Shlichim

Lior Witlin

MWU & Maccabi USA Central Shlicha

Lior is 38 years old, married to Yohay, and describes herself as "A woman of informal education."

Based in Philadelphia, Leoor will be the MWU Central Shlicha in Maccabi USA and the head of the MWU-wide delegation in North America. She will focus on promoting the Maccabi movement in North America. She will bring Israeli education and connections between North American TOs and MWU.

Prior to her Shlichut, she lived in Holon, working as the CEO of Maccabi Tzair Israel, and before that as the head of the educational department in Maccabi Tzair Israel.

Lior grew up in Rishon Le-Zion and spent her entire teen life in Tzofim. After she was released from the army, she started working for Tzofin as a regional director and was the Tzofim shlicha based in Los Angeles, overseeing the educational programming for the west coast area.

Lior has a degree in film, and she is also a certified personal coach who dreams of coaching teenagers and teaching them emotional language and emotional communication.

Contact Lior: [email protected]

Ido Mizrahi

Baltimore Zionist District Shlicha

Ido was born in 1998 and grew up in Hadera, Israel. Throughout her youth, Ido was actively involved in the “Maccabi Tzair” Youth Movement, working with children and teenagers. 

 After high school, Ido chose to spend a year doing voluntary social service in Netanya before enlisting in the IDF in 2017. She served in the elite unit "Sky riders" as a simulator instructor and later as a course commander. 

 Following her military service, Ido worked in a startup company in Tel Aviv, starting as Training Manager, a role she held for three years.  In this position, she managed the training and onboarding processes, conducted and delivered training courses, and was responsible for maintaining the professional standards of the company's employees.

 Ido is currently the Maccabi Shlicha at the Baltimore Zionist District (BZD), where she focuses on connecting the community with Israeli culture and leading youth programs. She is dedicated to promoting Israeli education and strengthening ties between Baltimore and Israel. Ido is now in her first year of Shlichut. 

 Ido loves cooking and baking, enjoys traveling and discovering new places, and values spending time with her friends and family.

Get in touch with Ido:  [email protected] 

Lee Naftali

Central Maccabi Shaliach the JCC Association

Lee is 29 years old, grew up in Israel, and is very excited to step into her position as the Central Maccabi Shlicha and work in the JCC Association in New York.
Lee is an experienced educator with a deep passion for Israel and Jewish Education. Over the years, she has worked with diverse age groups and programs that ultimately aspire to strengthen their participants' Jewish identity and connection to Israel. Lee is known for her enthusiasm, curiosity, and dedication to fostering a strong sense of community.
As part of her role, Lee will support the Shlichim working in Jccs across North America, providing them with the tools and resources they need to succeed in their roles. In addition, being part of the MWU, a big part of Lee’s job includes working closely with diverse communities and building relationships among Jews through the Annual Jcc-Maccabi games. By creating engaging educational programming and bringing Israeli and Jewish values into the games, she hopes to encourage participants to develop their unique connection to Israel and their Jewish identity.
Lee completed her studies at the Hebrew University and has a degree in Education and International Relations She loves spending her time outdoors, hiking, and running and will never say no to chocolate.

Contact Lee: [email protected]

Tal Maymon

Maccabi World Union Shlicha to BBYO

Tal is the Maccabi World Union Central Shlicha at BBYO, based in Washington, DC, where she oversees Israel's engagement across the global movement.

Originally from Gedera, Israel, Tal grew up deeply involved in Maccabi Tzair Gedera, where she served as a Madricha (leader) for many years and participated in a Gap Year program in Maccabi Tzair. Her passion for working with the Jewish community worldwide began there. Following her Gap Year, Tal served as a commander in the IDF’s “Garin Tzabar” program, supporting lone soldiers making Aliyah.

Before her current role, Tal earned a BA in Business and Health Management and worked at Laser Modeling, a 3D printing company collaborating with global health systems and the security industry. She has extensive experience in leading summer programs with Maccabi Tzair and BBYO, including CLTC, ILSI, JCC Maccabi Games, and the UK Trek trip. While at university, she was actively involved with the movement and participated in the MTZ-BBYO Ambassadors Fellowship as a mentor and coach.
Fun facts about Tal: she’s a triplet, a certified yoga teacher, and loves to scuba dive worldwide.

