Graduates

Mandel Program for Leadership in Jewish Culture: Cohort 6

October 2022 – July 2023

Eden Abitbol

Jerusalem | Poet, Screenwriter, and Columnist

Eden Abitbol is a poet, screenwriter, and columnist. The son of returnees to Judaism who became ultra-Orthodox, he graduated from Lithuanian Haredi yeshivot in Israel. While in yeshiva, he wrote a monthly column exploring the experiences of Haredi children of newly religious parents for Adraba, a magazine for the newly observant, under a pen name. Eden studied screenwriting at the Ma’aleh Film School, and is presently an assistant writer and content consultant for the TV series Shababnikim. He is also in the process of writing a full-length movie script. Eden’s first book of poetry, We Were Meant for Other Great Things, was published by Tangier Press to considerable acclaim. He has served as editor of the Haredi literature and arts section of the Yehee journal, and is now working on launching Nu Nu, a Haredi arts and culture salon that will be based in the Uri Zvi House in Jerusalem. Since 2020, Eden has written a weekly column called Yeshiva Tales, which explores the daily life of Haredi yeshiva students, in the Motzash magazine of Makor Rishon. His second book of poetry, Pargod, is soon to be published. Eden is married and a father of two.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Maya Buenos

Jerusalem | Writer, Director, and Journalist

Maya Buenos is a writer, director, and journalist. The winner of the 2020 Rosenblum Prize for Performing Arts, Maya holds a bachelor’s degree (cum laude) from the theater studies department of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a master’s degree in fine arts (cum laude) from Tel Aviv University. Maya has performed in various stage and screen productions, and is a member of the Holot Theater, a group of Israelis and asylum seekers directed by Dr. Chen Alon. Her works explore documentary materials and adapt them for the stage, informed by an appreciation of the power of the stage to reflect life truths. Her better-known works include Din Sotah, which explores the link between sexual assault and religious purification rituals; Syndrome E: A Concert in Three Acts, a musical concert about the Eichmann trial; May this House Comfort You, about the abducted Yemenite children affair; and October, about PTSD following the Yom Kippur War. She has also adapted Àlex Rigula’s Macho Man, an audiovisual installation on gender violence, and directed it at the Israel Festival. Alongside her writing work, Maya serves as the artistic director of various projects, and is a journalist for Ma’ariv and the feminist news magazine PoliticallyCorret. She comes from a Sephardi family with roots dating back ten generations in Jerusalem.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Matanel Buzaglo

Yeruham | Writer and Content Developer

Matanel Buzaglo is a writer and content developer who teaches and writes at various batei midrash and is active in the renaissance of traditional Judaism within the frameworks of Kulna Jerusalem, the Masorti Movement in Israel, and Tikkun – A Center for Gathering, Education and Social Change. Matanel works as a content developer for The One Hundred Initiative, which promotes centrist political leadership. He believes in the strength and fertility of Jewish tradition to address the political and cultural challenges faced by Israeli society. Matanel holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and Jewish thought from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. He is married and a father of one, and lives in Yeruham, after growing up in Dimona.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

David (Duchi) Cohen

Jerusalem | Multidisciplinary Artist, Curator, and Art Critic

David (Duchi) Cohen is a multidisciplinary artist, curator, and art critic, who grew up in Ma’alot-Tarshiha and lives and works in Jerusalem. He graduated with honors from the Pardes School of Visual Art (2019), holds a bachelor’s degree in history from the Open University (2021), and is currently studying for a master’s degree in the department of Land of Israel studies and archaeology at Bar-Ilan University. Duchi has had solo exhibitions at the New Spirit House (2021) and the Tapuz Gallery (2022), and participated in group exhibitions including the Jerusalem Biennale (2017, 2019, 2021), Jerusalem Design Week (2018), the Fresh Paint Art Fair (2020), the David Yellin College Gallery (2021), the Edmond de Rothschild Center (2022), and more. In 2021, Duchi established the Tapuz Gallery with a group of friends – a cooperative gallery in the Alliance House in Jerusalem, where he is co-chief curator. He is also an art writer and editor, writes art criticism for the Erev Rav magazine, and has edited the visual arts section of the Bar journal.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Mor Deree-Elbaz

Tel Aviv-Jaffa | Cultural Entrepreneur, Non-profit Director, and Social Activist

Mor Deree-Elbaz is a cultural entrepreneur and the director of the non-profit organization Beit System Ali, a movement for cultural, educational, and political change, and a home for artists working to reduce cultural gaps, promote distributive justice, build bridges between populations, and change current realities. Mor is a lecturer in the department of cultural studies, creation and production at Sapir College, where she teaches subjects related to cultural management, writing, creating cultural content, and producing events with a cultural-artistic-social orientation. She believes in the power of cultural activism, combining art, creativity, and social change. Mor holds a bachelor’s degree in cultural studies from Sapir College, and a master’s degree in policy and theory of the arts from Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design Jerusalem. Mor was born in Ofakim, raised in Beer Sheva, and now lives in Tel Aviv-Jaffa. She is married and a mother.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Dege Feder

Kiryat Tivon | Choreographer, Dancer, Musician, and Dance Company Director

Dege Feder is a choreographer, dancer, and director of the Beta dance troupe, which combines traditional Ethiopian dance and contemporary dance. She was lead dancer for the Eskista dance company in the original line-up of the Beta company, appearing at many festivals in Israel and around the world. As choreographer for Beta, Dege has performed in Ethiopia and ran a workshop for the Ethiopian National Theater’s dance company. She also works independently, and has performed at the Jacob’s Pillow Festival and has run dance workshops in the United States. In 2020, Dege performed in Yasmin by composer Professor Oded Zehavi with the Beer Sheva Symphony Orchestra in Costa Rica, where she also ran a workshop for the national dance company. In addition, she has held a residency at Ohio University, where she performed her own work Jallo. For many years, Dege has worked as a dance teacher for empowerment projects for women and girls in the Ethiopian Israeli community. She was awarded the Ministry of Culture Young Choreographer Prize (2018), a New Israel Fund prize (2020), the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption Prize for Outstanding Contribution to Society and State (2021), and the Neve Shechter and Yehoshua Rabinovich Foundation Prize for Contemporary Israeli Art (2022).*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Youval Friedman

Lapid | Screenwriter, Script Editor, and Lecturer

Youval Friedman is a screenwriter, script editor, and writing lecturer. He has written scripts for political satire shows (The Jews are Coming, Eretz Nehederet, and more), television dramas (Zanzouri, The Good Cop, and more), entertainment shows (Yatzpan, Chalomot BeHakitzis Daydream, and more), and children’s and youth shows (Elisha, Crowded, and more). Youval participated in the Film and Media Collaborative, an initiative of the Gesher Foundation and AVI CHAI, where he developed a historical series on Queen Berenice of the Second Temple era. He participated in the Series Mania festival as part of a French-Israeli residency for television writing, during which he developed a family comedy in Hebrew and French. Youval holds a bachelor’s degree (cum laude) in film and television and a master’s degree (cum laude) in cultural research, both from Tel Aviv University. His final master’s project developed into the feature film Provence United (Beitar Provence), which won first prize at the Haifa Film Festival and was nominated for 11 Ophir Awards (Israel’s Oscar equivalent), including for best script and best film, eventually winning three, for best actor, supporting actor, and music. Youval lectures at Sapir College and teaches screenwriting, television series development, and satirical writing. He is married and a father of four, lives in Lapid, and is 51, although he looks younger and feels older.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Valeria Geselev

