focusing her efforts on Olami.
Rabbi Avi Cassel
Executive Vice President of Olami and Managing Director of North America, the UK, and the Former Soviet Union
Rabbi Avi Cassel directs over 110 Olami programs, servicing more than 20,000 students around North America. He also oversees STARS, a multi-organization partnership project in the former Soviet Union. Rabbi Cassel is a graduate of the world’s top yeshivot including Mir, Lakewood, and Ner Israel, and has more than 15 years of management and education experience for Olami.
Miriam Tennenbaum
Vice President of Development
Rabbi Avi Cassel directs over 110 Olami programs, servicing more than 20,000 students around North America. He also oversees STARS, a multi-organization partnership project in the former Soviet Union. Rabbi Cassel is a graduate of the world’s top yeshivot including Mir, Lakewood, and Ner Israel, and has more than 15 years of management and education experience for Olami.
Adina Stilerman
Director of Expansion, Olami Souled
Adina Stilerman is a motivational speaker engaging and entertaining audiences across the world. As the new director of expansion for Olami Souled, the womens community in Olami, she is on a mission to inspire women to embrace the endless possibilities for growth and personal metamorphosis.
Liat Garelick
Program Director, Seriously Souled
Jackie had a private practice in Sydney Australia and worked as the resident “Psychologist” on the national “Today Show”. Jackie also consulted and did organizational work for the police, media personalities and other non-profit organizations. Jackie Engel is now the Director of Leadership Development of Olami, Director of the Jewish Leaders Foundation, Director of Souled a Jewish women’s empowerment program in Manhattan and a teacher for Meor Manhattan.
Bashi Rosen
Program Director, JGroup
Rabbi Yakov Tipograf has been focused on Jewish community work for the past 18 years, having worked in numerous capacities including: project management, educational development, programming and training. Prior to his role with Olami, he worked as substitute director of St. Peterburg Migdal Ohr Jewish school, and as inspector of FSU Jewish school network. Rabbi Tipograf has an MA in Computer Science and worked for a few years in micro-processing.
Rabbi Gidon Shoshan
Deputy Regional Director of North America and UK
Rabbi Gidon Shoshan assists the North American Regional Director in overseeing Olami’s vast community of students and organizations in the US and Canada. Rabbi Shoshan’s keen eye for maximizing things helped earn him Harvard University’s Leadership in Education Award in 2012, and he integrates his professional education, his studies at the world’s top yeshivot, and his big heart to help make Olami better and better.
Rabbi Meir Rosenberg
Executive Vice President of Olami and Managing Director of Latin America, France, Germany, and Spain
Rabbi Meir Rosenberg was born in Costa Rica and grew up in Chile. While studying a B.A. in Industrial Engineering, he volunteered to direct the building of houses for underprivileged families, and spent his summers in Israel, bringing groups of Jewish college students for educational programs. After moving to Israel, Meir studied in Aish HaTorah and at the Mir Yeshiva. Besides his role with Olami, he is the chief editor of AishLatino.com, the largest Jewish website in Spanish, and also serves as COO of Latin America for Aish HaTorah.
Rabbi Arieh Marciano
Regional Director, France
After learning in the best yeshivot including Jerusalem’s Yeshiva Hazon Baroukh and Yeshiva Heikhal Hatorah, Rabbi Marciano spent 10 years learning in a kollel. Rabbi Marciano has been leading Olami France for since 2008.
Rabbi Yakov Tipograf
Regional Director, FSU
Rabbi Yakov Tipograf has been focused on Jewish community work for the past 18 years, having worked in numerous capacities including: project management, educational development, programming and training. Prior to his role with Olami, he worked as substitute director of St. Peterburg Migdal Ohr Jewish school, and as inspector of FSU Jewish school network. Rabbi Tipograf has an MA in Computer Science and worked for a few years in micro-processing.
Rabbi Eli Ilani
Executive Vice President of Olami and Managing Director of Israel
Rabbi Ari Gruen
Director of Trips
Estee Lavitt
Senior Project Manager
Estee Lavitt has dedicated her career to supporting non-profits through marketing and communications, grant writing and development, and strategic operations. She has touched the lives of clients from all backgrounds including families with a seriously ill child or parent, active drug users, and children with autism. She is passionate about bringing her skills to educate and inspire the next generation of Jews. Estee earned her Master’s in Public Administration from NYU.
