Faculty
Bat Kol Institute has assembled an experienced group of lecturers, combining recognized scholarship and international teaching experience in a number of accredited universities around the world.
Prof. Dan Bahat, BA, MA, PhD
Prof. Dan Bahat, archaeologist and author of over 100 articles and books, including The Illustrated Atlas of Jerusalem, and The Carta Atlas of Jerusalem, has been teaching at St. Michaelâs College, University of Toronto since 2003. He taught at Bar Ilan University from 1988-2004, and has lectured on Jerusalem’s history and archaeology in universities and institutes in Israel, the USA, Canada, and all over Europe. A recipient of many honors including the 1980 Jerusalem Award for Archaeology, Prof. Bahat has also served on the Board of the Bat Kol Institute.
Dr Sarah Bernstein
An Executive Director, Sarah Bernstein was born in the UK, with a background in law and mediation, and has worked in the field of peace-building and coexistence work since 2000, specializing in interreligious dialogue. She was awarded her PHD in Peace and Reconciliation Studies by Coventry University in England for her thesis on the theme of Narratives of Belonging: Life Stories of Jewish-Israeli Women in Jerusalem. The Israeli editor of the book, Women of the Book: A Jerusalem Collage, Dr. Bernsteinâs article on âIs âInterreligiousâ Synonymous with âInterfaithâ? The Roles of Dialogue in Peacebuildingâ was published as a chapter in the book, Peacebuilding and Reconciliation: Contemporary Challenges and Themes (Pluto Press, 2012). Sarah sits on the Alliance for Peacebuilding Global Advisory Council on Effective Interreligious Peacebuilding, and is a founding Board member of the International Association of Spiritual Care. Lives in Jerusalem.
Rabbi Dr Minna Bromberg, PhD
Rabbi Dr Minna Bromberg, is a singer-songwriter, voice teacher and rabbi. She received rabbinic ordination in 2010 from the Rabbinical School of Hebrew College in Boston — a pluralistic rabbinical school founded by Rabbi Dr. Arthur Green — and served for five years as the rabbi of Congregation Kesher Zion in Reading, PA. Minna is currently the Guest Rabbi of Kehilat HaKerem in Karmiel and also runs the Year-in-Israel Program for Hebrew College rabbinical students. Known for the power of her own prayer leading, Minna teaches voice primarily to those who use their voices in leading prayer. She has released five albums of original music. Trained as a sociologist, Minna received her PhD from Northwestern University where her dissertation was on identity construction in interfaith couples. Minna also maintains a private practice in rabbinic counseling for people of all faiths (or no faith at all). Since moving to Israel in 2014, she has lived in Jerusalem with her husband and their two-year-old daughter.
Rabbi Dr David Frankel, PhD
David Frankel has served since 1992 as a senior lecturer in Bible at the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies. He did his PhD at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem under the direction of Prof. Moshe Weinfeld. His publications include The Murmuring Stories of the Priestly School and The Land of Canaan and the Destiny of Israel.
Prof./Sr Maureena Fritz, NDS, BA, BEd, MA, PhD
Sr. Maureena Fritz is a member of the order of the Sisters of Sion. Her studies took her from Canada to New York, and in 1978 to Hebrew University in Jerusalem for post-doctoral studies. She served as professor on the Faculty of Theology at the University of Toronto and Director of the English Language sector of the Ratisbonne Pontifical Institute in Jerusalem. She is a recipient of the Faith and Culture gold medal from Assumption University in Windsor, Canada and the author of a number of books and articles. Maureena is best known as the founder of the Bat Kol Institute of Jewish Studies for Christians, and she has traveled around the world giving workshops and building the Bat Kol community.
