Our Team
Manashe Khaimov
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Manashe Khaimov is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of SAMi which focuses on the Leadership Development of under-served Jewish communities on college campuses and in their communities in North America. Manashe is a fourth-generation community organizer, serial entrepreneur, and social innovator who builds and consults organizations on Jewish diversity. Manashe is an Adjunct Professor in Jewish Studies, with a specialty in the History and Culture of the Central Asian Jews at Queens College. Manashe is the founder of the Bukharian Jewish Union, he sits on the National Sephardi Advisory Committee at JIMENA. In his previous role as a Director of Community Engagement and Development at Queens College Hillel, he focused on creating Sepharadi and Mizrahi Leadership at five CUNY Hillel campuses. Manashe sat on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee at Hillel International and served as a facilitator of the Mizrahi and Sephardi Hillel Professionals resource group. In 2022 Manashe received “Person Of The Year 2020-2021” the highest award and recognition in the Bukharian Community in the USA and Canada. In 2021 Manashe was appointed by Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz as a member of the Jewish Advisory Council. In 2015, the Jewish Week named Manashe one of the 36 under 36 changemakers in Jewish life. In 2016, the TimesLedger Newspaper's named Manashe one of the borough’s unsung heroes who inspired youngsters to reach their full potential, and was awarded Queen's Impact Award for his work with JCCA’s Bukharian Teen Lounge, and he is an alumnus of the Nahum Goldmann Fellowship for International Jewish Visionary Leaders, and Alumnus of Ruskay Fellowship.
Yonatan Rahman
National Rabbinical Fellow
Jonathan Rahmani is a Rabbinical Student. He was the Senior Associate at the Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life, where he oversaw Jewish Leadership on campus and global initiatives across NYU's international sites. In addition he was a Springboard Innovation Fellow at CUNY Queens College Hillel. He is a graduate of Texas A&M University, and a proud alumnus of the Pardes Center for Jewish Educators in Jerusalem, Israel.
You can contact me at: yonatan@samiglobal.org
Tomer Kornfeld
National Community Manager
As the first National Community Manager for SAMi, Tomer is stepping into a role that feels like the culmination of his lifelong passion for Jewish community building. He will be working closely with 16 newly established SAMi chapters across six states, helping them reach their full potential while spearheading SAMi’s expansion efforts. Tomer’s journey with SAMi is deeply personal. As a student at John Jay College during his undergraduate years and Pace University while pursuing his Master of Business Administration, he often felt like “the other,” longing for a campus presence that reflected his values and heritage. At the time, SAMi didn’t exist—but if it had, Tomer knows it would have been a game-changer. Now, he’s determined to ensure that Jewish students across the country have the support to explore their identity, while accessing leadership opportunities he once wished for. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, to an Israeli father and a Kavkazi mother, Tomer has been embedded in the Jewish community since his first job as a teenager at a local JCC. Whether revitalizing a struggling camp and teen program as a JCC Director or launching new Alpha Epsilon Pi chapters as the fraternity’s Northeast Regional Director, Tomer has made it his mission to empower the next generation of Jewish leaders. With SAMi’s growth on the horizon, Tomer is ready to help shape the future of Jewish student life on college campuses—one chapter at a time.
You can contact me at: tomer@samiglobal.org
Shirly Shenas
Outreach Coordinator
My name is Shirly, and I'm a recent graduate with a bachelors in economics from Queens College. I was born in Israel, and raised in New York to a Persian family. I've been a part of SAMi through their Leadership Institute program, and have fallen in love with their mission ever since. While at Queens College I served as Vice president of the Persian club on campus and was a fellow of the JFEW program. I am looking forward to building the Jewish community around the country with all of you.
You can contact me at: shirly@samiglobal.org
Daniel Yentin
Website Designer
Hi, my name is Daniel Yentin and I am student at Hunter College in New York City, currently studying to get my Bachelors degree in Computer Science. I specialize in all things computers and help design, create, and maintain this very website!
You can contact me at: daniel@samiglobal.org
Steven Shoykhet
Media and Social Engagement Intern
Hello, my name is Steven Shoykhet, I’m currently a student at SUNY Albany studying to get a bachelor’s degree in business. I’ve spent most of my youth participating in and organizing events run by other organizations like Kings Bay Y, JCH, and iMishpacha so SAMi was the perfect fit. I’m ready to continue spreading education and building up our Jewish community wherever I can.
You can contact me at: steven@samiglobal.org
Jeremy Miller
Data and Marketing Intern
Hey, my name is Jeremy and I am pursuing a bachelor's degree in business administration at Binghamton University. I grew up in Westchester NY and now live in sunny Delray Beach FL. I am excited to be joining the SAMI team in order to promote Judaism throughout Universities around the country and help get young leaders involved. In my free time, I love to play tennis and travel.
You can contact me at: jeremy@samiglobal.org
Zack Zav
Regional Director
SAMi Philadelphia
I am Zack.
I am a Jewish activist from Philly and I became involved with SAMi because of their vision and initiative. Bringing more education and empowerment for Sephardic American Mizrahi Jews is something I truly believe in. I hope SAMi can provide unity, understanding, and knowledge for all Jews alike.
My favorite holiday is Chanukah 🕎 because the flickering lights remind us that we all have a flaming soul ready to inspire and light up the world