Our Team

The faces of Da'at. We love what we do.

The heart of our company. The people.

Our team is made up of highly trained experts, educators, and professional staff who all share a love for telling the Jewish story through trips to Israel and worldwide. In addition to being experts in their fields, our staff are deeply passionate about knowledge in general and all have one goal in mind: to ensure that each journey is both profound and pleasurable.

Ya’acov Fried

President

From the beginning. Our story.

Da’at was founded in 1991 by Ya’acov Fried, a Jewish educator and lover of Israel. After managing the center of Jewish Zionist studies and being a senior analyst at the Van Leer thinktank, Ya’acov became a community Shliach (emissary) in the Midwest. He witnessed first-hand how challenging it was for North American Jews to connect with Israel and the Jewish world.

Much could be done to create positive feelings of connection and identification with Israel and Judaism. From that realization came the dream and creation of Da’at, a company that would inject meaning and educational content into each journey. Da’at is a pioneer in the field of educational travel and over the years has created a collaborative and strategic environment based on a revolutionary and holistic approach to educational travel.

Throughout the years Da’at has broadened its horizons to include journeys of education, inspiration, and Jewish connection not only in Israel but around the world.

Paving the way. Meet our leaders.

Each leader brings their respective expertise, experience, and passion to forge new paths in the company. And they all have something in common – a deep love of travel, knowledge, and sharing the Jewish story.

Hilda Katzav

Chief Financial Officer

Assaf Fried

Senior Vice President

Nimrod Shafran

Senior Vice President

Miki Weiss

Chief Technology Officer

Avital Avraham

Customer Service Center Manager

Sigal Harel

Senior Account Manager

Hagit Chen

Proposal Developer, Product & Innovation

Batik Kasman

Tour Operator

Daniele Tzoukerman Melzer

Director Specialty Groups

The Da’at circle. Meet our people.

How do we create a harmonious environment that is so successful? We put you, the client, at the center of everything we do. Our customer-minded mindset means that our departments are positioned centrally to help and support you throughout your journey.

Our experts. On the ground.

Our expert tour educators, who are knowledgeable, engaging, and fun, are out on the road at every opportunity so their insights and expertise are always up-to-date and eye-opening. They will bring the place to life through their personal stories and life experiences so you can get a raw and authentic feel of the country you are visiting.

Our scholars. Experts in their fields.

Your trip will be enriched and transformed by having a scholar join you on your journey. Not only will you have access to areas that are ordinarily off-limits to independent travelers, but you will enjoy your scholar’s unique perspective and expertise in their field that will give you a completely different view of the place you’re visiting.

Start planning. Let’s connect.

Whether you have a journey in mind, want to join a featured trip, or simply want to explore, drop us a note or give us a call.

We look forward to connecting.