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Meet the Team

Shlomi Ravid, Phd.

Co-Founder & Co-Director

Shlomi has been a pioneer in developing Peoplehood education. In his 25 years of involvement in Jewish Global affairs he was the founding director of the Israel Center of San Francisco, the founding director of the International School for Jewish Peoplehood Studies at Beth Hatefutsoth, and a member of the founding team of the Jewish Peoplehood Hub. Shlomi initiated and edited publications such as the Peoplehood Papers and Peoplehood Now as well as the educational kit – Israel: the Vision and Venture of the Jewish People. He has published over a dozen articles on Jewish Peoplehood in the last five years

Shlomi is a member of Kibbutz Glil-Yam where he was born, married to Linda originally from San Francisco and considers his four children as his biggest contribution to humanity. His PhD is in Philosophy from Tel Aviv University and academic focus is community and Jewish Peoplehood.

Jake Gillis, MA

Associate Director & Research Associate

Jake was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He attended the University of Pittsburgh, where he studied Psychology and Jewish Studies. He studied abroad at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem where he interned at Hillel Israel. After university, Jake began his career in Jewish Education at Ramah’s high school program in Israel, TRY, and then at the American Hebrew Academy. He followed this with a year of study at Hadar in New York City and, soon after, made aliyah and has lived in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv since 2019. Jake spent a year at the Pardes Institute for Jewish Studies while working towards his MA in Jewish Education through the Jewish Theological Seminary, which he completed in 2023. Jake’s MA thesis research focused on issues of Jewish Peoplehood in Jewish education.

Jake lives in Tel Aviv with his wife, Lior.

Kristine Leduc

Research Associate

Kristine graduated from one of the most prestigious universities in the Philippines with a strong background in social sciences. She has over a decade of experience in data analysis, applied statistics, scientific survey design techniques and market research. She specializes in market segmentation and behavioral analytics. She began her career with two global market research firms, Kantar TNS and GfK, in which she trained in ad-hoc and syndicated research methods both in the Philippines and Singapore. She also worked as a statistical data analyst for Samsung, starting their local field force from scratch and managing an in-house market research team of 70 people.

Born and raised in the Philippines, Kristine moved to Rennes, France in 2016 and currently lives there with her husband and their cat.

Ezra Kopelowitz, PhD.

Co-Founder & Co-Director

Ezra is a sociologist whose expertise is in Jewish education, community, and issues of collective Jewish identity. He has published books and articles on these topics, including a focus on the role of hevruta in the context of Jewish education. He is the CEO of Research Success Technologies, a company specializing in research and evaluation for Jewish organizations. Ezra teaches a course on “Jewish Peoplehood for Jewish Professionals,” for the Spertus Institute’s (Chicago) MA program for Jewish Professional Studies. The course focuses on distilling core collective Jewish values that inform the work of Jewish professionals.

Born in South Africa, Ezra moved to the United States as a child, living in Israel since 1990. Ezra lives in Kibbutz Hannaton, Israel. He is married to Debbie and has four children.

Hadar Franco Galor, PhD

Senior Researcher

Dr. Franco Galor is a sociologist specializing in institutional innovation in areas of gender, community, education and criminology. She is a lecturer at the Ono Academic College in Israel, with extensive experience in applied and academic research with a focus on public opinion, the interface of the judiciary with legislative processes and the implementation of organizational change. Hadar’s professional experience includes working as a senior advisor to the Chief Scientist at the Ministry of Internal Security, building academic courses for groups with heterogeneous socio-demographic characteristics among Jewish and Arab Israelis, including ultra-Orthodox, religious and secular Jews. Hadar also worked as an associate director of an organization promoting educational innovation in Arab-Israeli society. She remains active as a volunteer activist for social justice causes in Israel.

Hadar lives in Emek Hefer, Israel with her husband and four children.

