Our Story
It started in a Tel Aviv coffee shop.
Half-Australian, half-Israeli, and a longtime nomad, Tamar Pross became obsessed with learning how to quickly, seamlessly, and enjoyably immerse herself into the local culture and lifestyle. After moving 18 times across four continents, Tamar returned to Tel Aviv and set out to rediscover this city she once called home. Along the way, Tamar met Efrat Chen, one of the most sought-after Hebrew teachers in Israel, and the two teamed up to create Citizen Café Tel Aviv, with the goal of providing the city’s growing community of internationals with an opportunity to become more successful, engaged, and connected to an otherwise unfamiliar culture in and around Tel Aviv.
For us, language is much more than a literal translation of it, it is a reflection of the culture, the essence, the energy, the way people look at the world. That’s why more than teaching the technical skills of the language like everyone, we are here to hack, adapt and present the Israeli genetic code to you through language, to enable you to take part in it. This is the key to feeling a real sense of belonging. Language that is a part of the authentic cultural context.
The Team
Tamar Pross
Founder & Head of Citizen Cafe
Tamar is an Israeli-Australian entrepreneur, certified Enneagram coach, a documentary film producer, and avid soy hafooch drinker. She can usually be found riding her bike along Rothschild Boulevard.
Efrat Chen
Co-Founder & Director of Hebrew
From teaching Hebrew as a foreign language at the Touro College in Israel, to becoming Citizen Café’s Director of Hebrew, Efrat never backs down from a challenge (she even hiked Kilimanjaro). While teaching Hebrew brings her joy, the “joy of cooking” does not.
Arik Praisman
CEO
Arik was born is Moscow, raised in Jerusalem, and wandered to the great city of Tel Aviv at the age of 26 and never left! Arik spent a year and a half traveling the world driven by his love for adventure and visiting exotic islands.
Nimrod Ronen
Education Manager
Nimrod, nicknamed Nim, is a trained theatre actor. When he isn’t teaching Hebrew at Citizen Café, he works with the autistic and special needs community, merging his two greatest passions: education and drama-therapy.
Mor Levi
Office Manager
Mor is a great pastry chef (especially with Macarons) and loves to play dungeons and dragons on her free time. She loves her cat, Marvel movies, LOTR and she’s a Harry Potter fanatic.
Tsafi Katz
Community Manager
Tsafi says she is best understood by three simple things: theatre, friends, and by being your best resource for happy hour recommendations! Tsafi’s real name is Tsafrir which is super hard to pronounce in English and in Hebrew.
Mira Goren
Community Manager
Originally from Jerusalem, Mira admits Tel Aviv stole her heart. Other important facts: She loves movies, musicals, animals, and chocolate, and mostly, sleeping- Don’t talk to her before coffee! PS- She’s convinced that she’s a cast member of “Friends”…
Karen Avidar
Marketing Manager
Karen was born to Israeli parents in Wisconsin, grew up between Chicago and Tel Aviv, and also lived in Argentina, Colorado, and New York! Since moving to Tel Aviv in 2013, Karen has worked as a journalist and launched a natural skincare brand. You can usually find her at a yoga studio, reading a book at the dog beach, or making soap in her apartment.
Sunny Lior
Enrollment Manager
Sunny is a born & bred Tel Avivian who loves to laugh, is a fitness freak and her favorite place is the beach! At one point, Sunny spent 8 years living in Miami Beach!
Moises Levy
Web Marketing Coordinator
Born and raised in Mexico City, Moises, aka Chili, acquired skills such as the most experienced taco chef in the world and has a P.H.D in Science of Tequila. He arrived in Tel-Aviv three years ago, loves sports, food, and is ready to conquer the world – so get ready.
Daniel Goldman
Pre-Enrollment Manager
Born and raised in Baltimore and currently living in Herzliya, Daniel loves singing, writing and hosting friends on his rooftop. He has also seen two octopuses on two different Israeli beaches which he is really excited about!
Kelly Eden
Social Media Coordinator
Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Kelly moved to Israel to join the army and graduated from IDC Herzliya. Kelly loves baking, watching the sunset, and eating any kind of cheesy pasta.
Fun fact: she hates bananas.
