About Us
Senior Support Services in Israel
At B’lev Shalem, we are committed to ensuring that our clients receive all the support they need to live with maximum quality of life and independence.
Our team of Care Managers shares a passion for working with seniors, decades of experience advocating and coordinating services on their behalf, and extensive knowledge of costs, quality and availability of resources in Israel that support aging in place.
Each of our professional Care Managers speak English and Hebrew and have a deep understanding of both Anglo and Israeli culture, creating a critical bridge between both.
Who We Are
Our Team
Our Care Management team shares a passion for working with seniors, decades of experience advocating and coordinating services on their behalf, and extensive knowledge of costs, quality and availability of aging-related resources in Israel. Each of our professional Care Managers speak English and Hebrew and have a deep understanding of both Anglo and Israeli culture, creating a critical bridge between both.
Sharon Beth-Halachmy
Founder & CEO
Sharon is responsible for the leadership, management and growth of B’Lev Shalem. She is an experienced attorney with a commitment to social change, and brings to B’Lev Shalem sophisticated business and legal expertise, a deep understanding of the wide range of issues affecting the elderly, and a commitment to advocacy on their behalf.
Sharon holds a B.A. in Psychology from Claremont McKenna College and a J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law.
Avigail Buiumsohn
Clinical Director & Aliyah Specialist
Avigail has been working with older adults in Israel for over 20 years and has extensive knowledge regarding the Israeli healthcare and social welfare system; and additional expertise in guiding new immigrants and returning citizens in their Aliyah/return to Israel.
Avigail’s experience includes Aliyah Specialist for Retirees at Nefesh B’Nefesh, Director of a Day Care Center for the Elderly, and Social Worker at the Maccabi Rehabilitation Center at Tel Hashomer Hospital.
Avigail holds a BA in Psychology from SUNY at Albany and an MSW from Yeshiva University.
Rachel Green
Care Manager
Rachel has dedicated her career to working with older adults and their families. With a background in Speech Therapy, Rachel has extensive experience coordinating care for seniors in Israel and is expert at navigating the Israeli medical and bureaucratic system.
Rachel holds a B.A. in speech language pathology from Yeshiva University and an M.A. in speech language pathology from Montclair State University.
Miriam Almog
Care Manager
Passionate about working with seniors, Miriam transitioned to Care Management from a 20-year career as a pharmacist including owning the pharmacy at the Wolfson Medical Center in Jerusalem where she worked extensively with the senior population.
Miriam holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and is a graduate of the Gerontology and Care Management Program at Machon Be’er Emunah in Jerusalem.
Kalia Shimshak
Care Manager
Kaila is a licensed Social Worker with extensive experience working with the senior population in both the U.S. and Israel.
Kaila’s past experience includes serving as the Director of Social Services at a 273-bed nursing home in New Jersey, a position with the National Jewish Council for Disabilities, and work in a psychiatric rehabilitation treatment program.
Kaila holds an MSW from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work and BA in Sociology from Stern College, and is a licensed Master Social Worker in NY State.
Karen Levine
Care Manager
Karen is a licensed Social Worker with extensive experience working with the senior population in Israel and the U.S., including serving as Clinical Director of B’lev Shalem and working as a private therapist. Her past work experience includes social work positions at Chicago University Hospital and Children & Family Services of Chicago, and she is also a Founder of Israel Blooms, a nonprofit organization in Israel that repurposes flowers from events and donates them to hospitals, nursing homes and individuals.
Karen holds a B.A. in Sociology from Brandeis University and an MSW from the University of Chicago.
Aviva Feldman
Care Manager
Aviva is a Registered Nurse (USA) with experience in intensive care, case management, chart review utilization, education and telemedicine. Prior to joining B’lev Shalem, she utilized her nursing skills and care management skills to work privately with aging adults in Israel, primarily with health care management and patient advocacy.
Aviva holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from North Park University and a BA from Northeastern Illinois University.
Menucha Chwat
Care Manager
Menucha brings to B’Lev Shalem extensive experience in care management and patient advocacy and supports our clients in Gush Etzion. She is also a professional medical translator and highly skilled in medical advocacy.
A long-time resident of Gush Etzion, Menucha has a deep understanding of aging-related resources, public and private in both the Gush and the Greater Jerusalem area.
Menucha is a graduate of the Stern College for Women, Yeshiva University.
Anna Whitefield
Care Manager
Anna is a registered nurse (UK) with a specialism in District Nursing/Home Care. She worked for many years in London as a District Nurse team leader and has experience in chronic disease management, palliative and wound care, nurse prescribing and teaching.
Since making Aliyah in 2006, Anna has continued to apply her nursing and care management skills in both institutional and home care settings, including Bayit B’Lev (complex nursing care) and Beit Protea Home Care. She also works as a grief counsellor for Nechama Grief Counselling.
Anna holds a Bachelor of Nursing (Hons), RN and DN from Manchester University.
Chava Yellin
Care Coordinator
Chava provides office management and support for the entire B’lev Shalem team. Her experience working in both medical and nursing home settings combined with her organizational and problem-solving skills make her a valuable asset to our staff and clients. With her kind, level-headed demeanor staff and clients know they can count on Chava to juggle multiple demands including navigating the Israeli bureaucratic and medical system and coordinating home care. Chava speaks both Hebrew and English fluently.
What Sets Us Apart
We understand the comprehensive, holistic needs of aging adults.
We focus not only on the “problem” being presented, but also on things you may not have thought of.
We give you a single point of contact.
We are dedicated solely to your family. We are not restricted by the needs of service providers such as medical professionals, hospitals, assisted living facilities and insurance companies.
We are experienced.
We know the resources available and how to access them, and we know how to navigate Israeli bureaucracy. New situations that feel overwhelming to you, are familiar and manageable to us.
We work as a team.
We brainstorm and problem-solve together, drawing on collective expertise. We provide seamless coverage when your Care Manager is unavailable due to vacation, illness or scheduling conflict.
We are fluent in Hebrew and English.
We can facilitate communication between family and service providers who do not share a common language. We have the language and cultural know-how to navigate the Israeli medical and government systems.
We know what’s coming.
We take proactive steps to avoid crisis; when there is an emergency, we step in right away armed with knowledge about you, your history and your preferences.
Founders
Sharon Beth-Halachmy
Recognizing the unmet need for care coordination for seniors in Israel, Sharon transitioned from a 20-year career in corporate law to found B’Lev Shalem in 2017. Having lived most of her life in the U.S., Sharon is fluent in English (mother tongue) and Hebrew, and drew on her deep understanding of American and Israeli culture to create a culture of quality and service that uniquely caters to both. Sharon holds a JD from the University of Illinois, College of Law (1996) and a BA in Psychology from Claremont Mckenna College (1990). Previously, she was the owner of Sharon Beth-Halachmy Law Office (2012-2014) and practiced law at Funkhouser, Vegosen, Liebman and Dunn Ltd. (Chicago, Illinois), Goldfarb, Levy, Eran & Co. (Tel Aviv, Israel) and Holleb & Coff (Chicago, Illinois).
Stacey L. Gordon, LCSW.
B’Lev Shalem is the brainchild of Stacey L. Gordon, a clinical social worker, family mediator and certified Care Manager, with over two decades of experience in providing home and community-based services to older adults and their families. Stacey is the Program Director for Next Phase, Adult Caregiving and Retirement. She is also a social entrepreneur and founded several organizations including ElderOptions Care Management in New York and Chicago and The NYU Wrinkle Project, an initiative focused on changing language and communications around age as a way to decrease ageism and positively affect attitudes towards aging in both young and old.