He received his Bachelor of Education and teaching credentials from the Wingate Institute, Israel, where he was later invited to join the faculty. He received his Master of Arts in Dance from the University of Surrey, England. He worked as a dancer, dance educator, and lecturer in Israel, England, Australia, and the USA. Rael was introduced to Pilates in the late 1970’s and has been practicing and teaching Pilates on 5 continents ever since. 

In 1989 Rael founded BASI Pilates® (Body Arts and Science International), a comprehensive Pilates education organization spanning the globe. It is headquartered in Newport Beach, California and is represented in over 50 countries. In excess of 50,000 students have experienced the BASI Teacher Training Programs, Learn From The Leaders conferences, and other Advanced and Continuing Education courses and workshops. 

Rael is the author of two highly acclaimed Pilates books, Pilates and Pilates Anatomy (Human Kinetics); the latter co-authored with Karen Clippinger. Both have been translated into multiple languages and together sold around a quarter of a million copies. In addition, Rael has produced a series of professional workbooks (over 1,000 pages of content) which are a roadmap for professionals guiding them through the fundamental to the most advanced repertoire, taught in the BASI Legacy Program. He spearheaded the development of BASI Interactive, the one-of-a-kind online software and designed the original concepts for BASI Systems® Pilates equipment.

In the early 2000’s Rael was featured in a series of DVD’s that are still popular around the world today. He was a founding board member of the Pilates Method Alliance and has written for, and been featured in, several professional publications. He was the Q&A expert for Pilates Style magazine for over 7 years and appeared on the cover of the August 2020 issue.

Rael is respected as both a teacher and a practitioner. He is honored to be part of the great legacy of Pilates teachers and mentors. He has studied from, and taught with, luminaries of the Pilates world including several of the Pilates Elders, first generation teachers, among them Kathy Grant, who Rael regards as his greatest teacher and mentor. Kathy described Rael as “the male that Mr. Pilates wished for to continue his work.” In 2022 he was the first person who did not study directly with Joseph Pilates to be inducted into the PMA Legacy Circle in recognition of his contribution to the Pilates industry.

Rael’s pioneering initiatives have left an indelible mark on the universal practice of Pilates, ranging from the game changing F2 System of equipment to the BASI Block System, a unique methodology of categorizing Pilates exercises. His unyielding professionalism has touched each one of the thousands of students who have passed through his hands. Rael’s passion for the art of Pilates is well known as is the unique athleticism he brings to the method – a synthesis of body, mind, and spirit.