Jared Goldfarb, BA Jared Goldfarb is an independent educator and licensed tour-guide based in Jerusalem with nearly 20 years experience in the field. Born and raised in New Hampshire, he studied at Brandeis University, and has since lived in 6 different countries. After working for the Jewish Federation in Boston from 1994-96, Jared decided to spend a year in Israel… and never left. Jared fell in love with the Jewish textual tradition, spent 5 years studying in various yeshivas, and served as the Program Director of Ta Shma: Pluralistic Jewish Learning for 8 years. Simultaneously, he graduated the National Tour-guide Course, and since 1999 has worked as an independent guide for families, faith communities, and multi-narrative student encounters with Israel/Palestine. Jared serves as a faculty member at Jerusalem institutions that welcome Christian clergy from around the world to study the Holy Land from an academic perspective, such as the Tantur Ecumenical Institute, Ecce Homo Centre for Biblical Formation, and Bat Kol; he teaches Middle Eastern history and the historical context of Judaism, Christianity and Islam for various seminaries and multi-faith missions; and he has served as scholar-in-residence in numerous communities, including Boston, New York, Baltimore, San Francisco, New Orleans, St. Louis and London. Jared and his partner, Elisa, live in Jerusalem with their three adorable kids, where he is a passionate environmental activist, avid biker, obsessed genealogist, vegan chef, and proud leader of the movement toward sustainable tourism.
Prof. Zeev Harvey, PhD
Professor Emeritus of Jewish Thought, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Zeev Harvey has authored many publications , his main research interests are Philosophy of Crescas, Maimonidean philosophy, Spinoza, Hobbes.
Sarah Israeli, BA, MA
Sarah Israeli is a senior instructor of Hebrew at the School for Overseas Students at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She has extensive experience in teacher training and she has written a number of Hebrew language text books. She continues to lecture and give workshops for teachers of Hebrew in Israel and in Jewish school systems around North America. She serves as a co-writer of the NETA curriculum, teaches NETA, gives teacher training workshops and travels to NETA schools.
Judy Klitsner
A senior faculty member at the Pardes Institute for Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, Judy Klitsner lectures to diverse, multi-denominational audiences in Israel, the U.S., and Europe and is the author of the award-winning book, Subversive Sequels in the Bible: How Biblical Stories Mine and Undermine Each Other (Jewish Publication Society, Koren Pub. paperback). The book has recently been released in Hebrew. www.JudyKlitsner.com
Esther Lapian, MA
Esther Lapian is a teacher of teachers who has taught Tanach and Rabbinic Commentary in the US, Israel, England, and Australia. Recently retired from the Kerem Institute for Teacher Training, she is currently teaching Tanach at The Schechter Institute, Jerusalem and in the Lifelong Learning Program in Elkana. In addition, Esther runs a private educational case management and consulting service that helps English speakers navigate the Israeli school system. Esther is the mother of 4 and grandmother of 3, all of whom live in Israel.
Dr. Marcie Lenk, BA, MS, MTS, PhD
Dr. Marcie Lenk is the Academic Director of Bat Kol Institute for Jewish Studies, and Director of Christian leadership programs at the Shalom Hartman Insitute. She teaches patristics at the Studium Theologicum Salesianum at Ratisbonne Monastery, and Jewish and Christian texts at Ecce Homo Convent, the Swedish Theological Institute, and the Tantur Ecumenical Institute. She received her Ph.D. at Harvard University with a dissertation entitled, The Apostolic Constitutions: Judaism and Anti-Judaism in the Construction of Christianity, and earned an M.T.S. from Harvard Divinity School, as well as an M.A. in Bible and B.A. in Mathematics and Jewish Studies from Yeshiva University. Dr. Lenk has taught Early Christianity, Hebrew Bible, and Rabbinic Literature at institutions such as Boston University and City College of New York, as well as at Jewish and Christian seminaries in Israel and the United States.
Rabbi Dow Marmur
Senior Rabbi of Holy Blossom Temple, Toronto, now Rabbi Emeritus. Author of many books and articles in Jewish and non-Jewish publications in Britain, Canada and elsewhere. His memoir, âSix Livesâ, was published in the Fall of 2004. Writes columns in The Canadian Jewish News, Toronto Star.
