Meet Your Staff: Neitsan, Rabbi Zev, Dr. Abby, Avriel, Manny, Jared, & Zoe
Neitsan Magal-Nofim, Israel:
Neitsan has been guiding special needs Taglit-Birthright Israel: Shorashim trips for the past five years, as well as leading typical groups for seven years. She is a licensed tour guide with a Bachelor’s in Social Work from Ben Gurion University. When she is not leading Shorashim groups, she is guiding private groups of families, business people, culinary tours and more.
Rabbi Zev Baram-Philadelphia, PA:
Rabbi Zev Baram is the Executive Director and full time special needs advisor and specialist at The Friendship Circle Philadelphia Region South. Rabbi Zev’s extensive experience in the field of special needs and informal Jewish education uniquely qualifies him for the demands of his position. Rabbi Zev has over 15 years of experience working with individuals with special needs and their families and has overseen the Friendship Circle Birthright trips since their inception 7 years ago.
Dr. Abby Agulnek,-Chicago, IL:
Dr. Agulnek is an Internal Medicine physician and have been practicing since 2004 at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. She has worked with adults with many different diagnoses, including those with special needs. Dr. Agulnek was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago. She attended the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia for her undergraduate degree. She is married with 3 children. She was a participant on two Shorashim Israel trips.
Avriel Finder-Philadelphia, PA:
Avriel is a special education teacher in an elementary/middle Life Skills Classroom outside of Philadelphia and volunteers at the Friendship Circle. She has also been a camp counselor and job coach to people with special needs. She received her B.S. and M.Ed. in Special Education from the University of Maryland. She has staffed special needs Taglit-Birthright Israel and Ramah trips to Israel. She also lived in Israel for a semester in high school and in college and has visited there numerous times with family.
Manny Korn-Philadelphia, PA:
Manny has been involved as a volunteer at the Friendship Circle since 2009. He has staffed 3 Friendship Circle Taglit-Birthright Israel trips and last summer worked for a special needs camp called “Living Wonders,” overseeing staff and the vocational training program. He graduated in 2013 from Temple's Fox School of Business and Management with a degree in Finance. Manny has a sister with special needs and his mother was born in Kiryat Ono, a suburb of Tel Aviv. He has two brothers currently living in Israel and speak Hebrew.
Jared Pashko-Philadelphia, PA:
Jared has extensive experience with special needs populations. He has volunteered with the Friendship Circle as well as worked at Camp Ramah in their special needs and vocational programs, JCC of Greater Washington - Transitional Kindergarten Students with Developmental delays, and PCA with various IEP clients, Private Life Skills Tutoring. He has a BA from University of Maryland and has been to Israel many times on a Family Touring/Bar Mitzvah Trip, NFTY L'Dor V'Dor summer seminar, Yeshiva University Counterpoint Israel. He is a a small business owner and founder of Beach Buggies, a shore concierge service located at shore points near Philadelphia (Margate, Longport, Ventnor)
Zoe Camp-Los Angeles, CA/Philadelphia, PA:
Since high school, Zoe has been working with special needs population. She has been a Friendship Circle Mentor, outpatient therapist for children with behavior and intellectual disabilities and a camp counselor at Camp Laurel Foundation, a program that serves children and families affected by HIV and AIDS. Zoe earned her Bachelors of Social Work from Indiana University and recently graduated from the University of Southern California with a Masters in Social Work. She has been to Israel several times. Her longest stay was on the Alexander Muss High School Program in Israel.
