Ilana Gleicher-Bloom has worked as a Jewish educator and education director for over 15 years. In her work she focuses on developing pluralist yet inclusive learning environments, and is interested in every person being able to access Torah.
Ilana graduated from Brandeis University with a BA in Judaic Studies (NEJS) and Literature, and was a member of the inaugural cohort of the Melamdim Teacher Education Program at the Hartman Institute and Tel Aviv University. After completing Melamdim, she taught Talmud and Tanakh at the Heschel High School in NY, and at the Rochelle Zell Jewish High School in the Chicago area. In 2015, Ilana had the opportunity to research and develop a new model for congregational schools, which she launched as Mensch Academy, the religious school of Mishkan Chicago, and in 2018, she received the Pomegranate Prize from the Covenant Foundation which honors rising leaders in Jewish education.
In 2021, Ilana moved to Jerusalem with her husband and three children, where she works as the Director of Experiential Education at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies. She also serves as an Education Consultant for Mishkan Chicago, and is a doctoral candidate in Jewish education at JTS. In her free time, Ilana reads as many books as possible, drinks lots of coffee, and wanders Jerusalem with her family.