Kolel Faculty

Kolel Faculty are made up of Toronto's leading Rabbis, Cantors, Jewish educators and university academics from across the widest possible Jewish spectrum. Each one subscribes to a pluralistic philosophy, understanding that not only will they meet a broad range of Jewish attitudes and observances in class, but believing that each denomination and each Jewish search has something to teach, and each Jewish soul has something to offer the Jewish community as a whole. There is no "push" to "become" anything or to subscribe to any doctrine from a member of the Kolel faculty. Each instructor also represents the best in Jewish life, being themselves an active member of the Jewish community. Our faculty act as mentors and teachers, and are role models of learning, commitment, openness and passion for Judaism.

Current Teachers

Ella Barlev was born in Moldova and grew up in Israel. She completed a Masters degree in Medical Sciences and since she moved to Toronto she joined the Surgical Weight Loss Centre where her interest in medical research continues to grow. In addition to her professional commitment, Ella dedicates her time to different activities in the Jewish Community. Ella especially enjoys being involved in activities that bridge the gap between the Jewish and Israeli communities in Toronto.

Maya Buium is a teacher who has a passion for teaching Hebrew and Judaic studies to Adults.She has been teaching with Kolel for many years, and specializes in Hebrew reading, Judaic learning and exploring the meaning behind Prayers and Blessings.

Rabbi Ilyse Glickman is the National Social Action Coordinator for the Canadian Council for Reform Judaism and is also the Rabbi at Am Shalom Congregation in Barrie, Ontario. Previously, she served as Program Director for Hillel of Greater Toronto at York University, and as Director of Education for Temple Shaaray Tefila in New York. She is married to Cantor David Rosen, of Beth Radom Congregation in Toronto.

Rabbi Elyse Goldstein is the Director and founding Rabbi of Kolel: The Adult Centre for Liberal Jewish Learning, the first liberal adult education centre in Canada and only one of a few in North America. From 1986 to 1991, she served as Rabbi of Temple Beth David in Canton, Massachusetts. Her first position after ordination was assistant Rabbi at Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto. She was graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Brandeis University in 1978. She took a year off during that university period to pursue full time Jewish textual study at Machon Pardes in Jerusalem, a traditional yeshiva. In 1981 she earned her Masters Degree from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and was ordained there in 1983. While in Rabbinical School, Rabbi Goldstein served at Temple Beth Or of the Deaf, where she became proficient in sign language and specialized in serving the Jewish deaf, an area in which she remains deeply committed. She is highly sought after as a public speaker and consultant on adult education.
She is one of seven women featured in the Canadian National Film Board documentary, “Half the Kingdom.” Her articles have appeared in both scholarly and popular journals. She is the author of ReVisions: Seeing Torah through a Feminist Lens, and Seek Her Out; and editor of The Women’s Torah Commentary, and The Women’s Haftarah Commentary.
Rabbi Goldstein received her honorary doctorate from Hebrew Union College in 2008. She is the 2005 recipient of the most prestigious award in Jewish education, the internationally recognized Covenant Award for Exceptional Jewish Educators. In 2004 she received the UJA Federation’s Rabbinic Achievement Award, in 2001 ORT Canada chose her as their Woman of the Year, and in 1996 the YWCA Toronto honored her with The Woman of Distinction Award.

Rabbi Aaron Levy is the Multi-Campus Rabbi of Hillel of Greater Toronto and spiritual leader of Annex Shul, a vibrant and inclusive grassroots Jewish community growing in downtown Toronto. He was ordained in 2004 in the first graduating class of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah—the Open Orthodox Rabbinical School in New York City—and is an avid drummer, hiker, vegan, environmentalist, and downtown Jew.

Rabbi Matthew Kaufman has been actively involved and teaching in the Toronto Jewish community for the past 10 years. Most recently he has served as the Rabbi of the Lodzer Centre Congregation, and before that as the Director of Camp Ramah in Canada. Rabbi Kaufman, ordained as a Reconstructionist rabbi, has worked extensively with the Reform and Conservative Jewish communities of Toronto. He brings a unique multidenominational and pluralist perspective to his classes.

Dr. Mitch Parker is the Principal/Clinical Director of the Zareinu Educational Centre. He has spent most of his professional career working with the families of children with developmental disabilities and as a Jewish community educator. He was the director of the Parent Education Program of the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School and the founding director of the Tikvah Program at Camp Ramah in Canada.

Dr. Ira Schweitzer, RJE, is the Director of Education at Temple Sinai. Ira is the past chairperson of the Reform Educators' Council of Toronto. He is a member of the Union for Reform Judaism Task Force for Synagogue Curriculum development.

Rabbi Michal Shekel is the executive director of the Toronto Board of Rabbis and the rabbi of Iyr HaMelech in Kingston, Ontario. She writes the weekly Torah study for Kolel, and is the original co-editor of the holiday section of myjewishlearning.com. She is also the author of numerous textbooks used in Jewish schools throughout North America. Rabbi Shekel teaches adult classes in Toronto covering a variety of Jewish topics, and leads a monthly Torah study group.

Rabbi Michael Skobac is the Director of Education and Counselling at Jews for Judaism in Toronto. He received his rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva University. Rabbi Skobac has been involved in informal Jewish education since 1975 and has lectured extensively on missionaries, cults, issues of Jewish continuity and spirituality across North America, Israel, South Africa and Australia, India and the Former Soviet Union.

Alena Strauss is a psychotherapist and career counsellor in private practice and has taught at Kolel for over 10 years. She is completing her PhD in Counselling Psychology and has been an educator and counsellor for over 20 years. She has a special interest in the coming together of Judaism and Psychology for therapeutic benefit.

Rabbi Michael Stroh is Rabbi Emeritus of Temple Har Zion, Thornhill, and past president of Arzenu: The International Federation of Reform and Progressive Religious Zionist. He has taught at the Hebrew Union College - Jeiwsh Institute of Religion, the University of Waterloo, the University of Toronto, and the Rabbinical Seminary of Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion.