Meet The Staff
Each one of our programs is thoughtfully designed and planned with our participants’ needs in mind. We strive to provide experiences that are both challenging and rewarding. Learn more about what we offer below.
Jeffrey Allon
Jeffrey Allon is a visual artist, concentrating mainly in figurative art. He has trained most recently (2009) at Studio Incamminati, an intensive studio arts program located in Philadelphia.
Jeff lives with his family in Tekoa, Gush Etzion.
Rabbi David Debow
Rabbi Debow infuses his classes with relevance and creativity. He served as teacher, Mashgiach Ruchani and Principal of Fuchs Mizrachi High School in Cleveland. Since making Aliya, he has taught in Midreshet Harovah, Midreshet Lindenbaum, Michlelet Orot. He is a graduate of Yeshivat Har Etzion and graduate of Yeshiva University and Ursuline College.
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Dr. Yocheved Debow
Dr. Debow holds a BA in Psychology and Education, and an MA in Child Clinical and Educational Psychology. She received her doctorate in Education at Bar Ilan University as a presidential fellow. She studied Limmudei Kodesh at Michlalah, Jerusalem College for Women. Dr Debow is a world expert on sexuality education in the Orthodox Jewish world as brings that knowledge and education into many of her classes. She is beloved by her students and well known for her seeply caring commitment to them.
Rivi Frankel
Rivi is Midreshet Emunah v’Omanut’s new Director of Programming, but has been involved in the school in different capacities for the last 13 years. She has a B.S in Management, an M.ed in Jewish Education from the Hebrew University, and is a licensed tour guide through the Ministry of Tourism. In addition to teaching at EVO, Rivi is the director of the Matan Bellows Eshkolot Professional Development program, and teaches and guides for various programs, schools, and groups throughout Israel and abroad. Rivi is well known for her thoughtful teaching, deep commitment to her students and passion for developing their love and appreciation of Eretz Yisrael.
Franny Waisman
Franny lives and breathes Torah and Art. A professional VIP guide, she infects princes and politicians with her passionate love of Eretz Yisrael. A song writer and performer, Franny touches many with her authentic Jewish music. She studied Tanach and Machshava at Herzog College and Midreshet Migdol Oz. She is well known for her deeply spiritual and personal Torah classes as well as her music and art.
Rabbanit Shira Zimmerman
Rabbanit Shira exemplifies Torah scholarship. She graduated the Susi Bradfield Women’s Institute for Halakhic Leadership at Midreshet Lindenbaum and the Matan Institute for Advanced Talmudic Learning. She holds a BA in Talmud and Tanach from Bar Ilan. Rabbanit Shira is well known for her commitment to text based learning and her passion has brought many students into her classroom excited to learn to approach primary Torah Sh'Baal Peh Sources.
Elisheva Cohen
Elisheva Cohen grew up in Stamford, CT and studied in Sha'alvim for Women during her gap year in Israel. She has a B.A. in Jewish Education from Stern College for Women and an M.A. in Jewish Education from Yeshiva University's Azrieli Graduate School. After making aliyah, she studied in the Matan Bellows Eshkolot Educators Institute for Tanakh and Jewish Studies, and the Mizrachi Lapidot program. She currently teaches at Emunah v'Omanut, Midreshet Torah v'Avodah, Midreshet Tehilla and is continuing her learning in the Mizrachi Lapidot program.
Rabbi Gideon Sylvester
Rabbi Gideon Sylvester comes from England where he served as a community rabbi for seven years turning an embryonic synagogue into Britain’s fastest growing Modern Orthodox community. He continues to serve England’s mainstream Orthodox community as their representative in Israel. Rav Gideon, as students warmly call him, has also served as an adviser in the Prime Ministers Office and worked in a number of educational settings; teaching Torah, as well as guiding groups in Germany and Poland. Rav Gideon is writing his doctorate about Israeli rabbis engaged in religious peacemaking.
Leah Raab
Leah Raab received her BFA from the Bezalel Academy of Arts in Jerusalem and graduated with an MFA from the New York Studio School in New York. She has exhibited her work in numerous public and private showings in the United States, Europe, Canada and Israel. Leah resides in Raanana and concentrates on painting and drawing.
Rabbi Ari Ze'ev Schwartz
Rabbi Ari Ze’ev Schwartz is a passionate and popular teacher dedicated to spreading the teachings of Rav Kook and Rav Shagar to the English speaking public. He is the author of “The Spiritual Revolution of Rav Kook: Writings of a Jewish Mystic” published in 2018 by Gefen Publishing House.
In addition, Rabbi Schwartz teaches in several Yeshivot and Midrashot throughout Jerusalem.
Rabbi Michael Unterberg
Rabbi Michael Unterberg has been a Jewish Educator for over 30 years, specializing in Jewish History and Israel Education.
Yael Valier
Yael is the creative director of the Theater and Theology Company (www.TheaterAndTheology.com). She has been involved in the Israeli English-speaking acting scene for eighteen years as a writer, actor, voice actor, and director. Yael is a graduate of Matan's Ayanot program and of the Ruti Tamir Physical Theater Workshop.
Netzach Mendoza
Netzach Mendoza made Aliyah from Seattle, Washington where she is a member of The Sephardic Bikur Holim Congregation. She was born in Mexico.
She's a Television Producer with a degree in Music and specialty in Choral and Orchestral Directing.
She studied modules in Master of Psychology.
From her Aliyah, she works for the Jerusalem Municipality as Choral Director and Teacher of singing, theory and musical instruments.
Mrs Adina Mann
Adina was in the first graduating class of the Advanced Talmud and Halacha Scholars Program at Stella K. Abraham Beit Midrash for Women - Migdal Oz. Since graduating, she has taught various classes in Tanach and Halacha at numerous seminaries in Israel. Adina completed a B.A. in Special-Education and Tanach at Bar Ilan University. She is currently pursuing her M.Ed. in Tanach from The Yaakov Herzog Teachers' Institute. Adina lives in Efrat with her husband and four children.
Gabby Foster
Gabby Foster, originally from Nashua, New Hampshire, has been living in Israel since August 2019 and officially made Aliyah in April 2021. She came to Israel after receiving her B.A. in Religious Studies and Theater/Dance from Colby College, located in Waterville, Maine. Gabby began teaching dance at EVO in September 2020. She believes that dance practices offer a profound way to deepen one’s gratitude for their physical body, to connect with one’s soul, and in-so-doing to strengthen one’s relationship with Hashem.
Sophie Herskowitz
Sophie is the office manager at Midreshet Emunah v’Omanut. She was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. Sophie went to seminary at Machon Maayan for Shana aleph and Midreshet Moriah for Shana bet. She graduated from Stern College with a degree in sociology. She made aliyah with her husband and 2 children and they live in Yerushalayim.