About Us

Authentic Israel is an Israel-based travel program provider with three decades of leadership in the field of experiential travel.

We partner with synagogues, schools, youth groups, community organizations and families to share the magic and beauty of the Israel experience. Organizations choose Authentic Israel for our flexible approach, fair pricing, dynamic guides and client-oriented service. Additionally, Authentic Israel organizes a series of open registration Jewish group tours which adults and families can join year round. Learn More: Why Authentic Israel.

We take pride in our long-term client relationships from around the globe as well as our commitment to the core values which inspire our work. We invite you to experience the Authentic Israel difference and begin planning your Israel experience today. We understand that each organization has its own unique vision for experiencing Israel. We work hand-in-hand with you at every step of the process – from initial program design, to group flight arrangements, guide/educator selection, staff training, pre-trip and preparation. References are always available upon request. Learn More: Trip Planning Process.

Our head office is in Israel, conveniently located adjacent to Ben Gurion International Airport. Authentic Israel also maintains an office in Washington, DC in order to service our clients from North America. Finally, Authentic Israel works with organizations and families from countries as diverse as England, Germany, Belgium, Brazil, Argentina, Japan and Korea.

The Tlalim Groups

Authentic Israel is part of the Tlalim Group, an organization involved in activities as diverse as tourism, multi-media entertainment, instructional education and technology. The original roots of Tlalim are in experiential education, and we are proud of being able to positively impact the future of the Jewish People through meaningful Israel experiences. Learn more: www.tlalimgroup.com

Special Programs

In addition to organizing custom programs on behalf of organizations and families, Authentic Israel has established a series of Special Programs designed for specific age groups:

Israel Outdoors

Serving thousands of young Jewish adults each year, Israel Outdoors is the most popular provider of free Taglit-Birthright Israel experiences. The program is designed for anyone who is 18-26, Jewish, and has never been to Israel on a peer group experience. Learn More: Israel Outdoors

Passport to the World

Organized in partnership with the Bnai Brith Youth Organization (BBYO), Passport to the World is the leading provider of Israel and worldwide summer travel experiences for Jewish teens. Each trip combines educational touring, active outdoors activities, service projects, cross-cultural interaction, and Jewish experiences. The program is designed for Jewish teens of all backgrounds. Learn More: Passport to the World

Israel Pathways

An official provider of MASA experiences, Israel Pathways offers subsidized 5-month programs in Israel for Jewish young adults, age 18-30. Programs are geared to different age groups with different interests. Program thems range from volunteering to hiking, to academic study, to photography & visual arts. Learn More: Israel Pathways (coming soon)

Meet Our Team
 

PROGRAM PLANNING & OPERATIONS STAFF

Authentic Israel's program planning staff and family of licensed guides come from a diverse background, and we bring unique skills to our work. Get to know us...

Adrian Simons
Managing Director - Israel Head Office
Born in England, Adrian moved to Israel in 1990 after graduating with a degree in Jewish Education Studies at London University. After briefly working for the Jewish Agency, Adrian moved to Tlalim where he has served for the past 20 years as Managing Director of Authentic Israel. Adrian lives in the town of Modi'in in Israel along with his wife and five children.

Avi Green
Managing Director - North America Office
Born in Jerusalem and raised in Philadelphia, Avi graduated with a masters degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and subsequetly worked in Jordan on an Arab-Israeli economic cooperation initiative funded by USAID. Returning to the States, Avi co-founded the Israel Outdoors project after years of hiking and biking Israel's countryside. Avi is the North American Managing Director for Authentic Israel since 2002, based in Washington, DC, with his wife and newborn child.

Ian Dirnfeld
Sr. Director of Group Programs (Israel)
Born in Canada, Ian grew up in a contemporary Jewish home where Zionism and Judaism were inextricably linked. Emigrating in 2000, Ian has since been working in the field of tourism & customer relations, first for El Al, and now at Authentic Israel since 2006. Recently married, Ian lives in Tel Aviv with his wife and newborn child.
Robin Weiss
Sr. Director of Family Programs (Israel)
Born in Brooklyn and a graduate of the Yeshiva of Flatbush and Brooklyn College, Robin has lived in Israel for over 30 years with her husband and children.  Robin has over 15 years of experience in the field of incoming tourism -- working with individual travelers and extended families, synagogue groups and large organizations. As the manager of the Families & Individual Travelers Department, she oversees the organizing of each trip ensuring that our guests have a wonderful and meaningful visit in Israel.

