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Mike Mitchell – Director
Mike was born in Glasgow, Scotland, grew up in a traditional Jewish home and the Zionist youth movement, FZY. After spending a year in Israel after High School, Mike attained a degree in Government and Political Theory from the University of Manchester. Following that, he was the FZY National Director before making Aliyah to Israel in January 2000. Since arriving in Israel Mike served in the IDF, worked in the high-tech industry and most recently was a Department Director on Young Judaea's Year Course program. Mike, and his wife Molly, live in Tzur Hadassah, just outside Jerusalem. If you ever need to find him on a Monday night, he will be somewhere on the football field.
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Amy Gross – Program Recruiter
Once an enthusiastic birthright participant and now an olah chadasha (new immigrant), Amy grew up in Farmington Hills, Michigan. She spent many wonderful summers as a camper, counselor and supervisor at Tamarack Camps. She attended Michigan State University where she received a B.A in English Literature and Jewish Studies. While attending university she spent a semester abroad at the Hebrew University Rothberg International School. For the past two years she has worked as a recruiter for Young Judaea’s Israel programs in Miami, FL. She is thrilled to be part of the WUJS Israel team and looks forward to seeing many of your fabulous faces on the WUJS program. When Amy is not working hard recruiting for WUJS, she can be found at the gym in Tel-Aviv with her fiancée Avishai.
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Yonit Schacher - Madricha
Yonit made Aliya from the United States in the spring of 2007. Growing up, Yonit spent a lot of time in Israel and knew that one day it would be her home. She received her bachelor's degree in social work from NYU and continued on to receive her masters at Columbia University. The majority of her social work experience has been working with youth at risk. After working for two years as a social worker for youth at risk in the South Bronx, Yonit decided it was time to leave her life in the States and experience life in Israel. She participated in a pre-Aliya program where she worked as an intern for the mentally ill and lived in an absorption center in Jerusalem. The experience of working in Israel and living among new immigrants confirmed to Yonit that Israel was the place for her. Yonit can’t be happier with her decision and is excited to share her experiences with the WUJS participants.
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Ricky Yihye – Tel-Aviv Program Coordinator
Ricky was born and raised in Moshav Netua in the Western Galilee and grew up in the youth movement of the Moshavim. At age 18, Ricky moved with her family to Nahariya and was drafted to the IDF where she served for two years as an instructor in the Golani and Combat Engineer units. Following the army, Ricky traveled in South America, North America and Africa before returning to Israel to her studies in Art History and Theater at Tel-Aviv University. Following the completion of her B.A., Ricky served as a Shlicha in New Jersey where she worked with Jewish schools, the Israeli Scouts, university students and the JCC. Upon her return to Israel, Ricky began her position on the WUJS Israel program.
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