About

I was born on Gesher Haziv, a small kibbutz in Israel, and grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I have spent most of my adult life as a formal, informal and ad-hoc educator. My first job was as a counselor in training at Camp Sprout Lake.

I studied political science at Columbia University and history at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. After finishing my undergraduate studies, I returned to Israel where I worked as a counselor for Year Course in Israel, founded a photography company, and served in the Israel Defense Forces as a protocol officer for the implementation of the Oslo Accords.

In 2000 after a stint in an internet start-up, my brother Amir and I took a 4000 mile long bike ride across the United States. During the ride a friend gave me of Jack Kerouac’s book Dharma Bums. The book and the endless hours spent sitting on my bike sparked in me a fascination with meditation. At the end of the trip I immersed myself in the study of Buddhism and meditation. I spent time living, meditating and building a granite mosaic floor at the Shambhala Mountain Center in Colorado.

In 2001 my father was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer. Miraculously he survived and returned to his work as psychologist pioneering a new treatment for schizophrenics. Taking care of my father during his illness and recovery got me interested in the learning more about the brain.

Recently I worked as the Assistant Director of Camp Tel Yehudah, a high school leadership camp; the Program Director of J-Teen, a service-learning oriented project of UJA Federation of New York – Westchester; and as a consultant to the Foundation for Jewish Camp.

I am a passionate meditator, photographer, artist, pool player and fan and part time blogger for the 6 time World Champion Pittsburgh Steelers. I am a firm believer that people should use their creativity to engage in Tikkun Olam – repairing the world. To that end I co-founded Art the Change, an organization which gathers artists to “Art the Change they wish to see in the world.”

My collective experiences have shaped my brain to believe that all people should learn about their own brains.

Five years ago, at Camp Tel Yehudah, I began teaching teens about their brains. Since then I have taught for adult learners, teachers, camp professionals, grad students, post-bacs, college students, synagogues, Jewish supplementary schools, private schools and Jewish day schools.

Over the past year I have collaborated with neurobiologist Paul Grobstein of Bryn Mawr College to explore new ways to teach people about their own brains.  In the fall I will be studying at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in the Mind, Brain and Education program.