Contact Tal: [email protected]

Dean Assef

JCC Maccabi Shaliach to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Dean Aseef is the Community and Maccabi Shaliach at the JCC of Greater Pittsburgh, representing Maccabi World Union in partnership with the JCC Association and the Jewish Agency for Israel. 24 years old, born and raised in Haifa, Dean has been active for years in Maccabi Israel’s sports and community leadership. He is a 3rd-dan black belt in karate, a former captain of the Maccabi Haifa volleyball team, and a certified karate and self-defense instructor through the Wingate Institute. Dean has partnered with school-based programs in Israel that teach life and social skills through the lens of self-defense training to kids and teenagers. In summer 2024, he completed a short shlichut as a counselor at a Jewish summer camp in the U.S.

Dean led "Hang Time" at the 2025 JCC Maccabi Campus Games and continues to develop meaningful programs for all ages throughout the year. Through sports, informal education, community events, and shared stories, he builds bridges between Pittsburgh and Israel and fosters ongoing engagement with Jewish life and Israeli culture.

Beyond Working out and playing/watching sports Dean love music, playing the guitar and to share a good cup of coffee anytime. 

Contact Dean: [email protected]

Daniela Hochman

JAFI Shlicha for Maccabi World Union & Ha'Shomer to CDI, Mexico

My name is Daniela Hochman, I made Aliyah from Uruguay 17 years ago. I have been part of the Maccabi family since I was 3. This is not my first Shlichut with Maccabi, as I served as a shlicha for Maccabi Hatzair in Guatemala for three and a half years, where I worked closely with Maccabi movements across Latin America, including Mexico and San Diego.

With great pride, I represented Israel by working at the Israeli Embassies in Ecuador and Panama for nearly four years. Currently, I am the Director of the Tnuati program at Maccabi World, Shnat Hachshara, which allows me to work with young Maccabees from all over Latin America and the USA.

During my shlichut, I will work hand-in-hand with the future community leaders of Maccabi and Hashomer, sharing my knowledge to help develop empathetic, creative young people with strong Jewish values and a deep love for Israel.

I will have the honor of working alongside various professionals at the CDI, getting to know the members of this wonderful community, and contributing to creating a unique bond between Mexico and Israel.

I am incredibly excited to embark on this new adventure with my family, Luis and Ketem.

Contact Daniela: [email protected]

Oren Enwaig

MWU & DPJCC Community Shaliach

Oren Enzwaig, 30 years old, married to Daniela, a Maccabi love story, originally from Netanya, grew up in Maccabi Tzair.

His first Shlichut was as a Shinshin from JAFI and Partnership together at Cincinnati, Ohio, in 2013. But his love for working with the Jewish world didn’t start or stop there.

After his first Shlichut, he joined the service as a combat soldier and later as a commander and a Sargent in several positions.

Coming back to Maccabi was a natural decision, and he returned after his service to serve as a branch coordinator in Hedera. After three amazing years, he became a regional director, but his passion for working with Jewish people around the world drew him, and he established the Foreign Relations department in Maccabi Tzair.

Oren has a degree in Political Science and a specialization in Middle East International Affairs, knowledge he will bring to his Shlichut.

Oren always believed in setting an example for others, so he decided to join the MWU Shlichim team. In October 2025, he went on a Shlichut at the David Posnack JCC in Fort Lauderdale.

At the Shlichut, he will work to strengthen the community's connection to Israel and MWU, leading educational content and events about Israel. Working to support the growth of the Maccabi Tzair branch in Fort Lauderdale, supporting the work of the local shinshinim, working on the establishment of “Maccabi Florida”, engaging the American-Israeli community, and much more.

Contact Oren: [email protected]

Dina Zakirov

Jcc Maccabi Games Shlicha to Kansas City

Dina was born in 2001 and grew up in Bat Yam, Israel. From an early age, Dina became involved in her city’s youth movement, Maccabi Tzair, where she was an active teen and a madricha (counselor) for children and teens.

Following her years in the youth movement, Dina decided to postpone her army service for one year to participate in a gap-year program with Maccabi Tzair. During that year, she worked with at-risk youth and children with special needs and continued guiding kids in the local Maccabi Tzair branch.

Dina enlisted in the army and resumed working in education by serving in the Education and Youth Corps, where she was a commander in several roles, working with high school students and autistic people, who had decided to enlist to the army.

Before beginning her Shlichut, Dina returned to Maccabi Tzair, working at the headquarters of the youth movement in the Gap Year and Foreign Affairs departments, focusing on logistics and educational coordination. Through those roles, she developed an interest in becoming a Shlicha, wanting to continue spreading the Maccabi spirit among people around the globe.

Dina is now a JCC Maccabi Games Shlicha in Kansas City, Kansas, responsible for bringing Israel and Jewish heritage to teens through sports. She will also lead the “Hang Time” space during the week of the Games.

Contact info: [email protected]