ABOUT ITME
INSIDE THE MIDDLE EAST INSTITUTE [ ITME ]
TO UNDERSTAND ISRAEL.
WE MUST UNDERSTAND THE MIDDLE EAST.
Across the globe, communities are struggling to navigate increasingly polarized conversations about Israel and the Middle East. Most existing approaches fall into two camps: advocacy, which promotes a position, and education, which too often reflects a Western, one-dimensional lens.
ITME.
THE BRIDGE YOU WERE LOOKING FOR.
Through apolitical Middle East education and the elevation of Arab and Muslim voices too often absent from Western discourse that help people understand Israel in the context of the Middle East, ITME brings people of diverse beliefs together – building context and connection in place of confusion and division.
ITME. EDUCATE BROADLY. CULTIVATE DEEPLY.
Delivered through three interconnected pathways Broad Education | Digital Engagement | Deep Cultivation
“The Essence Of Education Isn’t Telling People What To Think,
It’s Empowering Them How To Think.”
~ Avi Melamed | Founder of ITME
Educate broadly and cultivate deeply is ITME’s impact pathway.
Educate, Equip, and Empower are the pillars that make that pathway possible.
All of ITME’s work is grounded in a shared educational foundation:
Apolitical Middle East education and the elevation of Arab and Muslim voices absent from Western discourse, enabling a deeper understanding of Israel within its regional context.
Apolitical Middle East educational experiences for individuals and organizations.
Live, interactive learning experiences, in person and online, tailored for audiences of all backgrounds, knowledge levels, and group sizes.
Rooted in our philosophy “to understand Israel, we must understand the Middle East”, our apolitical intelligence-based Briefings, Classes, Conferences, International Teaching Tours, Workshops, and Geopolitical Tours delivered in Israel and around the world in-person and on-line explain Israel through the Middle East by examining regional power dynamics, armed political movements, and the gap between Arab discourse and Western narratives.
ITME educates students, educators, professionals, and leaders from diverse backgrounds equipping them with the context and perspective critical to better understanding Israel and the Middle East, beyond slogans and simplified narratives.
Multimedia products that extend learning beyond the live interactive sessions.
Beyond live programs, ITME provides digital content, experiences, resources, and tools to understand Israel in the regional context.
Articles, Books, Documentaries, Resources, Videos, Webinars, etc. delivered through our website, social media channels, and external providers that help individuals and institutions build deeper knowledge, and navigate Israel and the Middle East through ITME’s distinct layering of apolitical Middle East analysis and highlighting voices from the Middle East that are absent from Western discourse that help people understand Israel through a deeper understanding of the neighborhood.
Fellowships and a growing international alumni network of Ambassadors of Change.
Long-term immersive educational programs and a growing international alumni network that cultivate Ambassadors of Change.
Through Seminars, Courses, and Fellowships combining ITME’s distinct apolitical Middle East education with direct engagement with regional experts, ITME equips passionate students, educators, and current and emerging leaders with the knowledge, skills, and tools to understand Israel in its regional context, think critically, navigate complexity, and lead contextualized, constructive, nuanced conversations across political and ideological divides.
ITME transforms education into unity and empowers students, educators, and current and emerging leaders to build lasting bridges to Israel and to one another on campus and in their communities.
Inside The Middle East [ITME], is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) founded by Avi Melamed & Maia Hoffman.
Inside The Middle East | Intelligence Perspectives [ITME] is dedicated to apolitical, non-partisan education about the Middle East.
ITME provides customized educational experiences, knowledge, tools, and resources to organizations, private individuals, students,
practitioners, and leaders.
We believe that by providing individuals with the knowledge, skills, and tools to engage in constructive, productive, and tolerant dialogue, as well as fostering enriching encounters among people from diverse ideological backgrounds, we can help them gain a comprehensive understanding of Israel, the Middle East, and effectively navigate the complexities of our global landscape.
ITME | MEET THE TEAM
Avi Melamed
[ Founder & Chief Education Officer ]
Avi Melamed’s professional background has 3 major elements – Arab Affairs, education & intelligence. For the past 15 years, he has dedicated his experience and skills to equip people with knowledge, skills, and tools to understand the Middle East. Avi’s philosophy is that in order to understand Israel, you have to understand the Middle East. Over the course of his career, Avi is proud of the fact that he has gained credibility and trust among a wide variety of audiences – conservatives, progressives, Jews, non-Jews, and across the Arab world.
Maia Hoffman
[ Chief Operations Officer ]
Maia is a Bespoke Travel Consultant, the Founder of Inside The Middle East Interactive Educational Israel Experiences, and a Special Consultant to the Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation. Maia earned her B.A. in Islamic and Judaic Studies from Brandeis University. Her M.A. in Middle Eastern Languages & Cultures from Columbia University. She graduated with honors from both institutions.