Rabbi Shlomo Landau
Director of Community Mentors
Rabbi Shlomo Landau is the North American director of Olami Mentors and a sought-after lecturer and story-teller. For over two decades Rabbi Landau was the rabbi at Torah Links of Middlesex County; a welcoming community in East Brunswick, NJ. He has also been a beloved teen educator for close to twenty years. Rabbi Landau’s inspiring and warm personality coupled with his seemingly never ending repertoire of remarkable stories has endeared him to audiences across the globe.
Charlie Harary, Esq.
Chief of Talent
Charlie Harary, Esq. is an internationally acclaimed speaker for subjects ranging from behavioral intelli – gence to performance management to personal empowerment. He has created dozens of videos that have received worldwide attention reaching hundreds of thousands of people in over 15 countries.
Advisory board
Mr. Gilles Gade
Chairman, CEO & President, Bank River Cross
Gilles Gade is a founder of Cross River Bank (CRB) and has served as its Chairman, President and CEO since its inception in 2008.
Mr. Gade leads CRB as an innovation-driven state-chartered bank and a provider of fully compliant financial solutions to the marketplace lending and payments sectors.
Mr. Gade possesses over 20 years of experience in investment banking and venture capital including: Co-Founder and Managing Director of Chela Technology Partners and Chela Internet Ventures, a boutique investment bank and venture fund focusing on emerging technologies and telecommunications; technology investment banker at Barclays Capital; and FIG investment banker at Bear Stearns.
Mr. Bernard Heitner
The Heitner Group
In 1992, Bernard Heitner founded Cambridge Global Payments, a company he grew into the largest private foreign exchange house in North America with offices in Canada, the U.S., South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. In 2017, he sold this company for $900 million. Today, Bernard enjoys working with visionary business leaders who share his passion for building successful organizations and partnerships. He is also the founder and CEO of Reddick Wellington, where he leads a team of experts focused on asset management, real estate investments and private equity.
Mr. Ralph Herzka
Chairman & CEO, Meridian Capital Group
Ralph Herzka is the chairman and CEO of Meridian Capital Group. Since co-founding the commercial real estate advisory firm in 1991, Mr. Herzka has remained the guiding force behind the company’s evolution from a small Brooklyn-based commercial mortgage brokerage to a national leader in real estate capital markets, having personally arranged over $100 billion in financing. Additionally, Mr. Herzka has led Meridian’s recent expansion into New York City investment sales and retail leasing in 2015 and 2018, respectively. Most recently in June 2021, Meridian, in partnership with Barings, launched NewPoint Real Estate Capital, a new lending platform. Mr. Herzka serves as Chairman of the Board at NewPoint.
Mr. Barry Karfunkel
Chief Executive Officer, National General Holdings Corp
Peter A. Hochfelder is a founder and Managing Member of Brahman Management, L.L.C., a New York City based private investment partnership. Brahman was founded in 1988 and currently includes in its clientele universities, charitable endowments and wealthy individuals.
Mr. Elie Horn
president of Cyrela Brazil Realty
Mr. Michael Leven
Legendary business executive and visionary philanthropist
Mike ended his tenure in 2019 as the chairman and chief executive officer of the Georgia Aquarium to devote more time to charitable endeavors like the Jewish Future Pledge. In the past, he has served as president and chief operating officer of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, the chairman and chief executive officer of US Franchise Systems, the president and chief operating officer of Holiday Inn Worldwide, and the president of Days Inn of America. Mr. Leven is a co-founder of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), an organization that has more than 19,000 members owning more than 40,000 hotels. Mike is the author of Can’t Do It Yourself: How Commitment to Others Leads to Personal Prosperity, which shares his roadmap to personal and professional success, ending each chapter with a lesson to live by in business and life.
Mr. David L. Moore
Chairman/CEO, Moore Holdings LLC
David Moore is Chairman and CEO of Moore Holdings, which invests in and manages a variety of private companies, and is a partner in Sonostar Ventures, LLC, an investor in start-ups and public securities. He is currently chairman and majority owner of six Renewal by Andersen replacement window businesses which cover the New York Metro, San Francisco, Atlanta, Toronto, Indianapolis, Cincinnati/Dayton and Nashville/Knoxville markets; all are affiliates of the Andersen Window Corp. In recent years, David has held a wide range of positions, including: CEO, Register.com; Board Member of several firms, including: Spanx, Inc., Alternative Investment Management, Relationship Science, CommunityCo, Network Solutions, and CBS Marketwatch.com. He was also Vice Chairman of Marquis Jet, Inc. and Chairman of U.S. Home Systems, Inc. David is also a part-owner of the Atlanta Hawks NBA Basketball Club.
