David Silber is the founder and dean of Drisha Institute for Jewish Education in New York and Israel. Rabbi Silber received ordination from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. He is a recipient of the Covenant Award, for excellence in innovative Jewish education, and is the author of A Passover Haggadah: Go Forth and Learn (Jewish Publication Society 2011), For Such a Time as This: Biblical Reflections in the Book of Esther (Koren Publishers 2017), and Malkhut Adam: Iyunim Bsefer Shmuel (Maggid 2021). He is also a nationally acclaimed lecturer on the Bible. Rabbi Silber is married to Dr. Devora Steinmetz. They have eight children and live in New York City.

Click here to access other recorded classes by David Silber.

Rabbanit Leah Sarna is the Associate Director of Education and Director of High School Programs at Drisha. She previously served as Director of Religious Engagement at Anshe Sholom B’nai Israel Congregation in Chicago, a leading urban Orthodox congregation.

She was ordained at Yeshivat Maharat in 2018, holds a BA from Yale University in Philosophy & Psychology, and also trained at the SKA Beit Midrash for Women at Migdal Oz, Drisha and the Center for Modern Torah Leadership. Rabbanit Sarna’s published works have appeared in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Lehrhaus and MyJewishLearning.

She has lectured in Orthodox synagogues and Jewish communal settings around the world and loves spreading her warm, energetic love for Torah and Mitzvot with Jews in all stages of life.

Sofia Freudenstein is a proud alumnus of the ‘Drisha Trifecta’: Participating as a chanicha in the Drisha Highschool Program in 2014, being a madricha in 2018, and doing Drisha Kollel in 2020. She is a first year student at Yeshivat Maharat and is pursuing a masters in Jewish Philosophy at Bernard Revel Graduate School. A native of Toronto, Sofia received her undergraduate degree from the University of Toronto, where she majored in Jewish Studies and Philosophy. Sofia also completed her first unit of Clinical Pastoral Education as a hospital chaplain intern. Sofia has interned for Ayeka in Israel, and has spent two years as Rosh Beit Midrash at Camp Stone this summer. In her limited spare time, she enjoys going outside, speaking with family and friends, and listening to (and seeing? as a synesthete!) music

Click here to access podcasts recorded by Jon Kelsen.

Mr. Michael Bernstein is Drisha’s lead Administrator. Michael’s studies prior to earning his MSW at Wurzweiler School of Social Work focused on peshat-based Biblical interpretation & translation as well as Biblical intertextuality.
In addition to contributing editorial work to publications by scholars including Dr. Malka Simkovich, Dr. James A. Redfield, & Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Zuckier, Michael has published his own scholarship in the area of Karaite law codes, including a digital critical edition of the late-1400s Adderet Eliyahu produced for the Karaite Press / Karaite Jews of America online learning center.
Michael lives in Riverdale, Bronx with his wife Dr. Jade Gormady and their two children.