For nearly two decades, Rabbi Ben Fried has proudly served Am Yisrael as an educational leader and classroom teacher. Prior to his aliyah this summer along with his wife and six children, Rabbi Fried advanced the Fuchs Mizrachi Junior High in his role as Principal over a seven-year period.

Before relocating to the Midwest, he was a member of the Judaic Studies faculty at the Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy and at the Ramaz Middle School. He earned his BA from Yeshiva College and a Master’s Degree from Azrieli Graduate School of Yeshiva University. He traces his strong connection to Israel to his trips over the years, summer experiences at Camp Stone, and the incredible shlichim that have worked alongside him over the years.

During the year Michal is a Mashgicha Ruchanit and Alumni Coordinator at Midreshet Torah V’Avodah. In the summers, Michal serves as the assistant director for Mach Hach BaAretz. Previously, Michal taught at The Frisch School in New Jersey, and also served as a grade dean and led Israel guidance efforts. Michal grew up in Teaneck, NJ and made Aliyah to Modiin with her family in 2015. She is married to Ovi and they are the proud parents of five beautiful children.

Michelle Kaplansky is the Administrator of Israel Programs for Bnei Akiva of the U.S. & Canada. She has been part of the Mach Hach BaAretz administration for the past 14 years, and now splits her time between that and Midreshet V’Yeshivat Torah V’Avodah (TVA). She also helps oversee other programs such as Tochnit Tzion and Tochnit Nissan. Before going on Aliyah, she served as Assistant Director of Camp Moshava Wild Rose. She’s originally from Chicago and now lives in Chashmonaim, Israel.
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Shlomo Stern is a Bnei Akiva veteran and an experienced informal educator. Shlomo was Director of Moshava Ba’ir New Jersey for 6 years, and now uses his expertise to support and grow the Moshava Ba’ir initiative across the US & Canada. Shlomo is also currently the Associate Director of Moshava IO in Honesdale. Shlomo also held the position of Regional Director for Bnei Akiva of NY and NJ before making Aliyah. Shlomo, together with his wife, Temima, and their children, spent 4 years on Shlichut in Houston, Texas coordinating Bnei Akiva activities in Houston and the Southern Region of the US. Shlomo completed his BS in Accounting at YU’s Sy Sym School of Business.
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Shula Bashkin has been part of the Bnei Akiva family for eight years she holds the position of office administrator as well as the registrar for Moshava Ba’ir and Mach Hachach Baaretz.
She was born and raised in Kiryat Bialik, Israel. There Shula served in the Israeli Army for two years as a Women’s Squad commander before moving to America. She currently lives in Long Island, New York with her husband and three beautiful children.
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Michael joins the Bnei Akiva national team with a strong foundation in nonprofit marketing and fundraising. He holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in marketing from Yeshiva University, where he also gained six years of experience in university operations.

Prior to Bnei Akiva, Michael served as the COO of Storytribe Media, a digital marketing agency specializing in nonprofits, where he sharpened his skills in strategy and execution. He is eager to apply his expertise in marketing, digital media, and operations to further the mission and values of Bnei Akiva.

