Yehonathan Schiff

Senior Staff Member

​Yehonathan Schiff is a senior staff member of the Mandel Leadership Institute. Prior to his work at Mandel, he was a member of the research and development team of Avney Rosha – The Israeli Institute for School Leadership. In parallel, he was a lecturer and practicum instructor in Achva Academic College’s training program for school principals and a mentor for beginning principals on behalf of Avney Rosha. Previously, Yehonathan was the principal of the Alon elementary school in Kiryat Anavim. Under his leadership, the school won a district award for best educational climate, an award for optimal induction of novice teachers, and awards for educational initiatives from the Fund for Innovative Education and the Israeli Green Building Council. In the past, Yehonathan was the director of the programs of the non-profit organization “Bakehila – Leading Social Change” in the Neve Ya'akov neighborhood of Jerusalem, which worked toward reducing educational and social gaps among children and teenagers in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Yehonathan holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics and computer science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a master's degree in Hebrew literature from Tel Aviv University and is also a graduate of the Czech literature program at Charles University in Prague. He is interested in the intersections and interrelationships between formal and nonformal education, as well as in cultivating curiosity from the child's point of view. As part of his work as a senior staff member of the Mandel Program for Academic Leadership in Teacher Education, Yehonathan is responsible for the pedagogical development of study days and elective courses, as well as facilitating study-day activities and advising fellows regarding the implementation of their initiatives in their academic institutions. A graduate of Cohort 20 of the Mandel School for Educational Leadership, Yehonathan is also involved in carpentry and permaculture gardening.