Team
Leaders
Meet the dedicated team behind Kedma—passionate educators, organizers, and visionaries working together to inspire giving, build community, and make a difference across Israel and beyond.
Rabbi Maury Kelman, chairman of Kedma, is both a rabbi and an attorney. He also leads Route 613, a halakhic conversion program. In September 1996, he founded Kedma to give gap year students meaningful opportunities to give back to Israeli society—and has guided its growth ever since. Rabbi Kelman lives in Jerusalem with his wife and three children.
Orit Seif has dedicated nearly two decades to strengthening the Jewish community. After graduating from Columbia University, she and her husband, Yehuda, launched the OU’s Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus (JLIC) at the University of Pennsylvania, where she taught and led innovative programming for university students over four years.
Following her work at Penn, Orit practiced law at a tax litigation firm, representing Fortune 500 companies. Yet her passion for Jewish communal work called her back. In 2012, she joined a Philadelphia-based foundation, where she launched and led an initiative focused on strengthening Jewish day schools in the region.
In 2018, Orit became Kedma’s Director, bringing her deep experience, leadership, and commitment to community-building. She lives in Efrat with her husband Yehuda and their six children.
Coordinator
Lulu is originally from Seattle, Washington, and made Aliyah in August 2025. She is currently a madricha at MTVA and loves working with Kedma because it is truly inspiring to see how the organization’s many chessed opportunities transform people’s lives.
Coordinator
Coordinator
Riki is originally from West Hempstead and made Aliyah after October 7th. She is a social worker living in Jerusalem and loves working with Kedma because it allows her to combine her professional skills and background with her passion for Israel’s non-profit sector.
