Danielle Alhassid (May 18)

Danielle Alhassid is a multidisciplinary artist living and working in NYC. She is a graduate of the Gerrit Rietveld Academie 2020 NL. Her works involve stop motion animation, installation and performance. She focuses on the intersection of  identity, immigration and the urban experience as her main subjects of investigation. Alhassid’s work benefits from her wide experience as a tour guide as she explores the idea of the tour in her pieces, in which she creates immersive multi-disciplinary installations, imaginary landscapes.

Zaire Baptiste (May 10)

Zaire Baptiste is a multidisciplinary Creative Director, producer, and filmmaker, and is a Guinness, Telly, Davy, Dot.com, and W3 award recipient. Zaire has used his creative storytelling style to create activations utilizing Film, Art, movement, technology, and Fashion, all sectors he creates exclusively. As one of the founders of The Spot for Art, a Brooklyn art gallery, Zaire spearheads collaborations with the Miles Davis estate, Talib Kweli, and the Blue Note Jazz Club, while incorporating his digital art discipline of augmented and virtual reality experiences. As a producer, Zaire has helmed activations for clients such as The NBA, King Games, Delta, Mercedes Benz, and more. Zaire continues to find intersections in all his disciplines, and within those intersections are new experiences and the ability to provide  opportunity, create community, and empower the under-represented.

Chanan Ben Simon (May 18)

Chanan Ben Simon, is a vocalist, composer and multimedia artist. Born in Jerusalem and Based in Brooklyn, New York. His work deals with the power of fragility from different aspects, expressed through vocal exploration, visual arts and song. Ben Simon is active in the experimental music world as well as the alternative pop scene. He holds a B.mus in cross-disciplinary composition from the Jerusalem Academy for Music and Dance, and an MFA in Performance and Interactive Media Art from Brooklyn College, NY. His previous releases includes the EP ‘Party Tears’. the LP ‘Toy Store’, his  TV operas - ‘Fire Heart’ (2021) and ‘The Weather Channel’ (2020) together with the visual artist Inkyoung Bae. Chanan also works as the Director of the artist fellowship LABA NY at 14th street Y.

Gili Getz (May 12)

An Israeli-American actor, photojournalist and activist. He served as a military photographer for the IDF and as a news editor for Ynet. His work in recent years has been focusing on American Jewish politics and he is published regularly in Jewish and Israeli press, and by Princeton University in the book "Trouble in the Tribe: The American Jewish Conflict over Israel" by Professor Dov Waxman. Gili has been working for peace in Israel/Palestine and against the occupation for many years promoting freedom and dignity for both Israelis and Palestinians. Gili serve as the president of American Friends of Combatants For Peace a bi national movement grounded in nonviolence and working for collective liberation for all the people from the river to the sea. His latest one-man play “The Forbidden Conversation” explores the challenges of having a conversation about Israel-Palestine in the American Jewish community. The play premiered at the Center For Jewish History in the spring of 2016.

Amanda Gronich (May 16)

Amanda Gronich is a Primetime Emmy-nominated writer who has conceived, written, story edited and script doctored dozens of hours of programming for networks including HBO, Discovery Channel, National Geographic Channel, Animal Planet, TLC, WEtv, Travel Channel, Science Channel and Fine Living. After graduating from NYU, Amanda began her career as a charter member of the Tony Award-winning Tectonic Theater Project, where she co-created and story edited The Laramie Project, later made into an HBO feature film. In 2003, Amanda joined Hoff Productions, where she started as a full time development writer, going on to create scripts and conceive editorial for highly rated, long-running series and specials. As Senior Supervising Writer, she currently oversees the majority of Hoff Productions’ scripts, managing an in-house and freelance writing staff. She is proficient in Final Cut Pro.

