18X18: An M² Summit 2023

Spiritual activist and community organizer Yehudah Webster works to animate and integrate anti-racist behaviors and culture in communities, supporting the collective organizing, advocacy and direct service efforts to dismantle racism systemically. As the Program Director and Faculty at Inside Out Wisdom and Action Project, Yehudah equips communities with the daily concrete spiritual tools of Mussar to subvert racism within ourselves and others through facilitating workshops, consulting with organizations, and building a community of anti-racist practice. He has presented in a wide variety of settings, including staff developments for organizations, college campuses, communal institutions, and youth group programs. Yehudah is a graduate of Jews for Racial and Economic Justice’s Grace Paley Organizing Fellowship, Bend the Arc’s Selah Leadership Program, and Inside Out Wisdom and Action Project’s Ovdim Fellowship.

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.

Dr. Samuel Torjman Thomas is an ethnomusicologist, multi-instrumentalist, and composer who works within North African-Middle Eastern traditions and jazz, and teaches music, interdisciplinary studies, and Sephardic Studies at the City University of New York (Hunter College and John Jay College) and in the cantorial programs for ALEPH-Jewish Renewal and the Academy of Jewish Religion. As founder and artistic director of the New York Andalus Ensemble and ASEFA (ah-SAY-fah), he journeys through a lush Mediterranean garden of songs in Hebrew, Arabic, Ladino, and Spanish, highlighting intercultural exchange in the expressive musical arts of the region. He is a frequent guest speaker and hazzan, sharing with communities worldwide in cultural and ecumenical spaces. His work brings audiences into worlds of Jewish song including – Sephardic piyyutim (poetry), maqam traditions, wordless Chassidic nigunim, klezmer music, and liturgy.

Richard Saudek grew up making faces at himself in the mirror while he brushed his teeth. At the age of ten, he ran off to perform in the circus for a number of years. He’s played Lucky in Waiting for Godot in Yiddish, toured his one-clown show, Beep Boop, internationally, and played a madman in Salome at The Shakespeare Theater Co. He has embodied a trilobite at The New Victory, a burlesque pantomime at Ars Nova, an egg at LaMama, and performed in countless other productions for the past 17 years. He teaches clowning in Northern Greece with One Year Lease Theater Co. each summer. He continues to work extensively in New York City, regionally and internationally as well as on television. His most recent clown show, Dead + Alive at The Connelly Theater was originally conceived and incubated during a fellowship at LABA: A Laboratory for Jewish Culture.

Rabbi Lisa Goldstein is a teacher, consultant, and certified Master Practitioner of NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM), a modality of healing complex trauma. She teaches a wide variety of courses with an emphasis on spiritual wisdom, prayer, meditation, and the teachings of R. Nachman of Breslov. She also works one-on-one to support people in their journeys of healing and spiritual growth. Educated at Brown University and Hebrew Union College, Lisa has almost 25 years of executive experience, having served as the executive director of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality and Hillel of San Diego. She is a consultant for M²: the Institute for Experiential Jewish Education, serving as lead faculty for the Jewish Pedagogies of Wellbeing Research Fellowship and as a mentor for the Senior Educators Cohort. She is also an assistant for the Basic Online Training for NARM. Lisa lives in New York City with her husband and their foster son.

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.

Oshrat Slama Grozman is the Director of Marketing and Communications at M². Oshrat is an experienced and creative Marketing Communications Director, skillful in digital marketing, copywriting, and PR. Oshrat took part in the historic moon mission of the Beresheet spacecraft. She takes pride in being a member of the pioneering team of SpaceIL, where she served as a Marcom Director and as VP Marketing, from the early days of the project, until Israel reached the moon. She worked as a copywriter in two of Israel’s leading advertising agencies, McCANN (formerly known as McCann Erickson) and Yehoshua TBWA. Prior to joining M², Oshrat was the Israel Marketing Manager at AKT, a global advisory company for Human Capital Solutions. Oshrat has a BA degree in Journalism and Communications & International Relations from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

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.

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.

Kiva Rabinsky is the Deputy CEO and Chief Program Officer at M². Kiva has worked extensively in Jewish summer camps, day schools, teen programs, and service-learning initiatives. Since 2010, he has been training educators in various roles in experiential Jewish education. As Chief Program Officer at M², Kiva brings a creative lens to develop and deliver engaging experiences and dynamic resources to educators across the field. And as Deputy CEO, he offers a systems approach to ensure that M² as an organization is thriving. Kiva holds an MPA in Nonprofit Management and an undergraduate degree in Education and Archeology. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife, Deb, and their three children.

Julie Maschler is the Design Manager at M². She is excited to bring her experience in design and nonprofit work to further M²’s vision to develop compelling and creative ways to engage in Jewish life. She sees design as an important medium of communication and as a way to blend the visual and narrative world. Prior to joining M², she worked for The Natan Fund and continues to consult on a variety of graphic design and nonprofit projects. She holds a BA from Brandeis University in Massachusetts and completed the Shillington Graphic Design Certificate program in New York.

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.

Elan Margulies aims to inspire joy and reverence for the natural world by exploring earth-based Jewish traditions and the wonders right outside our door. He works to transform Jewish education through experiential learning that fosters Jewish, ecological, and food sustainability. In his work with the Jewish arts, Elan engages the creative and spiritual passions of participants by making ritual objects from ethically-sourced materials. He is the director of Pushing the Envelope Farm, a Jewish educational center outside Chicago, where he has learned that the best way to catch a goat is to run away from it. Previously, he served as the Director of Education for Hazon and their children’s nature program, Teva. He pursued graduate studies in forest ecology at the University of Michigan and the Hebrew University. In his free time, he enjoys finding wild edibles and working with wood and metal. Before the pandemic, he walked over 3,000 miles from Portugal on his way to Jerusalem.

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.

Benjamin M. Jacobs, Ph.D., associate research professor at The George Washington University, has spent most of his career preparing social studies teachers and Jewish educators for school and non-school settings, and consulting with various Jewish education agencies on curriculum and teaching. His research includes the history, theory, and practice of social education, Jewish education, and teacher education on the American scene. Ben directs the Master’s Program in Experiential Jewish Education and The iCenter Graduate Programs in Israel Education at GW. He co-chairs the advisory board of the Collaborative for Applied Studies in Jewish Education (CASJE) and the education committee for RootOne. Along with his longtime collaborator Barry Chazan, Ben co-authored (also with Robert Chazan) Cultures and Contexts of Jewish Education (Palgrave, 2017) and created the widely adapted curriculum model 18×18 Framework: 18 Jewish Things a Young Jew Should Know, Care About, and Be Able to do by Age 18.

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.

Alyssa is the Program Coordinator at M². She has experience working in the Jewish non-profit sector after spending the last two years working at JCC Rockland in Rockland County. NY. She holds a BFA in Graphic Design from the School of Visual Arts and is excited to put her creative mind to use in this role. Alyssa loves to bake, collect vinyl records and take spin classes to break a sweat.