Meet Our Speakers

 

 

Mrs. Chamie Haber is the Rebbetzin in Norfolk, Virginia, where she lives with her husband and 6 children. She teaches all ages from preschool through adult and is a Dating, Marriage and Parenting Coach, and Kallah Teacher. Chamie is a trained Core Mentor who is passionate about helping Jewish women connect to Hashem, His Torah and each other.

​

Rebbitzin Esti Hamilton has been a teacher and lecturer for almost twenty years. Having spent the first ten years teaching in seminaries all over Israel, she then moved to London with her family. Esti has a degree in psychology, and is a qualified teacher and she mainly teaches classes on spiritual growth, character building and relationships. She also writes articles for local and online magazines, as well as running support groups for parents with disabled children. 

​

An inspiring and relatable teacher and public speaker, Mrs. Sara Lanner is a veteran Judaic Studies educator with over 20 years of experience in both E'Y and chutz la'aretz. Her students, single and married alike most appreciate her openness and willingness to share personal struggles and anecdotes related to growth. As a Relationships Coach, Mrs. Lanner works one-on-one with married women educating them about what gets in the way of having the marriage they want and facilitating the depth, joy and connection they can attain. Through the 'Build and Strengthen' marriage series she offers, Mrs. Lanner focuses on practical takeaways and implementable tools to attain deep connection in marriage and really, all relationships. 

​

Mrs. Dina Schoonmaker is a teacher, popular lecturer and relationship counselor. A staff member of Michlalah Jerusalem College for over 30 years, Dina teaches a number of courses and runs a counseling hotline for alumni where she deals with issues such as dating and shalom bayit. In addition, Dina lectures extensively throughout the seminary circuit on topics of personal development through the eyes of the Torah.  Dina has written articles for Binah, Mishpacha and other publications. Dina gives a series of live mussar vaadim for women throughout Israel.  Dina lives in Jerusalem with her husband Dovid, the Rosh Yeshiva of Darchei Noam/Shapells, and their 7 children.
 

​

Mrs. Shira Smiles is a highly sought-after international lecturer, a popular seminary teacher, and an experienced curriculum developer. She is well-known for her unique teaching style, which seeks to bring understanding of Torah texts through analysis of relevant sources, while making the lessons learned from every verse relevant to her students' lives. Mrs. Smiles teaches at Darchei Bina Seminary. In addition, she leads a number of women's study group classes in Beit Shemesh, Yerushalayim, and Modiin. Mrs. Smiles also trains Torah teachers in special workshops all over the world. Mrs. Smiles gives a weekly shiur that is broadcast around the world via satellite hookup, has a direct teleconference shiur with students in LA, and has over 300 audio shiurim. Her first book is called Torah Tapestries. 

​

 

Mrs. Ruhama Welcher has been teaching Torah to high school girls and women in London, the USA and South Africa for the past 17 years. She is the founder and director of the Teacher Training Academy and the Hazel Sasson Women's Learning Centre in Johannesburg. Ruhama received her Masters Degree in Educational Leadership and Innovation from Warwick University in England. She is currently pursuing a PhD in education at the Institute of Education in University College London. She lives with her husband and children in Johannesburg. 

​

​