Haifa | Independent Curator, Artist, Writer, and Lecturer

Valeria Geselev is an independent curator, artist, writer, and lecturer. The daughter of Soviet engineers, she grew up as a Jew in Ukraine and as an immigrant in Israel. Valeria’s work is inspired by a decade of work in journalism and five years of relocation in South Africa. When she completed her curatorship studies at the University of Cape Town, the head of the program dubbed her a “creative social worker.” In 2012, she established the Yalla Shoola! curatorial agency. Through it, she has created community-oriented exhibitions and workshops in public spaces such as libraries, commercial spaces, and streets in the years since. Valeria lives and works in Haifa, where she conducts research and creates socially engaged art, with an emphasis on gender equality and diversity. Her most recent projects include the public exhibitions A Hundred Sunrises in a Day and Celebrating, founding the Corridor Gallery at the Technion, and establishing the Faculty of Revolutionary Young Women at Beit Hagefen, The Arab-Jewish Culture Center in Haifa. Valeria is an avid jazz fan, and believes in peace.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Nir Goraly

Ra’anana | Podcast Editor, Journalist, and Radio Broadcaster

Nir Goraly is a podcaster, journalist, music programmer, and radio broadcaster. He has worked for the radio division of the Kan public broadcasting corporation since its creation in 2017, and has served as the senior editor of its podcast division since 2021. Nir is a producer and host of the podcast “Shir Echad” (One Song); the producer of “Lech Tizkor” (Memorate), a program about the way we remember the Holocaust; the creator of “Shir Stav,” (Autumn Song), a podcast about music and radio during the Yom Kippur War; and the producer of several other radio shows and podcasts for the Kan culture division. He is also a broadcaster and music programmer for the Kan 88 radio station. Nir has written about music for some of Israel’s leading newspapers and websites, including Ha’aretz, City Mouse, Time Out, and Walla. He is married and a father of three, and lives in Ra’anana.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Mishy Harman

Jerusalem | Storyteller and Activist

Mishy Harman is a Jerusalem-based storyteller and activist. In 2011, together with three of his childhood friends, he founded Israel Story, one of the first podcasts in Israel and the first to make the transition to being broadcast on a national radio station. Since then, he has hosted the show and led the non-profit organization that emerged around it. Today, Israel Story is the most listened-to Israeli and Jewish podcast in the world, with hundreds of thousands of listeners in more than 190 countries. The organization employs 15 full-time producers, who work on a wide range of storytelling projects that stem from the understanding that “a person is a person is a person, no matter what,” and that we will only be able to grow, both as individuals and as a society, if we listen to one another. Mishy grew up in Jerusalem and was a member of “Noam,” the Conservative youth movement, eventually becoming its national chair. Following his military service, he studied abroad, completing a bachelor’s degree in history at Harvard University and a master’s degree in archaeology at the University of Cambridge. Mishy holds a doctorate from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where his dissertation focused on the life of Samuel Gobat, the first missionary to work in Ethiopia, who later became the Protestant bishop of Jerusalem in the 19th century. He is a prominent neighborhood activist and leads major municipal campaigns. Mishy lives in the Abu Tor neighborhood of Jerusalem with his wife, their young daughter, and their two dogs.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Shira Hefer

Tel Aviv | Publisher and Translator

Shira Hefer is the founder and owner of Locus Publishing House. She speaks eight languages and is a translator by training. In 2012, she co-founded Zikit Books, paving the way for the rise of independent publishing in Israel. In 2015, Shira left Zikit and founded Locus Publishing House, with the aim of providing Hebrew readers with the best of contemporary literature from around the world, alongside original Hebrew literature. In 2020, with several colleagues, she created The Literary Collective, an association of independent publishers that has launched collaborative initiatives, including an annual independent literature fair that is now supported by the Tel Aviv municipality. In 2019, Shira received the Minister of Culture’s Award for Publication of a Debut Book. She lives in Tel Aviv, and is married and a mother of three.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Liat Itzhaki

Beit Horon | Singer, Songwriter, and Presenter

Liat Itzhaki is a singer, songwriter, lyricist, television and radio presenter, and cultural director. At the start of her career, she wrote piyyutim (devotional poems) for the Israeli Andalusian Orchestra, and was one of the first women in Israel to sing piyyutim. Her music links her personal-female world with the world of piyyut, singing, and Jewish melodies, bridging the music of the holy and the secular, the old and the new. In her work and in the television programs she has presented, Liat advocates for women and works to have their voices heard in Israel’s public and cultural arenas. A winner of Israel’s prestigious ACUM music prize, Liat sings in Hebrew, Arabic, Spanish, and Ladino, and performs in Israel and abroad. She holds a master’s degree in law from Bar-Ilan University, is married, and a mother of five.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Sharon Karni

Tel Aviv | Content Editor, Screenwriter, and Director

Sharon Karni is a content editor, screenwriter, and director, and is the deputy CEO of the Beyond Creative production company. Previously, she was the head of the documentary department at Artza Productions. In recent years, Sharon has mainly edited and directed documentary series with a social orientation, including The Extra-Ordinaries with Roni Kuban, The System with Miki Haimovich, and Hanoch Levin – A Life We’ve Never Seen Before. Sharon also created the television interview format of Rendezvous with Roni Kuban, and is one of the creators of the documentary film The Shakshuka Method and of a documentary-activist television series by Mickey Rosenthal. Sharon holds a bachelor’s degree in law and a master’s degree in business administration. Born and raised in Haifa, she lives in Tel Aviv with her husband and their two children.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Shlomo Pyuterkovski

Beit El | Journalist and Columnist for Makor Rishon

Journalist Shlomo Pyuterkovski is the legal columnist for the weekly Makor Rishon newspaper, and previously served as the editor of the Makor Rishon news website. Prior to that, he held a variety of writing and editing positions at the B’Sheva newspaper and the Arutz 7 Israel National News website, and wrote opinion pieces and commentary for Yedioth Ahronoth. Shlomo’s writing focuses on political and legal issues, as well as the tension between Israel’s definition as a Jewish and democratic state. He also writes about the history of religious Zionism and the challenges it has faced from its founding until the present day. In addition to his journalism, Shlomo lectures in a variety of settings and runs writing workshops. He lives in Beit El, where he was raised, and is married and a father of five.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Maor Sabag

Tel Aviv | CEO and Co-Founder of OurStory, Musician, and Music Director

Maor Sabag, CEO and co-founder of OurStory, is an entrepreneur, multidisciplinary musician, composer, music director, and theater professional. He was awarded the Israel Theater Prize in 2017 for his debut work Solika, a musical based on a Moroccan folktale he heard from his grandmother as a child. Maor was born in Rehovot to a national religious family that immigrated to Israel from Morocco. He studied at the Mitzpe Ramon High School, the Bar-Ilan Arts and Sciences Yeshiva in Tel Aviv, and the Rimon School of Music. Maor has worked with the largest record companies in Israel, including NMC, Helicon, and Aroma Music, and has performed and collaborated with leading musicians such as Ishay Ribo, Nasreen Qadri, Yuval Dayan, and more. He has worked as the composer and musical director for several theaters, including the Cameri Theater of Tel Aviv (Ze Ani – This is Me) and the Beer Sheva Theater (Solika). He has won prizes for setting poems of Uri Zvi Greenberg, Avraham Stern, and Erez Biton to music (2012–2013). Maor’s work is inspired by the religious Jewish world in which he was raised. In 2021, he began directing the play Oshri by Maor Zaguri, in his directorial debut. In 2022, he founded OurStory, a digital initiative to document and preserve Israeli life stories and heritage.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Bacol Serlui

