Voices of Partnership: A Week with BJ’s Israeli Partners and Friends
Friday, May 9–Tuesday, May 13, 2025
As part of BJ’s bicentennial celebration, we had the honor of welcoming a remarkable delegation of rabbis, educators, and community leaders from across Israel whose work has shaped a vibrant, pluralistic Jewish landscape in Israel. These longtime BJ partners represent organizations including HaMidrasha at Oranim-Hechalutz, Beit Tefilah Israeli, Kol HaNeshama, Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem, Congregation Beit Samueli, the Varda Institute, and MINYAN.
Throughout the week, the delegation took part in public events, Shabbat services, and intimate gatherings across our community. Together, we explored the civic and spiritual response to October 7, the search for Jewish meaning in a time of upheaval, and the future of our shared Jewish story.
The delegation’s visit was generously sponsored by Steve Stulman as part of BJ’s bicentennial celebration.
Celebrating Partnership and Planting Seeds
Read Rabbi Felicia Sol’s reflection on the 30-year evolution of the partnership between BJ and HaMidrasha—from early delegations to transformative women’s retreats and the founding of new spiritual communities in Israel. “At the core of this relationship is a shared tradition, a spiritual longing, a deep belief in the power of community.” What has emerged is a dynamic, cross-cultural bond rooted in vision, trust, and a collective search for meaning.
On-Demand Content
Catch up on programs you missed or rewatch and share these conversations with a remarkable delegation of rabbis, educators, and community leaders from across Israel whose work has shaped a vibrant, pluralistic Jewish landscape in Israel.
Kabbalat Shabbat Kavannah | Rabbi Dr. Rani Jaeger | May 9, 2025
Parashat Aharei Mot–Kedoshim | Rabbi Oded Mazor | May 10, 2025
Visiting Israeli Partners and Friends
Rabbi Ilana Abu Golan
Ilana is the director of Jewish Israeli Identity and Culture at HaMidrasha at Oranim – Hechalutz, and director of Yehuda Haifa. A graduate of the fifth cohort of the Beit Midrash for Israeli Rabbis, Ilana is originally from a traditional family in Kiryat Shmona, and now lives in Haifa with her family.
Anna Astmker
anna@kkh.org.ilAnna was born in Ukraine and made aliyah in 1994 with her parents. Anna holds a BA in International Relations and an MBA, both from the Hebrew University. She has served as Kehilat Kol HaNeshama as CEO since 2022. After October 7, when Anna’s cousin, Karina Ariev, was kidnapped from Nahal Oz, Anna became an advocate for Karina’s return and for the return of all hostages.
Rabbi Esteban Gottfried
Co-founder of Beit Tefilah Israeli in Tel Aviv and director since its inception, serving as its rabbi for the past 20 years, Esteban Gottfried was ordained at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem and received a second rabbinical ordination at the New Israeli Rabbinical Program at Hartman Institute and Hamidrasha in Oranim.
Rabbi Dr. Rani Jaeger
Rani is a research fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute, where he leads the Ritual Center. Previously, he served as head of the Tanakh Initiative for Bible teachers in public high schools. Rani is one of the founders of Beit Tefilah Israeli, a secular synagogue in the heart of Tel Aviv. He spent a year at Paideia, the European Institute of Jewish Studies in Stockholm, where he is now the educational director.
Rabbi Naamah Kelman
rabbinkk@gmail.comRabbi Naamah Kelman is a descendent of 10 generations of rabbis, becoming the first woman to be ordained by the Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem in 1992, where she served as Dean for 15 years. Born and raised on New York's Upper West Side, Rabbi Kelman is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and the Hebrew University. Kelman has lived in Israel since 1976, where she has worked in community organizing, Jewish education, and the promotion and establishment of Progressive and Pluralistic Judaism for Israelis.
Ronen Koehler
Ronen is a skilled inter-disciplinary executive and consultant with both a technology and military background. His experience includes over 40 years in the Israeli Navy, including 17 years as an active service member. While active, Ronen served as a commander in the navy, both a missile boat and a submarine captain, and as an internal audit leader for 17 years (presently ranked Colonel, Reserve).
Rabbi Shira Levine
Spiritual leader of Kibbutz Hanaton community in the Galilee and director of the Communities Department at HaMidrasha at Oranim - Hechalutz, Shira is a graduate of the third cohort of Beit Midrash for Israeli Rabbis. She leads lifecycle events and teaches and facilitates experiential Jewish education programs.
Lipaz Ela
lipaz@minyantlv.comLipaz Ela is a spiritual entrepreneur and community leader dedicated to revitalizing Jewish life in Israel. As the Founder and CEO of MINYAN, she creates innovative spiritual experiences that make Jewish tradition accessible and meaningful for young adults in Tel Aviv.
Rabbi Oded Mazor
rabbi.oded@kkh.org.ilRabbi Oded Mazor became Kol HaNeshama’s rabbi in 2019. During his rabbinical studies at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem, he served as the community's education coordinator and rabbinic assistant to Rabbi Levi Weiman-Kelman. Rabbi Oded grew up in liberal communities: Darchei Noam Reform community in Ramat Hasharon where his father, Rabbi Yehoram Mazor, served as the rabbi, and the Masorti Hod Vehadar community in Kfar Saba where the family were members.
Dr. Sara Shadmi-Wortman
Dr. Sara Shadmi-Wortman is co-founder and CEO of the Varda Institute for Community Building. An internationally recognized expert in community building and resilience, she has over 30 years of experience empowering Jewish communities worldwide. Her groundbreaking approach—creating a culture of belonging through community-building—has been implemented in synagogues, schools, and Jewish organizations globally and in broader settings such as Nepal, Burundi, and Israeli municipalities.
Rabbi Chen Ben-Or Tsfoni
rabbichen@beit-samueli.org.ilRabbi Chen Ben-Or Tsfoni is a passionate and experienced rabbi with over 25 years of leadership in Jewish community building, spiritual care, and education. A former BJ rabbinic fellow, she is deeply committed to tikkun olam and strives to bridge the gap between Israeli society and the Jewish world through innovative approaches to prayer, Jewish ritual, and inclusive spiritual practices. Rabbi Chen combines her experience in congregational leadership with a dedication to creating meaningful and contemporary ways of engaging with Jewish spirituality.
Guy Tsfoni
Guy Tsfoni was born and raised in Kibbutz Be’eri. He is married to Rabbi Chen Ben-Or Tsfoni (a former BJ rabbinic fellow), and they currently reside in Tel Aviv with their three young adult children. Guy is a leading expert in developing community strategies, specializing in planning, training, and evaluating communities using social capital metrics and community-building processes.
Ayala Wiezner
Ayala Wiezner currently leads the To Bloom Again project at the Israeli Judaism Alliance at the Ministry for Diaspora Affairs. The To Bloom Again project was born after the October 7 attack, and within the framework of which Israeli Jewish organizations accompany 53 communities in the Gaza envelope in the areas of culture and identity as tools for community resilience.
Rabbi Omer Zonenshine
omerzon@gmail.comOmer Zonenshine is a graduate of the 4th cohort of Beit Midrash for Israeli Rabbis. Omer is a teacher and educator, whose specialty is in Jewish thought, liberal democracy, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.