Meet the KOACH-ON-CAMPUS Staff

Shira Novack

KOACH-ON-CAMPUS Editor

Shira Novack is a senior at Binghamton University and is a double major in English and biology with the ultimate goal of attending medical school. She is excited to be a part of the KOACH-ON-CAMPUS ezine for a second year. She has previously been involved in Koach at Binghamton in the role of co-chair of KOACH in Hillel and last year was the assistant editor of KOACH-ON-CAMPUS E-zine. When Shira has free time she pursues a number of activities but the one she is most likely to be found doing is reading books on all sorts of topics.

Part of the reason she loves being an English major so much is that the homework requires her to read books (best homework ever). Shira is really excited to be the editor of KOACH-ON-Campus and is looking forward to a rewarding year. Shira can be reached at KOCEditor@koach.org.

Alex Howie

KOACH-ON-CAMPUS Assistant Editor

Alex Howie is a senior at Miami University of Ohio, where he is a double major in art history and accounting. His long-term career goal is to open an art gallery and provide an outlet for young and local artists to gain exposure. In his spare time, he can most often be found reading or running - the two activities he finds the most relaxing.

On campus Alex is active in a wide array of activities, as the editor of Effusions art journal, treasurer of the Diversity Affairs Council, and religious facilitator for the Association of Jewish Students/Hillel. He is looking forward to serving as the assistant editor of the KOACH-ON-Campus E-zine this year and thinks it will be a very rewarding experience. Alex can be reached at KOCAsstEditor@koach.org.

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 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.

Abe Fried-Tanzer

KOACH Fieldworker

Abe Fried-Tanzer is excited to be joining the KOACH staff after graduating from New York University in May, where he double-majored in cinema studies and journalism. Born and raised in Holliston, Massachusetts, Abe served as the President of KOACH at NYU, the KOACH Intern at NYU, Outreach/Marketing Chair for NYU's Hillel, and a member of the New York Jewish Student Film Festival Selection Committee. Additionally, Abe was the assistant editor and then editor of the KOACH-ON-CAMPUS E-zine for the past two years. 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. In addition to English, Abe speaks both French and Italian. Abe looks forward to working with campuses on the east coast and around the country. He can be reached at fried-tanzer@uscj.org.

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 07/01/10]