Our Team

Tikvah Wiener

Founding Director of The Idea Institute

Tikvah was an Upstart Fellow, 2014-16, and completed training at the Educational Leadership Academy at the High Tech High Graduate School of Education in San Diego, CA. In 2016-17, she was one of ten Jewish education designers for JEIC’s HaKaveret Design Team, a group that innovated new models of learning for Jewish education, and she presented an ELI Talk about passion-based learning, which you can view here

Tikvah has worked in Jewish Education for over 25 years. She earned an M.A. in English Literature and Creative Writing from Queens College, and received a B.A in English Literature from Stern College for Women.

Tavi Koslowe

Co-Director of The Idea Institute

A collaborative and reflective educational leader, Tavi served as the Judaic Studies Principal at The Idea School for its entire five years. Rabbi Koslowe brought to The Idea School expertise in experiential Judaic Studies, cross-curricular integration, educational technology, professional development, and student programming, as well as over 20 years of authentically engaging students socially, emotionally, and religiously.

Rabbi Koslowe earned his B.A. degree in Psychology, from Yeshiva University, where he also received his Rabbinic Ordination, M.A. in Secondary Jewish Education, and a Specialist’s Certificate in Educational Administration.