Dr. Anthony Moshal
Business entrepreneur
Anthony is a London-based entrepreneur, active in both business and non-profit areas. Anthony and his brother Martin founded the Yad Mordechai Trust in 2000, which supports Jewish Education and Humanitarian projects, as well HIV and poverty alleviation activities in their native South Africa. Yad Mordechai Trust is active in South Africa, Israel, the UK, Ukraine and Belarus. Anthony trained as a medical doctor (MBChB, UCT) at the University of Cape Town, graduating in 1991. He worked as a management consultant at The Monitor Company, a Cambridge, Massachusetts strategy consulting firm prior to entering the online world. Anthony is a co-founder of Betway/Super Group (Sports Entertainment Acquisition Group) and is an active investor in technology and real estate.
Mr. Michael Shabsels
CEO, Damis Holdings
Mike is the Chairman of Damis holdings and grew up in Park Slope, Brooklyn. While in his senior year at Brandeis University he co-founded University Sports Publications (“USP”), a publishing and advertising sales company. USP is a leading publisher of professional and collegiate sports souvenir magazines and yearbooks. In 2009 Michael sold his interest in the company for 37.5 million. From that point on, his efforts have been devoted to buying and developing children’s summer camps and investment real estate properties.
Concerning his summer camp business, Michael [and his partner / brother, David] are the nation’s largest owners of for‐profit summer camps. They have been owners of summer camps for nearly 15 years. As of today, they own and operate 26 summer camps (and their respective properties), primarily in the Northeast. Concerning his investment real estate business, Michael and David own and operate 30 properties, nationwide.
Mr. Aaron Wolfson
Principal, the Wolfson Group
Aaron is a principal of the Wolfson Group, a family office formed by his father, the late patriarch of the family, Zev Wolfson. The Wolfson companies, led by Aaron, have diverse holdings, which include the direct ownership of commercial office buildings in lower Manhattan, interests in hedge funds and leveraged buy-out funds, venture investments and direct investments in a variety of private and public companies.
OUR TEAM
Staff
Rabbi David Markowitz
Managing Director
Rabbi David Markowitz has been focused on Jewish Outreach for the past 15 years. He has worked in numerous outreach capacities including: educational development, programming, Kiruv training, camp programming, campus outreach and management. Prior to his role with Olami, he worked at the COO of Aish NY and a campus Rabbi in UCLA and managed 10 college campuses for JAM in LA.
Yisrael Schwebel
chief financial officer
Rabbi David Markowitz has been focused on Jewish Outreach for the past 15 years. He has worked in numerous outreach capacities including: educational development, programming, Kiruv training, camp programming, campus outreach and management. Prior to his role with Olami, he worked at the COO of Aish NY and a campus Rabbi in UCLA and managed 10 college campuses for JAM in LA.
Rabbi Raphael Butler
President
Rabbi Raphael Butler is the President of Olami and The Afikim Foundation, a leading consultant to many in the philanthropic community who seek his guidance to assist them in fulfilling their communal priorities.
Michal Nordmann
Director of Global Brand and Marketing
After graduating from Leeds University, Michal embarked on a career in marketing in London, implementing many successful and award-winning campaigns for Virgin, Heinz, and more. She then became Group Account Director working for the U.K.’s largest charities. In 2009 she moved to New York, where for five years she took her experience in-house to Aish NY. Upon moving to Israel, Michal became a consultant to a range of nonprofits, before focusing her efforts on Olami.
Rabbi Avi Cassel
Regional Director of North America and UK
Rabbi Avi Cassel directs over 110 Olami programs, servicing more than 20,000 students around North America. He also oversees STARS, a multi-organization partnership project in the former Soviet Union. Rabbi Cassel is a graduate of the world’s top yeshivot including Mir, Lakewood, and Ner Israel, and has more than 15 years of management and education experience for Olami.
Miriam Tennenbaum
Vice President of Development
Rabbi Avi Cassel directs over 110 Olami programs, servicing more than 20,000 students around North America. He also oversees STARS, a multi-organization partnership project in the former Soviet Union. Rabbi Cassel is a graduate of the world’s top yeshivot including Mir, Lakewood, and Ner Israel, and has more than 15 years of management and education experience for Olami.
Adina Stilerman
Director of Expansion, Olami Souled
Adina Stilerman is a motivational speaker engaging and entertaining audiences across the world. As the new director of expansion for Olami Souled, the womens community in Olami, she is on a mission to inspire women to embrace the endless possibilities for growth and personal metamorphosis.
