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 a 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.

Brittany Levy is the Global Director of Excel, where she oversees the Global Excel Team and leads admissions, engagement, and strategy for the Excel community outside of Israel. She began her career in product management after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, joining American Express to work on integrating new banking products into the Amex digital experience. Following Amex’s acquisition of Resy, Brittany transitioned to the Resy team, where she shipped and enhanced features including Notify for reservation alerts, map navigation, search and filtering, and user feedback. While working in tech, Brittany spent her nights and weekends focused on engaging disengaged Jews in Jewish life. What began as a series of passion projects evolved into a deeper exploration of how to build and scale Jewish community. In response to the growing need following October 7th, she turned that passion into her profession, joining Excel to lead a global network of emerging Jewish business leaders.

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.

Shira Traeger-Soudry is the Director of Marketing at Birthright Israel Excel, where she leads marketing strategy and brand development to drive recruitment and elevate Excel’s global presence. She joined Birthright Israel’s marketing team in May 2025 and, in November 2025, assumed responsibility for Excel’s marketing efforts. Following the events of October 7, she made a conscious decision to focus her work on initiatives that contribute to the strength and future of the Jewish people. Prior to joining Birthright Israel, Shira built a career spanning marketing and business development across technology startups and consumer brands. Most recently, she served as Marketing Manager at a technology startup, leading global marketing initiatives, content strategy, and growth efforts. Earlier in her career, she managed brand development and international expansion for consumer brands in the food and cosmetics industries. Born in New York, Shira made aliyah to Israel at the age of 12. She holds a B.A. in Business Management and Communications and an M.A. in Communications, specializing in New Media, from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She served in the Israeli Air Force in an intelligence unit. She combines a strategic mindset with a hands-on, detail-oriented approach and a passion for building impactful brands. Shira lives in Modi’in, Israel, with her husband and their three children.

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.

Mara Apelstein is the Placement Coordinator at Birthright Excel. She has worked in professional Jewish education and career development for over 20 years. Coming on an internship program to Israel was the catalyst to her making Aliyah in 2008. Mara also was the CEO of a non-profit benefitting IDF soldiers and is a licensed Israel tour guide. She lives on a kibbutz with her husband and three daughters.

Gal Zahori is the Associate Director of Global Operations at Excel. She brings a background in operations and people strategy, with experience spanning startups, fintech, and mission-driven organizations. After graduating early from Brandeis University, Gal built her career supporting senior executives and leading cross-functional initiatives across HR, finance, vendor management, and event planning — most recently at Greystone, where she partnered with the EVP of IT to drive operational improvements across the organization. Born and raised in Israel, Gal has always felt a strong connection to the Jewish community, but October 7th deepened her sense of purpose and commitment to strengthening Jewish excellence in the diaspora. Many in the New York Israeli community already know her as the person behind some of the city's largest Israeli WhatsApp groups. Now at Excel, she brings both her operational expertise and her deep personal investment in the Jewish community to ensure the fellowship experience runs seamlessly and meaningfully for every Fellow.

Ben Jacobs is the Operations & Administrative Assistant at Excel. He studied cinema and psychology at New York University and later earned an MFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Prior to joining Birthright Israel Excel, Ben held operations-focused roles at organizations including itrek and Takeda, and has also worked as a freelance scriptwriter for OpenDor Media’s Jewish content channel, Unpacked.