Lane Schlessel
Sr. Director of BBYO Passport (North America)
Lane A. Schlessel, MSW has been with BBYO for 24 years and associated with the organization as a member, advisor, board member and professional for nearly 32 years. Lane received his undergraduate degree in social work from the Ohio State University and a Master's in Social work from St. Louis University. He has directed BBYO's Israel programs since the late 90's.

Efrat Lavi
Guides & Educational Director (Israel)
Born in Haifa and raised in Kiryat Tivon, Efrat has been guiding since her army days after passing the Guide certification course in 1997. Initially specializing in leading tours in the Judean Desert and Jerusalem, Efrat moved to Tel Aviv and led tours all over Israel. In her search for knowledge, Efrat found the time to study law and passed the bar in May 2008, and is a certified lawyer. She is married and has a new baby boy.

Noa Goldberg
Sr. Tour Operator - Youth & Schools (Israel)
Noa was born and raised in beautiful Ramat Gan, Israel. Prior to entering the workforce, she majored in Geography and Israel Studies at Bar-Ilan University. Noa has worked at Tlalim-Authentic Israel since 2008; she is the driving force behind operation of all youth and school group tours, and loves to spend her free time traveling Israel and the world.

Dina Rabkin
Sr. Tour Operator - Special Groups (Israel)
Batya was born and raised in the New York area.  She studied Elementary Education at the University of Pennsylvania.  After a stint as a kindergarten public school teacher, she joined Authentic Israel as the official "Jack of All Trades".  She works on a variety of different projects, but most importantly, you can always count on her to bring the cookies!

Oshrit Fallach
Sr. Tour Operator - Taglit-Birthright Israel (Israel)
Born and raised in Tel Aviv, Oshrit has been working with Taglit-Birthright Israel groups since 2005 as well as managing several other projects. Oshrit currently lives in Ramat Pinkas.

Ofer Akrish
Sr. Tour Operator - Special Groups (Israel)
Born and raised in Jerusalem, Ofer spent five years in the army as an intelligence officer before completing a degree program at the Jezreal Valley College. Ofer started out with Tlalim working with Taglit-Birthright Israel groups in 2006 an has since transitioned to Special Groups.

Lisa Rubin
Tour Coordinator & Events Planner (Israel)
Born in the United States and a graduate from Stern College of Yeshiva University. She made aliyah 20 years ago. Her background is in Social Work working with families, youths and seniors.   Lisa has been working in the tourism Industry for over 10 years and it all started in Shiloh the  Biblical heartland of Israel,  where she resides with her husband and children. Her specialty is in individual and group tours and is well known for her tour coordinating and event planning of Bar /Bat Mitzvahs and weddings in Israel.

Delphine Miller
Tour Operator - Family Programs (Israel)
Born in France, Delphine graduated with a degree in marketing before moving to England to study tourism. She lived there for five years, met her Israeli husband and they moved to Israel in 2002. They now have two children. She works with family groups touring to Israel.

Bilha Rabinerzon
Tour Operator - Family Programs (Israel)
Born and raised in Tel Aviv, upon completing her schooling, Bilha served in the IDF as projects coordinator. She received extensive experience in sales and marketing through development of her own business representing German and USA companies. Together with her husband and 2 sons, Bilha lived in Atlanta, GA for 10 years running programs in the Jewish community and leading several Israel related activities. Returning to live in Israel with her family, she is now working in tourism.

Roi Porat
Finance Director (Israel)
Born and raised in Rishon L'Tzion, Roi served in special forces in the IDF for seven years and completed his service as an officer. Roi started his professional career as a guide for Authentic Israel and subsequently received a degree from Tel Aviv University in business administration. He still lives in Rishon L'Tzion with his wife and growing family.

