Meet the KOACH-ON-CAMPUS Staff

Abe Fried-Tanzer

KOACH-ON-CAMPUS Editor

Abe Fried-Tanzer is a junior at New York University double-majoring in cinema studies and journalism with a strong interest in becoming a film critic. Born and raised in Holliston, Massachusetts, Abe served as the KOACH Intern at NYU last year. He is currently the Outreach/Marketing Chair for NYU's Hillel and a member of the New York Jewish Student Film Festival Selection Committee. Abe is a huge fan of New York and thrives on the energy of the city, taking full advantage of all the movie-related resources the city has to offer when he's not busy writing on his movie and TV blogs. Abe is fluent in French and also tutors Bar Mitzvah students in the greater New York City area. Abe is thrilled to be serving as the Editor of KOC this year and hopes to contribute engaging articles and writers to the e-zine throughout the coming year. Abe can be reached at KOCEditor@koach.org.

Shira Novack

KOACH-ON-CAMPUS Assistant Editor

Shira Novack is a junior at Binghamton University and is a double major in English and biology with the ultimate goal of going to medical school. At Binghamton she is assuming the role of co-chair of KOACH in Hillel and is starting her second year as the photography editor of Free Press (one of the campus newspapers). When Shira has free time she pursues a number of activities but the one she is most likely to be found doing is reading. She reads books ranging from ones on Judaism and history to fantasy and science fiction.

Part of the reason she loves being an English major so much is that the homework requires her to read books. Shira is really excited to be the assistant editor of KOACH on campus and is looking forward to a rewarding year. Shira can be reached at KOCAsstEditor@koach.org.

Michelle Kaman

KOACH Field Worker
Chicago, IL

Michelle grew up in San Antonio, Texas where she was involved in USY, Young Judaea, BBYO and NCSY. After holding several chapter and regional positions, she went on to The University of Texas at Austin where she was involved in Texas Hillel. She helped to expand the Hillel's Conservative Minyan and to re-establish Jews in Greek Life Organization in addition to being involved in several other Hillel groups. During this time she also held the position of International President for Hamagshimim, Young Judaea's university division, now YJ Impact. She was a Teaching Assistant for the university's Ballroom Dance program and was a member of the Texas Ballroom Performance Team. Michelle was also a highly active member of Sigma Delta Tau, Tau Chapter.

After university, Michelle went on to become a Hillel's Steinhardt Jewish Campus Service Corps Fellow at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. Michelle was then awarded a Senior Fellow position. Instead, she took a chance and moved to Chicago, for a change of pace and a change of weather. There, she became part of the KOACH team as the Midwest Campus Field Worker.

Michelle is currently enrolled in the Masters of Science in Non-Profit Business Management at Spertus College with a concentration in Jewish Communal Service. She hopes to continue to make an impact on the Jewish Nonprofit world.

She can be reached at kaman@uscj.org or (847) 714-9130.

Richard S. Moline

Director of Youth and Young Adult Services

Rich Moline just completed his 14th year as Director of KOACH. During his tenure, KOACH has grown from a small operation with one staff member (himself!) to a full service agency working with Hillels, students and professionals on campuses across North America and in Israel.  Rich is a graduate of the Wexner Heritage Foundation, a member of the board of MercazUSA, a past president of the Solomon Schechter Day Schools of Chicago, the Jewish Youth Directors Association and USY.  He is a member of the Advisory Board for New Voices magazine and in 2002 was named one of the top ten Jewish Chicagoans of the Year by the Chicago Jewish News.  He is a founding member of the Egalitarian Minyan of Rogers Park in Chicago and due to his many campus visits, recently flew his one millionth mile.

Rich takes great delight in the growth and development of the KOACH program, but as his staff will tell you, he is always pushing them (in a very nice way!) to find new challenges to face.  He welcomes your comments and suggestions, as well and hopes to meet you on campus, at the KOACH Kallah, on birthright israel or on any number of KOACH programs throughout the year.  He can be contacted at moline@uscj.org - but preferably not during a Chicago White Sox game.

Rabbi Elyse Winick

Associate Director of KOACH
Boston, MA

Rabbi Winick has been with KOACH for 13 years, serving first as a Field Worker and then moving on to be Assistant Director some eight years ago. A graduate of Brandeis University and the Jewish Theological Seminary, she has also served as the Assistant Director of the Hillel Foundation at Brandeis. In addition to her involvement with many of KOACH's international projects, Rabbi Winick works directly with students and professionals in the New England area. Given the opportunity, she loves to learn and teach on the topics of Shabbat, the meaning of time, mikveh and the transformative power of Jewish life. When not shuttling from campus to campus, Rabbi Winick is making her personal contribution to Jewish continuity, raising three awesome children with her equally awesome husband. She can be reached at winick@uscj.org

Rabbi Shalom Kantor

KOACH-Hillel Campus Rabbi
Binghamton University

Rabbi Shalom Kantor received rabbinic ordination from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the American Jewish University in May and is working as the first full time KOACH-Hillel Campus Rabbi at Binghamton University.

Originally from Sun Valley Idaho, Rabbi Kantor learned the joys of working with a smaller Jewish community in the mountains and using the natural surroundings as a source for his spiritual journey. He spent a year in Jerusalem pursuing his love of culinary Judaism by working full time as the chief Wine Steward at the King David Hotel. He then studied at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies for a pre-rabbinic year. While in rabbinical school, Rabbi Kantor took a leave of absence from his formal rabbinical studies to spend a year in Israel becoming the only non-Orthodox shochet in the world.

Rabbi Kantor is very excited about his new position and the many opportunities that exist on the Binghamton campus to help build an amazing strong and vibrant Conservative community of students. He can be reached at Shalom.Kantor@binghamton.edu.

Jessica Zehavi

Webmaster
St. Paul, MN

Originally from Minneapolis, Jessica grew up in southern California. She returned to Minnesota and attended Minnesota State University, Mankato, graduating in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in Computer Science. She joined KOACH's staff after traveling with them on their winter 2006 birthright-israel trip and the annual Kallah. After returning home, she hoped to find a way to utilize her technical expertise within the Jewish community. Aside from maintaining KOACH's website, Jessica also works with other Jewish organizations in Minnesota, helping them to utilize technology to best serve the community. Jessica can be reached at webmaster@koach.org.

[Updated 09/13/09]