Yehoshua and his family came to Israel eighteen months ago. Prior to joining Darche Noam, Yehoshua worked part-time as a consultant, first to Aish HaTorah and then to the Jerusalem College of Technology. These served as Yehoshua. s introduction to non-profit, educational institutions and the yeshiva world. . The decision to come to Israel was made to simplify our lives and to attempt a reintegration based on the Torah values that had become central to our family. The simplification was a process of shedding twenty years of . stuff. and a conscious decision not to re-complicate our lives by overscheduling. The reintegration of priorities has been a gradual process. Last year, I spent my mornings learning with a rabbi at the Mir Yeshiva. This year, working full-time as Managing Director for Darche Noam has sharpened my understanding of where and how my energies need to be focused to balance work, family and learning. The overall benefit of being a manager in support of Torah education, learning Torah where I work, and having the daily uplift provided by the Rabbis, my fellow staff and the exceptional students we have at Shapell. s and Midreshet Rachel, is the integration I envisioned before coming to Israel..

Yehoshua. s wife, Debbie, an MSW social worker, learns at Midreshet Rachel. Their three children, Moshe 15, Elka 11, and Batsheva 7, are all in school in Jerusalem

Amy Gitlin joined Midreshet Rachel in Elul as its first full-time Administrative Director. A lawyer by trade, she worked for a corporate law firm after graduation, and then became a litigator for the City of New York where her responsibilities included forcing negligent landlords to repair unsafe buildings. Amy is a warm and outgoing person, and has a unique talent of blending sensitivity with strength. After making aliyah in 1993, she worked at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, where she learned the ropes of how a non-profit Jewish educational institution is run - educationally, administratively, and financially.

Amy currently lives in Betar Illit, with her husband and three children, David 7, Elkanah 4, and Chava 2. Amy coordinates programs and administers tuition and financial aid policy. She is also working to enhance many aspects of Midreshet Rachel. She is involved with the organization of a Community Service/Chesed Program which will enable the women to put their learning into action. . Twelve years ago I was a single woman living in Israel and exploring my traditions. As the administrator of a women. s school filled with Ba. alot T. shuva, I have the opportunity to help create an environment where women with similar backgrounds to mine, at least religiously speaking, can grow intellectually, personally and spiritually. For me, this is a gift.. Having Amy is an even greater gift for Midreshet Rachel.

Elias Levy is the newest member of the Darche Noam Institutions, taking over from Zahava Friedman as Administrative Director of American Friends of Darche Noam. Elias most recently was an office manager for a company in New York City. Previously he successfully coordinated numerous events for NCSY, including programming and fundraising activities. Until now the position of Administrative Director had been part-time, but our continued growth has led to the need for a full-time administrator. Elias will be responsible for all office administration and arrangements for trips in North America. He will also serve as representative to kiruv rabbis, potential students and alumni. One of his new projects is creating an Alumni Association to help Shapell. s and Midreshet Rachel students connect with other alumni in North America when they return. Since Elias had never been a student at Darche Noam, his first month on the job was spent learning at Shapell. s, and visiting Midreshet Rachel. During the month, he acquainted himself with the organization, while getting to know the Rabbis and other students. . Spending a month in the Yeshiva was a tremendous experience. I was solidly impressed with everything I saw from the ruach of the talmidim to the method of study of the yeshiva to the new building,. said Elias. We are pleased to have Elias as our American representative.

As we welcome Elias to our staff, we are bidding a sad but fond farewell to Zahava Friedman, who has been our American representative for the past two and a half years. She herself is an alumna of Midreshet Rachel and her husband, Ephraim, is an alumnus of Shapell. s. Upon moving to New Jersey, Zahava ran the American office on a part-time basis. Her talents and devotion played an important role in the success and growth of Shapell. s and Midreshet Rachel to the extent that the responsibilities grew beyond the scope of a part-time position. We will miss Zahava as an employee, and thank her for her dedication and hard work. We welcome her and Ephraim back to the ranks of our Alumni Association!

 SAVE THE DATES: May 17, 1998: Yahrzeit Lecture in memory of Asher Zelig Suntag æ"ì to be held at Shapell. s December 27, 1998: Dinner celebrating 20 years of Darche Noam to be held in Jerusalem