Two summers ago, Dean Aseef came to the United States as Shaliach for URJ Camp
Harlam. His personal goal: To continue his service to Israel.
“I had the best experience,” he recalls. “I fell in love with camp and made great friends.”
One great experience led to the next: He was thrilled to be selected to work in the 2025 JCC
Maccabi Campus Games, which brought him to the JCC of Greater Pittsburgh, host of the
first-time-ever campus model of Olympic-style games for Jewish teen athletes, in
partnership with the University of Pittsburgh.
In leading Maccabi Hang Time, Dean became an invaluable part of the community and his
stay in Pittsburgh was continued when he was named JCC Community Shaliach (Israeli
emissary) in Pittsburgh for at least another year.
“When I look back at deciding to stay a second year,” he says, “the things we’ve
accomplished are beyond my expectations. While there’s lots more to do, I’ve been able to
get into a good rhythm in the programs I’ve developed.”
Dean, who is from Haifa, a diverse and multi-cultural hilly city that he likens to Pittsburgh,
has a very personal voice in presenting Israel. He is passionate about his role, especially
during this time of increased antisemitism, waning support for Israel, and increasingly
unfiltered hate directed at Jews and Israelis.
“It’s hard to be a Jew and especially a Zionist Jew now,” he says. “Now, it feels even more
important for Israelis, for shlichim, to be here. I know what’s going on there – the struggles
and threats that Israelis deal with every day while at the same time trying to spread joy and
happiness in our Israeli way,” he says. “I am not here to represent a political position; I’m
here to represent myself and be open to discussing and helping understanding.”
He has built a wide array of programming at the JCC that piques many interests and helps
people learn about and connect with his home country.
With his love of sports and of coaching sports, he has revived pickup volleyball, initiated
self defense classes for adults, and introduced a fast-growing sport that originated in
Israel, Catchball. Now there’s a good possibility Pittsburgh will host the 2027 Catchball
Association championships.
He connects with community members of every age, playing guitar for weekly music and
dance time in the Early Childhood Development Center, leading weekly meetings with
older adults (encouraging discussion with Turkish coffee and Israeli treats), and teaching
self-defense to Clubhouse after school children.
This summer, he’ll bring Israel engagement programming to all three JCC camps and then
will lead the JCC’s Maccabi delegation to Toronto.
“This second year, my understanding of how I can contribute to this community has grown,”
he says. When the Diller Teen Fellowship program participants from Karmiel-Misgav came
to Pittsburgh recently, Dean was part of what became a special bonding experience
between the Israeli teens, who live under threat of terrorism and war, and Pittsburgh teens,
who are dealing with antisemitism. “Those friendships are going to last,” he says. “They’ve
found a safe space. Their time together is going to change their perspective.”
He adds, “For myself, I have come to understand how the Pittsburgh Jewish Community is
so important to Israel, and how Israel is so important to Pittsburgh.”
Dean Aseef has been selected as a member of the 2026 class of Pittsburgh Jewish
Chronicle 18 Difference Makers, chosen for the meaningful difference is making throughout
Jewish Pittsburgh.
Get moving with Dean! Stop in at the JCC Squirrel Hill for
- Catchball team training (women only), Sundays 9-11 am and Tuesdays, 6-7:30 pm
- Volleyball open gym, Tuesdays 7:30-9 pm
- Adult self-defense classes, Thursdays 7:30-8:30 pm
Sign up on the JCC APP. For more info, [email protected]