Beit Shemesh | Teacher, Poet, Literary Critic, and Editor

Bacol Serlui is a teacher, poet, literary critic, and editor who was born and raised in Jerusalem. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Bible studies and literature from the Michlalah Jerusalem College, and a master’s degree (summa cum laude) in comparative literature from Bar-Ilan University. Bacol has written three books of poetry which have won prizes including the Minister of Culture’s Prize, the Prime Minister’s Prize, and the Dulitzky Prize. In 2022, Bacol was awarded the Yehuda Amichai Prize for Hebrew Poetry. She has also received a commendation from the Hebrew Poetry Prize in Memory of Nechama Rivlin. Bacol teaches literature at the Ohr Torah Stone high school in Jerusalem, and advanced poetry writing in the creative writing program at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She also writes literary and cultural criticism for Makor Rishon, and the “Omeret Shira” (Speaking Poetry) poetry criticism column in its weekly supplement. Bacol has edited two books of prose, published by Yedioth Books, as well as half a dozen poetry books. She is a co-facilitator of the poetry workshop run by the Mashiv Haruach journal, which she co-edits. She is married and a mother of one.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Rachel Shalev

Pardes Hanna | Illustrator, Writer, and Comic Artist

Rachel Shalev is an illustrator, writer, and comic artist. Her autobiographical work explores the daily experience of family life, parenthood, relationships, and femininity, using humor and storytelling that convey normalization, criticism, and empathy. Rachel lectures on illustration in different media. She also does live illustrations for music events, conferences, and productions of different kinds. Rachel is currently working on a graphic novel based on a classic Israeli book for young adults, as well as on other projects and initiatives in diverse media. She lives in Pardes Hanna with her husband and their five children.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Neta Shoshani

Tel Aviv | Documentary Film Director

Neta Shoshani is a documentary film director. Her film Born in Deir Yassin, about the Deir Yassin massacre in 1948 and the Kfar Shaul psychiatric hospital that was built on the remains of the village, was highly successful; it won awards at festivals in Israel and abroad, and was nominated for the Ophir Prize (Israel’s Oscar equivalent). Neta’s work includes the series House Call, which follows a team of hospice workers who support terminally ill patients and allow them to die at home, Handa Handa 4, Moran’s Brain, and Hossam’s Conflict. In 2023, a comprehensive documentary project on the 1948 war that Neta directed will be broadcast on the Kan 11 public television channel. Neta holds a bachelor’s degree in visual communications from Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design Jerusalem. A native of Jerusalem, she lives and works in Tel Aviv, and is a mother of two.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Eden Uliel

Pardes Hanna | Playwright, Theater Actor, and Cultural Entrepreneur

Eden Uliel is a playwright, theater actor, and cultural entrepreneur. She is a founder of the Freichot ensemble, an activist theater group committed to providing a platform for silenced voices in Israeli society. The ensemble’s productions include the cult show Frecha – A Beautiful Name, as well as the play Mothers, which delves into the stolen Yemenite children affair during the early years of the state. In 2020, Eden penned an alternative version of the original Frecha Song, which examines the true meaning of the term “frecha,” a word used to denote an uncultured and promiscuous woman, usually of Mizrahi descent. As a playwright, Eden explores the deep-rooted relationship between Hebrew and Arabic, which spans words, culture, history, and spiritual life. Her plays include Umm Kulthum, a production based on the life story of the legendary Egyptian singer and written for the Jaffa Theater. Eden is an actor and creator at the Yadit Theater in Pardes Hanna, where she is also the marketing manager. In this capacity, she initiates new cultural activities and works to position Pardes Hanna as a groundbreaking cultural hub. Eden seeks to be a bridge between people, ideas, cultures, and languages, and explores, with curiosity and creativity, connections that have been lost due to war. She believes that theater belongs to everyone, and that it is essential to create platforms, content, and effective marketing strategies in order to reach all populations, including the child she once was, who longed to be included, and now has the opportunity to make the situation better for others. Eden is married and a mother of one, and lives in Pardes Hanna.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Matan Zur

Lod | Screenwriter, Comic, Playwright, and Online Content Creator

Matan Zur is a screenwriter, comic, playwright, and online content creator He is a member of “Underdos,” a religious comedy troupe, in which he creates online sketches and performs in shows throughout Israel. Matan also has his own standup show, and is as presenter and MC at various events. He is also an independent screenwriter, writing scripts for music videos, political videos, and marketing videos for assorted production and animation companies, as well as children’s dramas for the Meir TV channel, the Sulamot non-profit organization, and more. In addition, he writes plays for children and youth for the Orna Porat Children’s Theater and the Kibbutz Theater. Together with Yair Yaakobi, Matan wrote and hosted the Zur and Yaakobi podcast, for Kan Podcasts. He has also served as a content reviewer for the Israel Film Fund, the Shomron Cinema Fund, and the Northern Film Fund. Matan is the author of Haggadah Interrupted, published by Yedioth Books, and has appeared on the television shows Ad Kan on the Kan 11 public broadcasting channel and The Day That Was with Guy Zohar on Channel 10. He is married to Avital and a father of five, and lives in Lod.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

About The Program

Mandel Program for Leadership in Jewish Culture: Cohort 5

October 2021 – July 2022

Rotem Atar

Haifa | Translator and Cultural Entrepreneur

Rotem Atar translates French and English prose and poetry to Hebrew. The recipient of the Minister of Culture’s Translation Prize for 2019, she directs Poetry Place, a literary center in Haifa. Books translated by Rotem include Exercises in Style by Raymond Queneau, The Colour of Milk by Nell Leyshon, The Art of Struggle by Michel Houellebecq, The Influence of Literature by Madame de Staël, and more. Married and a mother of two, Rotem is a member of Mifras, an urban kibbutz in Kiryat Sprinzak, Haifa.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Eli Bijaoui

Tel Aviv | Translator, Writer, and Director

Eli Bijaoui is a theater translator, director, and playwright. Born in Tel Aviv to parents from France and Tunisia, he is a graduate of the theater directing and teaching track of the Kibbutzim College of Education’s school of performing arts. Eli has translated a diverse range of works into Hebrew from both French and English, for different audiences. These include classics such as Molière’s Tartuffe and Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Othello; modern plays such as Sartre’s Huis Clos and Cocteau’s Les Parents Terribles; and musicals such as Mamma Mia, Cabaret, and West Side Story. He also adapted the famous American children’s book Library Lion into a long-running, successful play. Eli’s translations of classic plays have been published by Locus and have been studied at various schools and academic institutions in recent years. He was awarded the Israel Theater Prize in 2015, 2016, and 2017 for his translations, and received the 2020 Rosenblum Prize for the Performing Arts in recognition of his contribution to making foreign-language plays accessible to Israeli audiences. Eli lives in Tel Aviv with his partner and their three children.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Eness Elias

