Ya’acov Fried became a resident of Jaffa in the last decade, after being a Jerusalemite all his life. A graduate of Hebrew University, Ya’acov devoted his career to informal Jewish education in the following roles: educational officer in the IDF (reserves), director of Melitz Institute in Jerusalem (a seminar center for Israeli Jewish identity), senior analyst at the Van Leer Institute (leading Israeli thinktank), community shliach (emissary) in the Midwest. Ya’acov’s immersion in the North American Jewish community – together with his involvement in the world of culture, art, music, and consciousness studies in Israel and around the world – inspired him to become a pioneer in Jewish educational travel. Ya’acov founded Da’at Educational Expeditions, a pioneering educational travel company which creates Jewish educational journeys for north American clientele to Israel and to other destinations. With the creation of Da’at, Ya’acov has led the revolution in transforming the classic touring style to a multifaceted journey. Ya’acov is involved in a variety of voluntary roles in nonprofit organizations that are attempting to impact Israel to be a society of social justice. He is a father of two, and a grandfather of four and a half. Ya’acov has partnered with Gilad Peled and Yishay Shavit to create this book.