Team SVARA

There are so many incredible folks behind the SVARA bet midrash. Get to know more about our faculty and staff below.

SVARA Faculty

Natalie Boskin

they/them

Faculty Fellow

Natalie Boskin fell in love with the Talmud when they first cracked open a mesechet at the 2017 Queer Talmud Camp and has been a dedicated SVARA learner ever since. Natalie is passionate about cultivating tools that allow us to remain present…

Emet/Ari L. Monts

they/them

Faculty Fellow

Emet/Ari L. Monts is the co-rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Gadol v’Kadosh. A Brooklyn-based writer/scholar/zine maker/ritualist/ba’al tefilah/organizer/Jewish educator, Ari’s work engages with participatory rituals and affect, rigorous playfulness, pleasure, participation, and access. Emet is a Storahtelling-trained artist, a SVARA Teaching (Cohort 5) Fellow,…

Amir Starr Weg

he/him

Faculty

Amir Starr Weg has been a dedicated SVARA-nik since he first entered the SVARA and Mishkan Bet Midrash in 2013. He’s held many roles at the Yeshiva over the years, is an alum of the SVARA Teaching Kollel, and is proud to…

Benay Lappe

she/her

Founder and Rosh Yeshiva

Watch Rabbi Lappe’s ELI Talk or TEDx Talk, or read some of her essays. Ordained by The Jewish Theological Seminary in 1997, Rabbi Benay Lappe founded SVARA in 2003 and serves as its Rosh Yeshiva. An award-winning educator known for her groundbreaking…

Bronwen Mullin

she/her

Faculty

Rabbi Bronwen Mullin (ord. 2017, MA Midrash JTS, BA in Theater and Religious Studies, Sarah Lawrence College) is a graduate of the very first Teaching Kollel of SVARA and has been honored to serve on the faculty ever since. When not at…

Kendra Watkins

they/them

Faculty Fellow

Kendra Watkins is a connector of people and seeks to be a truth-teller and generous human. Through their love of our people, Kendra works to strengthen the relationships of Jews of Color across the Midwest and beyond, by weaving the past, present and…

Laynie Soloman

they/them

Associate Rosh Yeshiva

Laynie Soloman is a passionate teacher of Jewish text and thought, and they believe deeply in the power of Talmud study as a healing and liberatory spiritual practice. They love facilitating Jewish learning that uplifts the piously irreverent, queer, and subversive spirit…

SVARA Staff

Ayana Morse

she/her

Executive Director

Ayana Morse is a community builder and change agent, with over 15 years of experience in non-profit management, Jewish education and community building. Her work focuses on sustainable organizational growth, designing authentic community experiences, and developing meaningful access points to Jewish culture and tradition. Ayana is a national thought…

Elli Krandel

she/her

Director of Strategic Advancement

A lifelong Illinois resident, Elli grew up on a farm in Woodstock before attending the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign to study macroeconomics. After moving to Chicago for a year of service with Avodah: The Jewish Service Corps, Elli began honing her craft…

Ellie Spitz

they/them

Operations Director

Best described as an enthusiastic camp counselor, Ellie Spitz is a queer community builder with a passion for creating inclusive space. They are a social worker who believes in deeply interrogating inequities in the system. Prior to coming to SVARA, they spent seven years…

James is standing outdoors beneath a large archway. He is smiling toward the camera with his hands in his pockets. He is wearing a light blue denim jacket.

James Evans

he/him

Strategic Advancement Associate

James Evans has called Central Florida home since 2022. In 2016, he fell head over heels for the SVARA community as a learner, so much so that he jumped at the chance to join the team in 2018. As an Eagle Scout, he strives to…

Maggie Kraus

they/them

Communications Director

Maggie Kraus was born on the sixth day of Sukkot and has been in love with the fall ever since. They are trained as a landscape architect and spent many years working in the realm of affordable housing and urban / rural planning.…

Olivia Devorah Tucker

they/them

Strategic Advancement Associate, Alumni and Partnerships

Olivia Devorah Tucker fell in love with Talmud when the local Moishe House asked them to lead a Unicorn themed Shabbat. They couldn’t resist the deep dive into Judaism’s supernatural creatures and have never resurfaced – the books on Jewish myth, magic,…