Meet the Fellows
With thanks to the 2011 Global Institute Chair Sponsors: The Gorlin Family Foundation The Gottesman Fund The iCenter JDC Europe The Rosenbloom Philanthropic Fund
LAURA BIALIS
Tel Aviv, Israel
PROJECT: Laura is a documentary filmmaker, graduating from the University of Southern California. Her stories often deal with human rights, social issues, and activists and most of her work focuses on stories of the Jewish people. She founded Foundation for Documentary Projects, to produce documentaries that would educate, inspire, and change the world.
The Foundation for Documentary Projects uses the art of powerful documentary storytelling to engage Jewish youth and young adults with the goal of strengthening their Jewish identity, raising their awareness of important issues facing theJewish people and Israel and inspiring them to take action.
RACHEL BRODY
Washington, DC
PROJECT: Rachel has worked with Teach For America, and the REALITY program, where she was able to study innovation and leadership in Israel. She received her Masters of Education in special education from George Mason University, and currently works at the KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) DC as an instructional specialist.
Inclusive Coffee will create joint coffee shops and community centers that provide the opportunity for those with and without disabilities to interact with one another. It promotes friendship, understanding, and blending between the two communities.
ANA FUCHS
Atlanta, GA
PROJECT: Ana is the founder of Jewish Kids Groups. In addition, she is an instructional designer and editor at Emory University’s Institute for the Study of Modern Israel. There, she leads teacher training sessions and assists in research. Ana is an active volunteer, working with Big Brothers Big Sisters, and serves as a director for Camp Limmud.
Jewish Kids Groups are creative, different way to approach Jewish education. They are highly engaging, joyous and fun! These positive associations to Judaism as children will translate into a more active adult Jewish community in the future.
LAURA GASPAR
Budapest, Hungary
PROJECT: Laura is currently a computer science student from Budapest, Hungary. She has always had a passion for teaching Judaism to children, as both a participant and a madricha with several Jewish camps, including Hashomer Hatzair, the International Youth Camp of Szarvas, and Taglit-Birthright Israel. As a madricha, she learned that the most effective way to educate children is by interactive games which hold their interest and foster a love of learning.
Rafi is an interactive computer game that teaches children about Jewish life through the experiences and adventures of a young child named Rafi.
DAVID GLOSS
Philadelphia, PA
PROJECT: David is an active social entrepreneur and strategy professional. He lives by the mantra that is it possible to do good, while doing well. Before founding Here’s My Chance, he was the operations and business manager for Ryzing, a social gaming company, and before that worked in business consulting and venture capital. He has an MBA from Temple University, and is a Philadelphia native.
Here’s My Chance is a unique software platform that inspires action, starts thought provoking conversations, and helps organizations raise funds and engage supporters.
EVELYN GOLDFINGER
Buenos Aires, Argentina
PROJECT: Evelyn lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She has a passion for theater and the arts, both performing and directing. Recently, she wrote “The Bubbe’s Trunk”, an educational play to teach children about Yiddish language and culture from a hip perspective. She founded El Toratrón, a professional theater ensemble, to educate audiences about the stories of the Torah. She serves as a director, playwright, producer, and actress in the ensemble.
El Toratrón is a Jewish educational theatre ensemble that creates and performs a variety of innovative shows with Biblical and Jewish themes. It presents the Torah in a unique, fun, profound and approachable way.
ANNE HROMADKA Los Angeles, CA
PROJECT: Anne holds dual masters degrees in Jewish Communal Service from Hebrew Union College-JIR/LA and Public Art Studies from USC. Her interest in art led her to serve as the program director for Jewish Artist Initiative of Southern California, as well as direct a contemporary art gallery in the Culver City Arts District. She is an independent consultant for Hebrew Union College-JIR/LA. Her area of emphasis is Jewish visual art with a focus on Los Angeles Jewish artists and a special interest in participatory cultural experiences.
Nu ART [Insert Jewish Culture Here] ProjectS will be a fully functional art and educational space set up inside an altered Recreational Vehicle (RV). The mobile gallery will be dedicated to increasing Jewish cultural awareness and appreciation through exposure to the arts.
ZOIA KOLTON St. Petersburg, Russia
PROJECT: A native of Russia, Zoia discovered her roots after the collapse of the USSR. As a child, she was an inaugural member of Adain-Lo, a Jewish Family Center. Her passion for Judaism continued throughout her life. Currently, she works as a PR-manager of the Russian Jewish Congress in St. Petersburg.
The principles of 3-Dimensions are action, kindness, and generosity. The goal of 3D is to create a new cluster of young Jewish leaders who could financially and organizationally support Jewish community of St. Petersburg in the future and ensure its stable existence and independence.
MICHAEL LANDES
New York, NY
PROJECT: Michael is a recent graduate of the List College Joint Program between Columbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary, studying political science and biblical studies. He volunteered with the American Jewish World Service to work in Uganda. These experiences have inspired him to positively impact the lives of the less fortunate, Jewish or otherwise, across the globe.
Camp Amir aims to build a pluralistic summer camp for both Israeli and Arab children on the common ground of environmentalism and organic farming. By teaching sustainability in environmental work, Camp Amir can empower children in the region to build a cooperative future with one another.
BARBARA REICH Buenos Aires, Argentina
PROJECT: Barbara earned a degree in Education and a Masters in Human Rights. Until recently, she has been the Cabinet Advisor to the General Department of Minorities, creating many programs educational programs for the youth of Buenos Aires. She has been active in the Jewish community for her entire life.
Encontrarse en la Diversidad is a training program which focuses on human rights for youth. It aims to create a space to teach the value of diversity and its impact on daily life.
ELLEN ROSEN SINGER New York, NY
PROJECT: Ellen has managed a consulting firm finding solutions for clients in a range of business sectors. She has traveled to the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Africa teaching business skills and helping people start small businesses. A graduate of NYU School of Business, she hopes to teach other women the skills she learned through her organization, WomenTeachingWomen.
WomenTeachingWomen is an international organization devoted to empowering women by providing them with the skills and opportunities to become economically self-sufficient. Its principles are based on the belief that women who are financially independent not only provide for themselves and their families, but they are also responsible and active community leaders.
REBECCA RUSSELL EINHORN Washington, DC
PROJECT: Becca is a native of Washington D.C. and a graduate of Pomona College. While in college, she founded the Claremont DREAM Act Coalition, an on campus immigrant-rights group that raised awareness of issues related to immigrant status. Becca loves to travel, and spent a year in Israel learning Hebrew and Arabic in order to promote coexistence between Arabs and Israelis.
The Activist Institute is a place where young people can brainstorm solutions to the world’s most pressing issues, connect with leaders in their field, and get the experience that they need to forge ahead and start their own projects for change in their communities.
RICARDO SZYFER
Montevideo, Uruguay
PROJECT: Ricardo is from Montevideo, Uruguay and currently studies systems engineering at Universidad ORT Uruguay. In addition to being a student, he also teaches data structures and algorithms at the university. He is also an active member of the Hillel Tzedek group, which frequently engages in social service activities.
Conta CoNmigo is a website where different local community projects are posted, and interested participants can donate money, materials, or time the given initiative to make it happen.
YAIR TOBIAS
Kibbutz Yahel, Israel
PROJECT: Yair grew up in the desert of Israel, on a small kibbutz in the Arava area near Eilat. In a pre-army academy, he studied Judaism and economics and became a fighter-medic in the army. His love of Israeli-desert life has inspired him to teach these principles to other young adults through Beit Midrash Baderech.
Beit Midrash BaDerech seeks to establish a place of study that will integrate study, work, tikkun olam and community. The study program will include Jewish and spiritual studies together with environment and desert studies.
FONDA WEISS
Jerusalem, Israel
PROJECT: Fonda is a native Texan who made Aliyah to Israel. She has enjoyed a career in high-tech communications, designing, writing and producing userfriendly product documentation. She founded PEAK, a Place for Expression & Action for Kids, where she also serves as a teacher.
A Jewish Place for Expression and Action for Kids (J-PEAK) is both a physical and virtual place for Jewish children to express their ideas, share talents, learn from one another, and take action in initiating programs for and with their peers.
BEN WIENER Jerusalem, Israel
PROJECT: Ben specializes in private equity transactions and business development, with particular expertise in international deal-making. He is a graduate of Columbia Law School and Yeshiva University. Ben is the founder of Portofino Equity Advisors, a fund-less sponsor of private equity transactions and investment in emerging markets and was a Vice President at IDT Corp, where he managed acquisition projects and established and managed a number of new corporate subsidiaries.
Tenpartners is an innovative nonprofit partnership platform that enables non-denominational groups of local, young Jewish leaders to collaborate using our customized technology platform and create new and unique, financially sustainable programs to enrich their local Jewish life and community. need to forge ahead and start their own projects for change in their communities.
We are honored to work with the following present and past sponsors in pursuit of our mission to build a future of creativity, innovation, and leadership for Israel, the Jewish People, and the world: American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, American Zionist Movement, AMITAI Heritage Foundation, Avi Chai, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, Combined Jewish Philanthropies, Greater Boston›s Jewish Federation, Foundation for Jewish Culture, Gary Gross, Hillel, iCenter, Israel on Campus Coalition, Israel Venture Association, Jewish Federation of Cleveland, Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, Jewish Funders Network - Philanthropic Services, Jim Joseph Foundation, Joyce & Irving Goldman Family Foundation Inc., Lippman Kanfer Family Foundation, Natan, Pamela Applebaum, Partnership for Effective Learning and Innovative Education (PELIE), Professional Leaders Project, Salesforce.com, Sharon Ungerleider, The Covenant Foundation, The Gorlin Family Foundation, The Gottesman Fund, The Immerman Foundation, The Kopelman Foundation, The Morningstar Foundation, The Nathan Cummings Foundation, The Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation (OJCYF), The Rosenbloom Philanthropic Fund, The Wohl Family Foundation, Tribe 12, UJA-Federation of New York, Virginia Bayer & Rabbi Robert Hirt, World Zionist Organization.
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