David Hazan
The youngest of our current students, David Hazan attended the Hasmonean School, London, before spending two and a half years at Yeshivat Mikdash Melech in Jerusalem. Since his return to London, he has been actively involved in the Sephardi community as a Hazan and Baal Koreh, and in education. He is currently teaching at the Naima Jewish Preparatory School and simultaneously reading for a B.A. degree at the London School of Jewish Studies, with the aim of qualifying as a Jewish Studies teacher.
Alexander Goldberg
Alexander Goldberg, a barrister and human rights activist, works on community-development projects in the UK and internationally. He is married with two children.
Alex is the Jewish Chaplain at Surrey University and an Olympic Games Chaplain. He chairs the Football Association’s Faith Group. Amongst his many activities, he founded the Rene Cassin Human Rights Group, developed their leadership programme and is their regular UN representative; and has also advised the UK Government and US State Department on issues connected with education and community relations.
Aaron Hass
Aaron Hass graduated from Hasmonean School and studied at Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh and at Yeshivat Mir in Jerusalem before completing his BA degree in History at University College London.
Descended from a long line of Chazanim, including his famous grandfather Chazan Simon Hass, Aaron has a rich musical background which he employs in a variety of ways. He currently teaches Jewish Studies at the Naima JPS in London, where his ambition is to use his skills to uplift and inspire others; and where he says that he ‘can often be found walking through the school with his guitar in hand’.
Aron Lovat
The youngest student of his year, Aron Lovat was educated at the City of London School before studying in Yeshivat Kerem BeYavne. He is currently completing a University of London International BSc in Mathematics and Economics.
Aron married his wife, Rachel Leah, during the first few months of the Semicha Course.
Dr Jeremy Meyer
Dr Jeremy Meyer was educated in microbiology at London University and later obtained his doctorate in biochemistry from Sussex University. He is married with 3 children.
As well as 30 years’ experience of work in food science and technology, mostly with global companies, specialising in inventions, Jeremy has also worked in the fields of technical literature, Jewish education, corporate social responsibility and as consultant in intellectual property management. Having for many years placed much emphasis on his Torah studies, Jeremy has what he describes as ‘a fascination for Judaism’.
Samuel Millunchick
Hailing originally from Chicago and later from Israel where he served as a combat medic with the IDF, Samuel Millunchick was educated at the University of Illinois, at Yeshivat Yesodei HaTorah and at the Ida Crown Jewish Academy, Chicago. He now lives in London with his wife and newborn son.
Sam is involved in Jewish education across the London community, working both as the Informal Educator at Hasmonean Boys’ School and as Youth Director at South Hampstead Synagogue.
Drawing on his experiences with Jews in all walks of life, Sam is passionate about ‘making Judaism accessible and appealing to every Jew’.
Yechezkel Mandelbaum aka Thomas Ambuehl
Yechezkel Mandelbaum grew up in a mountain farmer’s family in the Swiss Alps. After discovering his Jewish roots during his Theology studies at the University of Basel, he learned at various institutions in Israel and subsequently became a private student and personal assistant of the Admor mi Biale, at that time community rabbi of Lugano Switzerland. Yechezkel completed a BA Hons and MA in Musicology at Oxford-Brookes University. He is married and has 5 children.
Yechezkel established a foundation for at risk teenagers from religious families and supported their recreational programmes under Rabbi Avraham Novick in the Swiss Alps.
Alongside his work as an accomplished painter, arranger and composer of Jewish instrumental and choral music, Yechezkel has a keen interest in serving small communities as a lay minister and did so for the last three years in Cheltenham. He has an open house and heart for seekers of true spirituality and hopes to assist individuals to take step by step on their personal journey towards a meaningful, heartfelt, and life-fulfilling Jewishness.
Claude Wolf
Claude Wolf was educated at Hasmonean and JFS. He obtained a BA in Business Studies, an MA in Human Resources and a Post Graduate Diploma in Jewish Studies. He is married with four daughters, two step-daughters and two step-sons.
After establishing a computer training centre for the disabled at Jewish Care, he qualified as an IT teacher and taught at a number of schools including Yavneh College. Claude is currently Subject Leader at a school in Hertfordshire. He is also a qualified Cheder teacher and has taught Anim Zemirot at Edgware United Synagogue.
Dr Eitan Omiyi
Dr Eitan Omiyi, a research scientist with a PhD in Electronic Engineering from the University of Leeds, lives in London and is married with children.
Eitan, who received an intensive but informal Jewish education, has worked as a post-graduate research associate and as a technical consultant in several universities in the UK, Germany and the USA. He has seven patents and over a score of publications to his name.
NOTE. Eitan, a Nigerian citizen, was unfortunately obliged to leave the U.K. in July 2015 for residency reasons; but hopes to be able to continue his studies in Israel to which he and his family have emigrated.