Israel 1998

Outbound Team

Jim Goldberg was born and raised in Seattle, Washington.  A graduate of Western Washington University, Jim majored in international business and has a strong interest in international affairs.  Jim works for a national department store headquartered in Seattle.  He is a business analyst in the import department and assists buyers/designers with importing merchandise from around the world.  Jim spent two years living in Japan where he taught English as a foreign language to Japanese students of all ages.  In his free time, Jim enjoys playing golf, tennis, skiing, mountain biking and rollerblading.

Louis Hammer was born in Seattle and lives with his wife, Deborah and their two children, Meir and Gabriella, in Redmond.  Louis is very informed in the aspects of life insurance as protection for the business and family as well as an estate builder.  Louis works in the office of Washington Alaska Group Services, a subsidiary of Blue Cross of Washington and Alaska.  He is the past president of the Men's Club at Herzl-Ner Tamid Synagogue.  In his free time, Louis enjoys fishing, ham radio, sailing, the internet and scuba diving.  He is an umpire for his son's Little League and teaches snow skiing on weekends.

Craig Keebler was born and raised in Philadelphia.  He attended medical school there and specialized in obstetrics and gynecology.  During that time he met his wife, Ginette, they had two children, Talia and Nina.  In 1983, they moved to Seattle where he set up his private medical practice and his third child, Daniel, was born.  Craig has always had a special interest in nutrition and exercise, and in 1994 he began helping his patients to lose weight and improve their life styles.  Since 1996,  he has limited his medical practice solely to weight management, nutrition and exercise counseling.  In addition to playing with his family, Craig has fun hiking, biking and weight lifting.  He also enjoys travel, languages and history.

Paul Rucker was born and raised in Seattle.  Of Egyptian Coptic Christian descent, he has long been fascinated with the Middle East.  His undergraduate education at the University of Washington includes degrees in both history and communications.  Since 1993, Paul has worked in international education at a two-year college as an ESL instructor and is presently an administrative coordinator in its International Education Division.  He develops and manages study abroad programs, international business training programs and frequently travels internationally.  Paul is currently pursuing a graduate degree in international public affairs at the University of Washington.  In his free time, he enjoys scuba diving, listening to music, history and reading.

Team Leader

Vicki Robbins was born and raised in Seattle.  She received her undergraduate degree in international politics from Western Washington University.  She helped create the Jewish Students Association on campus, and became the first woman student body president of her university.  She attended graduate school at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem where she studied Hebrew and Jewish Education and Communal Service.  She also studied for one year at Hebrew University.  She is a past president of her Rotary Club.  She loves hiking, biking, sailing, rollerblading, aerobics, star gazing, film and theatre.  She enjoys her bichon frise puppy named 'Latte' and traveling the world.  She and her mother, Esther, have co-owned Robbins Travel Service for over 15 years.

Inbound Team

Azmi Elias is from Nazareth (largest Arab city in Israel) and is employed in the credit department of Mercantile Discount Bank.   Azmi is single and enjoys reading, traveling, sports and listening to soft and Middle Eastern music.  He is also involved in community service programs in Nazareth.

Aviv Goldbart, MD calls Beer-Sheva home.  He is a pediatrician and instructor at Ben Gurion University.  Aviv is completing a master's program in health management.  He is married, has two daughters and enjoys traveling in Israel.

Varda Kedmi is from Kiryat-Ekron near Rehovot.  She is a social worker at a home for mentally retarded, ages 18-45.  The home's goal is to bring residents toward a more independent life.  She is divorced with a daughter and enjoys scuba diving and making pottery.

Avellet Yehiav is a diplomat in the Israeli ministry of foreign affairs from Jerusalem.  She specializes in Middle Eastern affairs.  Avellet is formerly a military reporter, is single and enjoys dancing, movies and traveling.

Team Leader

Alon Bendett is from Seattle's sister city, Beer-Sheva.  He is the owner and manager of a marketing and program management company and a branch manager of an international freight forwarding company.  Alon is married with four children and has been a Rotarian for over 10 years.