Ariel has over a decade of experience directing and designing immersive and educational programs. Previously, she served as the Director of Jewish Learning at Congregation Beth El in San Diego where she redesigned the traditional Jewish education program into a holistic and experiential model. Prior to that, she worked for Global Leadership Adventures developing and directing international service learning programs for teenagers across four continents. Ariel is a JDC Jewish Service Corps alumna (she served in Izmir, Turkey) and began her career in Jewish social justice at American Jewish World Service. Ariel serves on the board of the Global Leadership Adventures International Foundation. Originally from Philadelphia, Ariel earned her BA summa cum laude in sociology and politics from New York University and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She is Wilderness First Responder certified and has a Teaching Certificate from Gratz College.

Ariel has a deep passion for traveling and connecting with other cultures and her work has taken her throughout South America, Africa and Europe. In San Diego, she spends her time hiking and camping with her husband and son, singing, and training her puppy, Tuxedo.