Yoel Magid was born and educated as “Joel” in New York, NY, where he earned three degrees from Columbia in English literature. After teaching English literature and creative writing at Rutgers in New Jersey, he volunteered at Kibbutz Be’eri during the Yom Kippur War in 1973 and stayed there, where his name was “Yoel,” and his children were born and raised. Over the years, in addition to teaching English at Ben-Gurion University, Yoel lived a diversified kibbutz life – picking oranges, doing international youth work in England, serving in various kibbutz offices (including Mazkir – which is sort of “Mayor”), supervising international educational and Israel-trip programs, as well as an organizational consultant to other kibbutzim. After spending 25 years of his adult life in Israel, he returned to live in the US in 1999. Upon his return Yoel re-entered the American Jewish world and the Reform community, becoming a synagogue Executive Director in Oakland, California before returning to his New York roots here at WRT. He lives with his partner Karen Levin. Together they have six children and eight grandchildren.
