Herzog College Leadership
Rabbi Dr. Yehuda Brandes
President of Herzog College
Amihai Bannett
CEO of Herzog Global
Avydan Bader
Director of Strategic Development
Herzog Global Team
The Herzog Global team combines decades of pedagogical and curricular development experience with cutting-edge technical expertise and innovative ideas.
Nataly Nabitovsky
Director, Russian language “Rimonim” Jewish Studies Teacher Training Program
I enjoy developing innovative educational projects and initiatives to strengthen Jewish identity.
Rabbi Reuven Spolter
Educational Programming & Professional Development Coordinator
I have a passion for combining the depth and wisdom of Torah with the power and impact of technology.
Rabbi Shalom Z. Berger
Director of English Language Programming
By building dynamic partnerships in Jewish education, I believe we can give successful role models a platform to share inspiring methodologies and content.
Miriam Moyal
Director of Technical Pedagogy
I love to use innovative pedagogy and new educational technology to make Judaic Studies classes more exciting.
Rabbi Shmuel Kornblit
Director of Spanish-Language Programs
I am dedicated to sharing educational materials about Judaism and Israel in Spanish with teachers from Latin America.
Zimrat Naim
WikiShtetl Project Schools Coordinator
I am excited to be developing the WikiShtetl project with Jewish schools around the world.
Rabbi Dr. Yehuda Brandes
President of Herzog College
Rabbi Dr. Yehuda Brandes is the President of Herzog College, former principal of the Himmelfarb High School, head of Beit Morasha, and one of the founders of the Ma’ale Film School in Jerusalem. He is the author of many books and articles on Talmud, Tanakh, Jewish law, education, and Jewish philosophy, mostly published in Hebrew. In his books and in many of his articles, he examines the connection between law and legend in the Talmud, exposing both the philosophical aspects of religious law and practical aspects of the Talmudic legends. He is Chairman of Hemed, Israel’s State Religious Education Authority, and chairs the national plenum of Bnei Akiva Israel.
Amihai Bannett
CEO of Herzog Global
Amihai joined Herzog College from the Jewish Agency for Israel, where he ran the International Chidon HaTanach competition. He is a graduate of the Herzog College B.Ed. program and has a Masters’ degree in Education Administration from Loyola University in Chicago. Amihai served for four years as an emissary (shaliach) of the Jewish Agency in Winnipeg, Canada, including two years as principal of the Jewish day school. He now lives in Bet Shemesh with his wife and four children. Follow him on Twitter at @IsraelConnect
Email: amihaib@herzog.ac.il
Avydan Bader
Director of Strategic Development
Avydan Bader was Deputy Director of Resource Development and External Relations at Laniado Hospital in Netanya, he worked for four years as Director of Fundraising for the UIA – Keren HaYesod, and was their representative for Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia. He has a BA degree in political science and communication from Ariel University, and spent a year working for Bnei Akiva in Madrid, Spain. Avydan joined Herzog College in January 2023 and is committed to building strong relationships and contributing to the development of another important Israeli institution.
Email: AvydanB@herzog.ac.il
Rabbi Reuven Spolter
Educational Programming & Professional Development Coordinator
Rabbi Reuven Spolter is a graduate of Yeshiva University with an MA in Secondary Jewish Education from the Azrieli Graduate School and Rabbinic Ordination from RIETS.
Reuven has taught formally and online to groups of all ages in communities around the world, including teaching Judaic Studies at Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy in Livingston, NJ, Hebrew High School of New England in West Hartford, CT, and Akiva Hebrew Day School in Southfield, MI. He is also working towards a MA degree in Talmud from Bar Ilan University.
Email: rspolter@herzog.ac.il
Rabbi Shalom Z. Berger, Ed.D.
Director of English Language Programming
Rabbi Shalom Z. Berger, Ed.D. is a scholar and educator whose interests range from the sociology of Jewish education to a close reading of Jewish texts.
He earned his Rabbinic ordination and Ed.D. from Yeshiva University. His doctoral dissertation, published as “Flipping Out – Myth or Fact: The Impact of the Year in Israel”, focused on the phenomenon of post-high school study in Israel.
Rabbi Berger served as the the Senior Content Editor of the Koren Talmud Bavli, and is co-editor of the H-Judaic academic discussion list.
Email: szberger@herzog.ac.il
Nataly Nabitovsky
Director, Russian language “Rimonim” Jewish Studies Teacher Training Program
Nataly earned her BA degree in Sociology & Anthropology from Tel Aviv University and has over 20 years of experience of managing educational projects around the world. From 2014-2019 she worked as a senior emissary of the Jewish Agency in the Ukraine, including dealing with many challenges associated with the war. As an educator, she is engaged in developing innovative educational projects and initiatives to strengthen Jewish identity.
Nataly loves to communicate her extensive knowledge of education and Jewish culture in creative and engaging ways to diverse audiences. Through her experience of establishing new projects, she understands the added value of educational entrepreneurship in strengthening the connections between Jewish tradition and identity.
Rabbi Shmuel Kornblit
Director of Spanish-Language Programs
Shmuel was born in Argentina and moved to Israel, where he graduated from the Yeshiva of Kibbutz HaDati in Ein Tzurim. He has a degree in Tanakh from Bar Ilan University and a teaching certificate in Talmud and Oral Law. Shmuel also learned in Beit Morasha and the Straus-Amiel | Beren Amiel Institute, and he is currently studying for his PhD in Judaic Studies.
20 years ago, Shmuel established the Masua organization to work with young Jews from Latin America. He started out with a Spanish-language website to share educational materials about Judaism and Israel. This led him to partner with Herzog College to create the website www.tanaj.org, starting with compiling the first full Spanish translation of the Tanakh (Jewish Bible), and adding maps, commentaries, articles, podcasts and movies.
Email: shmuelko@herzog.ac.il
Zimrat Naim
WikiShtetl Project Schools Coordinator
Zimrat is an experienced educator, a professional teacher and educational coordinator who trains students to become teachers. She has first and second degrees in teaching English, Tanakh and Rabbinic Literature, and a qualification in mediation.
She has worked in the Israeli education system and in Jewish schools overseas, having served as a WZO shaliach (emissary) in Los Angeles for four years, and as a pedagogy coordinator for the Jewish Agency’s School Twinning Network. Today, Zimrat manages the school twinning program for the cities of Shoham and Memphis, TN, and coordinates Herzog College’s international WikiShtetl project.
Miriam Moyal
Director of Technical Pedagogy
Miriam is Herzog College’s pedagogical innovation expert, researcher and learning technology trainer. She develops online courses and digital resources, and writes and designs online content for Herzog College’s educational programs.
She has a BA in Jewish Education and Special Education, and a Masters in Educational Technology from the Open University of Israel.
She has also worked for the Ministry of Education, training teachers in the use of the latest learning technology.
Email: mmoyal@herzog.ac.il
Subscribe to the
Herzog Global Newsletter
Get updated about our new education programs