Founder - Rabbi Avi Leibovic, Esq.
Rabbi Avi Leibovic, Esq. is the Founder/Executive Director of Aish Tamid and Pardes Academy, a practicing attorney and a former avid heavy metal guitar player. He has literally gone "from Rocker to Rabbi", and uses his previous life experiences to relate to and inspire the most disenfranchised students.
Under his vision, Aish Tamid has become the primary address and resource within the Los Angeles Orthodox Jewish community for targeted inspiration and personal support for what has thus far reached hundreds of teens and young adults, ranging in age between 13 and 28 years old, as well as their families.
In 2005, as a result of his work with Aish Tamid, Avi was recognized for "Outstanding Community Leadership" through the Community Research and Information Center and received various "Community Leadership" awards from the United States Senate, the United States House of Congress, California State Assembly, the County of Los Angeles, the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
In 2006, Rabbi Leibovic was the cover page of the Los Angeles Jewish Journal as one of the "Top 10 Mensches in Los Angeles" and, in January 2007, Aish Tamid was awarded "Best-of-the-Best in Jewish Outreach" by AJOP (Association of Jewish Outreach Programs) in a competitive and international selection process amongst hundreds of organizations.
Avi is an alumni of Neveh Zion Institute in Israel and has Bachelors of Science degree from Sy Syms School of Business at Yeshiva University in Manhattan, New York. In addition, Rabbi Leibovic received his Rabbinical ordination from Rabbi Mordechai Friedlander of Jerusalem, Israel in 1998.
Known to his students as a former avid heavy metal guitar player, Avi has literally gone "from Rocker to Rabbi". He has used his previous life experiences from the 'Heavy Metal Music Days' in the late 80's and early 90's to relate and inspire the most disenfranchised students in Los Angeles and across the country.
To date, he has volunteered and provided thousands of hours of one-on-one life coaching and crisis counseling for students and parents and is a sought-after public speaker at Jewish temples, schools and community events. The success of Aish Tamid and the unique approach developed by Avi for connecting with teems and young adults is currently being used as a model for other community programs that service "At-Risk Youth" and their families across America.
In pursuit of his passion to practice law in the area of public service, Avi selected CUNY School of Law for its outstanding third year clinical program and is admitted to practice Law in New York and New Jersey. In addition to his work with Aish Tamid, Avi works full-time at the law offices of Health Advocates which assists acute care public and private hospitals and their indigent and disabled patients in applying for Medi-Cal, Medicare, SSI, Victims' of Crime and other government programs.
With all of the above, Avi still manages to find time to raise his family of six (6) children. Together with his wife Rena, Avi is blessed to have triplet girls, another daughter, and two amazing boys.To date, the programming and services offered by Aish Tamid have reached over six hundred (600) teens and young adults (and their families), ranging in age between 13 and 28 years old, in the Los Angeles community. Under his vision, Aish Tamid has become one of the primary addresses and resources within the Los Angeles Orthodox Jewish community for targeted inspiration and individualized personal support for teens and young adults. For more information visit www.aishtamid.org or email avi@aishtamid.org.
Director - Rabbi Daniel Grama
Rabbi Grama grew up in New Jersey, and spent over a decade studying at the most prestigious Yeshivos in Eretz Yisroel. After their stay in Eretz Yisroel, Rabbi Grama and his young idealistic family moved to the community of Panama City, Panama. While there, Rabbi Grama gave multiple shiurim to men and women from across the spectrum of Jewish affiliation. As well, he helped organized programs and Chavrusos for all levels and backgrounds. The Gramas made an indelible impression upon the spiritual growth of the community, and transplanted that experience and success to the West Coast in 1996.
Arriving in Los Angeles to teach in the Yeshiva University High Schools of Los Angeles (YULA), Rabbi Grama was immediately embraced by students as a dynamic and creative Rebbe. Aside from his formal educational responsibilities, Rabbi Grama engages his students outside the classroom as a sensitive and warm personality, providing them with constant guidance and support. Rabbi Grama is a well known address for counseling and advice for YULA alumni and members of the broader Los Angeles Jewish community.
Rabbi Grama received his Smicha form the Jerusalem Chief Rabbinate, and has worked extensively in the field of outreach and informal education. He has served as a Scholar in Residence for both Aish Hatorah and NCSY. Moreover, he has directed summer camps and supervised the development of countless educational outreach programs throughout the community.