Tel Aviv | Writer, Journalist, and Researcher

Eness Elias is a writer and researcher whose work mainly addresses Jewish-Arab culture and gender. Since 2016, she has written a column in Ha’aretz that explores sociological, cultural, historical, and class issues relating to Mizrahi, Arab, and Israeli identity and life. Eness has also had a short story published in the international literary magazine Granta. She lectures on gender and Mizrahi culture in various settings, and is a member of the editorial team of the medical encyclopedia Women and Their Bodies. Eness holds a master’s degree (summa cum laude) from the gender studies program at Tel Aviv University, where her thesis examined cultural research on sleep among women. She is currently working on an initiative in the field of communications.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Shai Ferdo

Bekoa | Actor, Producer, and Social Activist

Shai Ashto Ferdo is an actor, producer, and social activist who graduated from the Nissan Nativ Acting Studio and the School of Visual Theater. The founder and producer of the annual Sigdiada festival of Ethiopian culture, Shai was one of the founders of Natala Theater, the first Ethiopian theater in Israel. He was one of the main activists in the social protests of 2011, and founded youth groups promoting identity and empowerment. Shai lectures in Israel and abroad on behalf of various foundations, organizations, and national agencies. He has acted at the Herzliya Theater, the Khan Theater, the Beit Lessin Theater, and the Be’er Sheva Theater, and has appeared in numerous television series and movies. Shai presents a culture segment on a nightly television show and has participated in workshops as part of the Partnership2gether peoplehood platform pairing Tel Aviv and Los Angeles. Shai has been awarded the Zusman-JDC Prize for social action, the Yossi Harel Prize for his work in the field of immigration and absorption, the Ministry of Culture’s prize for Zionist-oriented art, and the Sharet Fund Prize for outstanding achievement in the arts. He is married and a father of two.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Sharon Glazberg

Ein Iron | Multidisciplinary Artist

Sharon Glazberg is a multidisciplinary artist whose work has been shown in solo exhibitions at galleries and museums in Israel and abroad including the Ein Harod Mishkan Museum of Art, the Raw Art and Rothschild 69 galleries in Tel Aviv, and the Islip Art Museum in New York. Her work has also been exhibited in group exhibitions at the Havana Biennale, the Jewish Museum in New York, the National Museum in New Delhi, the Petah Tikva Museum of Art, the Ashdod Museum, the Herzliya Museum, the Museum of the Negev, the Umm al-Fahem Art Gallery, and MoBY: Museums of Bat Yam. Sharon lectures at the University of Haifa and at Oranim Academic College of Education. In 2015, she co-founded Zumu, a community-based mobile museum of art. She was awarded the Minister of Culture Prize in 2015, the Community Artist Prize in 2016–2019, and a scholarship from the America–Israel Cultural Foundation for 2004–2005. Sharon holds a bachelor’s of fine arts degree from the San Francisco Institute of Art and a master’s degree from the University of Haifa. She is a mother of two.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Daphna Gottlieb

Jerusalem | Lawyer and Legislative Adviser

Daphna Gottlieb is Jerusalem native, with 22 generations of residence in Jerusalem on one side of her family, while the other side is first-generation Israeli. She is a lawyer in the department for legal counsel and legislation at the Ministry of Justice, which operates under the attorney general, and is responsible for legal support for government activity in the fields of culture, heritage, and national memory. Daphna works closely on an ongoing basis with the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Jerusalem and Heritage, and is charged with formulating expert opinions for the attorney general on relevant issues and projects. Among other undertakings, she is involved in the process to create comprehensive legislative and regulatory arrangements to protect cultural treasures and historical sites in Israel. Her work also covers questions relating to state support for Haredi and Arab culture, state support for the religious activities of the Reform movement in Israel, transgender rights, and more. Daphna holds a bachelor’s degree in law from Tel Aviv University and a master’s in law (cum laude) from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She is also a graduate of the Ministry of Justice’s Influencers leadership program. Daphna is a strong believer in the power of the law to create real social change, and in its importance in helping protect people and their rights.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Sivan Har Shefi

Tekoa | Poet, Facilitator, and Teacher of Creative Writing

Sivan Har Shefi is a poet, lecturer in literature, and facilitator of creative writing workshops at Bar-Ilan University and Herzog Academic College. She is one of the co-founders and leaders of the Zohar Chai beit midrash in Jerusalem, and a co-founder of Adabra, a creative study group addressing issues related to sexual abuse. Four of Sivan’s books have been published by Rythmus KM Press. Her writing has received the President’s Award for Hebrew Poetry (2019) and the Prime Minister’s Prize for Hebrew Literary Works (2012). Sivan edits the Atar journal of literature and the arts together with her life partner Avishar, and the two recently published a collaborative book of poetry, We Who Will Soon Become (Jerusalem, 2019). Sivan holds a doctorate in Hebrew literature from Bar-Ilan University. She is a mother of five.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Matan Hayat

Jerusalem | Cultural Entrepreneur and Educator

Matan Hayat is a Jerusalem-based educator, Israeli rabbi, and cultural entrepreneur who teaches at the Keshet high school. Matan has been among the founders of several Jerusalem initiatives: Singing in the Garden, a series of communal singing events in public spaces; Elul on the Path, a program of walking and study tours for youth; and Shabati, a series of cultural and leisure events in Jerusalem on Shabbat. He also directs Double Yerushalmi, a backgammon tournament for Jews and Arabs that is part of the encounters between Jerusalem’s Arab and Jewish residents developed by the nonprofit Kulna Yerushalayim, of which he is one of the founders. Matan has also served as executive director of Hakova Hahafuch (“the Upside-Down Hat”), a nonprofit organization that hosts cultural events with added value. Matan holds a bachelor’s degree in Bible and Jewish philosophy from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a master’s degree in Jewish education from the Hebrew University’s Revivim program. He is also a graduate of the Beit Midrash for Israeli Rabbis of the Shalom Hartman Institute and Oranim Academic College of Education, and a graduate of the Jewish Statesmanship Center. Matan is married and a father of two.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Maya Kosover

Tel Aviv | Podcast/Radio Presenter and Producer

Maya Kosover is a podcaster, documentarist, story hunter, and radio presenter and producer. She presents and produces for the podcast department of Kan, the Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation, where her podcast portfolio includes One Song, Pocket Animals, Zoom In, Kan Kids, and more. Maya was also a contributor to the Israel Story podcast series, which was produced by IDF Army Radio and was broadcast in its American version by NPR. An episode of Maya’s podcast was listed by The Atlantic as one of the best 50 podcasts episodes of the year, which resulted in her embarking on a short and unforgettable tour of the United States. Previously, Maya served as producer of the radio show Night Encounters with Kobi Medan, and directed Koteret Radio, a small radio station at 106FM. She is married and a mother of two.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Roni Kuban

Tel Aviv | Journalist, Director, and Playwright

Roni Kuban is a journalist, director, and playwright whose television interview series A Rendezvous with Roni Kuban won an award from the Israeli Academy of Film and Television four years in a row. His other productions include Age Crises (Channel 8), And Then Came Baby (Channel 8), A Life We’ve Never Seen Before (prizewinner from the Documentary Filmmaker Forum), and The Extra-Ordinaries (Kan 11). He also created numerous films for Ilana Dayan’s investigative show Uvda which made waves, such as “Between Two Moms,” an episode about the murder of Michal Selah, and more. He has also written two plays: Real Estate and Intimacy, both of which were produced by the Beit Lessin Theater. Roni was born in Ramat Gan and lives in Tel Aviv. He is married and a father of two.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Ofra Lax

