Israeli Dancing

Sucaria, Mastik, and Katzefet are directed by Becca Rausch, who creates and teaches the choreography for each group and also performs in Sucaria with her children. Becca brings decades of Israeli dance choreography, instruction, and performance to our program. After getting her first taste of Israeli dancing as a young child, she joined her first Israeli dance performing group in 5th grade, led her first youth performing group in 8th grade, created her first original stage choreography for youth at age 14, and directed her first school-wide Israeli dance instruction and performance program at age 16. Continuing her studies with Lorraine Arcus, Becca performed in the Boston and New York Israeli Dance Festivals with Tzamarot from 1993 to 1997. During her college years at Brandeis University, Becca performed with, choreographed for, and directed B’yachad, the school’s resident Israeli dance performance troupe. In 2002, Becca founded Zikukim Israeli Dance Company, serving as the company’s founding director and choreographer until its retirement in 2019 and performing nearly every season. During the summer of 2010, Becca co-led the “Just Dance” Birthright Israel trip. In addition to shows for the Celtics and the Red Sox, Becca’s choreography has been commissioned for performances at Tanglewood with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the New York City Israel Day Parade, and the United Nations celebration of the 70th anniversary of the creation of the State of Israel. Other troupes with which Becca has performed include Tavlin, Neshika, and the Parparim Ensemble. Becca also served on the Boston Festival Board of Directors from 2004 to 2012 and choreographed and taught the show’s full-cast finale for a decade. She first created Sucaria in 2004, followed by Katzefet in 2006. 

Avi Wald serves as Katzefet’s rehearsal assistant. Avi began dancing at the age of 6, studying ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, and lyrical at Janet Hershman’s School of Dance in Sharon and later The Gold School in Brockton. After trying out Israeli folk dance a few times throughout the years, he joined the performance troupe Onot in 10th grade, learning from Nomie Bental. In addition to his work with Katzefet, Avi is the choreographer of KesheRoked, an elementary school aged Israeli dance troupe in Newton.

Katzefet’s harkada program is taught and directed by master teachers Barbara Rosen-Campbell and Michele Yakovee. Michele has been dancing, performing, and teaching Israeli dance for more than 30 years. She began dancing with B’yachad, the Brandeis University Israeli dance troupe, and later performed with Screaming Sa’adya and the Electric Camels at the Boston and New York Israeli Folkdance Festivals. Michele has taught both adults and teenagers. She was an instructor at her husband, Israel Yakovee’s session, in Westwood, CA and taught the Israeli dance elective class at LA Hebrew High School for many years. In 2023, Michele, Barb, and Becca co-directed Hora Shalosh, an Israeli dance camp celebrating the life and legacy of the late Moshe Eskayo, world renowned Israeli dance choreographer and master of the debka style.

Harkada is a Hebrew word for a recreational Israeli dance session. Generally, these sessions happen weekly and can be found all over the world. In many places in Israel, harkadot happen basically every night of the week except Shabbat. In most other countries, you can find a harkada once or twice a week. Harkadot are social experiences that include circle, partner, and line dances while meeting friends and having lots of fun. Boston area harkadot include Monday nights in Brookline at Kehillath Israel, Tuesday nights in Needham at Temple Beth Shalom, and Wednesday nights in Newton at the Winsor Club.