Rabbi Dovid Ostroff

Harav Dovid Ostroff, born in Johannesburg, South Africa, has been teaching Hilchos Shabbos to people all over the world since 2001. He spent his yeshiva years in Yeshivas Kol Torah under the leadership of Hagaon Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt”l, with whom he had a very close relationship. To this day, Harav Dovid learns b’chavrusa with Rav Ezriel Auerbach (which he has done since 1994). Harav Dovid was tested on Hilchos Shabbos by both Rav Stern of Bnei Brak and the Rabbanut. Rav Ostroff was tested on Hilchos Nidah by Hagaon Rav Moshe Halberstam zt”l and the Rabbanut. He served apprenticeships under Rav Menachem Mendel Fuchs (Ramot, Yerushalayim) followed by Rav Vozner’s Bais Hora’ah (Bnei Brak), after which Hagaon Harav Sternbuch, shlit”a granted Rav Ostroff the heter hora’ah to pasken shailos. Since 1996, he also serves as a Moreh Hora’ah under the auspices of Rav Sternbuch, shlit”a.

Yoel Steiner, M.S.W.

Yoel Steiner has an M.S.W. from the Hebrew University, with a specialty in trauma, studied courses in treating sexual abuse victims and inappropriate sexual behavior in children. He trained in family and couples therapy at The Family Institute.
Graduated from a 3 year program in pyschodynamic psychotherapy “Jerusalem Hills” school.

Yoel is in private practice in Ramat Beit Shemesh since 2014 where he treats children and adults dealing with a variety of issues. Yoel is also the Hebrew Program Coordinator at The Family Institute.

Fluent in English and Hebrew.

Rivkah Menkes, M.S.

Rivkah Menkes, M.S. is the Administrative Director of The Family Institute. She is a graduate who trained at The Family Institute for many years, after earning her Master’s degree in Clinical Sociology from the University of North Texas. Her role at The Family Institute includes the coordination of Professional Development Programs, along with a full range of key administrative functions. She maintains a private practice in Jerusalem as well as works on the Sexual Abuse Unit at The Family Institute.

Deena Mendlowitz, M.S.W.

Deena Mendlowitz earned an M.S.W. at Wurzweiler School of Social Work and a graduate degree in Assessment and Counseling at the Institute of Child Study at the University of Toronto. She worked in a wide range of social service agencies prior to making Aliya and completed postgraduate training in Family Therapy at The Family Institute of Neve Yerushalayim. She served on the faculty of the Master’s program in Clinical Sociology at the Center of Foreign Studies. Deena is currently the Clinical Director of The Family Institute and maintains a private practice in the Beit Shemesh area.

Dr. Micha Belzer, M.F.T.

Dr. Micha Belzer completed his Ph.D. and studies of psychotherapy, couple and family therapy in the Hebrew University. He is a certified couples and family therapist and supervisor by The Israeli Association for Couple and Family Therapy. His topic of research is “religious and secular mixed couples”. He is certified as a parenting coordinator by the CPI Institute in America helping separated and divorcing parents to focus on the children. He has over 20 years of therapeutic experience in a variety of therapy institutes and experience in teaching different aspects of therapy. He is the director of The Family Institute and maintains a private practice in Jerusalem.

Dr. Yisrael Levitz

Dr. Yisrael Levitz is the founding dean of The Family Institute of Neve Yerushalayim.
He is a clinical psychologist, ordained rabbi, and Professor Emeritus of Yeshiva
University’s Wurzweiler School of Social Work, where he held the distinguished Bennett
Chair in Pastoral Psychology and headed the school’s Psychopathology and Human
Behavior departments. Prior to making Aliya in 1998, he was a practicing psychologist
for over three decades and served as the first Dean of Students of both Yeshiva and
Stern College.

Dr. Levitz was appointed the Director of Supplementary Rabbinic training for the
Wexner Program at Yeshiva University’s rabbinic seminary, where he pioneered the
field of Rabbinic Counseling, and published a book with Dr. Abraham Twerski z”l
entitled A Practical Guide to Rabbinic Counseling (Feldheim Publishing).
He continues to teach smicha students at Yeshiva’s Gruss Kollel in Jerusalem,
conducts an advanced training program in Experiential Couples Therapy, supervises
therapists, and teaches Couples therapy at the Family Institute.

Dr. Levitz is a Board Certified Diplomate in Marriage and Family Therapy, a Fellow of
the Academy of Family Psychology, a member of the Israel Association of Couple and Family Therapy, and a noted lecturer on a wide variety of psychological and Judaic
topics. He has recently completed a two volume memoir entitled “Generations” which was translated into Hebrew under the title Lapid Hanetzach.