Eli Ovits
[ President & Fundraising Support ]
With the positive development of the Abraham Accords, Eli has been working across the Middle East helping forge ties with leaders, philanthropists and strategic partners- helping peace become reality.
Eli is the founder of Altruists, a global network of individuals, companies, and meaningful causes. He serves as an Ambassador for the UAE-based Dealmakers, and a member of the Leadership Council of Global Jewry. He advises various boards including the Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States and World Class Scholars.
Previously, Eli was appointed the first Global CEO of Limmud – enabling the organisation to expand operations, its board and donor base across 44 countries.
Eli holds an MA in Diplomacy and National Security from Hebrew University, and has been recognized as one of Israel’s most influential immigrants.
Randi Pupkin
[ Director of Strategic Operations ]
Randi Pupkin founded Art with a Heart in March 2000 after 14 years of practicing law, growing it into an organization that offers up to 16,000 interactive visual art classes annually and multiple community programs in the Baltimore area. She has been widely recognized for her leadership and community impact, receiving numerous awards such as Baltimore City’s Inspiring Voices, Maryland’s Top 100 Women honors, and most recently being named one of The Daily Record’s 2025 Influential Marylanders.
Virág Gulyás
[ Strategic Communications Consultant ]
Virag Gulyas is a marketing and digital media consultant, strategist, and storyteller with a track record of transforming campaigns for NGOs and for-profit organizations. She specializes in crafting narratives that resonate across diverse audiences, driving engagement and measurable impact.
With experience living in five countries and as a legal immigrant in the USA, Virag brings a global perspective to her work, blending cultural insight with strategic storytelling across social media, digital campaigns, and integrated communications.
She has led major campaigns for NGOs in the USA, Israel, and Europe, turning complex ideas into clear, actionable strategies.
Named one of Hadassah’s “Most Influential Zionist Women” in 2024, Virag continues to mentor organizations, deliver strategic insights, and help them tell stories that drive meaningful results.
Didier Bodin
[ Brand & Design Director ]
Didier Bodin is a designer and innovation strategist specializing in branding, product development, and design-driven business growth. He is the Co-Founder and Design Director of Dici Design Middle East, working with companies, startups, and institutions to translate ideas into market-ready products, brands, and experiences.
Alongside his commercial work, he serves as Design Director for ITME – Inside the Middle East Institute, an American non-profit dedicated to apolitical education on Middle East geopolitics. Within ITME, he also leads visual strategy, digital tools, including websites, infographics, documentary editing, and co-production of ITME’s documentaries, The Seam Line and The Primer, supporting complex geopolitical content through clear, impactful movies.
Since 2022, he has been a Lecturer at the Haifa University Design School, focusing on the use of high-tech tools and robotics in textile research and innovative fashion design.
Adi Zilbershten
[ Design & Communication Support ]
Josh Goldberg
[ Director of Education
& Fellowship Development ]
Josh Goldberg was born and raised in Salt Lake City. After pursuing bachelor’s degrees in History and German at the University of Utah, he decided to move to Israel and to serve in the IDF as a lone soldier.
Upon completing his military service, he enhanced his teaching abilities earning a Master’s Degree in Education and has served as an Educational Leader and Master Teacher in three different states and three countries while winning multiple teaching awards. He currently teaches History at Park City High School and serves as the Education Director for Inside the Middle East.
Josh speaks four languages and is a dedicated father of three who spends his free time hiking, cooking, and practicing Martial Arts.
Ben Monroe “C1”
[ ITME Fellowship Alumni Relations Co-Liaison ]
Benjamin Monroe, age 22, is from Baltimore, Maryland. After graduating from Beth Tfiloh Dahan Day School, Ben was selected to participate in the international Kivunim gap year program. Ben lived and studied in Israel, Morocco, Greece, and Berlin during that time. Ben is majoring in Arabic and Hebrew at The Ohio State University. During his summer breaks in college, Ben interns at the global headquarters of Cisoexecnet. The internship provided hands-on experience developing marketing campaigns, conducting market research, managing digital content, and CEO-to-CEO messaging. Following college graduation, scheduled for May 2025, Ben plans to live overseas in locations where he can fully use his foreign language expertise and hopes to pursue graduate school. When he is not working or studying, Ben enjoys cooking, basketball, music, rock climbing, and traveling.
Miranda Ruzinky “C1”
[ ITME Fellowship Alumni Relations Co-Liaison ]
Miranda Ruzinsky is a historian currently pursuing an M.A. in Public History, specializing in methodologies that bridge the gap between academia and communities, including oral history, public writing, and digital humanities. She is a published author whose current research focuses on American Jewish History, Jewish Women’s History, and Holocaust Remembrance, and her academic excellence has been recognized through several prestigious fellowships and awards. Miranda is fundamentally committed to fostering human connection and broad perspectives, using her historical expertise to cultivate empathy and meaningful public dialogue.
