Founder and President

Dr. Kimball Taylor is a Family Physician who resides and practices in Cardston, Alberta, Canada. His first trip to Israel was in 1987, and he quickly fell in love with the land, and the people. Since then, Dr. Taylor has been to Israel many times, and never tires of the wonder of it.

In an effort to increase his knowledge and understanding of the country and the heritage of the Jewish people, he has been pursuing a Master's Degree in Jewish Studies in Chicago for the past few years. This has resulted in a realization of the struggles faced by the Jewish people, past and present, and a deep appreciation for the covenants God has made with this "Peculiar People."

Dr. Taylor founded "The Children of Israel Foundation" on April 6, 1998, to provide an avenue whereby Christians could assist in blessing the lives of those of The House of Israel wherever they may be in need. The Foundation serves to strengthen ties between Christians and Jews and promote understanding and assistance.

Dr. Taylor completed his medical school and training in Family Practice at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. He has practiced in Cardston for twenty years and currently serves as Chief of Staff of the Cardston General Hospital. He is a member of The College of Family Physicians of Canada and the American Academy of Family Physicians. Dr. Taylor is a nationally recognized speaker on the subject of "Stress and Depression", and has lectured across Canada. He has also been affiliated with "BYU Education Week", and has also lectured extensively to Christian groups about Israel.

Dr. Taylor and his wife, Marianne (Evans), have four children: Rebecca, Leslie, Mark, and Timothy.

A practicing Christian, Dr. Taylor has a great love for the people and land of Israel, and a firm belief that God's promises to His covenant people will be kept.

Executive Director

Dal Zemp has always had a great love for children - especially those who are disabled. His spectacular success in the business world has not diminished or detracted from his desire to reach out to those less fortunate - whether it be through the World Special Olympics, where he served in senior executive positions in Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, and Salzburg, Austria - or through his work with The Children of Israel Foundation. Dal is equally at home in the Board Room of CEOs of major corporations in New York or Frankfurt, or in running a track meet for disabled children in his small home town of Cardston, Alberta. His experience and enthusiasm make the wheels of the Foundation turn.

Mr. Zemp and his wife Amy have six children: Timothy, Trisha, Michelle, Matthew, Emily, and Kimberly.

Board Member

Michael Ballam has had an operatic and recital career spanning two decades and four continents. A native of Logan, Utah, Mr. Ballam has performed in the major concert halls of America, Europe, Asia, Russia, and the Middle East, with command performances at the Vatican and the White House. His operatic repertoire includes more than 600 performances of over 70 major roles. He has shared the stage with the world's greatest singers, including Joan Sutherland, Kiri Te Kanawa, Birgit Nilsson, and Placido Domingo, performing regularly with such companies as the Chicago Lyric, Santa Fe, Dallas, Washington, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and San Diego Operas.

Mr. Ballam also currently serves as General Director of the Utah Festival Opera, a company he founded in 1993. It has become one of the nation's major summer festivals, with growing national critical acclaim.

Board Member

Dr. Wilson is a physician who also received a Ph.D. from Hebrew Union College in Hebrew and Cognate Studies. He lived in Israel for several years, where he spent time at Hebrew University and also worked on the translation of cuneiform tablets at the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem. He has participated in archeological excavations in Israel, and has published several articles and books on the languages and religions of the Ancient Near East. More recently, he was responsible for creating an electronic Dead Sea Scroll database and for the digitizing of early Aramaic Christian manuscripts both at the Vatican and in the Middle East.

Board Member

Currently Professor of Pharmacology and Nutrition at Brigham Young University, Bruce Woolley is a career educator in the fields of pharmacology and nutrition and has also served as Managing Director, Health Services, Brigham University for ten years.

Dr. Woolley is a much sought after speaker and a world authority on several subjects, including international health. He has lectured in almost every state of the United States and in over twenty foreign countries. He is widely published and serves on several State and National committees. Dr. Woolley is also the founder and Executive Vice President of "Collegium Aesculapium", a group of physicians who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Children of Israel Foundation is pleased to be associated with Dr.Woolley and thanks him for the support of "Collegium Aesculapium."

Bruce is married with four children and eleven grandchildren.