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Co-Founder & Co-Director

Shlomi Ravid, PhD

Shlomi has been a pioneer in developing Peoplehood education. In his 25 years of involvement in Jewish Global affairs he was the founding director of the Israel Center of San Francisco, the founding director of the International School for Jewish Peoplehood Studies at Beth Hatefutsoth, and a member of the founding team of the Jewish Peoplehood Hub. Shlomi initiated and edited publications such as the Peoplehood Papers and Peoplehood Now as well as the educational kit – Israel: the Vision and Venture of the Jewish People. He has published over a dozen articles on Jewish Peoplehood in the last five years

Shlomi is a member of Kibbutz Glil-Yam where he was born, married to Linda originally from San Francisco and considers his four children as his biggest contribution to humanity. His PhD is in Philosophy from Tel Aviv University and academic focus is community and Jewish Peoplehood.

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Jake Gillis, MA

Associate Director & Research Associate

Jake was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He attended the University of Pittsburgh, where he studied Psychology and Jewish Studies. He studied abroad at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem where he interned at Hillel Israel. After university, Jake began his career in Jewish Education at Ramah’s high school program in Israel, TRY, and then at the American Hebrew Academy. He followed this with a year of study at Hadar in New York City and, soon after, made aliyah and has lived in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv since 2019. Jake spent a year at the Pardes Institute for Jewish Studies while working towards his MA in Jewish Education through the Jewish Theological Seminary, which he completed in 2023. Jake’s MA thesis research focused on issues of Jewish Peoplehood in Jewish education.

Jake lives in Tel Aviv with his wife, Lior.

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Co-Founder & Co-Director

Ezra Kopelowitz, PhD

Ezra is a sociologist whose expertise is in Jewish education, community, and issues of collective Jewish identity. He has published books and articles on these topics, including a focus on the role of hevruta in the context of Jewish education. He is the CEO of Research Success Technologies, a company specializing in research and evaluation for Jewish organizations. Ezra teaches a course on “Jewish Peoplehood for Jewish Professionals,” for the Spertus Institute’s (Chicago) MA program for Jewish Professional Studies. The course focuses on distilling core collective Jewish values that inform the work of Jewish professionals.

Born in South Africa, Ezra moved to the United States as a child, living in Israel since 1990. Ezra lives in Kibbutz Hannaton, Israel. He is married to Debbie and has four children.

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Hadar Franco Galor, PhD

Senior Researcher

Dr. Franco Galor is a sociologist specializing in institutional innovation in areas of gender, community, education and criminology. She is a lecturer at the Ono Academic College in Israel, with extensive experience in applied and academic research with a focus on public opinion, the interface of the judiciary with legislative processes and the implementation of organizational change. Hadar’s professional experience includes working as a senior advisor to the Chief Scientist at the Ministry of Internal Security, building academic courses for groups with heterogeneous socio-demographic characteristics among Jewish and Arab Israelis, including ultra-Orthodox, religious and secular Jews. Hadar also worked as an associate director of an organization promoting educational innovation in Arab-Israeli society. She remains active as a volunteer activist for social justice causes in Israel.

Hadar lives in Emek Hefer, Israel with her husband and four children.

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Research Associate

Kristine Leduc

Kristine graduated from one of the most prestigious universities in the Philippines with a strong background in social sciences. She has over a decade of experience in data analysis, applied statistics, scientific survey design techniques and market research. She specializes in market segmentation and behavioral analytics. She began her career with two global market research firms, Kantar TNS and GfK, in which she trained in ad-hoc and syndicated research methods both in the Philippines and Singapore. She also worked as a statistical data analyst for Samsung, starting their local field force from scratch and managing an in-house market research team of 70 people.

Born and raised in the Philippines, Kristine moved to Rennes, France in 2016 and currently lives there with her husband and their cat.

Resources

ISSUES OF THE DAY

A monthly blog from a diverse group of Jewish leaders and thinkers that covers all aspects of Jewish Peoplehood as well as practical implications for Jewish organizations, schools and communities.

PEOPLEHOOD TOOLKIT

A comprehensive resource for Jewish educators and communal leaders interested in questions of Jewish collective belonging, global community and mutual responsibility that includes tools that address the what, how, and my of Peoplehood programming.

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RESEARCH / EVALUATION

Impact studies, program evaluations, and strategic planning and consulting services in areas touching on Jewish Peoplehood, Jewish community, education and culture, Israeli-Diaspora relations, and Israeli culture and politics.

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