Led by Israel's foremost Israel educators, we offer an environment which balances study, reflection, activities, critical thinking and discussion, and leisure. Born out of the scholarship and pedagogic acumen of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, our eleven-day program propels serious adult learners to new educational frontiers.
Meet Our Israel Seminar Educators:
HAIM ARONOVITZ serves as the Director of Israel Seminars of the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School Institute, as well as being the Educational Director of the Senior Educators Program at the Melton Centre for Jewish Education at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
He previously directed the Israel Experience Staff Training Institute at Melitz, where he worked for twelve years. During that period, he frequently accompanied missions as a scholar-in-residence, as well as coordinating the educational program of the Otzma leadership program. He served on the staff of the Summer Institute for Teachers (JETI) of the Melton Centre from 1989 to 2000, and has worked in field research on Israel Programs, as well as teaching in Jerusalem and South Africa.
His work focuses on translating site into text and seeking context for both. Over the past few years, he has helped develop curricula utilizing Israeli literature as the major means for examining Israeli society.
He holds a B.A. and M.A., as well as Teacher's Diploma, all from The Hebrew University.
Haim and his family (Sandy, Revital, Noam and Natan) live in Jerusalem, where he has made his home since 1974. Contact Haim.
JONTY BLACKMAN – Born in South Africa, and living in Israel for the past 13 years, Jonty Blackman has made a mark in the field of Jewish Education.
 Whether he's working as an educator for various groups visiting Israel or as a lecturer on specific subjects, Jonty has managed to touch thousands of Jews of all ages.
He has guided all sorts of groups visiting Israel – from Birthright groups and youth trips to adult education seminars and March of the Living pilgrimages. For the last four years, Jonty has served as an educator on the Israel Seminar of the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School.
Jonty has also lectured in various countries, including Australia, England, South Africa, Canada and the United States.
"I think my love for what I do is infectious," says Jonty.
Jonty studied for a number of years at Yeshivat Har Etzion and received his Masters Degree in Jewish Education from Hebrew University's Melton Centre for Jewish Education. |
ZOHAR RAVIV is an internationally renowned educator of Judaism whose academic and professional experience spans Israel, North America, Europe, South Africa and Australia.
 Raviv holds a B.A. in Land of Israel Studies from Bar-Ilan University; a Joint M.A. in Judaic Studies and Jewish Education from Brandeis University; an M.A. in Near Eastern Studies and a PhD in Jewish Thought and Mysticism, both from the University of Michigan, where he was awarded the Marshall Weinberg Prize for Outstanding Graduate Work in Judaic Studies.
He is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor of Jewish Thought at the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies in Chicago and also serves as The Hebrew University Florence Melton Adult Mini-School Visiting Scholar to North America. Starting September 2009 Raviv will assume the position of Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies at Oberlin College.
Raviv served as faculty in the Institute for Informal Jewish Education at Brandeis University and as Visiting Scholar in Residence at Monash University (Melbourne) and the Shalom Institute at the University of New South Wales (Sydney).
His book on the eminent 16th century Safedian Kabbalist Rabbi Moses Cordovero was published in 2008 by VDM Verlag (Germany), and he is currently working on his second book, titled The Wondering Jew. |
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