Steve Zerobnick, Director

A native of Denver, Colorado, Steve is a graduate of the Colorado College, with a B.A. in Political Science. He made Aliyah to Israel in 1980 and has been living in Jerusalem ever since. He studied for his M.A. in Jewish History at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and is a tour guide licensed by the Israeli Ministry of Tourism. He is the author of a guide book on Jerusalem and is one of the founders of ISI.

Steve oversees all of ISI's activities as Director General. Inspired by the love of nature, hiking and outdoor adventure of his youth in the Rockies, as well as a sense of historical connection and love of the land, people and culture of Israel, Steve has created a unique approach to touring and experiencing Israel.

Steve is married to Rebeca, and they have four children who share their passion for traveling, exploring and introducing others to Israel.

Gavriel Porten, Educational Director

Gavriel (Gabi) was born in California and made Aliyah with his parents at the age of 2 months. He grew up in Jerusalem, although he spent summers in Jewish camps in the States. He attended the Gush Etzion Hesder yeshiva, combining Jewish learning with Army duty. He earned a BA in psychology and Jewish history at Hebrew University. For the past 13 years, he has been working with ISI, beginning as a Madrich on ISI's summer programs and later as a senior educator-tour guide with groups. He has a law degree from Bar Ilan University, and served as an intern for a year in Israel's DA's office. Gavriel has also taught history at the Himmelfarb High School in Jerusalem.

Gavriel is actively involved in staff selection and training for ISI, as well as pursuing his passion: educating Jewish youth about Israel-related topics of Jewish interest. He is a primary mover in the informal education activities that highlight all of ISI's programs.

Nomi Straschnov, Special Programs Coordinator

Nomi was born and raised in Israel to English-speaking parents. Nomi's parents worked summers as educators at Camp Ramah, so she has been involved with youth activities as long as she can remember. She attended the prestigious Pelech High School in Jerusalem, and studied at Bezalal Art Institute in Jerusalem in Industrial Design, where she gained experience in project work.

In the Army, Nomi served in the Education Department as a commander in a unit that trained underprivileged soldiers from broken homes. After a stint running a bakery and traveling, she joined ISI in the summer of 2000. She has been involved in logistics, a position that developed into coordinator of all Special Projects that distinguish ISI programs. Nomi designs volunteer, community service, encounter (Mifgash), and seminar programs for ISI groups of all ages. Nomi lives in Jerusalem with her husband and three children.

David Arnovitz, Director of Operations

David moved with his wife and five children to Israel in 1999 from Atlanta, GA. David's previous career was in high tech, where he co-founded a company called SecureWare that developed secure software for the US military and then for the Internet. David was also involved with a spin-off company called Security First Technologies (now called S1 Corporation) that proved the security technology by building the first virtual bank on the Internet and developing other financial applications.

After moving to Israel , David learned in several Jewish institutions in Jerusalem and took the Archaeological Seminars tour guide course. He joined ISI to make its internal operations more efficient and professional and to improve the company's strategy and execution.

Yechiel Fishman, Group Operations

Yechiel is a native Jerusalemite. He served as a medic in the Paratrooper Brigade. He has worked with dozens of groups in the field, as a guide, a medic and as a Technical Coordinator. Since "retiring" from the field six years ago he has coordinated many groups for ISI over the course of the last five years. Yechiel's magical personality and incredible mind for details makes him a pleasure to work with for group members and office staff alike. He is completing an MBA at the Ono Academic College in Tel Aviv. Yechiel is married and lives in Efrat with his wife Ya'el and their four children.

Ariel "Arik" Abecassis, Director of Logistics

Arik was born in Nahriya and served as a medic in the IDF. After graduation, Arik served as a medic with numerous groups from overseas and found his calling in working with educational tours from abroad. He is a licensed tour guide as well as a licensed Senior Tour Operator. The head of ISI's logistical team, Arik is completing an M.A. in Contemporary Jewry at Jerusalem's Hebrew University. In addition, he has a diploma in Chinese medicine. Arik is married and lives with his wife Rachel and their twins in the Jerusalem suburb of Michmash.

Galit Duyev, Logistics

Galit was born and lives in the pastoral town of Beit Zayit near Jerusalem. In high school she concentrated in Biology and Arabic and served in the Intelligence division of the Israel Defense Forces. She has a B.A. in Hebrew Language from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Galit is a licensed travel agent and helps maintain the high logistical level of ISI operations through her work in Shovalim.

Chagai Shoham, Office Technical Coordinator

Chagai was born in Netanya and has been working with ISI since 1998. He has worked with groups from Denver, Los Angeles and other groups as a madrich, medic and Techical Coordinator. Chagai was a medic in the Nachal Brigade. A qualified EMT, with a B.EMS from Ben Gurion University in Beer Sheva in Emergency Medicine, Chagai holds together ISI's office and equipment, supplying groups with all of their equipment and other technical needs. Chagai also finds and coordinates the search for future staff in ISI. Chagai lives with his wife Moriyah and three daughters in Moshav Hemed near Ben Gurion Airport

Tali Levy, Office Manager

Tali is the "mother" of the ISI office. Tali served as a Women's Service NCO in the IDF. An experienced secretary and office manager, Tali formerly worked for the Rachel Yanait Ben Zvi Center in the Old City of Jerusalem, organizing tours of the Old City for Israeli groups from around the country. Since then, she worked in the national center for Land of Israel Studies and Education, Yad Yitzhak Ben Zvi and in her "free" time is a professional driving instructor. Tali is married and is the mother of three daughters. She makes her home in Jerusalem where she was born.

Dr. Daniel Levy, Educational Advisor

Daniel A. Levy, Ph.D., is one of the founders of the Israel Studies Institute. A biblical scholar and cognitive psychologist by academic experience, a licensed tour guide by training and an educator by preference and by love for teaching, Daniel has trained and supervised a generation of guides and Madrichim who have shared Israel with thousands of visitors, young and old. Dr. Levy, who made aliyah from New York in 1980, conducts research on learning and memory at Bar-Ilan University and the Weizmann Institute of Science, and has brought cognitive insights to bear on many of ISI's educational units and itineraries.