You already know that the Jewish Federation of Detroit works every day to help bring our Jewish community and the people of Israel closer together. But did you know that three full-time Federation staff members in Israel are helping to do that work? From leading our missions, to coordinating the Elaine and Michael Serling Israeli Camper Program, to helping foster our Central Galilee partnership and more, our Israeli staff is vital to our mission of building a vibrant Jewish life for us all. Beyond just co-workers, we’re proud to call them our “mishpachah,” our family.
So, who are these amazing Federation staffers headquartered in Israel? We’d love to introduce you.
Naomi Miller
Director of Missions
Although Naomi Miller was raised in a Jewish community in Melbourne, Australia, and spent most of her life in Israel, it was in the Detroit community and at Tamarack Camps where she and her family, along with hundreds of Israeli teens, found a new and enlightening way to embrace their Judaism.
Naomi was raised in a Zionist home and, as a teen, was active in youth work and leadership. She made Aliyah to Jerusalem when she was 19 and has resided there ever since. She completed her undergraduate studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and her master’s degree from the Ruderman program for American Jewish studies.
Her connection to Detroit began 30 years ago when, as a licensed tour educator, she led missions in Israel for the Jewish Federation and quickly became a regular guide for the community.
At the height of the Second Intifada in 2002, Naomi helped create and lead the Detroit Federation’s Israeli Camper Program (ICP) at Tamarack Camps and continued to advance the program for over a dozen years. Today, Naomi represents the community in Israel as the Federation’s Director of Missions and as a representative for the Michigan Israel Business Accelerator (MIBA). Naomi lives in Jerusalem with her husband, Asher, four children and four grandchildren. Two of her children, Yoav and Alon, spent over 15 summers at Tamarack as campers and staff members.
A Fun Fact About Naomi.
My first travels out of Australia were when I was 18, heading to a study year in Israel in 1980. I was shocked to see that there could be snow in Israel (all the postcards always showed a desert and I arrived to Jerusalem in a snowstorm, never having seen snow before). To say the least, I had packed very poorly for the year ahead. It was the first time that I had ever met Americans and they liked my accent—for several months I believed that I actually didn’t have an accent, that mine was the norm and that everybody else deviated from the neutral Aussi accent. I have been enlightened since.
Yoav Rabin
Director of Grants & Outreach
Yoav Raban was born and raised in a small Kibbutz called Ramat-David, located in the Jezreel Valley regional council, which along with the two cities of Migdal-HaEmek and Nof Hagalil makes up the “Central-Galilee”, Detroit’s partnership region in Israel. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Central-Galilee and Detroit Partnership communities, and Yoav is celebrating over two decades with both.
Yoav’s relationship with Detroit began in 2001 on a Birthright trip to Israel with Detroit participants. He has stayed in contact with many and was even the best man at the weddings of two of his Detroit friends!
In the summer of 2002, Yoav was selected as a “shaliach” counselor at Camp Tamarack and continued for several summers working with the Israeli Camper Program the Teen Missions and became the community shaliach (Israeli emissary) in Detroit from 2007-2011.
After returning to Israel, he met his wife Anna and together they have two children, Gaya (9) and Dar (5), both fourth-generation “kibbutznikim”, which, for such a young country, is quite unique.
Yoav has worked for JFD for 17 years and is currently the Director of Grants and works closely with JFD’s partner organizations.
Yoav graduated with two degrees from the Haifa University, a B.A. in Social Work and an M.A. from the Ruderman program for American Jewish studies.
A Fun Fact About Yoav.
I am a die-hard Celtics fan ever since I got a Celtics t-shirt as a gift. So it was meant to be that my first year moving from Israel to Detroit in 2008, and seeing the Celtics play live for the first time, would also be the year that they won a Championship after 22 years!
If you come to visit me in my Kibbutz (and hopefully you will), you can ask where to find “Larry’s Square”. It is right next to my parents’ house where I grew up. Everyone from the Kibbutz will know to tell you where the square is, but very few of them would know the reason why it’s called that. It was named after our family’s dog, Larry (named after Larry Bird!) who lived to be almost 20 years old!
Liza Yedwab
Israel Project Coordinator
Liza Yedwab is the Federation’s Israel project coordinator and focuses on building and facilitating connections between Federation’s Israeli partners and the Jewish community in Detroit. Liza has been with the Federation for 13 years, after she completed her studies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, with a BA in Education and Sociology and an MA in Nonprofit and Community Organization Management.
For the past six years, Liza has also worked with MIBA to accelerate Michigan’s innovative ecosystem through Israeli business partnerships.
Liza made Aliyah to Israel with her family from Kyrgyzstan (FSSU) when she was seven, and today she lives in Jerusalem with her 2 daughters, Lia (10) and Emma (7).
A Fun Fact About Liza.
An unusual and delightful passion lies at the heart of my life—I adore my eight pet rats! Each little one has its personality and quirks, bringing joy and a touch of adventure to my everyday routine. Whether scampering around or snuggling up, these eight clever companions prove that rats make incredible pets with big hearts and unique charm. It’s not just a love for animals; it’s a special bond that makes life a little brighter and way more fun!
