Aron graduated from Brandeis University in 2005. He has been in Israel for the last 3 years participating in various projects, ranging from studying Torah (We love Torah, raise the roof), to volunteering for developing communities, playing ultimate frisbee and working at a school for the deaf. Aron is currently a student in the Pardes Educator's Program in Jerusalem, working on an M.A. in Jewish Education. After completion of the master's Aron has committed to teach in Jewish day school in America for at least 3 years. Aron lives in Katamon with his wife, Ariel.

Andrew graduated from Brandeis in 2007 with a double major in Politics and Economics. He is currently in his second year of law school at the University of Pennsylvania. He grew up in the Bronx and plans to move back to NYC after graduating law school in the spring of 2010.

Andrew Zimmerman was born and raised in Great Neck, New York. He attended Yeshivat Ramaz for high school, where he founded “Our Israel,” a political newspaper about Eretz Yisrael. Andrew then went on to spend a year learning in Israel at Yeshivat Hakotel and Maaleh Adumim.
He graduated with a BA in history from Brandeis University, where he was a proud member of the Brandeis Orthodox Organization. He also served as an EMT as part of the Brandeis Emergency Medical Corps. Andrew is currently a second year student at the NYU School of Medicine, where he serves as vice president of the Jewish Student Association.
He is an avid student of ancient Jewish history. He enjoys studying all aspects of halacha, with a particular interest in Shabbos and Medical halacha.
Andrew’s other interests include: Running, biking, swimming, triathlons, ping pong, football, basketball, and classic rock music.

Excited to be learning with Rabbi Frazer's crack crew, Ariel enjoys biking, playing touch football, cooking, and, generally, learning how to create a Torah-ethics-compliant society. Ariel's Yahadut studies primarily consist of halachah and rishonim on Chumash. He is also interested in economic development, ecology, and emergency medicine. Ariel attended Torah High (Chafetz Chaim) in San Diego and spent a little time at Yeshivat HaKotel before graduating from Brandeis in 2007. Currently, Ariel is a second year law student at UCLA.

Originally from Philadelphia. Majored in journalism at Northwestern U. in Chicago. Living in Israel for 6 years. Studied at Pardes and Maaleh Gilboa. Served 18 months as a tank loader in the IDF.

Avi graduated from Brandeis where he studied Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and Hebrew. Originally from Pittsburgh, Avi attended Skokie Yeshiva and Yeshivat Shaalvim before he went to college. This year he will study at Yeshivat Hakotel and continue his work directing ImpactAliyah (www.impactaliyah.com). He enjoys music, reading and writing.

Ben Herman is beginning Year 3 of rabbinical school at the Jewish Theological Seminary, his year in Israel. He will be studying at the Conservative Yeshiva and at the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies. Ben is looking forward to a year of study and personal growth, which includes learning outside the classroom. He is excited at the opportunities that Orach Mishor presents, especially to study in a Torah lishma environment. Ben hails from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 2005 with a BA in Hebrew, Jewish Studies and History.

I was born in Manchester, England, but moved to Israel when I was two and a half as my parents made aliyah. I grew up in Petach Tikvah, attending yeshivas throughout my school-age years. After my time in the army, I went to Ariel for college where I majored in Education and Psychology. These past two years I participated in the Pardes Educators Program, earning a Masters in Jewish Education and a Certificate of Advanced Jewish Studies.

I grew up in Englewood, NJ, the oldest son of the proud Gottesman Clan.  I had the good fortune to attend The Frisch School for high school, then spent a year studying at Yeshivat Hakotel (pre-split).  Following this, I attended New York University, where I majored in psychology and Jewish history.  After graduating from college, I went back to Israel for another year of learning, this time at Yeshivat Har Etzion.  I am currently studying towards a Doctor of Psychology at L.I.U. - C.W. Post Campus in Roslyn, Long Island.

Engineer and enterpreneur. Currently working on wind power. Love learning, Israel and the Jewish people. Husband and father of seven. Alon Shvut resident. Former comic book and sci-fi addict. Still check out Spider-Man from time to time.

Ben made Aliyah in September '07. But it didn't start there... Ben studied Economics at Rutgers and learned at Yeshivat Hamivtar in Efrat. Most recently, he was a Madrich at Eretz Hatzvi in Jerusalem. In his downtime Ben likes to read Rav Solovetchik and listen to 80s music, but admits that they aren't "the same thing."

Dan Levy

I was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. After graduating high school in Brazil, I decided to attend Brandeis University. During my time at Brandeis I was the president of the Chabad Club, organizing many activities for students on and off campus, as well as assisting the Rabbi and Rebbetzin with other tasks. I also participated in BOO and was responsible for delegating Dvrei Torahs every Shabbat for about a year. I graduated with a degree in Sustainable Development in May of 2007.
After attending Mayanot Yeshiva in Jerusalem during the summer of 2005, I decided to return and spend this past year at the yeshiva. I am currently living in Brooklyn, and continue to study Torah.
My interest include playing basketball, traveling, and learning about the environment.

Esther grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland. After graduating from high school, she spent a year in Israel studying at Michlalah. She then spent three years at NYU, where she majored in Film and Television and minored in Producing.

I graduated from Brandeis University in 2006 with a BA in math and psychology. After studying for a year at Yeshivat Har Etzion, I am now pursuing graduate studies in applied math/operations research at Stony Brook University.

My name is Herschel Hartz and I am originally from outside of Washington DC. I graduated from Brandeis University and am currently learning in a yeshiva here in Eretz Yisrael. I love golf, jazz music, and talking politics. I also love all types of Torah literature.

Hillel is from Boston, where he grew up. He graduated from Maimonides High School and then spent a year at Maale Adumim. After graduating from Brandeis in May, 2004, He spent a year learning at Yeshivat Har Etzion (Gush). He is now in his third year of law school at Bar Ilan. Recently, he has become particularly interested in comparing secular and Jewish law, as well as looking at secular law from a halachic perspective (particularly corporate and tax law). He hopes to work on his knowledge of contemporary issues, but frankly, finds the Red Sox, Celtics, and Patriots more interesting.

Isaac is originally from Brookline, MA. He is currently in his second year as a medical student at SUNY Downstate Medical Center. Isaac studied Mathematics and Biochemistry at Brandeis University, after which he spent a year studying in Yeshivat Har Etzion. He has a strong interest in modern Tanakh commentary.

Jacob Merlin is a native of Boston and graduated from Brandeis University in 2007 with a degree in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies. He currently resides in Jerusalem and is studying at the Shalom Hartman Institute. He is also pursuing an MA in Jewish studies at Tel Aviv University.

I grew up in Albuquerque New Mexico and attended Brandeis University where I majored in Judaic Studies and Hebrew. I am currently studying in yeshiva at the David Shapell College in Jerusalem. In my spare time I enjoy hanging out with friends and watching hockey. In terms of Torah interests, besides the normal stuff, I enjoy browsing those books about rabbinic jewish society and the lives of the tannaim and ammoraim.

Jeremy Elias Friedman grew up in Washington State and recently graduated from Brandeis University with a B.S. in biology. During his time at Brandeis, Jeremy had the pleasure of studying with Rav Aharon Frazer (Shlita). Additionally Jeremy has studied in various other settings including Yeshivat Hamivtar, Yeshivat Hakotel, and Yeshivat Hadar. This coming year, Jeremy will be studying at Yeshivat Ma'ale Gilboa.

Jeremy’s favorite pastime is teaching. He also enjoys playing saxophone and tennis.

First and foremost, Jeremy considers himself a talmid of Rav Frazer. Additionally, Jeremy has recently been exposed to the teachings of Rav Elisha Anscelovits which heavily influene his thinking.

