Meet Your Staff: Laura, Gabi, and Elaun
Laura Tatar
Where are you from originally and where do you live now? Chicago, Chicago.
What do you for a living? I'm a theatre artist and I have my own small business with a health and wellness company.
When did you go to Israel for the first time? When I was six years old.
What's your favorite Israeli food to eat and favorite place to eat it at? Israeli toast from Abulafia.
What's a fun fact about you? I have been acting professionally since the age of 10.
What's one thing about Israel that you wish you could bring back to America with you? A sense of camaraderie and brotherhood with your neighbors.
What's your favorite place to visit in Israel? Ein Gedi.
What's your favorite place to bring groups? The Old City / Western Wall.
What's the #1 reason that you recommend that your friends and family should go on Birthright Israel with Shorashim? It is a gift to have the Israelis for the full 10 days. Making connections with Israeli peers is such a crucial part of the trip - those bonds last lifetimes, truly.
Gabi Weinberg
Where are you from originally and where do you live now? New York.
What do you do for a living? I work in a synagogue in Westchester.
When did you go to Israel for the first time? When I was two, but the trip I remember best was the trip my family made when I was 13.
What's your favorite place to visit in Israel? I love to visit Jerusalem.
What's a fun fact about yourself? I once hitchhiked on a moped.
What's your favorite Israeli food/favorite place in Israel to eat it? I love schwarma and hummus.
If there was one aspect of Israel that you could bring back to America with you, what would it be? I would bring back the traffic circles, NYC would be less congested with them.
What's the #1 reason that you recommend that your friends and family should go on Birthright Israel with Shorashim? It's an incredible opportunity to experience our land, our people, and our history - and you can do it all in ten days!
Elaun Rave
How long have you been a guide? Since July 2011.
What's your favorite Shorashim memory? The first time I did a closing "Achim" at the end of my first Shorashim Birthright trip.
What's a fun fact about yourself? I am the only boy in a family with five kids.
What's your favorite site to go to take participants to on Taglit? Mt. Herzl.
If you could say one thing to future participants, what would it be? You are about to get an opportunity that could change your life. You should savor every moment, say yes to every new experience and make the most of each day. You Only Birthright Once!
Why is it important to you to have Israelis on the trip for all 10 days? The single best way to get to know a place is through the people.
