OUR NETWORK:  Kaima Center for Economic Development and Educational Training

The Kaima Center for Economic Development and Educational Training enables us to oversee all educational, business, and financial resource development activities across the growing Kaima youth farming network. This includes managing current farms and vetting potential new sister venues. Meet the team below:

Yoni Yefet-Reich: CEO and Kaima Network Director *

Yoni was born and grew up in Beit Zayit and is a graduate of the nearby Ein Kerem Community Environmental School. He has considerable experience in non-profit organizational management and informal social educational program development and implementation. Yoni received his Bachelor of Law (LLB) in 2005 and graduated with an M.A. in Non-Profit Management at Hebrew University in 2013.

Guy Bar Navon: Kaima Network, Educational Coordinator

Guy lives in Beit Zayit, just a few minutes from the farm. He received his MSW in Clinical Social Work from Hebrew University in 2014. Though he previously served as Kaima’s long-time, onsite social worker, Guy has taken on a new, larger role traveling to our sister farms to assure all operate in alignment with Kaima’s “employment-as-education” principles. When not at one of our network farms, Guy offers psychotherapy in a private clinic in Jerusalem.

Nadav Bensusan: Kaima Network, Business and Marketing Manager *

Nadav holds a B.A. in Management of Service Organizations from Hadassah College and has considerable experience as an administrator and consultant to social businesses, having served as the Logistics Manager for NGO Youth of Light and the Ofaimme Farm for Sustainable Agriculture. Prior to his military service in the IDF, Nadav volunteered his time to help advance vulnerable communities in Beersheva and the surrounding area. Nadav is the former coordinator of Moadon Re'ut, a based soup kitchen and social club for Jerusalem's poor and elderly, created, established, and run by high school youth. Nadav is also a member of Israel’s volunteer police corps as well as an avid baker.

OUR PROTOTYPE FARM:  Kaima Beit Zayit

Kaima Beit Zayit, the network’s prototype farm, is led by a strong team of young professionals who are passionate about what they do. Their collective experience as educators and respect for the environment align to offer youth and young adults an essential sense of personal pride, encourage civic responsibility, and bring to their lives the possibility of a brighter future. Meet the team below:

* Kaima Founder

Irit Liberman: Office Manager

Irit grew up on Kibbutz Ein Tzurim. Before enlisting in the IDF, she volunteered in a program in disadvantaged neighborhoods via the Israeli scouting movement. During her army service, Irit worked with new immigrants and youth at risk. A professional educational administrator for more than 20 years, she is committed to working with social change organizations whose ideology she shares.

Niv Liel: Agricultural Development Manager

Niv grew up in Kiryat Tivon and was educated at the Harduf Waldorf School. Upon graduation, he moved to Jerusalem where he worked in numerous educational settings. Following his military service, Niv embarked on a long journey in Israel and abroad, visiting farms, working, hiking, and living in nature. His first connection to Kaima was as a volunteer while studying for his B.A. in Philosophy and Jewish Thought at Shalem College. Kaima always remained on Niv’s mind; he eventually joined Kaima's staff, initially assuming the challenging position of Agricultural Director, though is currently engaged in agricultural expansion activities.

Adi (Didi) Malka: Farm Manager

After completing her army service, Didi attended Reidman International College for Complementary and  Integrative Medicine, an experience that heavily influenced her holistic approach to youth outreach. At Kaima, Didi feels she found a place where it is possible to develop a sincere and deep relationship with teens based on cooperation, personal and mutual responsibility, and caring. Didi is responsible for both our adult and youth staff and oversight of our CSA business operations.

Michael Mizrahi Fein: Educational Artist and Director of Kaima PBL Lab

Born in Jerusalem, Michael always found his passion in building, renovating, and craft-making. In 2008, he graduated from Hadassah College’s School of Industrial Design, and later served as a faculty member at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design where he headed the school’s workshop. In 2017 Michael, who already had extensive experience volunteering with troubled youth, established Kaima’s PBL (Project Based Learning) wood and metal workshop. There, he teaches welding and woodworking skills to our youth, and together they build and fix farm equipment and other items.

Eitan Nechemia: Pedagogic Agriculturalist

Eitan started at Kaima as a volunteer in the spring of 2020, and within a short period,  became more and more passionate about the work, until, eventually, he joined our professional staff.  He especially enjoys the Kaima young spirit and the fieldwork. Eitan is skilled in a number of healing and massage techniques (Shiatsu, Thai, and the Ilan Lev method) and is an avid sportsman and musician. 

El Shabtai: Packing House Manager

El grew up on Kibbutz Beit Oren. As a child, El helped raise goats and sheep; as an adult, she has followed a similar path, working in agricultural settings throughout the country. El is in charge of Kaima’s extremely busy packing house, a task that involves managing our youth workers and volunteers; maximizing operational efficiencies; and assuring consistent output, quality, and waste reduction. El considers herself an environmental activist and educator, and, as such, believes there is nothing more important than encouraging young people to take responsibility for their actions and impact on their community.

Chana Schweiger: National Service Coordinator 

Chana was born in Jerusalem and grew up in Efrat. During her national service, she volunteered at the "Lahan Tal Menashe" youth village.

Subsequently, Chana provided educational tours for overseas visitors on behalf of HaShomer HaChadash, an NGO focused on agricultural volunteerism; the values of work, mutual responsibility, and civic courage; and love of the land.

A natural educator, Chana holds a bachelor's degree in anthroposophical education.  In her current position at Kaima, Chana attends to the needs of our expanding team of national service youth volunteers (ages 18-21), some of whom also live communally in nearby supervised housing.

In addition to her position with Kaima, Chana also teaches nature appreciation at an anthroposophical elementary school.

Hallel Tal: Agricultural Manager

Hallel was born and raised in Kiryat Tivon, close to Haifa. After graduating from the Harduf Waldorf School, he volunteered for a year with a group of classmates, working with Jerusalem youth. After hearing about Kaima, Hallel came for a visit, fell in love with the farm, and arranged to perform two years of national service working with our youth.  After his service concluded, he was asked to stay on as a team leader. He recently took charge of a new Kaima initiative, our “Fruits of the Forest Project,” which is allowing us to experiment with berry farming.

Moran Adler

Enosh Katz

Aya Marom Rotem

Bari Arobas

Elchanan Klein

Gilad Rahat

Uriel Ben Itzhak

Yotam Gur

Tom Ron

Aviel Disrael

Talia Grossman

Moshe Zini

Board of Directors

Ariel Cohen

Dani Dikshtai

Ohad Hod

Ari Peleg

Tomer Shemesh

Advisory Committee

Adv. Ariel Dayan

Jackie Goren

Uri Kandel

Nomi Lifshitz

Erez Nota

Adv. Lior Rozner

Carmel Vernia

Yuval Yardeni

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Founders

Yoni Yefet Reich

Nadav Bensusan

Tamir Deutch

Gilad Hochman

Uri Kandel

Nomi Lifshitz

Ishai Rivkin-Fenton

Erez Spivak

Marit Taub (z"l) **

Sharon Yaakovan

** In Memorium. Kaima cherished and deeply appreciated the vision, wisdom, and hard work of founding member, Marit Taub z"l, with whom we had the privilege to work until her untimely passing in August 2015.

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