Essentials of Judaism

Rabbi Chaim Iram holds rabbinical ordination and certification as a dayan (religious judge) from the Eretz Hemdah and Harry Fischel Institutes. Involved in conversion for over thirty years, Rabbi Iram served as the deputy head of the Israeli conversion courts. He taught at NATIV and later served as its director. Rabbi Iram serves as the rabbi of Elazar in Gush Etzion and is an international consultant and speaker on Jewish topics and programs. He is a graduate of Netiv Meir and Yeshivat Or Etzion, and served in the infantry with the IDF hesder program. Rabbi Chashi Freedman is the Director of Education at NATIV. Born and raised in New York, Rabbi Freedman moved to Israel as a lone soldier in 1982 and served as a sergeant in the Paratrooper Brigade. He holds a B.A. in Talmud and an M.A. in Jewish Education, along with rabbinic ordination and teacher certification. Rabbi Freedman served as a congregational rabbi in Palm Springs, Coordinator of Jewish Thought and Identity at the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, and Director of the Yachad Jewish Leadership Program. He is the recipient of the Avi Chai Foundation Sabbatical Prize.