איכפתיה
ממייסדי ומובילי בית המדרש לרבנות ישראלית של המדרשה באורנים ומכון הרטמן. כיהנה כרב קהילת "מגן אברהם" בעומר שבנגב; כרב קהילה בניו יורק לצד הרב גורדון טאקר; כסגנית דיקן בית המדרש לרבנים ע"ש שכטר בירושלים.
OUR STAFF
The Zion Community is lead by staff and lay-leadership
You are welcome to join us and lead something that speaks to you.
professor alice shalvi
founding president
Born in Germany in 1926, Professor Alice Shalvi was educated in England and immigrated to Israel in 1949. She served as a lecturer in the English Department at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and established the English Department at Ben Gurion University. Between 1975 and 1990 she ran Pelech, an experimental high school for girls in Jerusalem, and from 1984 until 2000 served as founding chair of the Israel Women's Network, the Israel Prize laureate.In her marriage to Moshe Shalvi, the couple had three sons and three daughters.
Rabbi Tamar Elad Appelbaum
founding Rabbi
Rabbi Tamar Elad Appelbaum is the founder of Kehilat Zion; and co-founder of the seminary for Eretz Israeli rabbis of Hamidrasha and the Hartman institute. Her work spans and links tradition and innovation, working toward Jewish spiritual and ethical renaissance. She devotes much of her energy to the renewal of community life in Israel and the struggle for human rights. In 2010 she was named by the Forward as one of the most influential female religious leaders in Israel for her work promoting pluralism and Jewish religious freedom.
heftzi zion mozes
chairwoman
Heftzi Zion-Mozes is a Drama Therapist specializing in escorting and treating women around life events through body and soul processes in her private clinic in Jerusalem. She is also a playback group facilitator, improvisation theater that brings to the stage life stories.
Heftzi studies the experiences of women who have coped with breast cancer in preparation for her M.A in the Gender Program at Bar-Ilan University.
She lives in Jerusalem with her husband and three children.
dana nahum
Head of community and education
Born in Jerusalem, mother of four children and married to Aviad. Dana holds a B.A. and M.A. in Jewish thought, theater and Jewish art. She is a reflexologist, a teacher and loves to dance and study Torah. Prior to joining the staff at Zion, she worked for the Jerusalem Municipality as facilitator of the time bank project. Dana believes in the wonderful power of community to heal and make a difference in the world.
Laurence Berman
Head of Production, Operations and Community Relations
Born in France, immigrated to Israel in 1994 and has lived in Jerusalem since 2014. She holds a B.A. in political science, law and German, and has been certified as a lawyer since 2009. Laurence is responsible for the ongoing operations of Zion, event production, prayer service coordination, contact with members of the community and administrative management. Laurence is a great believer in the creative human spirit and the power of an inclusive, growing Judaism that is relevant to all times. She is married to Meir and mother to Eden and Naomi.
hadass pal yarden
paytanit
Hadass is an ethnomusicologist, a singer specializing in Spanish-Jewish poetry and a graduate of the Ladino Department at Bar Ilan University. She researched the Jewish community of Istanbul and studied Ottoman and folk music at the Istanbul Academy of Traditional Music for six years, has performed around the world and collaborated with composers and classical and traditional musicians alike. Hadass has served as prayer leader at Friday night services as Zion since our founding, and leads services on holidays and as part of our public prayer events as well.
Adenhum was born in Eritrea and has lived in Jerusalem in recent years. Adenhum takes care of setting up and cleaning the synagogue on Saturdays and holidays with great dedication.
