Administration || Storahtellers || Collaborating Artists
Advisory Board || Board of Directors || Supporters & Partners

AMICHAI LAU-LAVIE (EXECUTIVE & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, ACTOR) is the Founder, Executive and Artistic director of Storahtelling. An Israeli-born teacher of Judaic Literature and performance artist, he is described as "one of the most interesting thinkers in the Jewish world" by the NY Jewish Week, "iconoclastic mystic" by Time OUT NY, and "a Judaic Pied Piper who spins gold out of the inherent drama of biblical legends and scripture" by the Denver Westword. Amichai studied at various yeshivot, including the Shalom Hartman Institute and the Elul Center in Jerusalem. Between 1992 and 1996 he directed the summer programs at Melitz: the Jewish Zionist Centers in Jerusalem, focusing on the integration of Jewish education via the arts. His theatrical experience as a writer and performer includes the Theatre Company Jerusalem, The Acco Theatre Group in Israel and the Avodah Dance Ensemble in the U.S. Between 1997-2000 he served as Artist-in-Residence at Congregation B'nai Jeshurun in New York City.

Amichai is a Jeruslalem Fellow at the Mandel Leadership Institute in Israel (2008-2009) and is a consultant to the Reboot Network, a member of the Synagogue 3000 Leadership Network , serves on the Advisory Council for the Six Points Fellowship, the Advisory Board for faithhouse manhattan , and the Boards of Directors of Zeek Magazine.


DR. CARYN AVIV is a sociologist by training and lecturer in the Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Denver. She also co-founded and works as director of research for Jewish Mosaic: The National Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity. Caryn has co-authored three books, and is currently writing a book entitled “Un-appointed Ambassadors: American Jews and Israeli-Palestinian Reconciliation.” She coordinates the Storahtelling Mile High Mavens cohort in Colorado.

JAKE GOODMAN (Associate Director) is a community organizer, Jewish educator and performer. He holds an MA in Informal Jewish Education from the Davidson School at JTS and a BFA in Acting from Emerson College. Jake has worked increasingly to advocate toward full equality for LGBT people in everyday and ritual life-Jewish and otherwise. He has worked with Empire State Pride Agenda, Marriage Equality New York and Keshet-Boston. He has designed and facilitated educational trainings at JTS, Camp Ramah, the JCC of Manhattan, and has facilitated national training programs for Keshet, Nehirim, and "Addressing Evaded Issues in Jewish Education". In the theater world, Jake has performed across the country and internationally at The Berkshire Theater Festival, Actors Theater of Louisville and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

NAOMI LESS (Director of Education , & Training, Musician), an accomplished performer and experiential educator. Based on her educational experience around girls' development issues, Naomi is using her musical talents to launch "Jewish Chicks Rock" - a music project to place more positive girls' empowerment and self-esteem messaging in Jewish rock music. (For music samples, visit Naomi at Naomiless or Jewish Chicks Rock)

Naomi is a founding company member who frequently performs for the organization. Before joining Storahtelling's professional team, Naomi developed over 10 years of training experience in Jewish camps through the Foundation for Jewish Camping and the National Ramah Commission. Her passions for helping educators to better nurture spiritual and social and emotional intelligence development, especially in adolescent girls, are a basis for her educational consulting work (Jewish Theological Seminary's "Addressing the Evaded Curriculum" project and the Florence Melton Communiteen High School program).

Naomi received her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University in vocal performance and choral conducting, and a Masters Degree in Jewish education from the Davidson School at the Jewish Theological Seminary. She has completed two post-masters certificate programs: the Institute for Jewish Spirituality's educators' course and the Institute for Informal Jewish Education's Professional Leadership Seminar.

SHAWN SHAFNER (PRODUCTION MANAGER) is an actor, director, singer, educator and storyteller. He first encountered Storahtelling when he was awarded a 2005 Spielberg Fellowship in Theatre Arts Education, and he has been a company member since. For most of 2008, he toured nationally as Pablo in Nickelodeon's The Backyardigans Live! New York credits include The Club at La Mama, Classic Stage Company, Stone Soup Theatre Company, and Long Island Theatre Classics on Tour. Shawn holds a BFA from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, and has trained in Russia at the St. Petersburg Theatre Arts Academy, the Moscow Art Theatre, and the Institute for Contemporary Art in London. Shawn also works as a teaching artist with New York City youth.