18X18: An M² Summit 2024

Shuki Taylor is the founder and CEO of M²: The Institute for Experiential Jewish Education. Previously, Shuki served as director of Service Learning and Experiential Education at Yeshiva University, where he founded the Certificate Program in Experiential Jewish Education and a range of programs mobilizing college students to serve underprivileged communities worldwide. Shuki has lived in Israel, New York, and South Africa. A Schusterman Fellow, Shuki studied Jewish philosophy, education, and scriptwriting and currently lives in Jerusalem with his wife Natalie, their four children, and their dog, Rocky.

Shlomit Naim Naor is the Israel Program Director at M². Shlomit is an educator and published poet with over 20 years of international experience in Jewish education. She is the Israel Program Director for M²: The Institute for Experiential Jewish Education. Previously, she was a training and content specialist at Makom, the educational content unit of the Jewish Agency for Israel, and advised the Jerusalem Education Bureau. Shlomit has served as a Jewish Agency community emissary in London and as chair of the Israeli Batei Midrash Network. She is the author of two award-winning books of poetry, No End in Sight (2016) and The Things We Are Not Talking About (2020). Shlomit strongly believes in creative writing as an impactful tool in experiential education. Shlomit is a graduate of the Mandel School of Educational Leadership, holds a bachelor’s degree in Hebrew literature and philosophy from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a master’s degree in creative writing from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

Rabbi Jonathan Leener is a spiritual leader and Jewish community builder in Brooklyn. As the head rabbi of the Prospect Heights Shul, he is known for his innovative approach to Jewish education and his commitment to building inclusive and welcoming communities.Rabbi Leener received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2010, before going on to study at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. He received his rabbinic ordination from Yeshivat Chovevei Torah in 2016. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Holocaust & Genocide Studies at Yeshiva University. In addition to his work at the Prospect Heights Shul, Rabbi Leener is a founder of Base. He served as the founding rabbi of Base BKLYN and has also worked as a rabbinic intern at Sherith Israel Congregation in Nashville, Tennessee and Beth Sholom Congregation in Potomac, Maryland. Beyond his professional work, Rabbi Leener is a passionate fan of the Brooklyn Nets and a lover of the Beatles. He currently lives in Crown Heights with his wife, Faith, and their three children, Hudi, Hannah, and Tikvah.

Rabba Yaffa Epstein is the Senior Scholar and Educator in Residence at the Jewish Education Project. She is an esteemed educator who has taught at Yeshivat Maharat, Drisha, the Dorot Fellowship, Hillel, Moishe House, Jewish Federations of North America, the Covenant Foundation, the Nahum Goldmann Fellowship, and Repair the World. She has lectured at Limmud events around the globe, and trained rabbis, educators, and lay leaders from across the spectrum of Jewish life. Previously, she served as the Director of the Wexner Heritage Program at the Wexner Foundation, and as the Director of Education, North America for the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies. She received her rabbinic ordination from Yeshivat Maharat, earned an additional private ordination from Rabbi Daniel Landes, and holds a law degree from Bar-Ilan University. Rabba Epstein is passionate about making Torah and Jewish learning accessible and exciting for all.

No’a is the Chief Operating Officer at M². With two decades of experience in leadership roles affecting social change through high-end programming locally and globally, No’a serves as Chief Operating Officer at M².  Prior to joining M² No’a served as CEO of ROI Community, as Associate Director at Kolot, and as program officer at the Chais Family Foundation and the Rashi Foundation.  No’a holds a BA with honors in Psychology and an MBA, both from the Hebrew University. No’a lives in Jerusalem with her family and serves on the board of Beit Prat, an Israeli Midrasha. In her spare time No’a loves to read, cook, hike and travel.

Nissimmi Naim Naor is a chef who uses food to explore the deep connections in the realms of culture, identity, and tradition. And carbs. Always carbs. In his workshops, meals and lectures, Nissimmi connects participants with their historical and culinary identities through the power of food. Previously, Nissimmi worked in some of Israel’s finest kitchens, and as a consultant to the Israeli Prime Minister. He holds a BA in philosophy, economics, and political science from the Hebrew University, an MA in law from Bar Ilan University, and is currently a rabbinical student at the Shalom Hartman Institute. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife Shlomit and their three daughters. His favorite carb is Tuscan focaccia with black grapes.