Lod | Journalist, Author, and Social Activist

Ofra Lax is a journalist, columnist, author, and social activist who has worked in journalism for some two decades. She is a member of the editorial team of the B’sheva weekly newspaper, where she writes a column focusing on education and social issues and where she is in charge of cultural coverage. Ofra also leads panel discussions and workshops and give talks on various subjects, and is involved in women’s empowerment in the religious Zionist community. Ofra holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and communications and a certificate in journalism and communications, both from Bar-Ilan University. She is married and a mother of six and lives in Lod, where she is a social activist.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Shira Marili Mirvis

Efrat | Rabbanit and Halakhist

Rabbanit Shira Marili Mirvis is the spiritual leader of the Shirat Hatamar community in Efrat and the former head of the Yeud women’s beit midrash in Jerusalem. A graduate of the Susi Bradfield Women’s Institute of Halakhic Leadership at Midreshet Lindenbaum, a division of Ohr Torah Stone, she has successfully passed exams on the laws of Shabbat, blessings, mourning, marriage and betrothal, family purity, and more. Shira provides halakhic responsa on an individual basis and via Beit Hillel’s Meshivat Nefesh project, a website on which women and girls receive answers to questions of Jewish law from women. She has also completed a special training program for rabbis at the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, which included training including in spiritual counseling. Shira holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Bar-Ilan University, and is a graduate of the Bible studies and hermeneutics program at Matan—The Sadie Rennert Women's Institute for Torah Studies in Jerusalem. She produces a weekly daf yomi Talmud vlog for women and a podcast for women on the weekly Torah portion. She is married and a mother of five.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Arnon Naor

Tel Aviv | Entrepreneur, Singer Songwriter, and Musical Producer

Arnon Naor is an entrepreneur, singer, songwriter, and musical producer who is also the founder and co-chairman of Tzlilim – The Israeli Musicians’ Union. Arnon has released two albums under his artist name Sun Tailor and has performed hundreds of shows in his native Israel and all over the world. As a producer, Arnon has worked with Maya Johanna, Kili Halperin, and the rapper Saz (Sameh Zakout), with whom he released the single “Wake Up Now,” which was widely played on Israeli radio and on digital platforms. As a songwriter, he participated in the Lullaby Project, which premiered at Carnegie Hall, and wrote original music for the award-winning movie How to Say Silence. Arnon provides interactive musical experiences for youth and students as part of the Yalla Moozika initiative. In addition to his musical work, Arnon is a founder and co-chairman of Tzlilim–The Israeli Musicians’ Union. He is married and has a daughter.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Romy Neumark

Jerusalem | Journalist and Newscaster

Romy Neumark is the creator and host of the daily television program Night News on KAN, Israel’s Public Broadcasting Corporation, and is also the co-host of a weekly radio program. Romy is known for using the news as a tool for social change, and for promoting gender equality, diversity, and inclusiveness through her unique segments and the unconventional use of Hebrew language. For more than two decades, she has anchored breaking-news broadcasts as one of the country’s most trusted journalists. Romy established KAN’s peer mentoring initiative, which cultivates excellence in journalism and a work environment of growth. She holds a bachelor’s degree in literature and a master’s degree in Middle Eastern history, both from Tel Aviv University. Romy grew up in Emek Hefer, and lives in Jerusalem with her partner and son.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Henya Shochat

Bnei Brak | Standup Comedian, Writer, and Creative Artist

Henya Shochat is a standup comedian, writer, and creative artist. She is a columnist for the Haredi weekly magazine Mishpacha and for Pnima, a monthly women’s magazine for the national religious community. She also hosts a weekly radio show on the Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation’s Kan Heritage station. Henya began her work in the arts at the age of 16, when she wrote a Haredi “telenovela” for the Behadrei Haredim website, which was viewed tens of thousands of times. After working for leading PR firms in the religious and Haredi sector, Henya took the brave step of leaving her job to pursue comedy, and became known in the religious-Haredi women’s scene through her intelligent, groundbreaking standup routines for women. Subsequently, she also became popular among national-religious and non-religious audiences throughout Israel. A Haredi child of divorced parents, who is half Ashkenazi and half Moroccan, Henya writes, sings, and laughs about the pain of being a misfit in one’s own community. She sees humor as a wonderful bridge between husband and wife, daughter-in-law and mother-in-law, and most importantly, between different sectors of society. Henya is married and a mother of three, and lives in Bnei Brak.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Niv Shtendel

Tel Aviv | Writer, Editor, Journalist, and Content Creator

Niv Shtendel is a writer, senior editor and head of creative content at the Israeli news website mako. He has been working for over 15 years in print and digital media as a writer, interviewer, critic, columnist, editor, and content creator. In his past positions, Niv served as a film critic for the Ma’ariv newspaper and the NRG website; a television critic for Blazer and Achbar Ha’ir; a writer for Ha’aretz; and culture and opinion editor for the mako website. He writes opinion pieces, news commentary, cultural criticism, and magazine articles. Niv is the creator and editor of BOLD, a series of short videos presenting personal stories and opinions. He also serves as editor of special projects, develops digital and video content, and presents podcasts, including “Line in the Sand” and “What Did You Do in the Military?” A graduate (cum laude) of the scriptwriting track at Tel Aviv University’s department of film and television studies, Niv develops scripts for television. He also teaches journalistic editing in the department of Hebrew language at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and lectures both in Israel and abroad on culture, the media, and storytelling.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Avraham Stav

Alon Shvut | Rabbi and Columnist

Avraham Stav is a rabbi and columnist. He is a Talmud teacher at Yeshivat Machanayim (Or Torah Stone) and is a culture critic for the Makor Rishon newspaper. Avraham writes articles on Torah and rabbinic scholarship and is the author of three books on Jewish law and Jewish life, which focus on the Yom Kippur service in the temple, pregnancy loss, and sexuality and Jewish family life. He also writes about halakha and modern life online, especially on Facebook. Avraham holds rabbinical ordination and is finishing a doctorate in Jewish philosophy at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, where his thesis examines petitionary prayer in medieval Jewish thought. He is married and a father of five.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Shai Tsabari

Bat Yam | Singer, Songwriter, and Artistic Director

Shai Tsabari is a singer, songwriter, and artistic director. He began his musical career as a backup singer in Berry Sakharof and Rea Mochiach’s Adumey Hasefatot (“Red Lips”) ensemble, and in Berry Sakharof’s band. He has also worked with Ahuva Ozeri, Idan Reichel, Kutiman, and many others. In recent years, Shai has performed with his own band in Israel and abroad. Shai’s work connects the different musical worlds in contemporary Jewish and Israeli life, whether piyyut or pop, Eastern or Western, modern or traditional.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

