WHO WE ARE

Our team includes Israelis who understand the inner workings of community and school infrastructures as well as Americans committed to raising awareness across world Jewry of these Hebrew-speaking communities’ desperate mental health needs. 

​

Sara Lanner, Executive Director

Sara is a seasoned educator with over 20 years of experience in the classroom as well as a relationships coach. She received her BA from Stern College for Women and her MA in Education from Touro College. Sara is passionate about building resilience in children and young adults who are suffering from the trauma of war. A native of New Jersey, Sara lives with her husband and seven children in Jerusalem.

​​​​​

Corey Gold, Director of Operations

Corey teaches Torah and coordinates alumni programming at a post-high school yeshiva for English-speaking students. In addition, he is currently learning in kollel and pursuing rabbinical ordination. He comes to Fortify Israel with insider know-how of the nonprofit world, having run direct service organizations serving underprivileged youth and individuals experiencing homelessness as well as doing grant review for a foundation. A native of Baltimore, Corey received his BA from Harvard University and lives in Jerusalem with his wife and son.​​​

​​​​

Efrat Yarchi, Director of Programs & Community Engagement

Efrat lives in Ofakim and works as a classroom teacher, behavior analyst, and writer. She received her teaching certificate at Seminar Ofakim, her ABA certification from Wingate, and a certificate from the Association for Behavior Analysis International. Living in the South, Efrat is Fortify Israel’s team member ‘on the ground,’ coordinating community workshops and liaising with local educators. She is passionate about helping youth equip themselves with the tools to process their experiences and move forward.​​

​

Faigy Loterman, Trauma Specialist

Faigy is the head psychologist at Bayit Cham, a mental health organization that manages clinics offering various rehabilitative and therapeutic services to people of all ages. Since last October, she has provided treatment for injured soldiers and survivors of the Nova Festival and has been tapped by the National Insurance Institute (Bituach Leumi), the Joint Distribution Committee, and the Jewish Agency to develop a curriculum to prepare therapists to treat those with complex trauma. As Fortify Israel’s in-house expert, Faigy oversees the training of local educators to work with children who’ve had traumatic experiences.

​

Avi Schleifer, Advisor

Avi is the founder and CEO of a successful real estate and apartment management business. An active lay leader in his community, Avi founded a neighborhood shul, an outgrowth of his keen understanding of diverse communal needs. Avi is eager to use his management skills, creativity, and resources to support Israelis trying to put their lives back together amidst the war. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife and six children.​​