Maya Zar
Pre-Enrollment
Maya is a proper New Yorker who made Aliyah and served in the army. Her friends call her “fun sized” because of her short height and huge amount of energy, and it makes total sense since she’s always looking for an adventure! She loves chilling with friends and music – and will never say no to a gin & tonic!
David Webb
Enrollment Manager
Originally from London, David is a former recording artist who now calls Tel Aviv home. He enjoys reading (he tries to read a book a month) and says he can cook better pasta than most restaurants!
Roy Elimelech
Enrollment Manager
Born and raised in Israel, Roy’s life revolves around the ocean – especially surfing. He loves traveling around the world to chase waves, and is also a massive foodie. What’s his favorite food? His mom’s Moroccan cooking, of course.
Lisette Azulay
Visual Designer
Born in Venezuela, Lisette is a graphic designer & art director. She’s addicted to the beach and a gifted sleeper and chocolate eater. She also thinks that coffee smells so much better than it tastes!
Noeat Kedem
Head of Education
Noeat is truly one-of-kind (even her Hebrew name is unique.) Trained as in actor at Israel’s renowned school of performing arts Bet Zvi, Noeat is a triple threat: professional actress, children’s voice coach and Hebrew teacher.
Rachel Golberg
R&D Manager
Rachel is a journalist and could explain anything you need to know about Israeli politics, but would rather trade recipes and share photos of her ginger cat.
Lior Galron Schlesinger
Procurement & Operations Manager
Lior is an actress, dancer and singer – she especially loves to perform in musicals! Though born in Nazareth Illit, she’s since become a full-time Tel Avivian and lives here with her family. Fun fact? She’s an excellent cook and a pro at finding the best sales!
Ido Peled
Head of Product
In addition to teaching Hebrew, Ido teaches literature and translates poetry and prose from German to Hebrew. Ido is an avid fan of soap operas and video games, and likes to spend his weekends making home made ice creams and hosting karaoke parties.
Shay jibri ashkenazi
Education Manager
Shay is an actor, director and acting coach who graduated from the performing arts school Beit Zvi. He also has a degree in Education from Kibbutzim College. Shay is also an entrepreneur who founded ActinGym – an acting and directing community startup.
Teachers
Hadas Yaron
Hebrew Teacher
Born and raised in Tel Aviv, Hadas is a Hebrew teacher and actress. She loves painting, music, meditation, languages, Italian food or, as she said, “just put me on the beach with my cat and a bowl of spaghetti and I’m happy”
Yasmin Taller
Hebrew Teacher
Born in Northern Israel, world traveler for 4 years, and now a true Tel Avivian, Yasmin is an amazing woman aspiring to make an impact in the field of human rights and psychology. She loves chocolate and beer, and her happy place is the desert.
Gili Goverman
Hebrew Teacher
Gili was born and raised in Israel, lived in Germany for 12 years, and now calls Portugal home – but she says Tel Aviv will always be her favorite city. She loves the beach, strawberry smoothies and meditation. She’s also a talented singer and contemporary dancer!
Yaaley Weiss
Hebrew Teacher
Yaaley has lived in all three of Israel’s biggest cities: Grew up in Haifa, studied in Jerusalem, and now lives in Tel Aviv! She’s an actress who loves traveling around the world- snowboarding being one of her biggest passions!
Amir Zloter
Hebrew Teacher
Amir is a playwright and a theater director. He has a deep fascination with languages and could go on and on about contemporary British playwrighting. He is also quite passionate about the law, but that’s only because he can’t stop binging “The Good Wife” on Netflix.
Noa Lara Meir
Hebrew Teacher
Noa was born in sunny California, and raised in the picturesque town of Tivon (North of Israel). She’s a gummy bears addict, poetry writer, a bookworm since childhood, and her first choice of transportation will always be biking.
Danielle Barkay
Hebrew Teacher
As well as being a Hebrew teacher in CitizenCafe, Danielle is an actress and translator. She travels a lot for work but always comes back to her favorite city in the world- Tel Aviv.
Tamary Lia Baz
Hebrew Teacher
Lia spent the past 10 years in the PNW, but is now living back home in Israel! She’s also a midwife and a doula, and loves dancing, writing, poetry, meditation, and the healing arts.
