PEOPLE
Eli and Zakah Glaser, Directors of Food Literacy Programs. The Glasers are are certified Nutrition, Wellness, and Weight Management Consultants, and have been Jewish educators for 20 years. As personal survivors of morbid obesity, having maintained a combined 250-pound weight loss for the past decade, they are in a unique position to educate and help others with their struggles with eating and unhealthy food behaviors. Cognizant of the central role food plays in Jewish communities, the Glasers have taught hundreds of individuals how to negotiate the particular challenges that it creates for many of us. They are the founders Soveya and authors of Soveya’s Incredibly Easy & Healthy Cookbook: 300 No Sugar, No Flour Recipes.
Chana Leah Goldfinger, Webmaster. Chana Leah is currently finishing her Bachelor’s degree and plans to get a Masters in Social Work. Contact her for any questions regarding the site at webmaster at jsli.org (remove the spaces).
Yisroel Roll, Director of Therapy Programs. Yisroel Roll is a psychotherapist specializing in self-esteem enhancement. He co-founded (with Dr. Abraham Twerski) the LIFE Task Force, which promotes self-esteem enhancement at home and at school. He conducts workshops on Building Children’s Self-Esteem, a Teen Esteem Dynamics workshop and the Self Esteem Diet-A Pathway to Healthy Living. Formerly an attorney in Toronto and synagogue rabbi in London, he is the author of “When The Going Gets Tough: Dealing With Life’s Ups and Downs“ and “Inner Peace: Achieving Self-Esteem through Prayer“.
Alexander Seinfeld, Executive Director. Alexander Seinfeld completed degrees in Classics and Anthropology at Stanford and is currently completing a Ph.D. in Jewish Thought. He began to investigate ancient Jewish wisdom after working for two years in rural Mississippi, “surrounded by folks who knew my people’s book better than I did!” That wake-up call eventually inspired him to study in Israel which ultimately led to ordination. A certified classroom teacher, he has been a full-time Jewish educator for over ten years.
Simi Yellen, Director of Parenting Programs. Simi has a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Psychology from the University of Michigan and has studied under leading child psychology experts around the world. She has been educating mothers in groups and on an individual basis since 2002. Simi has had tremendous success spreading her insightful techniques to women around the world. Her warmth, passion and know-how have helped transform many homes in a lasting and powerful way. With six children of her own, Simi is accustomed to putting out everyday fires.