OUR MISSION
For millennia, Jewish solidarity has ensured our survival. However, many Israelis, having grown up with little regard for the Diaspora, are unfamiliar with global Jewry. Interwoven/שָׁזוּר strives to fundamentally transform Israelis' relationship with American Jews in all their diversity, shifting perceptions from ignorance, indifference, and even condescension to mutual responsibility, accountability, and dedication to a shared destiny with their brothers and sisters abroad. In doing so we ensure the continued unity and resilience of the Jewish people.
People to People
We create the conditions for unmediated encounters between Israeli opinion makers and Jewish-American leaders
OUR WORK
OUR TEAM
Interwoven/שָׁזוּר was founded by passionate Israeli educators who are either of American descent or are former Shlichim. We are deeply connected to and inspired by world Jewry, and heavily invested in the future of the collective Jewish people.
Deborah Fishman is a network-weaver building local and international community through her passions for Judaism, culture, and human empathy. She founded FED, a community that fosters dialogue and connection through food, art, creativity, and Jewish values and experiences. Deborah also serves as North American Director of Hakhel: The Jewish Intentional Communities Incubator. Previously she worked as Director of Communications for The AVI CHAI Foundation; Network Animator for PresenTense and Editor & Publisher of PresenTense Magazine; and National Program Director for the American Zionist Movement. Deborah was accepted to the ROI Community in 2009 and served as grassroots ROI Igniter for NYC. She holds an M.A. in Jewish Professional Studies from Spertus Institute; has been a member of the 248 Network of JAFI; a URJ JewV’Nation Fellow; an iFellow with the iCenter, and named one of the Jewish Week’s “36 under 36.”
DEBORAH FISHMAN
Rabbi Amitai Fraiman is an American-Israeli peoplehood enthusiast. He co-founded 'Jerusalem Midnight Biking', an innovative bike touring company based in Jerusalem. Rabbi Fraiman has professional and leadership experience in content development, advocacy, and relationship building in his work for Tzofim Garin Tzabar (Israeli Scouts Lone Soldier Program), NYU Bronfman Center (Hillel of NYU), The Arthur Project and LAVAN. Rabbi Fraiman was ordained at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah as well as completed a dual MPA-MA at NYU. He lives in Palo Alto with his family, where he serves as the Director of the Z3 Project, an initiative of the Oshman Family JCC in Palo Alto, aiming to foster a healthier relationship between Diaspora Jewry and Israel.
RABBI AMITAI FREIMAN
JODI SANDLER
Jodi Sandler, owner of Sandler Business Services, has been a key support resource for small businesses and non-profit organizations since 1997. By managing the finances and operations, she enables business owners and leaders to focus their time and energy on developing and expanding their business. Her services include accounting/full-charge bookkeeping, QuickBooks setup and training as well as payroll and employee benefits administration. As a seasoned financial consultant, she interfaces with accountants, bankers, lawyers, insurance companies, non-profit Boards and government agencies. Jodi Sandler serves as Finance Director for several non-profit organizations. Sandler Business Services is a certified Women-Owned Business Enterprise in the City of New York and New York State.
LIOR SHABO
Lior (a.k.a Shabo) is an entrepreneur, business development consultant, and sixth-generation Jerusalemite. He is the founder of Coming Soon, a crowdsourcing platform that fosters small business creation in cities across Israel. He also established the Jerusalem Parliament, a network of emerging, Jerusalem-based leaders from the worlds of business, public policy, grassroots activism, journalism, and politics. He served on the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Innovation Delivery Team, consulting on business development to the Jerusalem municipality and initiating public-private partnerships around small business creation. He is a frequent speaker on Jerusalem’s ongoing civic renaissance, and hosts VIP visitors on insider tours of his hometown.
Moshe served as the Jewish Agency's community emissary to Birmingham, AL, as an Israel fellow at the University of Western Ontario, and in various leadership roles at Camp Ramah in Canada and Camp Ramah in the Rockies. He was the Educational Director of NOAM, the Masorti youth movement in Israel, and the Director of Tikkun Olam in Tel Aviv-Jaffa, BINA's service-learning Masa program. More recently, Moshe served as the Director of Israel Engagement at Congregation B'nai Jeshurun in NYC and as the Program Director of the Sonabend Center for Israel at JCC Manhattan. In April 2021, Moshe’s acclaimed TV miniseries 'The New Jew' aired on primetime television at the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation.
MOSHE SAMUELS
Lior (a.k.a Shabo) is an entrepreneur, business development consultant, and sixth-generation Jerusalemite. He is the founder of Coming Soon, a crowdsourcing platform that fosters small business creation in cities across Israel. He also established the Jerusalem Parliament, a network of emerging, Jerusalem-based leaders from the worlds of business, public policy, grassroots activism, journalism, and politics. He served on the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Innovation Delivery Team, consulting on business development to the Jerusalem municipality and initiating public-private partnerships around small business creation. He is a frequent speaker on Jerusalem’s ongoing civic renaissance, and hosts VIP visitors on insider tours of his hometown.