Mollie is the Senior Program Director of Fellowships at M². Mollie has over 10 years of experience teaching in a variety of Jewish educational settings – from formal classroom teaching to nature education, from theatre education to collaborative philanthropy education. She enjoys being in the field as well as building programs and trainings to support others. Mollie holds a double Master’s in Midrash and Jewish Experiential Education from the Jewish Theological Seminar, a BA in Religion from Bard College and is a graduate of M²’s Senior Educators Cohort. She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and children.

Rabbi Miriam-Simma Walfish is faculty at Hadar and a Senior Coach for Pedagogy of Partnership. She holds a PhD in Rabbinics from Harvard University. She sees Torah study as a rich conversation between us and the voices of our tradition and is especially interested in having those conversations in the area of gender and embodiment. Her other interests include rabbinic approaches parenting and education. She has published several articles, including, “Upending the Curse of Eve: Reframing Maternal Breastfeeding in BT Ketubot” (2017). Rabbi Walfish has taught Tanakh, Talmud, and Jewish Law in numerous settings including the Conservative Yeshiva, Hadar, Harvard University, Hebrew College, and the National Havurah Committee’s summer institute. She revels in the process of learning Torah with and from her students.

Michal Fox Smart has pioneered innovation in the field of Jewish education for more than thirty years, and currently works as a consultant, transformational faculty and professional coach. Early in her career, Michal pioneered Jewish outdoor and environmental education in the U.S., co-founding COEJL, TEVA, and directing the Isabella Freedman Retreat Center. Michal later served as Associate Principal of Bi-Cultural Hebrew Academy and then Director of Ayeka North America, emerging as a national leader on soulful pedagogy and the development of educators. More recently, she served as Chief Program Officer for IJS, overseeing its programs in Jewish mindfulness and spirituality. She is editor of Kaddish: Women’s Voices, winner of the National Jewish Book Award, and the proud Ema of five emerging adults, each deliciously different.

Laynie Soloman (they/he) is a teacher and Torah-lover who works to uplift the piously irreverent, queer, and subversive spirit of rabbinic text and theology. They currently serve as Associate Rosh Yeshiva at SVARA: A Traditionally Radical Yeshiva, where they co-founded the Trans Halakha Project. They believe that grounding in, learning, and expressing ourselves through Torah is a liberatory spiritual practice and source of cultural resistance that can help us live with greater integrity, rootedness, and joy. Laynie has studied and taught Torah for almost a decade in a wide range of communal spaces, including at Yeshivat Hadar, Romemu Yeshiva, and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. Laynie is an Ashkenazi third generation Philadelphian, and when they’re not learning Talmud, you can find them reading about liberation theology, laying in their hammock, and singing niggunim.

Emilia is the Chief Program Officer at Avodah. She is an educator, social worker, facilitator who has taught on power and justice, whiteness, pop culture, feminism, and the arts for 15 years. She also Emilia works with Dimensions Educational Consulting as the co-facilitator of the Jews of Color & Allies cohort, focusing on helping white women lead on racial equity and build meaningful cross-racial relationships that center Black women.

She was a JOIN for Justice Organizing Fellow in 2012-2013 and is also a proud first generation member of Tzedek Lab, a national network of trainers, organizers, spiritual leaders, cultural workers, and allies established to build liberation practice. Emilia earned a degree in Informal Urban Education from New York University and a Master’s in Social Work from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Outside of work, she prides herself on being a Beyhive member, a Bostonian, and a dog lover.

Elyssa Moss Rabinowitz creates worlds of Jewish meaning and beauty by using all forms of media to create interactive, participatory events and programs of Jewish content. She is a co-founder and Executive Director of Kol HaOt – Illuminating Jewish Life through Art, a Jerusalem-based organization dedicated to weaving the magic of the arts into Jewish educational experiences. Previously, Elyssa founded and ran A Day Away Productions, created the Zer Mitzvot experience for bnot mitzvah, worked on creative content for television at Techelet Jewish Television, and acted in and produced live theater. An experienced facilitator and Jewish education entrepreneur, Elyssa loves bringing people together through meaningful Jewish experiences. Originally from California, Elyssa lives in Jerusalem with her partner, Dovi, their five children, two children-in-law, and dog! She is a proud graduate of M²’s Senior Educators Cohort and is privileged to serve as M² adjunct faculty.