Josh Koppel grew up in San Diego, California. He studied abroad in Israel during his last semester of high school, before attending Brandeis University. There he majored in Politics and History, with minors in Economics, Legal Studies, and Near Eastern Judaic Studies. During his senior year at Brandeis, Josh completed a thesis on the changing nature of the United States Supreme Court under Chief Justice John Roberts. Josh graduated from Brandeis in 2008 and is currently learning at Yeshivat Har Etzion.

Jonathan Mizrahi grew up in Burke, VA. He graduated from Brandeis University in 2007, with a BS in physics and mathematics. During summers between semesters at Brandeis, he learned at Yeshivat Hamivtar and Yeshivat Har Etzion. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Maryland. He lives in Silver Spring, MD with his wife, Amanda.

Yoni Mandel graduated from Maimonides High School in June of 2002, and spent a year learning at Mevaseret afterward. He then attended Brandeis University for college where he studied the premedical/predental sciences and earned a BA in Music. After graduating in May of 2007, he decided to pursue a long-standing passion of his and enrolled at the French Culinary Institute in NYC. After graduating Top of the Class with Distinction in April of 2008, Yoni worked at SOLO as a line chef at the busy grill station. Yoni is currently preparing to apply to dental school, and is working as a personal trainer.

Joshua Karpoff graduated from Brandeis University in 2007 with a B.A. in History and Politics. While at Brandeis, he was an active member of the Brandeis Orthodox Organization and served as Gabbai for two years. He also was a part of an all male Jewish a'cappella group, JFA.
He is married to Adina Karpoff and they live in Silver Spring Maryland. Joshua is currently working as a Paralegal at the Department of Justice in Washington, DC and is eventually planning on going to Law School.
Joshua has been studying Daf Yomi for the past three and a half years and learns with a rotating shiur every shabbos morning after davening.

Joseph Pick spent two years learning in Yeshivat Har Etzion before starting college. He graduated from Brandeis University with a BA in neuroscience in 2005. He spent the following year learning at Yeshiva University and has been in graduate school at NYU since then, studying the molecular biology of memory.

Leora Packer went to SKA, a girls school in Long Island for high school. She is now studying Psychology at Brandeis University. She will be moving to Maalei Adumim in August and will study at Hebrew University. Leora hopes to go into psychology and work with siblings of people with disabilities.

I grew up in Teaneck, where I met Rabbi Frazer (age 4). My family made aliya in '86, when I was 10. We lived in Yerushalayim and then Efrat. I learned in Mekor Chayim (Rav Steinzaltz's) Yeshiva high-school (where we met up again for a short period). There, I was, and still am, greatly influenced by my Rebbe and teacher Rav Dov Zinger. I went to the Gush for Shana Aleph to get "the litvak thing" where I learned with Rabbi Frazer for a year. I spent the next 9 years mainly in Otniel, where I was privileged to learn by Rav Yehoshua Engleman (currently of Yakar - Tel Aviv) and my Roshei Yeshiva Rav Re'em Hacohen and Rav Benni Kalmanzon, as well as Rav Ya'akov Nagen (Genack) all of whom I am very close with. During my first years I delved mainly into Chasidut, specifically the Ishbitzer line. Only in my sixth year did I find my way into learning Gemara under the guidance of Rav Tzuriel Weiner (curently head of Re'uta in Yerushalayim). During my last year in Yeshiva I was privileged to spend choref zman learning from Rav Shaga"r zt"l. In Otniel I headed a small chabura in Iyun and Avoda.

After marrying Yehudit we lived on a hilltop outpost until we moved to the religious and secular "mixed" community "Charuv". Now, in both of these communities I am confronted by practical halachic and so I would like to improve my understanding of the Halachic process and bottom line.

I serve as a Ra'm In Yeshivat Ami"t Nachshon -near Beit Shemesh and teach “Introduction to Kabalah” in Emuna V’Omanut seminary. We have two beautiful girls. (Not in the yeshiva!)

