Management

Ami Steinberger

Founder and CEO

Ami came from a Hebrew-speaking Los Angeles upbringing to live in Israel, where he found many, many immigrants from English-speaking countries who, after having lived there for years, were frustrated that they could not communicate effectively in Hebrew.

Then in 2008, he decided to draw upon his hobby of learning foreign languages to create a program that would serve the needs of the English-speaking population wishing to learn to speak Hebrew.

Ami also publishes the blog Your Daily Dose of Hebrew to help English speakers build their Hebrew vocabulary, one dose at a time.

Ora Derovan

Director of Operations and Development

Ora made aliyah by herself at the age of 15. Picking up Hebrew was a struggle for this young idealist, but within a year she was earning respectable grades in her Israeli high school classes. Today she holds a Masters degree in Jewish studies, which she has been teaching for the last 15 years.

Ora lives in Jerusalem with her husband and four children.

Ora also loves languages and talking with people… and she’s waiting to have a conversation with you about how Ulpan La-Inyan can help you speak Hebrew with confidence.

Ariela Nisenholz

Tel Aviv Branch Director and Teacher

Ariela grew up in Israel, but lived for two years in the United States as a teenager. She recently returned with her with her husband and five children from a long stay in Switzerland, where she served as director and teacher at the Jewish Day School in Basel. A certified teacher, Ariela is very interested in helping anyone who wants to learn to speak Hebrew with confidence.

Aliza Adar

Administrator and Coordinator of Private Lessons

Aliza is an olah chadasha (new immigrant) from New York, who has been living in Israel for the past five years. Although she arrived here with limited language skills, she quickly integrated into society and conducts her daily life speaking Hebrew. Aliza lives with her husband and two children in Jerusalem. She looks forward to welcoming you at Ulpan La-Inyan and helping you take your first steps towards speaking Hebrew with confidence.

Sharon Niv

Modiin Branch Coordinator and Teacher

Sharon made aliyah from Germany when she was ten years old. She worked at Yad Vashem for eight years where she trained teachers from around the world in Holocaust Instruction to incorporate into their school curriculum. She holds a degree in politics and history.

Sharon currently lives in Modiin where she practices as a post partum doula. She enjoys sharing the birth experience with every new mother and father that she works with. As an olah herself, Sharon loves to be involved with Olim and seeks opportunities to help them acculturate into Israeli society. Her work at Ulpan La-Inyan gives her great pleasure and satisfaction in that endeavor.

Elias Romano

Coordinator for French Speakers

Elias made aliyah from France after graduating with a B.A in War Studies from King’s College, London. During the course of his degree, he took a break to learn Hebrew for 6 months in Israel, which allowed him to later make aliyah already knowing Hebrew. Once an oleh, he studied in Shapell’s Yeshiva for a year and then joined Ulpan La-Inyan.

Elias is adamant about the importance of learning Hebrew well, not only for practical reasons but also as an essential component of one’s identity as an Israeli and a Jew. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife.