The Tzemach David Foundation
Our Vision
Creating Meaningful Impact through Zionism, Leadership, and Innovation
Transforming education in Israel, with an initial focus on integrating olim (immigrants) into the education system.
Recognizing the unique needs of olim, we provide targeted resources, support, and programs to facilitate their smooth integration into schools. The olim experience is a stepping stone for us to create and innovate within the schools. Together, we are building an education system that prepares students to be leaders, enhance Zionism, fosters unity, and prepares all students, including olim, for a successful future. Our foundation is a catalyst for change, empowering learners, supporting principals, transitioning students and innovating teachers to drive educational excellence.
Media Coverage
Meet the Team
Founder and President
David Magerman
David Magerman is the founder and President of Tzemach David, known as the Kohelet Foundation in the United States. Through his foundation, he has supported Jewish education in Philadelphia, the United States, and Israel since 2009. He has supported a number of philanthropic initiatives: The Kohelet Fellowships, The Kohelet Prize, The Yeshiva Lab School at Kohelet Yeshiva, the Philadelphia Jewish Day School Collaborative, The Smart School Initiative, and many others. Privately, he has funded a number of projects through Koren Publications, including the Ani Tefilla Educational Siddur Series, the Magerman Shabbat Chumash, the Sacks Tanakh project, the Children's Tanakh Series, and the Steinsaltz Tanya. He is also a supporter of Momentum Unlimited, Partners in Torah, the Orthodox Union, Chabad, Yeshiva University, and a number of other Jewish organizations.
Professionally, David is a co-founder and Managing Partner at Differential Ventures. Previously, he spent the entirety of his career at Renaissance Technologies, widely recognized as the world’s most successful quantitative hedge fund management company. He helped found the equities trading group at Renaissance, joining the group in its earliest days, playing a lead role in designing and building the trading, simulation, and estimation software. After a decorated career in quantitative finance, he is using his data science, software development, and statistical modeling expertise to help startups succeed in the global marketplace.
David holds a PhD in Computer Science from Stanford University where his thesis on Natural Language Parsing as Statistical Pattern Recognition was an early and successful attempt to use large-scale data to produce fully-automated syntactic analysis of text. David also earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Sciences and Information from the University of Pennsylvania.
Executive Director
Tamar Krieger Kalev
Tamar Krieger is an international educational consultant, curriculum designer, technology specialist, and leadership trainer with experience in formal educational settings, informal community building, and corporate team management. Tamar is first and foremost an educator. She leveraged her Master’s in Secondary School Education at the University of Pennsylvania to develop innovative student-centered curricula first at SAR High School (as Director of Student Activities and Grade Level Coordinator) and then at Kohelet Yeshiva High School (where she served first as Director of Education Innovation and Programming and then as Director of General Studies). Primary school students morphed into forensic scientists charged with investigating evidence left at a crime scene. High school seniors suddenly found themselves with drafting tools in hand, in a DIY architecture project that challenged them to customize their product to their clients’ needs while still trying to stay within a budget.
As Chief of Staff of an educational company, Tamar developed a data driven app geared towards improving mindfulness in children and spearheaded a strategic platform that enabled remote growth oriented collaboration. Tamar’s thesis and personal educational passion highlight the role of investing in relationships, in partnering with students and peers to actualize full potential.
Tamar has partnered most recently with several foundations in order to enhance Jewish education in North America and a number of European cities. Tamar believes in developing teams, streamlining processes, and creating opportunities to empower principals and teachers so that all members can become the best versions of themselves and institutions can develop fully.
Tamar lives in Jerusalem and working at Tzemach David allows her to leverage her skills and participate in a true passion project.
Project Manager
Tamar (Tami) Sabah Klein
Tamar is a passionate educator with roots in the world of Jewish education. Tamar’s journey has taken her all around Israel and across the globe, where she’s teamed up with various schools, educational movements and non-profits.
Her mission? To foster the unique bond between Judaism and innovation, one connection at a time.
Tamar lives in Zichron Yaakov with her husband Amir and her kids Ella and Guy.
Administrative Assistant
Evie Turen Wolf
Lives in Jerusalem with her husband, Benjamin.
During her service in the IDF’s Nativ program, Evie worked in education, helping non-Jewish soldiers convert to Judaism, tradition, and Zionism. She also took part in programs that helped Jews from around the world feel closer to Israel, including working at Jewish summer camps in Europe.
Evie is passionate about bringing the Jewish people together through love, connection, and a sense of belonging.
Head of Higher Education Program
Deborah Geller
Brings decades of experience as an educator and mentor, having taught Tanach, mathematics and physics, across a wide
range of settings in both Israel and the United States.
Teaching both Judaic studies and the sciences has shaped her belief in the importance of
interconnectedness, integrative learning, and big-picture thinking—values that guide her work
with students and institutions alike.
She holds a Ph.D. in Bible from Bar-Ilan University, where her research focused on biblical
narrative in its ancient Near Eastern context. Having taught and studied within both American
and Israeli high school and university systems, Deborah brings a deep understanding of their
differing structures, cultures, and expectations, and she is dedicated to bridging the two in order
to help students integrate smoothly and confidently into academic life in Israel.
She is passionate about connecting all branches of education—academic, religious, and
experiential—to one another, with the goal of expanding students’ and educators’ horizons both
physically and spiritually. At Tzemach David, she is committed to helping students and families
find the right educational fit while building meaningful bridges between North American Jewish
communities and Israeli institutions of higher learning.
Deborah is grateful to live in Alon Shevut with her husband and children.
Head of Sabbatical Program
Dr. Noga Bing
An educator, researcher, and senior director. For the past four years, she has served as Director of the Melton Centre for Jewish Education at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In this role, she leads organizational change processes, long-term strategic management, the development of inter-institutional partnerships, and philanthropic fundraising from partners in Israel and abroad. Noga initiates and manages large-scale initiatives that connect academia, the educational field, and philanthropic foundations, and works to establish educational infrastructures with systemic impact in Israel and the Diaspora.
She is a faculty member at the Mandel Leadership Institute and in recent years led, on behalf of Yad Hanadiv, a significant initiative focused on civic-mindedness in education, working closely with educational leadership, policymaking bodies, and civil society organizations. Her work integrates educational vision, proven managerial capacity, and deep social sensitivity, alongside a strong commitment to developing educational leadership and building sustainable partnerships.
Noga is married to Yehonatan and is a mother of four.
Head of Sabbatical Program
Limor ___/
Lives in Jerusalem with her husband, Benjamin.
During her service in the IDF’s Nativ program, Evie worked in education, helping non-Jewish soldiers convert to Judaism, tradition, and Zionism. She also took part in programs that helped Jews from around the world feel closer to Israel, including working at Jewish summer camps in Europe.
Evie is passionate about bringing the Jewish people together through love, connection, and a sense of belonging.