I am a boring square kind of person of the sort than thinks that Joking is what you are if you swallow a bone.

Marc is originally from sunny Merrick, Long Island where he grew up in a fun household as the oldest of 4 children. He attended the Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway (HAFTR) in Cedarhurst, NY. Following high school he journeyed to waltham mass where he spent four years at Brandeis University, as a pre-med with an economics major. While there he also enjoyed learning very much with Rabbi Frazer :). He is currently on a one year leave from SUNY Downstate School of Medicine in Brooklyn NY while studying in Shapells Darche Noam in Yerushalayim and Orach Mishor. He is extremely excited for this coming year.

Matthew Goldstone was born in Santa Monica, California. He graduated from Brandeis University in 2007 with a B.A. in Philosophy and Near Eastern & Judaic Studies. His thesis examined several philosophical models of revelation in terms of their potential for maintaining the elements of Divine authority and human autonomy in halakha. Last summer he was part of the kollel at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin and this summer he participated in Yeshivat Hadar in NYC. He is currently entering his second year at JTS rabbinical school.

After trawling his way through high school and college in the States, Aharon made aliya and has been drafted to military service. He is honored to be able to participate in a program under the auspices of Rabbi Frazer, whom he met while in a stint at Brandeis.

Nechama recently graduated from Brandeis University with a BA in politics and Islamic and Middle Eastern studies. She has previously studied at Midreshet Lindenbaum and Drisha Institute, as well as the Brandeis beit midrash. Originally from Wynnewood, PA, she is now a resident of Jerusalem, Israel, where she hopes to continue her political studies.

Jeremy was born and raised in Scarsdale, NY. After graduating from the Ramaz Upper School in Manhattan, Jeremy flew to Israel to attend Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh in the Old City for a year and half. In January 2005, Jeremy began his studies at Brandeis University in Waltham, MA. During his time there, Jeremy was involved in Jewish communal leadership as well as Jewish A Cappella, not to mention some some sprinkles of stand up comedy. Jeremy majored in Psychology but also took courses in computer science, creative arts, and Hebrew. Jeremy currently works at the Mental Health Association of Westchester as a Facilitator in their clubhouse program for psychiatric rehabilitation. Jeremy aspires to eventually become a clinical psychologist.

Paul grew up in St. Louis, graduating from Block Yeshiva High School in 2002. He graduated from Brandeis in 2005, majoring in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies and completing the program in business. His thesis addressed the American approach to Palestine in the Wilson era. He has been working as a technical writer at Intel Haifa since two weeks after graduation, and lives in Haifa with his wife Shani and son Haggai.

Like a few others here, Philip graduated from Brandeis (in 2005) with a degree in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies. Currently a rabbinical student at JTS, he will be spending the academic year at Machon Schechter in Jerusalem and learning Hilchot Shabbat between/after classes. Since this will be his first long-term Israel experience, he also would like to explore as much of the country is possible, yet still passing all of his classes and learning Torah. While in New York he has served as a research assistant to Rabbi/Prof. Neil Gillman and as the rabbinic intern at the E.55 Street Conservative Synagogue (www.east55.org) and Kehilat Tiferet: the Conservative Synagogue of the Hamptons (www.synagoguehamptons.org/). Before this internship, previous summers had him exploring the ICU as a student chaplain and the wilds of Ojai as a teacher at Camp Ramah in California. While a New Yorker at heart, he grew up in the suburbs of Atlanta, GA. Bezrat Hashem, when he returns from Israel he will get married to his wonderful fiancee, who shares his goal of helping the world, one person at a time.

I am a 21-year-old first generation Russian immigrant ba'al teshuvah. I went to UCLA, where I became Jewishly involved as a result of various people, and especially Rabbi Kaplan of UCLA Hillel, and Rabbi Gurevich of Chabad. I recently graduated with a BA in English Literature with a concentration in creative writing and a minor in Philosophy, and currently I am interning at a think tank in Washington DC.

