Meet The Team
UJIA JLEC professionals have collectively decades of experience with Jewish education, youth work, and leadership training. We are committed to the values of empowerment and are here to support each young person, and each organisation or movement working with young people, be the best version of themselves that they seek to be.
For more information, or to request advice, training, or resources, please contact the staff at the centre by clicking on their names below;
Director of Informal Jewish Education
Shelley Marsh has worked in the department, in every educational role, for the past eleven years. Shelley spent 15 years living in Israel working in the Israeli school sector and in informal education. She has an MA in Community leadership and is passionate about Jewish informal education.
JLEC Administrator and Logistics Coordinator
Robby is responsible for all the administrative tasks within JLEC, which can vary from helping with Youth Movement funding to hiring out resources from the JLEC Resource Centre. She is also accountable for the CRB checks which take place within the Youth sector and synagogues around the UK. Robby was a member of Hanoar Hatzioni -- going on Israel Tour, Gap Year and working in their offices.
UJIA JAMS Education Manager
Steeno was involved in Habonim Dror from the age of 7 going through the movement as Rosh, Tour leader and went on to do 2 years of movement work. His main tafkidim were Northern Fieldwork, Social Action Worker and PR. He was also involved in educational processes and leadership development. At university he qualified in Events management. Steeno is now part of the JLEC team working as the UJIA JAMS education manager.
Education and Welfare Manager
Naomi supports informal Jewish educators by providing mentoring, consultation, training and resources on a wide range of social welfare issues which are relevant for young people (such as bullying, gender and self esteem). She is particularly interested in developing educational resources which fuse Jewish values and themes with social welfare and personal development issues. She is also studying counselling & psychotherapy. Naomi grew up in Noam and was a movement worker for 2 years (Mazkira - National Director in her second year).
UJIA Informal Education Department Educator
Deborah is an informal educator, mainly supporting the youth movements with aspects of hadracha and chinuch (leadership training and education). Deborah can provide support on a range of topics relating to leadership, Israel and Judaism to suit your needs. She was born in Manchester where she grew up and later moved to Cambridge. Deborah has her roots in Habonim Dror, having particularly enjoyed the counter-cultural aspects and creativity of the environment. She enjoyed it so much that she went on to spend two years as Mazkira (National Director) for the movement.
Jewish Agency Shaliach for UJIA Department of Informal Education
Eyal is the Shaliach in the North, his responsibilities are working with the community in Manchester, teaching in the schools and working with the youth movements on topics related to Israel and Judaism. Eyal is 24 years old and he has spent the past 8 years working in informal Jewish education with young people and students in Israel and the USA.
UJIA JAMS Fieldworker
Robin started going on LJY-Netzer events at the age of 13, before becoming a madrich, then rosh, then leading Kayitz Netzer (Europe Tour), and finally doing two years of movement work. He studied Physics and Philosophy at the University of Oxford. He has a passion for informal Jewish education and loves finding new ways to engage young people in their Judaism, on their terms. He works on the UJIA JAMS project, supporting Jewish activities in non-Jewish schools.
UJIA Informal Education Department Jewish Consultant
Michael is responsible for the J in J-LEC. Michael is Jewish Education Consultant at UJIA JLEC. He is responsible for increasing the quantity and quality of Jewish content in movement programmes as well as helping with practical issues such as Kashrut and Shabbat. He spent several years in Yeshiva and teaches Jewish education to post-graduate students at Birkbeck College. He also has a degree in philosophy and teaches Jewish Thought and Jewish Philosophy at the London School of Jewish Studies.
