Elisheva Atalai, M.A.

Elisheva is a licensed, Israeli psychologist with a specialty in marriage and family therapy. Elisheva received her BA in psychology from Bar Ilan University and her MA in psychology from Tel Aviv-Yafo Academic College. Elisheva worked in the Educational Psychological Services of the Jerusalem municipality for twelve years. In that capacity, she treated children and adults, and provided psychological consultation to staff members and parents. She also worked exclusively with families under the auspices of the Family Therapy Center of the Jerusalem Educational Psychology Services.

Currently, Elisheva has a private practice in Jerusalem and Mazkeret Batya where she works with individuals, couples, and families. In addition, Elisheva teaches psychology at multiple colleges and also teaches a course on family therapy in the Family Institute of Neve Yerushalayim.

Dr. Zev Ganz

Dr. Zev Ganz earned a master’s degree from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work of Yeshiva University and a doctoral degree from Smith College School for Social Work. He completed postgraduate training in Individual and Family therapy at The Family Institute of Neve Yerushalayim with a focus on working with young children and their families as well as the treatment of child sexual abuse. He is a certified practitioner of the attachment- based model Child Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), and has lectured and published widely on the topic of attachment and families. Zev currently serves as Rosh Tzevet of the Lamerchav/Kav L’noar mental health clinic in Ramat Beit Shemesh, is a clinical supervisor at The Family Institute of Neve Yerushalayim, a lecturer at Machon Shiluv, and maintains a private practice in Ramat Beit Shemesh and Jerusalem.

Bilha Fruchter, M.S.W.

Bilha Fruchter is a social worker (MSW) and a therapist with over 20 years of experience in Israel, Canada, England and the U.S. She works with individuals of all ages who are coping with anxiety, depression and other mental health issues, and to explore and develop coping strategies to deal with various forms of abuse and trauma. For the last 8 years, Bilha has worked for Mercaz Meital, where the focus is working with children who have experienced sexual abuse and their families. She also currently supervises practicing therapists who are in a two year training program at Mercaz Meital, specializing in therapy with children who have experienced sexual abuse. For the last few years, Bilha supervises students studying in the School Of Social Work department at the Hebrew University. Lastly, Bilha is part of a team of therapists who provide short term therapy for teachers through the national teachers union.

Bilha combines various therapeutic approaches including psycho-dynamic therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TFCBT), and task-oriented psychotherapy focused on understanding behaviors, choices or struggles that arise. Her methods are strength based, goal-oriented, based on her many years of experience.

Bilha is centrally located in Katamon, Jerusalem.

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.F.T.

Rivkah Menkes, M.F.T. earned her Master’s degree in Clinical Sociology from the University of North Texas and completed extensive postgraduate training at The Family Institute of Neve Yerushalayim, specializing in children, families and survivors of sexual abuse. She is certified as a marriage and family therapist from the Israel Association of marriage and family therapy as well as an EMDR therapist. In addition to teaching and supervising at The Family Institute, Rivkah maintains a private practice in Jerusalem.

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.