Rabbi Dr Michael Marmur, BA, MA, PhD
Rabbi Dr Michael Marmur was Dean of Hebrew Union College for ten years. Since July 2009 he is Vice-President for Academic Affairs with responsibility for all four college campuses: Jerusalem, Cincinnati, New York and California. He is also a member of Bat Kol’s Management Committee.
Br Elio Passeto, NDS, MA
Br Elio was Vice-Director of Ratisbonne Pontifical Institute, Jerusalem 1995-2002. He teaches courses on early Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism in Israel and world wide. He received his MA in Jewish studies from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
Rabbi Daniel Roth, PhD
Daniel Roth is a member of the Faculty of the Pardes Center for Judaism and Conflict Resolution. He teaches advanced rabbinics, Bible, conflict resolution and other subjects . Daniel is also a lecturer at Bar Ilanâs Program for Conflict Resolution, a senior research fellow at George Mason Universityâs Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution and an Israeli certified court mediator. He holds an MA in Talmud from Hebrew University, a B.Ed in Jewish Philosophy and Talmud from Herzog Teachersâ College, and studied for eight years in Yeshivat Har-Etzion, during which time he received rabbinic ordination.
Rabbi Mordechai Silverstein, MA
Mordechai Silverstein is a senior faculty member at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem where he teaches Talmud, Poskim, Halacha and Midrash. Before making aliyah in 1988 he served as the rabbi of Congregation Shomray Hadath in Elmira, New York. In 2010-11, he served as the sabbatical rabbi and again in 2015-16 as interim rabbi at Moriah Congregation in Deerfield, Illinois. In 2009 he was the scholar in residence for the Chicago region of United Synagogue. Rabbi Silverstein is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania where he served as president of the Hillel Foundation. He graduated from the Jewish Theological Seminary with an MA and rabbinical ordination. He also received Smichat Rabbanut (Rabbinic Ordination) under the auspices of Yeshiva University and did advanced studies in Talmud at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Rabbi Silverstein, a native of Philadelphia, grew up in Willingboro, New Jersey. He is married to Shira, a Jerusalem native, who is a geneticist at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem. Together, they have five children and ten grandchildren, all of whom live in Israel. Rabbi Silverstein writes a popular weekly internet Haftarah Commentary for the Conservative Yeshiva: http://www.uscj.org.il/learn/commentaries/
Dr Hami Verbin, BA, MA, PhD
Dr Hami Verbin is a Senior Lecturer at the Philosophy department and Head of Religious Studies Program at Tel Aviv University. Author, currently working on a manuscript on divine providence, exploring concept in Maimonides, Kierkegaard and Weil. She is a member of Bat Kol’s Management Committee.
Rabbi Levi Weiman-Kelman, BA, MHL
Levi Weiman-Kelman is the founding rabbi of Congregation Kol Haneshama in Jerusalem. Rabbi Weiman-Kelman teaches prayer and liturgy at the Hebrew Union College Jerusalem Campus. He lectures frequently in Israel and abroad on Jewish spirituality and prayer. Rabbi Weiman-Kelman has served as Chairperson of MaRaM (the Council of Progressive Rabbis) and is one of the founders and past chairs of Shomrei Mishpat – Rabbis for Human Rights.
Dr Avivah Zornberg, PhD
Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg lives in Jerusalem where she has been lecturing on Torah since 1980. She reads biblical narratives through the prism of midrash, literature, philosophy and particularly psychoanalysis.She was born in London and grew up in Glasgow, where her father was a Rabbi and the head of the Rabbinical Court. She studied Torah with him from childhood. Her PhD in English Literature is from Cambridge University, England. She taught English literature at the Hebrew University before turning to teaching Torah. She now teaches throughout the Jewish world, at synagogues, universities, and psychoanalytic institutes. Avivah is the author of five critically acclaimed books. Her new book, Moses: A Human Life, was recently published by Yale University Press.