Nicole Barda
Program Manager - Israel Outdoors (North America)
Born and raised in Potomac, Maryland, Nicole studied at the University of Haifa in Israel. After returning from Israel, Nicole worked for the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington as well as the Jewish Claims Conference in New York City. Nicole returned to her hometown of greater Washington, DC in 2005 to serve as the North American program manager for Israel Outdoors. Most importantly, Nicole is a recent mother. Congratulations Nicole!

Batya Lebinger
Program Manager - Special Groups (North America)
Batya was born and raised in the New York area.  She studied Elementary Education at the University of Pennsylvania.  After a stint as a kindergarten public school teacher, she joined Authentic Israel as the official "Jack of All Trades".  She works on a variety of different projects, but most importantly, you can always count on her to bring the cookies!

Nate Edelstein
Special Projects (North America)
Nate was born and raised in Sacramento, California and graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a degree in Broadcast News and a Jewish Studies Certificate. He also studied in Israel at the Hebrew University and has staffed multiple Israel programs. He then worked for Major League Baseball Productions before moving to Washington, DC and joining the Authentic Israel team.

Seth Gordon-Lipkin
Registration Assistant - Israel Outdoors (North America)
Born in New York and raised in Baltimore, Seth Gordon-Lipkin graduated from the George Washington University in Washington, DC with a Bachelor’s degree in Judaic Studies in January, 2010. He grew up in the Reform Jewish youth movement and has spent time working for Jewish camps and youth organizations. Seth serves as the Registration Assistant for the Israel Outdoors team.
David Oziel
Special Projects (Israel)
Born and raised in Canada, David was brought up in a traditional Conservative home that advocated Israel and supported the Sephardic Jewish community in Toronto. David studied Hospitality & Tourism Management while remaining involved with Jewish organizations. In 2009, David took the next step in his passion for Israel and moved to Tel Aviv. Just after arriving he joined the Incoming Division as a Tour Operator for youth groups and schools.
Aya Margalit
Program Manager - MASA Israel Pathways (Israel)
One of the few "Sabras" on the Incoming Division team, Aya was born in Rehovot and was active in the "HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed" youth movement, later acting as a counselor to younger children. After 6 years of summering as a shlicha in various camps in the USA, Aya returned to Israel to pursue a degree in International Relations. Aya is responsible for Tlalim-Authentic Israel's programming and development of educational content for the MASA long-term programs. 

THE TLALIM GROUP

Authentic Israel is part of the Tlalim Group, an organization engaged in a diverse set of activities in the fields of travel, education, media, and technology.

Moshe Porat
CEO & Founder
Raised in Kibbutz Urim, Moshik started his career in informal education as the head of the guiding department for the Noar Oved VeLomed Youth Movement. Building on this experience, Moshik founded Tlalim as a company focused on strengthening the conection of the Jewish People to their identity and to the Land of Israel. Tlalim has grown and expanded into a number of related fields since then. Currently Moshik serves as the CEO of the Tlalim Group and is a proud grandfather of grandchildren (the fifth is on her way B"H).

Gen. Elazar Stern (Ret.)
Chair of Educational Committee
Elazar Stern began his IDF career as a paratrooper, rising to the rank of General in charge of human resources and education. He created the army’s Nativ conversion program and initiated Poland trips for officers. He is perhaps best known for deepening the love of and connection to Judaism within the military.

OUR FAMILY OF GUIDES

At the core of any travel experience in Israel is the role of the guide. Authentic Israel works with a diverse spectrum of guides. Although they all come from different backgrounds, they all bring a passion and energy for sharing the magic of Israel.

Nataly Zeevi
Trip Guide (Israel)
Born in Tel Aviv, Nataly began her love for nature at Sde Boker high school in the Negev Desert. Nataly served in the IDF as a tour guide and since then has been alternatively guiding trips in Israel and traveling the world -- crossing the Himalayas from India to Tibet, riding horses throughout Mongolia, trekking in China, etc. These days she is still guiding and also studying cheesmaking with dreams of making her own dairy goat farm.