Advisory Board Member

Dr. Jacob (Jake) D. Dustin earned his BS degree in Civil Engineering from the US Air Force Academy and his MS and PhD in Civil (Water Resources) Engineering from Brigham Young University. He served a distinguished 25-year career in the USAF both as a pilot and civil/environmental engineer. In 1995 he retired from the Air Force and entered the private sector where he specializes in managing environmental remediation projects for both the Department of Energy and the US Air Force.

Advisory Board Member

Rabbi Yechiel Z. Eckstein is the founder and president of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, a bridge-building organization committed to promoting greater understanding and tolerance between Christians and Jews and broadening support and cooperation for Israel. Rabbi Eckstein, an Orthodox Rabbi ordained at New York's Yeshiva University, has become the world's leading Jewish authority on Evangelical Christians. Recently, he made aliyah and became a citizen of Israel. He was also appointed Advisor to the Prime Minister of Israel over Jewish-Christian relations worldwide.

Rabbi Eckstein holds masters degrees from Yeshiva University and Columbia University, where he also completed studies for his doctorate. Rabbi Eckstein has also served on the faculties of Columbia University, Chicago Theological Seminary and Northern Baptist Seminary, and serves on the international board of Directors of the Jewish Agency for Israel, Worldwide Keren Hayesod for Israel, the Joint Distribution Committee, and the American Refugee Committee. He recently was also appointed International President of the Jerusalem Economic Forum.

Rabbi Eckstein has represented the Jewish faith at numerous official functions, including conducting a Passover Seder for the United States Senate, and serving as the Jewish representative at the National Day of Prayer.

Advisory Board Member

Dr. Griffin is the former Editor-in-Chief of "Postgraduate Medicine", one of the country's most distinguished medical journals. He has also had extensive experience in international medicine, and is recognized world-wide as an authority in his field.

Advisory Board Member

Mark L. McConkie is a Professor of Public Management at the Graduate School of Public Affairs (GSPA) at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Formerly the Resident Dean of the Graduate School of Public Affairs, he obtained his Doctors Degree in Public Administration from the University of Georgia. His disciplinary focus has been the study of organization development and change, management development, and leadership. He is also a Part Time Associate of the Franklin Covey Company, with whom he has taught leadership and management skills to Fortune 500 Companies and their clients for over a decade. At the same time he has been active in church and civic service, though his central affections are reserved for his wife, his nine children and their children.

Advisory Board Member

Mr. Raviv, a native Israeli, possesses a great love for his country and people. He is currently the Director General of The New Jerusalem Foundation, and is responsible for all social, cultural, and educational programs within Jerusalem. Since 1998, Mr. Raviv has served as the Chief Advisor to the Mayor of Jerusalem. One of his responsibilities is to coordinate the City's contacts with Jewish and non-Jewish communities worldwide, establishing social, economic, and cultural ties between the City of Jerusalem and its supporters. Before his work in the Mayor's office, he served as the Director of Development and Training for Keren Hayesod/United Israel Appeal Worldwide, where he supervised the development of training systems and programs currently used in over 40 countries. Of special note is the work he contributed to the establishment of the Young Leadership Division, which has blessed numerous nations around the globe.

In 1967, Mr. Raviv was the first person to advocate freedom for Soviet Jews to immigrate to Israel. The organization he founded ultimately changed Israeli government policy after discussion with Prime Minister Golda Meir.

In addition to his civilian exploits, Mr. Raviv served in the Israeli military in the wars of 1967 and 1973. In every aspect of his life, Mr. Raviv tirelessly champions Israel and its Holy City.

Mr. Raviv is married, and has two children.

Advisory Board Member

Andrew C. Skinner was born and raised in Colorado. He attended the University of Colorado where he earned his BA degree in history. He then earned an MA degree from the Iliff School of Theology in Jewish Studies and a ThM degree from Harvard in Biblical Hebrew. He did graduate work at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel. His PhD was awarded from the University of Denver in Near Eastern and European History, specializing in Judaism.

Since September 2000 Mr. Skinner has served as the Dean of Religious Education at Brigham Young University. Prior to his current appointment, he served as chair of the department of Ancient Scripture at BYU. He is the author, or co-author, of over 90 publications.

He and his wife, Janet Corbridge, reside in Lindon, Utah and they are the parents of six children.