Bio
Rabbi Yali Szulanski is an award-winning educator, wellness consultant, and spiritual guide. She works with individuals, families, schools, and community organizations to build a shared language of emotional wellness, resilience, and belonging. Her approach is grounded in deep listening, compassion, and the belief that every person is worthy of care.
Blending movement, creative expression, breathwork, and trauma-informed mind-body practices, Rabbi Yali helps people of all ages connect to themselves and others in healing, accessible ways. She creates inclusive, dynamic spaces for those navigating both the subtle shifts and seismic transitions of life.
Rabbi Yali has taught and facilitated programs across the United States, Israel, Haiti, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. She holds a Master’s in Psychology and Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and received rabbinic ordination from Yeshivat Maharat.
She is the founder of The “I Am” Project, an initiative that weaves contemplative and spiritual practices into daily life in meaningful, practical ways. A trauma survivor and someone in long-term recovery from an eating disorder, Rabbi Yali brings honesty, warmth, and deep empathy to her work—meeting others where they are, with a steady presence and an open heart.
Through one-on-one support, group sessions, classroom work, and leadership consultation, Rabbi Yali helps people nurture emotional strength, spiritual well-being, and a deeper sense of wholeness.
Yali worked with our sixth grade classes for three years. Her "I Am" Project workshops taught students and teachers to incorporate social-emotional wellness into the classroom environment. In a tracked study, students performed better on assessments and reported higher rates of positive feedback regarding their levels of anxiety, and mental wellbeing as compared to previous years, and throughout the year. Parents reported their children being more capable of expressing their frustration and anger at home in healthy ways, and exhibiting calm and informed approaches to problem solving.
Bala Cynwyd Middle School
