Rabbi Naftali Schiff was raised in London and studied in Yeshivat Hakotel in Jerusalem's Old City prior to graduating from the London School of Economics with a BSc (Econ)specialising in International Relations. He also saw active service with the IDF Givati unit after making Aliya. In Israel, he received Rabbinic ordination from the Jerusalem Rabbinate as well as a Diploma of Education from the Ministry of Education. Naftali relocated to London in 1999 to serve as Executive Director of Aish UK expanding it tenfold with enormous reach across schools, campuses and communities nationwide and building the Jerusalem Fellowships immersive journeys to awards hundreds of annual scholarships. In addition, Naftali Co founded and built 10 independent educational organisations including GIFT, JRoots and the Forum for Jewish Leadership as well as the Aleinu Conference and serves on the board of many non profits and communal bodies including the CER. As well as the day to day running of Jewish Futures, Naftali’s passion for authenticity has led him to criss-cross the world personally interviewing over 200 Holocaust survivors to ensure their testimonies, legacy and values are preserved for future generations. Naftali is committed to constantly identifying new pathways and vehicles to ensure a vibrant Jewish future for all.
Rabbi Naftali Schiff has always been seized with this idea that I see as fundamental: that the impact we have through our programmes should not be transactional, but transformational. It shouldn’t be aimed at keeping the train on the track, it should be aimed at changing young people’s lives. Because that is how you really make a difference to the Jewish future.