Explore Who We Are

Idit Rubin is the Executive Director of Excel. She joined Excel with 20 years of experience in marketing and communication. Idit has held numerous management positions in some of Israel’s leading corporations, including EL AL Airlines, the Coca Cola group, IPG-Israel Advertising Agency, and as journalist at Ma’ariv, the Israeli Newspaper. Idit is a brand management and marketing strategy expert, specializing in the development of innovative products and services. After years working in the corporate arena, she chose to follow her aspirations and work for Israeli NGOs. Prior to joining Birthright Israel Excel, Idit served as the Director of External Relations at IFCJ philanthropic fund. She served in the IDF Intelligence Corps and holds a BA in Communication and Psychology from Bar-Ilan University, as well as an MBA in Business Administration. Idit is married to Ofir and they have 3 children.

Cathy directs marketing efforts for Excel recruitment and for initiatives that raise awareness of the Excel brand. Prior to joining the Excel team, Cathy spent two+ decades in the advertising profession at BBDO NY where she managed accounts across a diversified set of verticals: CPG (Pepsi), Healthcare (Johnson&Johnson) and Industry (GE). The GenZ target is near and dear to Cathy as she has led research and content development for this group and served in Board and Council roles at GenZ–focused educational institutions: The Bronx High School of Science and Duke University. Cathy has volunteered with College Access Research and Guidance (CARA), a non-profit that provides college admission support to first-gen, low-income students and students of color within NYC public schools. Cathy and her Israeli husband live in Manhattan and have a son who is a recent college graduate.

Zev Scherl is the Community Director at Excel. Zev received his B.A. at Duke University and his MBA at Harvard Business School and has a 30-year business track record dedicated to funding, scaling, and successfully exiting venture capital investments. Over the past decade, Zev has held numerous senior Jewish lay leadership roles in New Jersey and is now focusing his professional time on his Zionist and community-building passions. Zev lives with his wife Rachel in West Orange, New Jersey, and they are proud parents of a 28 year old daughter and 24 year old son.

Brittany Levy is the Community Director at Excel. She comes from a background of product management. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, she joined American Express, focused on integrating new banking products into the Amex website. Following Amex’s acquisition of Resy, Brittany transitioned to the Resy team to enhance and grow the Resy app and website, as well as integrate and implement Amex procedures into the startup culture. For years, Brittany dedicated her personal life to building and strengthening Jewish communities through several passion projects and lay leadership roles at Jewish organizations. Now, she leverages her technical and business background, coupled with her strong interpersonal skills and passion for the Jewish community, to foster community and leadership among the Excel Fellows.

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Tamir Alaluf is the Operations Manager of Excel. He holds a B.Sc. in Computer Science and has a strong passion for entrepreneurship and business. Prior to joining Birthright Israel Excel, Tamir worked in software development roles and independently develops tech products that have reached a wide audience. Tamir is a former tennis player, he enjoys surfing and traveling.