Rabbi Dan Katz has been the Director of Mach Hach BaAretz since 2012. Previously, he served for ten years as part of the administrative team at Camp Moshava (IO). Dan has been an active leader in Bnei Akiva, serving in the positions of Director of Bnei Akiva of New York and Rosh TVI (Bnei Akiva’s leadership seminar). Today, he lives in Yerushalayim and teaches at Yeshivat Hakotel.
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Rabbi Dr. Yehuda Seif is the Rosh Yeshiva and Director of Midreshet and Yeshivat Torah V’Avodah. He studied at Yeshivat Har Etzion and received his ordination from Rav Zalman Nechemiah Goldberg. He received his BA from Columbia College, his MA in Religion and Education from Columbia’s Teacher’s College, and Israeli Teacher Certification from Herzog College, and he completed his PhD in Religious Studies at University of Pennsylvania. He served as the Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus educator at the University of Pennsylvania from 2002-2006.
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James Williams is a passionate Jewish Educator currently living in Efrat, Israel. Born and raised in Birmingham, United Kingdom, his passion for educating began early on and it has stayed with him ever since. James was involved in Snif in Birmingham as Chanich, Madriach & Rosh. James continued his involvement with Bnei Akiva working on the Mazkirut of Bnei Akiva UK and then after his aliyah worked for World Bnei Akiva overseeing British Hachshara. James and his family have completed two successful shlichuts through Bnei Akiva of the US & Canada in both Toronto and South Florida. James has also held a number of positions outside of Bnei Akiva working for UJIA Scotland, Yeshivat HaKotel, Matara Residential School, Alexander Muss High School in Israel, and Ramah Camps Israel.
James studied Jewish History & Informal Education at Jews College London and continued his studies at Yeshivat HaKotel Jerusalem. James is working on finalizing his Smicha through Rabbi Shmulowitz. James firmly believes in the power of informal and experiential Jewish education and aims to connect people to Judaism, whilst growing their potential and becoming future Jewish role models.
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Rabbi Noah Sonenberg taught Limudei Kodesh at Bnei Akiva Schools in Toronto from 2003 until 2024.

Rabbi Sonenberg was the Director of Judaic Studies at the school from 2017 until 2023, when he took the position of Dean of Beit Midrash Zichron Dov, a YU Torah Mitziion affiliated kollel that serves the Greater Toronto Area. He is an alumnus of Yeshivat Bircas Hatorah in Israel, where he studied upon earning his Bachelor of Science in Biology with a focus on genetics from York University.

Rabbi Sonenberg is passionate about learning and teaching Gemara and Mussar, and expanding students’ ability to engage with the text independently and personally. He is an alumnus of many courses in educational philosophy and leadership that he has taken in the US and Israel, including LHTI, Lifnei v’Lifnim and the Rabbi Sacks Legacy cohort which works to bring Rabbi Sacks’ unique perspective to school curricula. Rabbi Sonenberg is married to Mrs. Rifka Sonenberg, a yoetzet halacha and Director of the Canadian Yoatzot Initiative.

They have recently made Aliyah and look forward to being there together with all of their children.

Bini Dachs is the Assistant Director of Bnei Akiva of the US and Canada. She received Her BA in Art shaped major from Stern College for Women. Bini has been working for Bnei Akiva for the past 16 years. She has served as the national Program director, Assistant director of TVI summer program, Director of Operations and now as the Assistant Director. She grew up in Chicago and attended Moshava Wild Rose for over 15 summers.
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Rabbi Shaul Feldman currently serves as the Executive Director of Bnei Akiva of the US and Canada. He received smicha from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and a law degree from Bar Ilan Law School. As first-generation Israeli, Rabbi Feldman was born to parents who made Aliyah from Chicago, whose inspiration to take the leap was from their days at the original Moshava Rolling Prairie (now known as Moshava Wild Rose).

After serving as a paratrooper in the IDF as part of his Hesder in Yeshivat Kerem B’Yavneh, Rabbi Feldman spent a year in Memphis, TN part of the first Torah Mi’Zion Kollel in North America. After law school, he spent 4 years on shlichut living in Teaneck as the Rav Shaliach of Bnei Akiva of the US & Canada. During this time, he also taught at Stern College and the Torah Mi’Zion Kollel in NYC and later served as a RA’M in Yeshivat Kerem B’Yavneh. In his role as executive director, Rabbi Feldman founded the Moshava Ba’ir day camp network which has grown to 7 day camps serving over 3,000 campers in several states and in Canada. Rabbi Feldman is also the founder of Yeshivat and Midreshet Torah V’Avodah, an innovative post-high school year in Israel.

Rabbi Feldman is a highly admired Rav both in Israel and North America who combines a wide depth of Torah knowledge, alongside a deep connection to the land and people of Israel. He currently resides in Ramat Beit Shemesh with his wife Libby and 5 children.