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, since taking 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 my brother Amir and I rode our bikes  4000 miles across the Southern part of 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  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 2002 my father was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer.Miraculously he survived for another 8 years 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. 

To deepen my understanding I began to collaborate with Dr. Paul Grobstein, professor of neurobiology at Bryn Mawr College.  Together, we wrote and ran a series of seminars designed to help students and teachers gain insight into their own minds by learning about their brains.   My work at Bryn Mawr led me to pursue graduate training in neuroscience and education at the Mind Brain and Education (MBE) program at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education.

Currently, I draw on all of these experiences in my role as an adjunct at Lehman College, where I instruct student teachers at the master’s level.  My class is structured to create opportunities for experiential open-ended inquiry and to deepen teachers’ self-awareness.   Statistics inform us that nearly half of all new teachers will leave the field within five years. Experience tells me that the teachers who deepen their own self-awareness and curiosity will be more attuned to the inner lives of their students, ultimately contributing to their happiness and success as educators.

I am a passionate meditator, photographer, artist, pool player and fan and part time blogger for the 6 time World Champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

My current work is geared towards helping people understand their own minds and brains in ways that make them happier and healthier.  I am a firm believer that people should use their creativity to engage in Tikkun Olam – repairing the world.