About The Program

Mandel Program for Leadership in Jewish Culture: Cohort 4

November 2020 – July 2021

Dov Abramson

Jerusalem | Designer and Artist

Dov Abramson is a designer and artist who works mainly in the field of Jewish-Israeli culture and identity. He is the founder of a Jerusalem studio for design, illustration, and animation that seeks to explore the visual tension between the holy and the everyday and between tradition and innovation in Israel's vibrant society. His works have been exhibited at venues including the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco and the Mishkan Museum of Art in Ein Harod, and can be found in the collections of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem and the Jewish Museum in New York. Dov lectures at Musrara – The Naggar School of Art and Society, and is a board member of the Jerusalem Biennale. He is a graduate of the department of visual communications at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem, and received the Mike Felheim Prize for Outstanding Typography for his redesign of the classic Talmud page. Dov loves the Akko beach and Hebrew cantillation marks. He is married to Sarit and is a father of three.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Shai Abramson

Modi’in | IDF Chief Cantor

Lieutenant Colonel (Res.) Shai Abramson is a musician, singer, cantor, and producer, as well as the artistic director and commander of the Rabbinical Choir of the Israel Defense Forces. In his capacity as Chief Cantor of the IDF, he represents the Israeli army, the Ministry of Defense, and the State of Israel at official ceremonies and state events, both in Israel and abroad. Shay initiates, produces, and promotes concerts and performances of classical, Israeli, Eastern, and Western music and song, as well as performances of cantorial singing, and world music. He has performed as a singer and soloist in Israel and abroad, accompanied by leading orchestras, choirs, and musical ensembles that include the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon LeZion, and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Shai holds a bachelor’s degree in logistics and economics, and a master’s degree in political science from Bar-Ilan University. He is married and a father of four.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Esti Almo-Wexler

Jerusalem | Screenwriter and Director

Esti Almo-Wexler is the writer and director of the film Lady Titi Sings the Blues, a full-length comedy drama released in 2018, which was nominated for three Ofir Awards. In 2012, together with her husband Elad Wexler, she founded Abayenesh Productions, with the goal of increasing the visibility of Ethiopian Israelis in Israeli film and television. The company has produced talk shows, a children’s show, and more. Esti was a member of the Greenhouse Program, a women’s incubator run by the New Fund for Cinema and Television (NFCT). She received development grants for script writing from NFCT, the Yehoshua Rabinovich Tel Aviv Foundation for the Arts, the Israel Film Fund, and Nashim Batmuna – Women in the Picture (in conjunction with Mifal Hapayis and the Gesher Multicultural Film Fund). Esti studied photography at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, exhibited photographs in many exhibitions, and won numerous awards. She studied for a master’s degree in film and television at Tel Aviv University. She is married and a mother of two.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Shira Ben Eli

Jerusalem | Lawyer and Rabbinical Court Legal Assistant

Shira Ben Eli is a Jerusalem lawyer who is the first woman to serve as a legal assistant in Israel's rabbinical courts. She is also one of the founders of Arevot – Women Connecting Traditions, a beit midrash for women's social leadership that focuses on traditional Mizrahi religious feminism. Shira studies, writes about, discusses, and teaches a range of issues related to redressing injustices and to law and society. These include restorative justice for victims of sexual abuse; halakhic rulings based on the three pillars defined in the approach of Rabbi Joseph Messass (the law, intelligence, and time); reconnecting to traditional motherhood and continuing the chain of transmission; modern views of Jewish criminal law and its purposes; and promoting top-down and bottom-up change in line with current ethical ideas. Shira is a graduate of the Elul program of the Ein Prat Academy for Leadership, and leads a study group at Beit Prat for graduates of the academy. She is also a graduate of the Tidrashi program of Memizrach Shemesh, and of a training course for facilitators of restorative justice processes for victims of sexual abuse, run by the B'tzedek nonprofit organization.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Lior Benisty

Lod | Social Entrepreneur

Lior Benisty is the CEO of Ma’alot, a nonprofit organization working to reduce socioeconomic gaps via employment. Previously, he served as chair of the Association for Young Adults Centers in Israel, and was the founder and director of the "Young Lod" youth center. Lior is also a founder and board member of Jindas, a nonprofit organization dedicated to urban regeneration processes in Lod. Lior founded and directed the Social Film Festival in Lod, was the chair of the students’ union of Oranim Academic College, and was a board member of the National Union of Israeli Students. He was also a member of the professional team of the European Students’ Union that was responsible for measurement and evaluation, and was the founder and director of Kanfei Yona (Wings of a Dove), an initiative to document the Ethiopian Jewish heritage. An author of children's books, Lior is married and has a daughter.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Shmuel Drilman

Jerusalem | CEO of Better Digital and Digital Social Activist

Shmuel Drilman, CEO of Better Digital, is a computer programmer and a digital social activist on issues relating to religion and state. He is the founder of Dosim, a project dedicated to countering the delegitimization of ultra-Orthodox Israelis in the media, and a cofounder of Haredim for Peace. Shmuel is currently working on a project called Route 400, which takes its name from the bus line between Bnei Brak and Jerusalem and promotes discourse and creativity in the Haredi sector. He is a father of five.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Leora Ezrachi-Vered

Ramat Yishai | Rabbi and Spiritual Leader of the Nigun Halev Community

Leora Ezrachi-Vered is a rabbi who loves playing and singing music, reading books, and people. A Jerusalemite who moved north to the Jezreel Valley, she is the rabbi of the Nigun Halev (“melody of the heart”) community and teaches in a variety of settings. A social activist, Leora works toward coexistence, good citizenship, and a just and equal society. She was raised and educated in the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism, and headed its Noar Telem youth movement and its pre-military academy. Leora believes in the people of Israel, the love of Zion, the human spirit, and the love of Torah. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Jewish history from Tel Aviv University, and is a graduate of the Hebrew Union College rabbinical school. The daughter of a woman rabbi and an education professional, Leora is married and a mother of three boys.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Maya Gayer

Tel Aviv | Media Professional, Producer of IDF Army Radio’s University on the Air

Maya Gayer is a senior manager and editor in the programming department at IDF Army Radio (Galei Tzahal), where her work includes content development and managing and editing projects and special broadcasts. Maya is the head editor of the station’s long-running University on the Air series, and also edits books that accompany the series. She has worked in the media for almost two decades, editing content for radio, television, print, and public events. She also lectures in radio, and in recent years has led a podcast workshop at the law school and the communications department of Sapir College. Maya holds a master’s degree (summa cum laude) from the school of film and television at Tel Aviv University.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Yael Gidanyan

Jerusalem | Social Activist, Writer, and Lecturer

Yael Gidanyan is a social activist and writer who lectures on a broad range of subjects and runs workshops on inter-cultural work around the world. She is also the chair of Kehilot Sharot – Singing Communities, a nonprofit organization devoted to piyut, traditional Jewish poems and prayers. For a decade, Yael's work focused on Israeli-Palestinian relations. She served for four years as chair of the Interfaith Encounter Association and directed the "120" leadership program of Shaharit, a think tank, leadership incubator, and community organizing hub. In her youth, Yael served as chair of the Jerusalem Student Council. When studying at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, she represented the faculty of the humanities in the Student Union. Yael holds a master’s degree in Islamic and Middle Eastern studies from the Hebrew University. She is married and a mother of two.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Yehuda Grovais

