Staff

After moving back home to South Africa for a few years, Elan returned to the Washington DC area in 2014 where he was working as the Director of Planned and Major Giving for the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. In 2016, he decided to “return home” and assumed the role of Capital Campaign Director for Maryland Hillel, steering financial resource development efforts for our new building. Elan completed a Bachelor of Commerce Degree, majoring in Politics, Philosophy and Economics at the University of Cape Town. He holds a Masters Degree in Jewish Communal Service with an emphasis in fundraising from Brandeis University. In 2016, he completed his Masters in Information Systems degree through Northwestern University. He is married to Jackie and is the proud father of Dina and Ariel. In his spare time he enjoys cooking (well eating actually), swimming, reading biographies and current affairs, and volunteering.

Shira Gabay is the Jewish Agency Israel Fellow (Shlicha) at The University of Maryland Hillel. Shira was born and raised in the center of Israel. After joining the Israeli Scouts Movement she served for two years as a commander in the Israeli Air Force. With a B.A. in Political science and Geography from the Hebrew University, Shira worked for the Israeli Ministry of Tourism, in the marketing department, bringing tourists to experience Israel. In her free time, Shira enjoys traveling, camping, extreme sports, and dancing, and love bringing her love of Israel to all students UMD!

Rabbi Ari Israel is in his twenty second year as a Hillel Executive Director in College Park.  In addition to Rabbinic ordination, Ari has Masters Degrees in Medieval Jewish History as well as Secondary Education.  Ari is an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland, teaching Jewish Leadership, and also teaches for the Acharai Jewish Leadership Institute in Baltimore.  He is married to Suzy and their six children reside in Silver Spring, MD.  He is also an amateur photographer trying to pick up golf to avert a mid-life crisis.

Rabbi Miriam Liebman identifies as many things: native Detroiter, social change advocate, dance party enthusiast, and lifelong dreamer. She is thrilled to add Terp as her newest identity! A graduate of the University of Michigan and The Jewish Theological Seminary, Miriam has a passion for making Torah and Judaism relevant to people’s lives, whether sitting in a classroom or a coffee shop. After two years as a rabbinic intern at NYU’s Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life, Miriam is excited to devote her energy full-time to working with Jewish students in College Park!

Annie is thrilled to join the team as the Springboard Education Fellow, exploring and getting excited about Jewishness with Terps of all backgrounds. A Philly native, Annie moved to Rhode Island to attend Brown University where she was deeply involved with the Jewish community via Brown RISD Hillel and developed a passion for crafting accessible, fulfilling, and community-driven Jewish experiences. A lover of language, experimentation, justice, and pluralism, Annie knows that coffee milk, water ice, and identity—like Torah—always have deeper meanings.

Miriam Schwartz is originally from Great Neck, NY. She spent a year studying at Migdal Oz and attended Stern College for Women. She was a fellow at the Legacy Heritage Jewish Educators Project, a program that trains Jewish educators through courses in education, psychology and Judaic studies, as well as intensive fieldwork in classroom settings. Miriam was an OU-JLIC Fellow at Queens College and the co-director of Student Activities. She completed her Masters in Jewish Education from the Azrieli School of Jewish Education and is still pursuing a masters in Bible at the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies. Miriam loves watching the West Wing and Shark Tank, reading, and cooking different ethnic cuisines. She also does Tai Chi and Yoga (and can sometimes convince Rabbi Schwartz to join her). She loves to cook delicious food for her husband, and especially her students! Miriam and her husband, Elie are so excited to become part of the UMD family!