Liat Garelick
Program Director, Seriously Souled
Jackie had a private practice in Sydney Australia and worked as the resident “Psychologist” on the national “Today Show”. Jackie also consulted and did organizational work for the police, media personalities and other non-profit organizations. Jackie Engel is now the Director of Leadership Development of Olami, Director of the Jewish Leaders Foundation, Director of Souled a Jewish women’s empowerment program in Manhattan and a teacher for Meor Manhattan.
Bashi Rosen
Program Director, JGroup
Rabbi Yakov Tipograf has been focused on Jewish community work for the past 18 years, having worked in numerous capacities including: project management, educational development, programming and training. Prior to his role with Olami, he worked as substitute director of St. Peterburg Migdal Ohr Jewish school, and as inspector of FSU Jewish school network. Rabbi Tipograf has an MA in Computer Science and worked for a few years in micro-processing.
Rabbi Gidon Shoshan
Deputy Regional Director of North America and UK
Rabbi Gidon Shoshan assists the North American Regional Director in overseeing Olami’s vast community of students and organizations in the US and Canada. Rabbi Shoshan’s keen eye for maximizing things helped earn him Harvard University’s Leadership in Education Award in 2012, and he integrates his professional education, his studies at the world’s top yeshivot, and his big heart to help make Olami better and better.
Rabbi Meir Rosenberg
Regional Director, Latin America
Rabbi Meir Rosenberg was born in Costa Rica and grew up in Chile. While studying a B.A. in Industrial Engineering, he volunteered to direct the building of houses for underprivileged families, and spent his summers in Israel, bringing groups of Jewish college students for educational programs. After moving to Israel, Meir studied in Aish HaTorah and at the Mir Yeshiva. Besides his role with Olami, he is the chief editor of AishLatino.com, the largest Jewish website in Spanish, and also serves as COO of Latin America for Aish HaTorah.
Rabbi Arieh Marciano
Regional Director, France
After learning in the best yeshivot including Jerusalem’s Yeshiva Hazon Baroukh and Yeshiva Heikhal Hatorah, Rabbi Marciano spent 10 years learning in a kollel. Rabbi Marciano has been leading Olami France for since 2008.
Rabbi Yakov Tipograf
Regional Director, FSU
Rabbi Yakov Tipograf has been focused on Jewish community work for the past 18 years, having worked in numerous capacities including: project management, educational development, programming and training. Prior to his role with Olami, he worked as substitute director of St. Peterburg Migdal Ohr Jewish school, and as inspector of FSU Jewish school network. Rabbi Tipograf has an MA in Computer Science and worked for a few years in micro-processing.
Rabbi Eli Ilani
Regional Director, Israel
Rabbi Ari Gruen
Director of Trips
Estee Lavitt
Senior Project Manager
Estee Lavitt has dedicated her career to supporting non-profits through marketing and communications, grant writing and development, and strategic operations. She has touched the lives of clients from all backgrounds including families with a seriously ill child or parent, active drug users, and children with autism. She is passionate about bringing her skills to educate and inspire the next generation of Jews. Estee earned her Master’s in Public Administration from NYU.
Rabbi Shlomo Landau
Director of Community Mentors
Rabbi Shlomo Landau is the North American director of Olami Mentors and a sought-after lecturer and story-teller. For over two decades Rabbi Landau was the rabbi at Torah Links of Middlesex County; a welcoming community in East Brunswick, NJ. He has also been a beloved teen educator for close to twenty years. Rabbi Landau’s inspiring and warm personality coupled with his seemingly never ending repertoire of remarkable stories has endeared him to audiences across the globe.
Charlie Harary, Esq.
Chief of Talent
Charlie Harary, Esq. is an internationally acclaimed speaker for subjects ranging from behavioral intelli – gence to performance management to personal empowerment. He has created dozens of videos that have received worldwide attention reaching hundreds of thousands of people in over 15 countries.
Advisory board
Mr. Gilles Gade
Chairman, CEO & President, Bank River Cross
Gilles Gade is a founder of Cross River Bank (CRB) and has served as its Chairman, President and CEO since its inception in 2008.
Mr. Gade leads CRB as an innovation-driven state-chartered bank and a provider of fully compliant financial solutions to the marketplace lending and payments sectors.
Mr. Gade possesses over 20 years of experience in investment banking and venture capital including: Co-Founder and Managing Director of Chela Technology Partners and Chela Internet Ventures, a boutique investment bank and venture fund focusing on emerging technologies and telecommunications; technology investment banker at Barclays Capital; and FIG investment banker at Bear Stearns.
Mr. Bernard Heitner
The Heitner Group
In 1992, Bernard Heitner founded Cambridge Global Payments, a company he grew into the largest private foreign exchange house in North America with offices in Canada, the U.S., South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. In 2017, he sold this company for $900 million. Today, Bernard enjoys working with visionary business leaders who share his passion for building successful organizations and partnerships. He is also the founder and CEO of Reddick Wellington, where he leads a team of experts focused on asset management, real estate investments and private equity.
Mr. Ralph Herzka
Chairman & CEO, Meridian Capital Group
Ralph Herzka is the chairman and CEO of Meridian Capital Group. Since co-founding the commercial real estate advisory firm in 1991, Mr. Herzka has remained the guiding force behind the company’s evolution from a small Brooklyn-based commercial mortgage brokerage to a national leader in real estate capital markets, having personally arranged over $100 billion in financing. Additionally, Mr. Herzka has led Meridian’s recent expansion into New York City investment sales and retail leasing in 2015 and 2018, respectively. Most recently in June 2021, Meridian, in partnership with Barings, launched NewPoint Real Estate Capital, a new lending platform. Mr. Herzka serves as Chairman of the Board at NewPoint.
Mr. Peter A. Hochfelder
founder and Managing Member of Brahman Management, LLC
Peter A. Hochfelder is a founder and Managing Member of Brahman Management, L.L.C., a New York City based private investment partnership. Brahman was founded in 1988 and currently includes in its clientele universities, charitable endowments and wealthy individuals.
Mr. Barry Karfunkel
Chief Executive Officer, National General Holdings Corp
Rabbi Shlomo Landau is the North American director of Olami Mentors and a sought-after lecturer and story-teller. For over two decades Rabbi Landau was the rabbi at Torah Links of Middlesex County; a welcoming community in East Brunswick, NJ. He has also been a beloved teen educator for close to twenty years. Rabbi Landau’s inspiring and warm personality coupled with his seemingly never ending repertoire of remarkable stories has endeared him to audiences across the globe.
Mr. Michael Leven
Legendary business executive and visionary philanthropist
Mike ended his tenure in 2019 as the chairman and chief executive officer of the Georgia Aquarium to devote more time to charitable endeavors like the Jewish Future Pledge. In the past, he has served as president and chief operating officer of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, the chairman and chief executive officer of US Franchise Systems, the president and chief operating officer of Holiday Inn Worldwide, and the president of Days Inn of America. Mr. Leven is a co-founder of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), an organization that has more than 19,000 members owning more than 40,000 hotels. Mike is the author of Can’t Do It Yourself: How Commitment to Others Leads to Personal Prosperity, which shares his roadmap to personal and professional success, ending each chapter with a lesson to live by in business and life.
Mr. David L. Moore
Chairman/CEO, Moore Holdings LLC
David Moore is Chairman and CEO of Moore Holdings, which invests in and manages a variety of private companies, and is a partner in Sonostar Ventures, LLC, an investor in start-ups and public securities. He is currently chairman and majority owner of six Renewal by Andersen replacement window businesses which cover the New York Metro, San Francisco, Atlanta, Toronto, Indianapolis, Cincinnati/Dayton and Nashville/Knoxville markets; all are affiliates of the Andersen Window Corp. In recent years, David has held a wide range of positions, including: CEO, Register.com; Board Member of several firms, including: Spanx, Inc., Alternative Investment Management, Relationship Science, CommunityCo, Network Solutions, and CBS Marketwatch.com. He was also Vice Chairman of Marquis Jet, Inc. and Chairman of U.S. Home Systems, Inc. David is also a part-owner of the Atlanta Hawks NBA Basketball Club.
Dr. Anthony Moshal
Strategic Advisor
Rabbi Yakov Tipograf has been focused on Jewish community work for the past 18 years, having worked in numerous capacities including: project management, educational development, programming and training. Prior to his role with Olami, he worked as substitute director of St. Peterburg Migdal Ohr Jewish school, and as inspector of FSU Jewish school network. Rabbi Tipograf has an MA in Computer Science and worked for a few years in micro-processing.
Mr. Michael Shabsel
CEO, Damis Holdings
Rabbi Avi Cassel directs over 110 Olami programs, servicing more than 20,000 students around North America. He also oversees STARS, a multi-organization partnership project in the former Soviet Union. Rabbi Cassel is a graduate of the world’s top yeshivot including Mir, Lakewood, and Ner Israel, and has more than 15 years of management and education experience for Olami.
Mr. Aaron Wolfson
Chief of Talent
Charlie Harary, Esq. is an internationally acclaimed speaker for subjects ranging from behavioral intelli – gence to performance management to personal empowerment. He has created dozens of videos that have received worldwide attention reaching hundreds of thousands of people in over 15 countries.
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