Itamar Dotan Katz (May 10)

​Itamar Dotan Katz was born in 1990 in Jerusalem, and is a photographer focusing on communities and landscapes affected by conflict. He began his journey with the visual arts, studying filmmaking and directing short films in High School. He continued his education in filmmaking and philosophy at the Tel-Aviv University while developing his career as a bartender and hospitality expert which allowed him to travel all over the world. ​He graduated from the International Center of Photography's Creative Practices Program in New York City, class of 2019 with the director's scholarship and the Photojournalism and Documentary Program, class of 2020. He was a part of the Flag Project by Aperture Foundation at the Rockefeller Plaza. His work 'The New Shul' was published along with an interview on Spot Magazine by the HCP, Fall issue 2020. His work in Egypt, 'Vacated' won a Grand Prize Award in the PDN EDU contest of 2020. He was featured on the Life Framer Collection and F-STOP Magazine. Today Itamar is a working photographer in NYC, the Art Handler at Staley Wise Gallery in Soho and The New Shul’s and School For Creative Judaism’s house photographer and Director of Operations.

WEBSITE

Sami Katz (May 10)

Sami Katz is a passionate chef whose love for food was ignited during childhood cooking at home with her grandmother. Growing up on Long Island, Sami was immersed in a mixed community with a vibrant Jewish presence. While her family was not very religious or strictly kosher, holidays and traditions held special importance to them. She now loves to weave flavors and experiences along with her own twist into a culinary adventure to evoke nostalgia and bring her friends and family together for new memories.

Sami’s menu for May 10th

Judy Minor

Judy Minor is a director, teacher, and writer.  Judy developed and directed countless original plays and theater works in New York, regionally, and on Broadway.  She taught directing at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and at Wesleyan University.  She helped lead the New York City chapter of POPS THE CLUB, an organization dedicated to amplifying the voices of teenagers whose family members have been affected by incarceration and deportation.  She is also a passionate advocate for the endangered orangutans of Borneo. Judy currently lives in the west village with her son, Conrad, and is honored to serve as The New Shul’s President.

Daphna Mor (May 10)

Daphna Mor, an acclaimed musician and ritual leader originally from Israel, has garnered praise from outlets like the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune for her exceptional skill. She has graced prestigious stages worldwide, including performances with the New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center and solo appearances at Carnegie Hall and Tanglewood. Co-leading the ensemble East of the River, Mor has established herself as a prominent figure in New York's Jewish community, serving as a Musician in Residence at B'nai Jeshurun Synagogue and co-leading Beineinu, an initiative connecting people to Jewish tradition. Passionate about preserving and sharing liturgical music of the Jewish diaspora, Mor conducts master classes and educational programs, fostering connections between diverse musical traditions. Additionally, she collaborates with the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Education Department, bridging art and music education. Currently residing in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Mor lives with her husband Daniel and their two children, Alona and Artie.

Achinoam Nini (May 12)

Achinoam Nini, also known as Noa, embodies a rich cultural tapestry woven from her Yemeni, Israeli, and American heritage. Renowned as a singer, songwriter, poet, composer, percussionist, speaker, activist, and mother of three, she has collaborated with Gil Dor, co-founder of the Rimon School of Music, producing 15 international albums and gracing esteemed venues such as Carnegie Hall, the White House, and audiences including three Popes. Mentored by luminaries like Pat Metheny and Quincy Jones, Noa has shared stages with icons like Stevie Wonder, Andrea Bocelli, and Sting. Beyond her musical endeavors, she champions dialogue and co-existence, earning recognition as Israel's foremost cultural ambassador for peace. Her accolades include the Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, the Pilgrim of Peace award from The Franciscan order in Assisi, and the Christal Award from the World Economic Forum. Additionally, Noa serves as Israel's inaugural ambassador to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and actively supports numerous human rights and peace organizations worldwide.

Ronnie Pichson and Stefon Davis (May 10)

Ronnie Pichson and Stefon Davis, the founders of Gotham Depot Moto. They have created a haven for two-wheel aficionados, providing a cosmopolitan ambiance for riders and their vehicles. Beyond mere security, it offers a members-only, personal, and sophisticated space for like-minded enthusiasts to come together. Their vision is to invoke the essence of a time lost—a blend of a Speak Easy, a Gentlemen’s Club, and a Members Only fellowship. Gotham Depot Moto promises a dramatically different experience from existing moto establishments , providing a space where people can feel a sense of belonging. As they put it: “We hope to provide you with a space you can call home and community.” Simply said, Gotham Depot Moto is more than just a garage..