Amir Klar
Trip Guide (Israel)
Born and raised in the center of Israel, Amir has served in the IDF radio station (Galatz). After travels and work in over 30 countries, He graduated with a degree in education, Arabic and regional studies and worked as a guide in the SPNI (Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel). An aficionado of languages and travels, Amir combines these two with his dedication to education, working for the last 6 years as a tour guide, and recently as a K12 Arabic teacher. Amir currently lives in kibbutz Lotem in the Lower Galilee in northern Israel.

Efrat Sharoni
Trip Guide (Israel)
Efrat was born in Haifa and raised on Moshav Sde Ilan in the Lower Galilee.  Her flair for theatrics was given the chance to blossom when she served as an officer in IDF’s Performing Arts Troup.  She earned her B.A. from Ben Gurion University in Beer Sheva in Biology and Ecology and is currently studying towards her M.A. in Judaic Science and Land of Israel Studies at the Schechter Institute. A tour guide for the last 8 years, Efrat currently lives in Ramat Gan outside of Tel Aviv.

Avner Sofer
Trip Guide (Israel)
Avner grew up in Haifa and served in the IDF for six years as an intelligence officer (and continues to serve in the reserves). His central interests are hiking, geology the history of Israel, and the story of the Jewish people. Avner began his career working as a ranger for the Nature Reserve Authority in the Mount Carmel region for ten years. In 1988, Avner began work as a tour guide in Israel and has since expanded to guiding in countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, Jordan, Uzbekistan and others. He currently lives in a small village in the Galilee called Alon HaGalil.

Yaacov Shabbat
Trip Guide (Israel)
Yaacov was born and raised in Jerusalem. In addition to being a tour guide for 12 years he has a passion for photography, which he studied at Hadassah College.  After spending 4 years living in Montreal, Canada, Yaacov now lives with his wife and two sons in Maale Adumim, right outside of Jerusalem.

Janina (Nina) Grunhaus
Trip Guide (Israel)
Nina was born in Costa Rica and made Aliah in 1989. Since moving to Israel she has completed a B.A. in General History from Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Nina loves to travel, and decided to share her love of travel and of Israel with others as a guide. She has been a tour guide for the last ten years and currently lives in Haifa.
Yoni Ben-Tzedef
Trip Guide (Israel)
Yoni is a life-long Jerusalemite.  He did his army service first in the Armored Corps, where he was a tank commander, and he finished his military working in the Army Spokesman’s office.  An avid lover in adventure sports, Yoni has been guiding for 9 years. He recently completed his B.A. at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Archaeology and Bible Studies, and is currently beginning an M.A. combining the two in Biblical Archaeology.  When he is not guiding or adventure sporting, Yoni is a avid reader of anything he can get his hands on.

Nurit Hertz
Trip Guide (Israel)
Nurit was born and raised on Kibbutz Yavneh on the outskirts of Tel Aviv. She spent her IDF service as an official tour guide and soon after moved to Sde Boker in the Negev Desert. Nurit has also traveled the word, trekking throughout the Indian Himalaya, the Tibetan plateau as well as China and Mongolia. Nurit now works primarily as a trip guide, living in Jerusalem and studying body-mind therapy, a kind of physical psychotherapy.

Yinon Kahalani
Trip Guide (Israel)
Yinon grew up on Moshav Sde Ilan in the Galilee and currently resides in the village of Zichron Yaacov in the Carmel Mountains. Yinon has been guiding trips for seven years after leaving a career as a private investigator. A guitarist and a natural traveler, Yinon's favorite place for vacations is the Far East. He studied psychology in the Tel Aviv University and utilized his knowledge in various ways that served national security and the IDF.

Adele Bassin
Trip Guide (Israel)
Adele was born in South Africa from where she made Aliyah to Israel. Before becoming a guide, Adele studied psychology and has worked in the legal field in Israel. But like many other guides, she decided that she had enough working indoors and prefers to be outside and working with people.

Sara Zeltzer
Trip Guide (Israel)
One of the most energetic guides in Israel, Sara is a true red-head, loves being outdoors, and has a tendency to fall in love with her groups. She studies biology in the Tel Aviv University and has been guiding for over five years.