Dina Eliezer is a passionate Jewish educator who has been celebrating Judaism with children and adults for over 30 years. She served as the Educational Director for large congregational schools in Cherry Hill, NJ, and Dallas TX where she created programs and a curriculum that led to the accreditation and receiving of the Framework of Excellence Award twice. She initiated and designed the Special Needs program for which she received the Solomon Schechter Gold Award and, thanks to which, numerous children with special needs in her community were able to receive Jewish education. In a very challenging political environment, Dina helped to establish a Religious School for 130 children in Izmir, Turkey and for five years served as their consultant. After traveling throughout three continents and attending various universities,Dina received a BA degree in Foreign Languages from Edison College and an MA degree in Jewish Education in the Administration Track from Gratz College. At Spertus Institute for Jewish Studies in Chicago, under the guidance of the renowned Professor Byron Sherwin Z”L, she pursued classes towards a Doctorate degree in Jewish Studies. Dina is passionate about Jewish spirituality and mysticism. She conducted numerous adult classes in that subject as well as Hebrew and Text study. Dina is a recipient of a gold Medal award from the Community of Izmir for her contributions to the preservation of their Jewish heritage. She also received a Leadership award from the JCRC for initiating, creating, and leading for over 10 years the Yom Hazikaron programs in the community. In 2010 Dina created a unique Heritage Tour program that brought together her teachers, community leaders and 184 IDF officers in Poland and Israel. As a result of that experience, she produced short documentary videos titled: “Why Israel Matters”. Dina Eliezer contributed the chapter: “The Rabbinic Library of Izmir, A new encounter and an attempt of preservation” in a book titled: “The Jewish Pearl of the Aegean: Izmir.” Dina was born in Izmir, Turkey and grew up in Israel.
She currently lives in Philadelphia PA with her husband Edi. She has three children and three grandchildren.