Bnei Brak | Director and Producer

Yehuda Grovais is a movie and television director and producer, as well as a social activist. Known as the “inventor of Haredi cinema,” he has produced and directed 94 full-length movies, 100 episodes of preschool television programs, 40 episodes for the Hop! children’s television channel, and hundreds of movies for private clients. Yehuda owns a live broadcast company and a film studio. He is married and a father of five.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Ariel Horowitz

Jerusalem | Journalist, Literary Critic, and Editor

Ariel Horowitz writes about Israeli society, Judaism, culture, and art for the Makor Rishon newspaper, and is a member of the editorial board of its Shabbat literary supplement. Prior to his work at Makor Rishon, he wrote for the Haaretz and Maariv newspapers. Between 2013 and 2016, Ariel was the chief editor of De’ot, a scholarly journal published by Ne’emanei Torah Va’Avodah. A graduate of the Petah Tikva hesder yeshiva, Ariel holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and literature from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he is currently writing a master’s thesis on connections between the study of Kabbalah and modern Hebrew fiction, as a graduate student in the department of general and comparative literature. Ariel worked as a research assistant at the Hebrew University, where he taught a course on reading texts in the great works of world literature. His first novel, The Best of Our Boys, is due to be published by Keter Publishing House, and its manuscript was awarded the Harry Hirshon Prize for Literature for 2019–2020.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Tamar Kay

Tel Aviv | Director, Screenwriter, and Editor

Tamar Kay is a director and screenwriter. Unchained (Matir Agunot), the series about a rabbi who tracks down recalcitrant husbands to enable their wives to be freed from their marriages that she created for the Kan 11 television channel together with Yossi Madmoni and David Ofek, was released in late 2019. Oldies, a series of ten conversations with elderly people that she created with Yair Agmon, was broadcast on the same channel. Tamar's documentary short, The Mute’s House, won acclaim at many international festivals and was shortlisted for the 2017 Oscars. Tamar holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and philosophy from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and is a graduate of the Sam Spiegel Film and Television School. She lectures on cinema and new media.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Rami Livni

Ramat Gan | Political Activist, Newspaper Columnist, and Researcher of Israeli Culture

Rami Livni is a political activist and researcher of Israeli music culture. A columnist for the Haaretz newspaper, he also works as an editor and translator. Rami is the founder of the Israel Green Movement political party and of the Poli-Tikva (“politics and hope”) program for social-democratic political leadership. He has developed several projects related to Jewish-Arab partnership, political work with Haredim and Russian speakers, and advancing the two-state solution. His book The End of Hebrewness was published by Carmel Publishing in 2019, and he is currently working on a book on Israeli rock music.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Tigist Mahari

Tel Aviv | Founder and CEO of Call.Activit – A Space for Local Black-Ethiopian Arts and Culture

Tigist Mahari is the founder and CEO of Call.Activit, a platform for the creation and distribution of unmediated content produced by Ethiopian Israelis for Ethiopian Israelis. Since 2016, she has also directed a project for students and facilitated discussion groups for Jews and Arabs run by Sadaka-Reut, the Arab-Jewish Youth Partnership. Tigist has extensive experience in the area of formal and non-formal education for at-risk youth. She also facilitates workshops on healthy sexuality and gender for youth. Tigist holds a bachelor’s degree in critical education, a teaching diploma, and a master’s degree in gender studies and conflict resolution.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Ofri Omer

Tel Aviv | Director of MoBY – Museums of Bat Yam

Ofri Omer has served as director of MoBY – Museums of Bat Yam since 2017. During her time in this position, she launched the Sholem Asch Home, a museum and building for preservation. She also initiated the urban studio at the Ryback House, which is the museum’s center for education and community. Ofri's work focuses on the link between cultural institutions and cities and communities, as well as the place of art in everyday public life. She is a graduate of the School of Visual Theatre in Jerusalem and holds a bachelor’s degree from the multi-disciplinary program in the humanities and the arts at Tel Aviv University.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Ido Pachter

Netanya | Rabbi, Lecturer, Researcher, and Writer

Ido Pachter is the rabbi of the Young Israel of Ramat Poleg synagogue in Netanya. He is a member of the editorial board of the Shabbat weekend supplement of the Makor Rishon newspaper, lectures in the women's beit midrash programs of Matan and Emunah, and is a regular contributor of articles on halakha and modernity for a weekly pamphlet called Shabaton. Ido is the author of The Depth of the Simple Reading: Simple Readings of the Weekly Torah Portion. He also founded Techelet – Inspiring Judaism, an organization dedicated to promoting contemporary Jewish discourse within the wider Jewish world. Ido’s writing explores the application of the spiritual treasures of traditional Judaism to contemporary life, the building of bridges between old and new, and the creation of harmony in the world of modern Judaism. Ido holds a doctorate in Jewish philosophy from Bar-Ilan University, where his dissertation examined the ideological development of modern Orthodox Judaism in the United States. He is married and a father of four.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Yehudit Shlosberg-Yogev

Nes Harim | Artist, Independent Curator, and Writer

Yehudit Shlosberg-Yogev has been involved in the experimental arts scene in Jerusalem since 2012 and has worked with major cultural institutions in the city. Over the years, she has initiated and directed complex, unique, and research-based projects and has accompanied artists in the process of creating original works. This has enabled her to expand the concept of curation into the realms of urbanism, politics, and religious narratives. Her projects have included: Above and Beyond, a huge exhibition on the rooftops of Jerusalem as part of the Mekudeshet Festival; a performance of choirs at the Clal Center in Jerusalem as part of the Manofim Contemporary Art Festival; establishing a children’s gallery in Jerusalem, and more. Yehudit's writing has appeared in the Makor Rishon and Maariv newspapers. In recent years, she has been an artist in residence and curator at the Mamuta Art and Media Center, and founded, edited, and produced Penina, an independent arts magazine. A multi-disciplinary artist, she works in a range of media including video, drawing, and installation. Her works have been exhibited in Israel and abroad, and her solo exhibition Brighter than a Thousand Suns was shown in 2018 by the Mamuta Center at Beit Hansen in Jerusalem. Yehudit is a graduate of the arts institute at Tel-Hai College and studied curation at the Center for Contemporary Art (CCA) in Tel Aviv. She is married and a mother of three.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Hava Tizazu

Wahat al-Salam – Neve Shalom | Actor, Artist, Group Facilitator and Lecturer

Hava Tizazu is an actor, artist, writer, and lecturer whose work showcases the experiences and stories of the members of the Ethiopian Jewish community in Israel. The recipient of the 2019 Yossi Harel Prize for work related to immigration, Hava has served as director of the fringe theater department at the Ministry of Culture and Sport. Currently, she is appearing in The Light of Almaz, a one-woman play that she wrote and produced. Hava holds a bachelor’s degree in African studies and theater studies from Tel Aviv University, and a master’s degree in public policy from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She is also a graduate of the Nissan Nativ Acting Studio in Tel Aviv.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Michal Vaknin

