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The Jewish Educators Assembly and the Israel Masorti Movement are pleased to partner and share The Bnai Mitzvah Program for Children with Disabilities (Adraba) of the Masorti Movement.  All USCJ and Masorti educators are invited to this unique learning opportunity to learn from each other about how we serve the needs of all of our students.
 

Join us on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, 10am PT / 11am MT / 12pm CT / 1pm ET / 8pm Israel.

Register today!

About the Presenters 

Wendy Keter, Director Emeritus of the Raphael Recanati International School Reichman University, made Aliyah on her own from Philadelphia at the age of 18 in 1971. She graduated from Hebrew University, completing a B.A. in Political Science and Jewish Philosophy in Hebrew and holds a master's degree in social work (MSW) specializing in Community Organization from Howard University in Washington DC.
Wendy grew up in the Conservative movement, from her synagogue Temple Sholom and the USY movement and Camp Ramah in the Poconos and made Aliyah as a religious Conservative Zionist.  
Since graduating, Wendy has worked extensively for over 45 years with numerous sectors of the Israeli population developing and directing communal and social services and programs. Before joining Reichman University family Wendy worked at the Jewish Agency for Israel where she established and directed a national women's health initiative and also directed four absorption centers, specializing in work with young adult immigrants to Israel. Between 2004 and 2007 Wendy served as Aliyah shlicha (emissary) and Director of the Midwest Israel Aliyah Center based in Chicago. Many of her student immigrants (olim) have studied at Reichman.
Though retired Wendy continues to play an active role at Reichman University in an advisory position and also in recruiting students in both the United States and Europe.
She is also very active in the Masorti movement in Israel, serving on the board of her synagogue Havurat Tel Aviv and on the national board of the Masorti movement as chair of the education committee and the Adraba program.
Wendy is married to Avi, a native Israeli, has two sabra children and is a grandmother to five grandchildren.

Dr. Gila Vogel grew up in New York. She has a BA in psychology from Barnard College, a MS in special education from the Ferkauf Graduate School of Education and a BHL from the Jewish Theological Seminary. She spent many summers at Camp Ramah both as a camper and a member of the staff. Gila directed the Tikvah program at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin in the 1970s. She was the Director of Special Education at the Bureau of Jewish Education of Southern New Jersey.
In 1980, Gila and her husband Rabbi Dov Vogel came to Israel on Aliyah. She was a senior lecturer and headed the special education department at Beit Berl College.  She was one of the founders of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah Program you will be hearing about and has remained active in the program over the past 30 years.  Gila received her PhD from Haifa University. Her dissertation was entitled “Shehekhyianu V’’Kiy’mau V’h’giyanu Laz’man Hazeh: The Significance of a Bar/Bat Mitzvah Ceremony for Children with Developmental Disabilities and their Parents.  She is a member of the committee that produced the accessible Siddur – Bechol Drachecha. 
Gila and Dov are active members of Hod V’Hadar, the Masorti  (Conservative)  synagogue in Kfar Saba.  They were also active in establishing the Tali School in Hod Hasharon when their 3 children were youngsters. Today they are the proud grandparents of 9 grandchildren ranging in age from 8 to 21. 
Gila is one of the founders of a website entitled Kol Kore. This site features recordings of all the Haftarot (by women), explanations about how to teach Torah reading, and much more. It is currently being transferred to the Masorti Movement in Israel and will be linked to their website.  It is available in both Hebrew and English (www.kol-kore.org)

Marianella Kreiman, 54, was born in Colombia and lived for 37 years in Chile. She is married to Alejandro and is the mother of Susan (25) and Amanda (21). Eighteen years ago, the family made Aliyah and today they reside in Ra’anana, Israel.
Marianella graduated from university as a special education teacher and has extensive experience in Jewish community work. Over the years, she held key roles in various kehillot (Jewish communities) in Chile, including youth coordination and leadership in Bar and Bat Mitzvah education.
This field is a deep personal passion, one she inherited from her parents of blessed memory (z”l), alongside a strong commitment to Judaism and the Conservative (Masorti) Movement.
Upon her arrival in Israel, Marianella was able to unite her two central passions: working with people with disabilities and preparing young people for Bar and Bat Mitzvah. She began as a teacher and today serves as the Director of a unique program recognized worldwide:
The Bar/Bat Mitzvah Program for Children with Disabilities (Adraba) of the Masorti Movement.
Marianella was also part of the team that created the accessible siddur "Bechol Drachecha", first published in 2007. In the coming months, its long-awaited second edition will be released.
More about the program and its vision will be shared during her presentation.

Rabbi Paul Freedman
Director, Israel Strategic Partnerships,
Israel Cohort, Conservative Movement
Co-ordinator, North American  Conservative/MasortiAliyah and Klitah

Rabbi Robin Foonberg
Executive Director, Jewish Educators Assembly
Education Specialist, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism