Rabbi Shlomo and Kyra Ashkanazy along with their daughter Adi, are very excited to be apart of the OU-JLIC community at WashU! Shlomo and Kyra met in Jerusalem during the height of Covid. For the past two+ years they have built their life and family in the Baka neighbourhood of Jerusalem and have worked towards fostering a strong sense of community. They are known for their open home, and hosting large Shabbat meals. They are excited to bring their love for Israel, תורה, and their passion for community building to WashU this coming Fall!
Rabbi Shlomo grew up in Chicago, Illinois, and after graduating from the Fasman Yeshiva high school, he began Hesder at Yeshivat Hakotel. Raised in a deeply Zionistic home inspired his journey of making Aliyah and serving in the Givati brigade of the Israeli army. After his army service, while completing Hesder in Yeshiva, Shlomo held many leadership positions there including Rosh Madrichim for the American gap-year program. Shlomo received his Semicha from World Mizrachi’s Musmachim program, as well as his Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from the Jerusalem College of Technology. Shlomo previously worked for Aish as a Campaign Executive, and he has spent the last year and a half working for OurCrowd, a Jerusalem based Venture Capital fund. In his free time, shlomo enjoys learning, reading, exercising, and watching any sports game. He loves to build meaningful relationships with everyone he meets and never gets tired from a long shmooze.
Kyra, originally from Woodmere, NY, went to SKA High School for Girls, and then spent a year studying at Shaalvim for Women in Jerusalem. Kyra continued on to Stern College for Women where she studied Psychology and Public Health, and stepped into many leadership roles on Stern’s Student Council. Soon after she graduated, Kyra made Aliyah. She received her MA in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from Hebrew University, and was a Rakezet (mentor) for the students at MMY, a seminary in Jerusalem. For the last year, Kyra has worked as a Donor Missions Manager at the Jewish Agency for Israel. Kyra enjoys doing Yoga, anything crafty, trying out new recipes, spending time outdoors with her family, and connecting over a hot cup of coffee or a warm bowl of Chulent.