Yoav Dagan
Hebrew Teacher
Yoav is an Israeli actor and theatre director, and you might not believe it (even he can’t), but Yoav was 8 years in the IDF. He also loves wine, yoga ,Tel aviv, and he’s addicted to the beach.
Yael Sadan
Hebrew Teacher
Born and raised in Tel Aviv, Yael is an actress and soon-to-be graphic designer. Besides drawing, doing Pilates, drinking wine, and making beetroot gnocchi, Yael is addicted to dog videos-a huge Great Dane is her dream
Neomi Cohen
Hebrew Teacher
Neomi was born in a small kibbutz in the desert, but now is a Tel Avivian and loving it! She’s an actress and has two addictions- films and dogs. Movie nights on the couch with her dog the best thing ever.
Maya kerman
Hebrew Teacher
Maya is a singer and actress having trained in both Israel and London. She now lives in a very green, quiet part of Tel Aviv- the perfect balance to the city. She also has a not-so-secret obsession with Corgi dogs.
Emily Heiman
Hebrew Teacher
Emily is a Tel Avivian theatre, musical, literature and cinema nerd. Her favorite thing to do when abroad is to go to the movies alone. Her hobbies include Italian cooking, buying wine, and raising the world’s greatest cat “Patchouli”.
Noa Shwartz
Hebrew Teacher
Noa is a true Israeli who writes and directs her own theatre plays! Her hobbies are reading and doing yoga, and buys a new themed notebook from every new city she visits! She’s vegan, loves french fries, and drink ice coffee in the hot summer of TLV
Ron Gordeisky
Hebrew Teacher
Born in Tel-Aviv and raised in a small town in the north of Israel, Ron trained as an actress and dancer. Her favourite spot in Tel Aviv is Geula beach, and she’s also a huge fan of the Tel-avivian culinary. In her free time, she loves doing yoga & pilates.
Liyam Alef
Hebrew Teacher
Rona Shpiler
Hebrew Teacher
Ori Golad
Hebrew Teacher
After a few years in NYC, Ori returned to Israel to finish his MFA. As a creative soul, he built his own traveling theater featuring a few of his own murder mystery shows and is a super talented and fun MC. Ori is quite the character!
Shira Ben Amram
Hebrew Teacher
Born in Jerusalem, Shira (AKA Shake/Shika) is a hardcore Liverpool fan, loves watching NatGeo, being in nature, and doesn’t know how to ride a bike. Fun fact: She and her husband are twins!
Lior Kedem
Hebrew Teacher
Daniella Tourgeman
Hebrew Teacher
Kundra magnus
Hebrew Teacher
Born in Sharm El-Sheikh in Sinai Egypt, Kundra is a game designer by passion and profession.
For the past 8 years, he has owned a game design studio in Tel Aviv serving clients from all over the world. He adores fluffy cats and black dragons.
Bar Riese
Hebrew Teacher
Born and raised in a moshav in Israel, Bar is an avid traveler who loves adventures. She studied in NYC, worked across Sub-Saharan Africa and lived in Tanzania, and most recently moved to Spain. She is also a mom, farmer and hardcore bourekas addict!
Itamar Brafman
Hebrew Teacher
Dashingly handsome and extremely charismatic, Itamar’s passions include: acting, playing music (drums and percussions), and going to Midburn (the Israeli version of burning man). He was born in Kiryat Ono (a suburb near Tel Aviv) and is deeply touched by dad jokes.
Gal Margalit
Hebrew Teacher
Tal Deri
Hebrew Teacher
Niv Rubin
Hebrew Teacher
Dani Blechman
Hebrew Teacher
Yonatan Engler
Hebrew Teacher
Aviad Duvdvany
Hebrew Teacher
Abigail Zamir
Hebrew Teacher
Idan Gabay
Hebrew Teacher
Yska Ruzitsky
Hebrew Teacher
Hilly perlman
Hebrew Teacher
Lior Haen
Hebrew Teacher
Tamara Epstein
Hebrew Teacher
Alon hagami
Hebrew Teacher
yehonatan boteach
Hebrew Teacher
Yotam Gordon
Hebrew Teacher