Dr. Yakir Englander is the Senior National Director of Leadership programs at the Israeli-American Council. He also teaches at the AJR. Originally from the Ultra- Orthodox community of Israel, Englander obtained his Ph.D. from the Hebrew University in Jewish philosophy and gender studies. He is a Fulbright scholar and was a visiting professor of Religion at Northwestern Universities, the Shalom Hartman Institute and Harvard Divinity School. Englander’s books about body, gender and sexuality in the Ultra-Orthodox and Zionist-Orthodox communities have changed the discourse on sexuality and gender inside the Jewish religious societies in Israel. After leaving Orthodoxy, Yakir was drafted to the Israeli military, spending of his service in an elite unit tasked with the identification of human remains. As a result of his service, he joined as a director at Kids4Peace, an interfaith youth movement in Jerusalem and in North America.

Anthropologist, musician/composer, and culture creator Dr. Galeet Dardashti, has earned a reputation as a trail-blazing performer, educator, and advocate for Middle Eastern and North African Jewish culture.  As a scholar, Dardashti holds a Ph.D. in anthropology and specializes in Mizrahi music, media, and cultural politics.  She has held Assistant Professor positions at NYU and JTS and is currently a Fellow at University of Pennsylvania.

As a performer, she is widely known as leader/founder of the all-woman powerhouse Sephardi/Mizrahi ensemble, Divahn and from her nationally acclaimed solo release, The Naming.  In her recent award-winning release, Monajat, Galeet remixes samples of her famed Iranian grandfather’s recordings to create an original soundscape accompanied by dynamic video art. Time Out New York has described Dardashti’s music as “urgent, heartfelt and hypnotic;” The Huffington Post called it “heart-stopping.”

The Nightingale of Iran—the new award-winning documentary podcast series Galeet co-created—is a global hit; it has remained the #1 Jewish podcast for months.

Dardashti offers scholar/artist-in-residencies, lectures, and workshops on her academic and artistic work throughout North America and beyond.

Clare Goldwater is the Chief Strategy Officer at M²: The Institute for Experiential Jewish Education. Working in close partnership with a wide range of organizations, Clare oversees the development and dissemination of M²’s approach and ideas about experiential Jewish education, through consulting projects to Jewish organizations, publications, curricula materials, and more. Clare has a BA in English Literature from Oxford University, an MA in Jewish Education from Hebrew University, and a Certificate in Leadership Coaching from Georgetown University. She also holds passports from those three countries and lives in Jerusalem with her family.

Basya Schechter is an award-winning musician whose genre-bending sound merges continents, key signatures, and languages. She is the founder of the seven-piece ensemble Pharaoh’s Daughter, and has toured extensively throughout the Americas, Europe, and Israel. Her work has earned the Independent Music Award for World Music, and garnered praise from the Village Voice as the “Best Middle East Peace Plan.” Schechter has performed in hundreds of venues worldwide, including Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and Queen Elizabeth Hall. She was ordained by ALEPH-Jewish Renewal Cantorial School in 2016, and leads services at Romemu NYC, Brooklyn, and Fire Island Synagogue. Her current projects include an exploration of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov’s timeless psychospiritual teachings through rap and song, a cycle of love and longing experiences inspired by translated Song of Songs texts, and a theatrical song cycle of the Yiddish poetry of Itzik Manger. Most importantly, Basya is a single mom extraordinaire.

Adam Eilath is the Head of School at Ronald C Wornick Jewish Day School in Foster City. Adam previously worked at the Jewish Community High School of the Bay in San Francisco and also held positions at Kehillah Jewish High School, the Nesiya Institute and MiMizrach Shemesh. He holds an MA in Jewish Thought from Tel Aviv University, a BA in Jewish Studies from McGill University and has certificates from the Shalom Hartman Institute, the Jewish Theological Seminary and Yeshiva University. Adam is a leader in the American Sephardic Community and is involved in a number of initiatives that aim to build capacity and awareness of Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewry. He lives in Oakland with his wife and two daughters and is an accomplished open water swimmer in the San Francisco Bay Area.