As far as my Torah interests go, I would like to continue learning and expanding my knowledge. As an English major, I am inclined towards very precise textual analysis, and so I prefer commentaries who deal with texts- especially the TaNaCh- in a rationalistic, methodical manner. My Hashgafah is as of now still somewhat hazy; however, I find myself strongly leaning towards modern orthodoxy, and eventually I would like to spend a good amount of time at a yeshiva like HaMiftar.

My non-Torah interests are contemporary philosophy and critical theory. Hopefully I will go to a school for that some time soon. Some day I want to be able to get through Rosenzweig's Star of Redemption and actually understand it. I am also interested in pursuing my creative writing. As far as getting a real job goes, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it!

Rafi graduated from Brandeis University in 2006, majoring in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and Philosophy. He was a student at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, 2007-08. Currently he is taking a masters in gender studies at Bar Ilan University. His interests include writing humor and other things. Emphasis on other things.

Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri Robert attended public school through his high school years. He spent a year in Israel as part of the Derech program (Ohr Somayach) prior to attending Brandeis University for his undergraduate studies. Robert is currently in his 3rd year of law school at Washington University in St. Louis. He met his wife Kate at Brandeis where both of them were privileged to study under Aharon and Adena Frazer for several years.
Robert loves learning Torah in his free time, and he enjoys exercising on a daily basis (running, tennis, ice-hockey).

Selig studied Economics and Arabic as an undergrad at Brandeis, and spent seven months of college living in Egypt. He learned for a year at Shapell's after college, and then did a one-year masters in financial engineering at Columbia. Now he is learning Ketuvot and working at American Express.

Shayna is a 2007 graduate of Brandeis with a double major in International and Global Studies and Judaic Studies. She is a 2008 graduate of the Drisha Beit Midrash Program, and is starting a PhD in Jewish Studies, with a focus in Israel Studies, at NYU in fall 2008. She plans to focus on issues of Religious Zionism and Gender.

She is from Jacksonville, Florida. Her other interests include sustainable agriculture, public health, and postmodernism theory and literature.

Sholem is a grad of Yeshivat Har Etzion who works as a content writer at Five Blocks. He attends by opening the partition between his office and the "broadcast studio".

He lives in Neve Daniel with his wife Rochie and their children.

Sarah Mulhern is originally from Salt Lake City Utah and a recent graduate of Brandeis University in Political Science and History. She spent the summer learning full time in Yeshivat Hadar in NYC, NY and will spend the upcoming year learning at the Pardes Institute of Judaic Studies in Jerusalem, Israel. She loves text study and law Jewish and secular, and eventually hopes to work in Public Policy.

Talia just graduated from New York University in May of 2008. She will be studying in GPATS, the women's Talmud program at Stern College, starting in September.

Talia graduated from Brandeis University in May 2008 with a BA in psychology and history, and a minor in Near Eastern Judaic Studies. She grew up in Teaneck, NJ, and attended Ramaz Upper School and Migdal Oz before heading to Brandeis. In college, Talia served as the Beit Midrash coordinator for a year, and spent a lot of her time developing her research and clinical skills in psychology. She will be moving to New York City to gain more research experience before she pursues a doctorate in Clinical or School Psychology. Talia enjoys traveling, swimming, learning and reading.

Vera Wexler graduated from Brandeis University in 2007, and for the 2007-2008 school year she was learning full-time at Drisha Institute in the Scholars' Circle program with Rabbi Ethan Tucker. In Fall 2008, she will be starting a Master's in Library Science program at Queens College, as well as the Graduate Program in Advanced Talmudic Studies at Stern. Vera loves learning Torah of all sorts, especially Talmud and halacha.

Yehuda is currently a medical student at Tel Aviv University. He is originally from Los Angeles and studied at YULA before going to yeshiva at OJ. Yehuda then went to Brandeis for college where he met and learned with Rabbi Frazer (and family). He enjoys his dog, Maccabi Tel Aviv, and running.