Skip Navigation LinksHome > Contact Us > Meet the Staff
Meet the Staff

North American Office

Tali Ruderman Strom, North American Director, OTZMA 
Originally from the Philadelphia area, Tali holds a BA from New York University in Jewish History and Civilization and a Masters in Social Work from Hunter College. She spent time in Israel as a youngster with her family on sabbatical, during her junior year of high school on Alexander Muss High School in Israel, for a semester at Hebrew University during college, and on numerous subsequent trips. While in Israel, Tali participated in JESNA's Lainer Educator's program. Tali comes to UJC and OTZMA with a host of related work experience in the North American Jewish community including time working for JESNA, the URJ, and two years as the North American Director of AMITIM, a JAFI service project that sent group of Americans and Israelis to train and service developing Jewish communities in the FSU for a year. Tali was also herself a participant in the AMITIM program and spent a year working and living in the Jewish community in Kazan, Russia. Tali is entering her fourth year as OTZMA's North American Director.

To contact Tali, email her at: tali.strom@jewishfederations.org

 

Nicole Bodenstein, Recruitment Manager, OTZMA
Originally from the New Jersey area, Nicole holds a BA from Indiana University where she studied Public Affairs in Nonprofit Management. Nicole participated on the OTZMA program and is very excited to begin her second year pursuing recruitment efforts for the program. In addition to OTZMA, Nicole spent a semester in college at Tel Aviv University where she participated in the Lainer Intern program at JESNA. Nicole has had a variety of different experiences working in the North American Jewish community, including summer positions at JCCA, JAFI and FEGS.

To contact Nicole, email her at: nicole.bodenstein@jewishfederations.org 

 


 

Jason Greenberg, New York Alumni Coordinator, OTZMA
Originally from Connecticut, Jason holds a BS in Operations Management and a Spanish minor from The Ohio State University. He joins us after an exciting year of Jewish exploration participating on three Jewish programs; WUJS Fall-Winter Machzor 2008, Pardes Spring 2009, and Middlebury College’s Hebrew Intensive, Summer 2009. Prior to that Jason has five years of experience working for two non-profit organizations in Burlington, Vermont. He is currently a first year rabbinical student at The Academy for Jewish Religion.

To contact Jason, email him at: jason.greenberg@jewishfederations.org 

 

 

Israel Office

Dganit Jenshil, OTZMA Israel Director
With over fifteen years of experience in the field of Informal Education, Dganit has worked with various organizations in Israel including Melitz, Young Judaea, Ramah, and Netzer Olami. She spent three years living in New Jersey with her husband and her nine-year-old twins, Lee and Maya, while her husband served as a Jewish Agency Shaliach with Young Judaea. While in the U.S., Dganit worked as a Jewish Educator and Educational Consultant. Dganit has an undergraduate degree in Criminology and Political Science from Bar Ilan University in Israel and a Master's degree in Jewish Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. Dganit is entering her fourth year as the OTZMA Israel Director.  

 

 

 

Betty Nahum, Office Manager and P2K Coordinator
Betty has been with Otzma for over fourteen years. She is currently the office manager as well as the Part 2 (partnership city) coordinator. She has a beautiful three-year-old son named Nir. Betty has an undergraduate degree in Social Sciences from the Israeli Open University.

 

 

 

 

 

                                           

Erika Dahan, OTZMA Program Coordinator

Originally from Northern California and New York, Erika was a participant of OTZMA XVII in 2002-2003. After OTZMA, Erika made Aliyah to Israel and currently lives in Northern Jerusalem with her husband, Gadi and their beautiful baby, Stav. Erika holds a BA in Social Work and Latin American Studies from Warren Wilson College in Asheville, North Carolina, and began her Masters in Social Work at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Erika has remained connected to OTZMA since her participation and has joined the OTZMA team after coordinating programs for English-speaking tourists at Tnuat Aliyah of the Jewish Agency.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sarah Cohen,

Sarah Cohen, an alumna of Otzma XXII, is the newest addition to the Otzma Staff. Originally from Lexington, Mississippi, Sarah attended Indiana University where she graduated with a degree in Jewish Studies, Sociology, and Non-Profit Management. In college, Sarah was very active with community engagement and hurricane relief efforts on campus. Sarah joins our staff with a lot of experience in Jewish informal education having spent 12 years at Henry S. Jacobs Camp in Mississippi as a camper and staff member and being involved in NFTY throughout high school. Following her year on Otzma, Sarah worked on staff for the Career Israel program.

 

 


 

Yael Nemi, Israel Teaching Corps Program Coordinator 
Originally from Petach Tikwa, Israel, Yael is now entering her fourth year with Otzma. After being a Madricha (counselor) and then the OTZMA Program Coordinator, Yael has taken on the new challenge of coordinating OTZMA's new pilot program, Israel Teaching Corps. Yael is very experienced in the Israeli elementary school system, as well as, the field of Jewish Education where she has worked as a counselor, coordinator, and a unit head with Jewish youth both in Israel and in summer camps in the U.S. Yael has an undergraduate degree in Education and Literature from the Levinsky College of Education and is now studying for her Master's in Israel Studies from the Schecter Institute in Jerusalem.