2010–2011 Seminar Participants

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  Dave Fain

  David is working toward his Master’s Degree in Jewish Education at Pardes. David is passionate about educa­tion, listening, and connecting, as he believes these are three funda­mental ideas that will improve the world. He is looking forward to returning to North America to teaching, and more impor­tantly, to being taught by his students next year.

  “Encounter has enabled me to struggle with my rela­tion­ship with Israel and every­thing it means to me, thus enabling me to grow, both as a person and as a member of the larger Jewish commu­nity. I hope that the skills and expe­ri­ences I have gained through the Leadership Seminar will empower and excite me to share and engage other Jewish leaders to struggle with and deepen their rela­tion­ship with Israel.”

• 

  Miriam Farber

  Miriam is a first-year rabbinical student at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and a Wexner Graduate Fellow. Prior to rabbinical school, she studied clas­sical Jewish texts at the Pardes Institute in Jerusalem and worked as a commu­nity orga­nizer at Temple Shir Tikva in Wayland, Massachusetts, through the Jewish Organizing Initiative. Originally from New York, Miriam grad­u­ated from Brandeis University in 2008. She has spent many summers at the URJ Eisner Camp in the Berkshires.

  “Through the Seminar, I have had the oppor­tu­nity to meet inspiring activists and leaders in Palestinian society and have been blessed to form deep rela­tion­ships with my colleagues in the fields of the rabbinate and Jewish educa­tion. I look forward to [contin­uing] these rela­tion­ships… [as] sources of inspi­ra­tion and support in the work of conflict transformation.”

• 

  Tamara Frankel

  Tamara is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Jewish Education at the Pardes Institute in Jerusalem. Originally from Toronto, Canada, she has studied Jewish texts and engaged with Israel in many contexts: growing up in a Zionist home and day school in Toronto, learning in semi­nary in Israel, spending her junior year of college studying at Hebrew University and now learning at Pardes for the past year and a half.

  “As a member of the Encounter Leadership Seminar, I feel compelled to examine Jewish texts which address both supportive and under­mining activ­i­ties, ideolo­gies and poli­cies within and around Israel. In this effort, I am committed to inte­grating Torah study into my passionate love for, commit­ment to and under­standing of the State of Israel. Upon completing the Seminar, I hope to incor­po­rate my expe­ri­ences in the Encounter Seminar and my knowl­edge of Jewish texts into the Israel Education of my students and commu­nity in North America.”

• 

  Ilanit Goldberg

  Ilanit is a third-year rabbinical student at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. Ilanit’s profes­sional expe­ri­ence includes serving as a commu­nity orga­nizer and educator at the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs and as a program director for AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps. Last year she taught a year-long course on Judaism and social justice, and she spent the summer as a Kathryn Davis Fellow for Peace at the Middlebury College School of Hebrew. Ilanit is currently studying in Jerusalem and partic­i­pating in the Encounter Advanced Leadership Seminar.

  “The Advanced Leadership Seminar has given me the oppor­tu­nity to deeply engage with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through expe­ri­en­tial learning and prac­tical skills-building. I am learning to more effec­tively facil­i­tate conver­sa­tions about Israel that encourage partic­i­pants to respect­fully listen to diverse perspec­tives. The Seminar is providing me with facil­i­ta­tion skills that are rele­vant not only to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but to conflict trans­for­ma­tion in many other contexts. My rabbinical school has recog­nized the value of the Seminar by granting prac­tical rabbinics credit for my partic­i­pa­tion in the program.”
• 

  Dan Kaiman

  Dan Kaiman is a rabbinical student at the American Jewish University in Los Angeles, California, currently studying at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem. Born in Pensacola, Forida and raised in Maplewood, New Jersey, Dan attended Rutgers University where he studied Political Science and Jewish Studies. An alumnus of the Ramah Camping move­ment, Dan has worked as an educator, facil­i­tator and group leader in a variety of settings.

  “Encounter has given me the tools and a forum to develop skills for speaking and educating about Israel in a thoughtful way. The Encounter commu­nity continues to be a deep source of strength and support as I explore and confront the everyday real­i­ties of the conflict.
  When I return to the States I hope… [to] facil­i­tate safe, open and honest conver­sa­tions about Israel in my communities.”

• 

  Amy Pearlman

  Amy is currently the Operations and Programs Assistant for Encounter. Amy joined the Encounter team after spending the previous year learning at the Pardes Institute for Jewish Learning in Jerusalem, immersing herself in Jewish texts as well as exploring Israel, Jerusalem and the West Bank. Before arriving in Israel, Amy grad­u­ated from Cornell University in 2009, where she served as Hillel President, founded a Jewish-Muslim dialogue, founded a Hillel-Black Student Union Katrina Initiative, and was awarded the 2009 Harrop and Ruth Freeman Prize in Peace Studies.

  “Being a partic­i­pant in Encounter’s Advanced Leadership Seminar has trans­formed the way I approach the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. By learning effec­tive commu­ni­ca­tion, facil­i­ta­tion and lead­er­ship skills, I have been able to better engage with others to grapple with the serious issues of the conflict. My work at Encounter has truly been enhanced by the work I have done through the Seminar, and I antic­i­pate expo­nen­tial growth stem­ming from these expe­ri­ences as I continue my work with Encounter, the conflict and the region.”

• 

  Shivonne Quintero

  Shivonne Quintero grad­u­ated summa cum laude from University of Florida with a BA in Comparative Religion. Questions of, “What is most impor­tant in life?”, “What are my values and how do my actions reflect them?” and “What does it mean to be a good person?” have lead her to reflect on her rela­tion­ships and her service to others, her rela­tion­ship with herself and with God. She has thus far worked primarily in the fields of social justice and social work. She is currently in her second year of Jewish text learning as a fellow at the Pardes Institute in Jerusalem.

  “Through Encounter, I have found a place where, as an American Jew, I feel appro­pri­ately able to contribute to peaceful trans­for­ma­tion of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Participation in the Leadership Seminar has helped me to recog­nize and commu­ni­cate my expe­ri­ences of the conflict—a step I believe is para­mount in taking wise action—and to help others to do the same… I hope to continue using the models of self-reflection and commu­ni­ca­tion I am learning in the Seminar as teaching tools in my future work as a coun­selor and educator.”

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