In 2001, Rabbi Grama was appointed to be the Rav of the Yeshiva of Los Angeles. In this capacity, Rabbi Grama teaches, inspires, and guides the Kehila through giving high level Shiurim, organizing creative community programs, and providing support to both individuals and families in need.
Educational Component - The End Result, Inc.
The End Result was founded in 1992 in order to provide individualized and small group instruction to students at various levels of academic development. The company now has 5 locations throughout LA County and is contracted by the county for various projects. Most recently, the company successfully completed a preparation program for LACOE, Los Angeles County Office of Education, in their Juvenile Court Appointed Camp facilities, in which the company taught 300 students. The End Result is known for customized programs to achieve student success even in the most challenging situations. For example, various projects this summer included helping a student prepare for the LA County Sheriff's exam, taking the ASVAB to enter the military, helping students prepare for the CAHSEE, CHSPE, and GED, and so many others. The End Result is known for empowering even the most unmotivated or remedial students to take their education seriously and strive to achieve their goals.
The instructors at the End Result all have at minimum a completed bachelors degree while many are working on Master's, PhD's, and teaching credentials or have completed these degrees. As there is a great deal of overlap between the two exams, GED and CHSPE, certain aspects of both tests can be taught in groups and then students can be given an individualized study plan which the instructor can review on a one on one basis. The program will be broken into both group and individual components.
The End Result can measure the ability of each student to determine whether they are ready for the test. Each student will be encouraged to sit for the exam, even more than once this academic year, for the experience. There are certain key testing skills that each student will learn from this experience, which can be applied toward any test the student will take in the future.
Director of Teen Services and Programming - Rabbi Gavriel Hershoff MSW
Rabbi Hershoff has tremendous experience working with teenagers on all levels. In addition to spending four years at Yeshiva Ner Yaakov in Israel, where he specialized in working with young men 18-21 years old, he also is one of the most successful and popular Rebbes at YULA. He recently completed his educational requirements at UCLA for CADAC (Certification in Drug and Alcohol Counseling) and has already volunteered several hundred hours at Beit Teshuva. Rabbi Hershoff has successfully created new bonds with Aish Tamid students through the “Teen-at-the-Bean” workshops for success program, and provides individual one-on-one counseling opportunities for Aish Tamid Students.
Parent Forum Facilitator - Dennis Brown, MA, NCAC II, CADC
Dennis Brown, MA, NCACII, CADC, founder, and Executive Director of The NESS Counseling Center, Inc., in Los Angeles, opened, in mid- 1996, counseling for alcohol/drug abuse, assessments and referrals, spousal/child abuse, family/individual, parenting groups, etc.
Dennis has had over 30 years of experience in the alcohol/drug treatment, parenting, family violence, women support groups, field in management and administration. The past 10 years as the Founder and Director of The NESS Counseling Center, Inc. and before that 20 years as the Administrative Director of the Chabad Residential Treatment Center.
Dennis is a Chaplain with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. He is also active in networking with other agencies in the role of advisor and or consultant. He has interacted with various agencies in developing crisis intervention, spousal abuse and child abuse treatment techniques, and parenting and communication skills. He has lectured often on the topics of Family Violence and Cultural Sensitivity and Spirituality, Parenting, Substance Abuse and Sobriety, Bridging the Gap between the Religious and Non-religious in one home.
Brown is a native of Brooklyn, New York and has been residing in Los Angeles over 20 years; he is married and has five children. He has a Master of Arts/ Clinical Psychology Degree. He is a graduate of Los Angeles Community College in Psychology/ Human Services.
He is a Diplomate of the American College of Professional Mental Health Practitioners with a specialty in Addictions. He is a member of the Psi Beta National Honor Society in Psychology.
Dennis holds a Masters Degree in Addiction Counseling, Certified Nationally and Internationally and is also a member and/or affiliated with the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors, Registered Addiction Specialist, International Critical Incident Stress Debriefer, Certified as a Facilitator/Family Violence Counselor (women and men’s groups) work with Sex Offenders/Child Abusers, work with Law Enforcement and their families and is a practicing Orthodox Jew.