Adenhum Alma
Operations and Maintenance
board members
Executive Board, 2022 (in alphabetical order)
Professor Alice Shalvi, President
Heftzi Zion-Mozes, Chairperson
Yehuda Cohen, Treasurer
Rabbi Bill Berk | Devora Greenberg | Miri Lowenberg | Jean-Marc Liling | Ilana Nelson |
Michal Shahak | Dena Scher
Rachel Carlin and Itzik Ga’ash, Audit Committee
Members of the executive board serve as committee heads and lead initiatives and processes in the community. If you are interested in becoming involved, please contact Heftzi, chairperson
Itzik Pashkus
CEO
Born and raised in Jerusalem, married to Renana and father to Hallel, Noam and Uriel. Itzik has partnered in leading a number of organizations based in Jerusalem, including New Spirit, Out for Change and Tzionei Derech. In his position at Zion, Itzik is responsible for the ongoing management of the community's activity and serves as partner in leading the community together with Rabbi Tamar and the Executive Board.
yahala yachmish
co-head of prayer
Yahala is a Jerusalem musician, specializing in prayer and piyyut (Jewish text-based poetry). She holds a B.A. in composition from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. She is a prayer leader, singer, creator, choir conductor, teacher and workshop facilitator. Together with Nerya, Yahala is responsible for prayer at Zion, leading prayers on Shabbat, holidays and at our public events, and leading community learning circles of prayer and piyyut. She serves as musical director of all public prayer events at Zion.
nerya refael knafo
Talmid Chaham, Head of Tikkun Olam, Co-Head of Prayer and prayer leader (paytan):
Nerya is a prayer leader and a social and educational activist, and most recently served as director of the Jewish Pluralism Watch at the Masorti Movement in Israel. He is a graduate of the Yeshivat Or Etzion and studied politics and government. Nerya’s activism focuses on promoting values of tradition, multiculturalism and Sephardic Jewry in Israel. He serves as Talmid Chaham, prayer leader and head of Tikkun Olam. Together with Yahala, Nerya is responsible for prayer at Zion, leading prayers on Shabbat, holidays and at our public events, and leading community learning circles of prayer and piyyut.
community committees
Membership Committee - Membership in Zion is at the core of the community and the committee ensures a pleasant, inviting and inclusive membership process. For details, please contact Devora Greenberg, Head of the Membership Committee: Devora@masorti.org.il.
Committee for Assisting Asylum Seekers:
Yael Dover: y_dover@netvision.com
Jean-Marc Liling: liling.jdc@gmail.com
Rachel Shlomit Brezis: brezisrs@gmail.com
Michael Fagenblat: mfagenblat@gmail.com
Family and Education Committee: Activities for parents and children, our Bar/Bat Mitzvah group, and for families throughout the year. For details, please contact Ariella Poni Kronish, Head of Family and Education Committee: ariellakronish@gmail.com.
The Blue Door: Our second-hand clothing store initiative run by Muslim, Christian and Jewish volunteers, in conjunction with the Jerusalem YMCA, with proceeds going to disadvantaged families from the three communities. Please contact the initiative’s leaders to volunteer and/or donate clothes: Ilana Nelson ilanarnelson@gmail.com, Renee Goutmann reneegguide@gmail.com.
Kindness Committee: Providing support for community members during milestones and lifecycle events.
You are invited to join our members: Oreit Angel, Annie Ben Hillel, Danny Weininger, Hanoch Robinson, Miriam Mann, Naomi Raz, Nerya Refael Knafo, Sylvie Rosenbaum, Rachel Goldberg, Rachel Shlomit Brezis, Renee Goutmann, Sasha Shlomtzion Leshem and Rabbi Tamar.
For details, please contact Dana, Head of Community and Education: dana@zion-jerusalem.org.il
Solidarity Fund Committee: Providing discrete financial support to community members in need of support during the pandemic. Our members: Rabbi Leon Morris, Steven Laufer, Dafna Baraban and Rabbi Tamar. For details, please contact Rabbi Leon Morris, Committee Chairman: arvut@zion-jerusalem.org.il.
Mutual Responsibility Committee: Strengthening bonds between members of the community.
For details, please contact Co-Heads Sara Miriam Liben Sara.Liben@gmail.com or Leah Solomon leahjacquelyn@gmail.com.
Resource Development Committee: Supporting fundraising efforts for the community. Please contact Committee Head Dena Scher if you are interested in offering your expertise and help: denascher@gmail.com.
Welcoming Committee: Welcoming individuals and groups attending services at Zion. For details, please contact Dana Nahum, Head of Community and Education.
Torah reading and gabbai service: Are you interested in serving as gabbai/t or reading Torah and Haftara? Or learning to do so? Please contact Nerya Refael Knafo.