Ask the Specialists

Banot Sherut Leumi

National Service Women

Banot Sherut Leumi (National Service Women) are young women who serve in different educational and infrastructure needs throughout the country as an alternative to army service. All Livnot programs include two Banot Sherut who have gone through intensive educational training. These young women lead the programs as Madrichot, critical in the building of community within the group and in all aspects of the service-learning program. The 2022-23 Banot Sherut Leumi are Anaya & Efrat – come meet them!

Yonah Cohen

Yona Cohen
CEO

Yona grew up in Tzfat and received her BSC in Electronic Engineering from the Technion Institute in Haifa. She worked for over 20 years in the Israeli hi-tech industry, and has several registered patents on her name. She has an MBA focusing on Non-Profit Management from the University of Haifa. Yona joined Livnot in 2019 with a vision of strengthening Jewish identity and connectivity. She Lives in Tzfat with her husband Yossi and their five kids.

Yedidah Cohen

Yedidah Cohen is a respected translator, educator and author, residing in Tzfat. She started Nehora School for the teaching of the work of Rabbi Ashlag in an authentic way. Yedidah is an experienced translator of the works of Rabbi Ashlag and has published three books of translations of his work from the Hebrew into English.

You can see more of her published works at www.nehorapress.com

Celebrate the Festival of Lights

Eyal Karoutchi

Activities Manager

Throughout his incredible life journey traveling the world seeking spiritual truth, for 12 years, mystical scholar Eyal Binyamin Karoutchi passed over a decade of extensive study of the teachings found within the American Indians, Buddhism, and Hinduism. He became an expert of this wisdom through his experiences living in monasteries.
Returning to his native land of Israel, he began to learn the secret wisdom Judaism with the same clarity as the other philosophies he had studied.

Eyal Binyamin Karoutchi was a senior lecturer and general manager at a spiritual center for Jewish consciousness for 11 years. Today works in livnot as activity coordinator.
He is certified in a variety of healing modalities such as CBT and NLP, and serves the community as a life coach, marriage counselor, mediator, communication advisor, As a certified Yoga instructor he teaches yoga and Jewish meditation all over Israel and worldwide.

Shlomo Tal

Educator

Shlomo Tal was born and raised in Kazakhstan in the Former Soviet Union. At the age of 15 he made Aliyah on his own, and studied Jewish philosophy and spirituality for a decade at various schools around the country. He served in the army as a counter-terror instructor. Shlomo fell in love with Tzfat 18 years ago and has lived there for the last three years as a program coordinator at Livnot, along with his wife, Orly, and their six children. He enjoys music, nature, painting, martial arts, and extreme freedom of thought.

Michael Even-Esh

Senior Educator & Nature Guide

Michael was born and raised in Kansas City. He received a degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism before moving to Israel in 1979. Michael served in the IDF Paratroops, was a nature guide in the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, led exploration teams for the Israel Cave Research Center, spent time as a shepherd in the Galilee, was an organic farmer, and is a licenced tour guide. Since 1991, he’s been working with Livnot U’Lehibanot leading educational hiking trips, teaching classes, and keeping in touch with alumni.

Things he has been quoted as saying:

In a perfect world, your cave guide would not have claustrophobia.
Before you die, try to farm for at least a few minutes.
There is no such thing as a Jewmometer.

Michael also runs “The Jewish Snake Project,” in which he uses live snakes to teach groups about Jewish Values. He lives with his family (and snakes) in the Golan Heights.

Lea Saida

Administrator for American Friends of Livnot U’Lehibanot

Lea received her Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the American University in Washington, D.C. She served as Assistant Program Director at B’nai Brith Women International before making Aliyah. In Jerusalem, she held the title of Director of Student Activities at the American College.

Lea later returned to the United States where she worked from 1992 through 2003 for the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County first as Coordinator for the Federation’s Mission 500 to Israel and then as Director of the Israel Programs Resource Center. She has been with American Friends of Livnot U’Lehibanot since 2003.

Rabbi Dr. Meir Sendor

Resident Scholar

Rav Meir is a recognized scholar in the field of Jewish History, specifically the history of Jewish mysticism, philosophy and medicine. He holds a rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva University, a Ph.D. with Distinction from Harvard University and a Master’s from Yale University. Rabbi Sendor lectures widely on his specialties and holds many classes on various Torah topics for all levels.

Meir Paltiel

Program Director

Originally from Syracuse, NY, Meir received his BA in American History and Political Science from Tulane University and his MS in Resource Management from SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry. He arrived in Israel in 1992, served in the Nahal Infantry Unit before moving to Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu. On Kibbutz, Meir was Assistant Manager of the Fisheries.

Meir joined Livnot in 2002 as a Program Coordinator and is currently Director of Programs and Alumni. He and his wife Nechama, live with their six children in Hispin on the Golan.

Aharon Botzer

Founder & Executive Director

Aharon Botzer and his wife Miriam founded Livnot U’Lehibanot in 1980. Aharon is the organization’s visionary, and has dedicated his life to continually developing unique and relevant programs to strengthen Jewish identity among the unaffiliated. His creativity and wisdom are the driving forces behind Livnot’s growth and expansion, both in programs and in the potential of tapping into Livnot’s many assets and resources.

Aharon was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, and has a B.A. in Education from Ohio University. He spent over a year hitchhiking and travelling in Central America, coming to the realization that having a Jewish identity is a treasure. He came to Israel in 1971 to study in Yeshiva, eventually arriving in Tzfat to teach English and Geography to high school students. He has been a licensed tour guide since 1984.

Aharon served as a non-combatant during his regular army service, and until age 56, he volunteered to serve in an infantry unit. Miriam and Aharon are blessed with seven children and many, many grandchildren.

Yaniv Ravivo

Marketing Manager

Yaniv is a native Israeli who moved to Tzfat 10 years ago. He has his BA in Economics and Business Administration, and completed an LLB in Law.

Yaniv has years of great experience in management and marketing. Here at Livnot, he handles all of the amazing activities that go on in the Livnot campus, both for Israeli groups and for Tourists.

Todd Edelman

Marketing Speciaist

Jordan has joined the Livnot staff upon making Aliyah 2 years ago from New York. He has brought with him a rich set of expertise in the marketing field, and is responsible for fundraising and organizational development at Livnot.

The quality he appreciates most about Livnot is the organization’s ability to stay focused and goal-oriented for over of 30 years!

5 years down the line, Jordan hopes to see the “Beit HaKahal” excavation project up and running, and a central attraction in the North.

Currently residing with his family in the Lower Galilee community of Korazim, Jordan is a a lover of the Hermon and Meron mountains, as well as an avid skier- although his skiing skills are seldom put to use in the Holy Land climate.

What do you seek?

Program Director

Resident Scholar

Yifat Levana Raphaeli

Senior Educator & Nature Guide

Programs

HaKahal

Alumot

Inspiration Center

Educational Resources

National Service Women

Yona Cohen
CEO

Activities Manager

Educator

Senior Educator & Nature Guide

Administrator for American Friends of Livnot U’Lehibanot

Resident Scholar

Program Director

Founder & Executive Director

Marketing Manager

Marketing Speciaist