Education to Action Teen Summit on Israel and Antisemitism

Dr. Noam Weissman brings over a decade of Jewish educational leadership to OpenDor Media. With a doctorate in educational psychology from the University of Southern California, specializing in curriculum design, he helps educators leverage new media to engage teens and young adults. Passionate about empowering students to find meaning in Jewish learning, Noam continuously explores ways to make the world smarter and more compassionate. Outside the office, he enjoys studying Israel and Jewish history, devouring pizza and chips, and has a deep fascination with the Kotzker Rebbe. 

Avinoam Patt is the Maurice Greenberg Professor of Holocaust Studies at New York University. He holds a B.A. in Religion (Judaic Studies Concentration) from Emory University and a Joint Ph.D. in Hebrew and Judaic Studies and Modern European History from New York University. Dr. Patt previously held the Doris and Simon Konover Chair of Judaic Studies at the University of Connecticut, where he served as Director of the Center for Judaic Studies and Contemporary Jewish Life. From 2007-2019 he was the Philip D. Feltman Professor of Modern Jewish History at the University of Hartford, where he served as director of the Museum of Jewish Civilization. He also worked previously as the Miles Lerman Applied Research Scholar for Jewish Life and Culture at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. He is the author of multiple books on Jewish responses to the Holocaust, including Finding Home and Homeland: Jewish Youth and Zionism in the Aftermath of the Holocaust (2009); co-editor of a collected volume on Jewish Displaced Persons, titled We are Here: New Approaches to the Study of Jewish Displaced Persons in Postwar Germany (2010); and is a contributor to several projects at the USHMM including Jewish Responses to Persecution, 1938-1940 (2011). He recently completed a new book on the early postwar memory of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (The Jewish Heroes of Warsaw: The Afterlife of the Revolt, 2021). Together with David Slucki and Gabriel Finder, he is co-editor of Laughter After: Humor and the Holocaust (2020) and, with Laura Hilton, Understanding and Teaching the Holocaust (2020). His newest book, Israel and the Holocaust, will be published by Bloomsbury Press as part of its Perspectives on the Holocaust series in 2024. In Spring 2022, he created and facilitated a new one-credit pop-up course at the University of Connecticut, Why the Jews: Confronting Antisemitism, which reached over 1600 students in the first semester it was offered. 

Michal Abramoff is the UES Shlicha of the Jewish Agency. Born in NYC, she made Alyah to Israel with her family at a young age. After completing her BA in Psychology, Sociology, and Anthropology from TA University, she spent two years as a Shlicha to the Jewish community of greater Hartford, CT. Upon returning from Shlichut, Michal moved to Jerusalem and received a Master's degree in Jewish education through the advanced program in pluralistic Jewish education at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR)/Jerusalem, in cooperation with the Melton Center for Jewish Education at the Hebrew University.

Ariel Glueck is thrilled to have joined Park Avenue Synagogue as the Director of Youth and Teen Programming. In her role, she brings a background in social work and experiential Jewish education. 

Previously, Ariel worked in public and independent schools, synagogues, youth movements, and camps. She is excited to be at PAS partnering with teens to develop leadership skills, create memorable experiences, and connect more deeply to their Jewish identity.                 

Ariel earned an LMSW from Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University and a BA in Political Science and Educational Policy at Hunter College. She is a Nachshon Graduate Fellow, a program designed to foster Jewish leadership in North America. Ariel spent a semester at Hebrew University and a year with Kivunim (an acclaimed Israel gap year program).  

Avi leads the educational vision behind the content and resources for UED and ConnectED, supporting educators in Jewish and independent schools to bring relevant and engaging content into their classrooms. He has worked as a Judaic Studies teacher at Gray Academy in Winnipeg, Canada and served as Hillel director and Jewish camp director, dedicating his career to building meaningful Jewish learning experiences. Avi holds a master’s degree in Jewish Education from Yeshiva University in New York. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and kids, immersing himself in Israel-related media, reading, and watching or playing basketball. 

Sarah oversees all UED activities, equipping Jewish educators with resources to help students explore Israel’s history, the Holocaust, and more. Previously, she served as Director of Israel Guidance and Experiential Education at Ma’ayanot High School, where she taught Talmud, chaired a Contemporary Israel course, and brought her vision and creativity to a myriad of school programs. Sarah holds dual masters degrees in Jewish Education and Modern Jewish History from Yeshiva University, where she is currently pursuing her Ed.D as a Wexner Fellow and Davidson Scholar. In her free time, Sarah enjoys hiking and spending time with her family.