Nerya Refael Knafo was born in Ashdod and lives in Jerusalem. A graduate of the High Yeshiva of Or-Etzion and political science and government at the Open University, he is currently a fellow in the Beit Midrash for Israel Rabbis of the Hartman Institute and the Midrasha at Oranim. Formerly, Nerya has served as a political strategist, a news editor, director of the Jewish Pluralism Watch, and the founder of social-political batei midrash. Today, Nerya serves as liturgist, director of prayer, associate rabbi, and artistic director at Zion community in Jerusalem. He is an author, lecturer, facilitator, and creative performer of contemporary  iterations of traditional liturgical poetry.