Tel Aviv and Jerusalem | Performer and Artistic Director

Michal Vaknin is an artist, performer, and artistic director, who has served as the artistic director of Mekudeshet, an arts festival created by the Jerusalem Season of Culture. Michal's artistic works are characterized by a search for new formats and by their participatory and site specific nature. They include Confessions, a collaborative reading of confessions from diverse communities and neighborhoods in Jerusalem; Knock Knock, an intimate performance piece with multiple participants in hotel rooms; and The Opposite of Alive, an audio walk at Jerusalem's Museum of Natural History. Michal is a member of PuppetCinema, a theater group led by Zvi Sahar that focuses on the connection between cinema, puppets, and the stage, and has performed in its productions, such as Salt of the Earth and Planet Egg, at festivals around the world. Michal is one of the co-creators of I Think This is the Closest to How the Footage Looked, winner of the Short Film Special Jury Award at the 2014 Sundance Festival, and is a co-director of the Ebisu Sign Language Theater, a research lab theater group with both deaf and hearing actors.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Gilad Vaknin

Jerusalem | Musician, and Director of Mizrahi Music Department at the JAMD Conservatory

Gilad Vaknin is the founder and director of Dounia, the new department of Oriental music at the Conservatory of the Jerusalem Academy for Music and Dance (JAMD). An active musician who writes, performs, and teaches, Gilad has begun to study Andalusian music more deeply with Nino Biton. Together with his wife and mother of their two children, the singer Inbal Djamchid, Gilad formed the Écoute ensemble, which performs modern poetry set to original contemporary tunes that bridge East and West. In 2019, Écoute released From Side to Side, an album of original songs in a contemporary Israeli style for children and families. Gilad holds a bachelor’s degree from the department of composition at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Hana Vazana Grunwald

Ramat Gan | Director, Playwright, and Creator

Hana Vazana Grunwald is a director, playwright, creator, moderator of Israeli theater groups, and founder of the Frechot Ensemble. She is also in charge of community relations for the Jaffa Theater. Hana’s work focuses on the search for a theatrical language for exploring questions and content related to the intersection of Mizrahi identity, gender, and social status. She has an artistic and political commitment to disadvantaged, marginalized, and silenced voices in Israeli society and Israeli theater. Hana's tools come from community theater, and her plays and methods are committed to mutual responsibility and social solidarity. Hana’s work is laying the foundations for a new theatrical genre that combines documentary theater and piyyut with artistic techniques that do not have a pre-written script and that emphasize the personal, social, and historical experiences of the performers and challenge stereotypes and preconceptions of femininity and Mizrahi identity before the very eyes of the audience. Her works include Papa'gina, Frecha – A Beautiful Name, Paper Heart Pearl, And She Conceived and Gave Birth, Sof Al Hakatino (Catch a Tiger by the Toe), Tikva Quarter Cairo, Maternity, Whistle, and Hebrew Woman. Hana is married and a mother of three girls.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Giyora Yahalom

Tel Aviv | Director of Arts and Culture Division, Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality

Giyora Yahalom is the director of the Tel Aviv-Yafo municipality's division of cultural affairs, where he is responsible for the municipal culture corporations, cultural centers, libraries, and departments for the arts, performances, and religious Jewish culture. Among his previous roles, he was the founder and first director of Yes Docu, Israel's satellite TV documentary channel; director of original programming at Yes DBS; and director of content for Cellcom TV. He also taught American, European, and Israeli television drama at the Sam Spiegel Film and Television School. Giyora is the creator of the television series The Ran Quadruplets and The Gordin Cell. He also wrote the play Road Signs, which tells the story of the life of Naomi Shemer and opened the centenary celebrations of Habima, Israel’s national theater. Giyora is a graduate of the Tel Aviv University's department of theater arts. Born and raised on Kibbutz Kinneret in the Jordan Valley, he now lives in Tel Aviv with his partner and their two daughters.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

About The Program

Mandel Program for Leadership in Jewish Culture: Cohort 3

October 2019 – July 2020

Adi Arbel

Jerusalem | Director of the Israel Civil Society Forum

Adi Arbel is the director of the Civil Society Forum, which was founded to help social entrepreneurs in Israel increase their influence. Born in Holon, he lives in Jerusalem, and moved from hi-tech into public policy and social entrepreneurship around a decade ago. Adi has been involved in the founding of the Beit Midrash for Zionist Thought; the human rights movement Blue & White Human Rights; a Jerusalem restaurant blog; Sun Free Hiking, a nighttime hiking group; the Jerusalem Daily Recommendation Facebook page; the Midrash Mischakim theater workshop; the satirical group The Elevator; and This is Jerusalem, which provides geopolitical tours of Israel’s capital. *This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Chen Artzi Sror

Mazkeret Batya | Journalist and Yediot Aharonot Columnist

Chen Artzi Sror is a journalist who focuses on Israeli society, Jewish culture, women’s rights, and religion and state. She completed her military service at Galei Tzahal, the IDF radio station, and now holds managerial, writing, and editing positions at Yediot Aharonot. Chen's Hebrew book The New Religious Women: When Religious Feminism Meets Social Media, published by Yediot Books, presents stories of Orthodox feminist women and their trailblazing online activities within the religious Zionist community. She is a graduate of the Ofakim Program at Tel Aviv University, a teacher-training program for outstanding students, where she specialized in teaching Jewish philosophy. She is also a teacher and lecturer, and a mother of three.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Omer Ben Rubi

Jaffa | Media Professional and Broadcaster

Omer Ben Rubi is a media professional and manager, and a radio editor and broadcaster. He edits and presents the Israeli Songshelf radio show on the Kan Reshet Gimmel radio station. Omer founded the Kan Reshet Bet radio station and was its director for three years. Previously, he served as chief news editor, presenter, and director of the broadcast department of the IDF's Galei Tzahal radio station, and was a member of the playlist committee and deputy director of the IDF's Galgalatz radio station. He has also worked as the cultural correspondent for Channel 10 television. Omer often serves as MC at conferences and events, and lectures on Jewish and Israeli culture.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Inbar Bluzer Shalem

Jerusalem | Rabbi and Director of Rashut Ha’Rabim–The Jerusalem Forum for Jewish Renaissance Organizations

Inbar Bluzer Shalem is one of the founders and the director of Rashut Ha’Rabim – The Jerusalem Forum for Jewish Renaissance Organizations. She has been active in Jewish renaissance since attending a Gesher seminar during high school. Over the years, she has studied at eight pluralistic beit midrash programs in Israel, received rabbinical ordination from Hebrew Union College, and completed a master’s degree in pluralistic Jewish education. Inbar founded Beit Rashut HaRabim - the House of Nonprofits for Israeli Judaism, which provides a space for working, training, entrepreneurship, tourism, and content development. She has served as a Jewish renaissance emissary in the United States and London, working with students and young people, and founded and directed the Haifa Hillel. Inbar lives in Jerusalem, and is married with three children.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Yonatan Dobov

Rehovot | Founder of the Gula Cultural Center

Yonatan Dobov is the founder and director of the Gula Cultural Center, which promotes young Jewish creativity in a variety of artistic fields. The founder of Uri, an organization for artists named in memory of MK Uri Urbach, he writes a popular column in the Matzav Haruach newspaper, and presents a weekly program on the Galey Israel radio station. Yonatan is the chairperson of Young Bayit Yehudi, a forum for the youth of the Jewish Home party, and was a Jewish Home candidate in the elections for the 21st and 22nd Knesset. He is also a member of the presidium of the Zionist General Council. Born in the Soviet Union, Yonatan is a graduate of the Otniel hesder yeshiva, served as a training officer in the Nativ conversion program for IDF soldiers, and is a lawyer by profession. He was included in a list of the most influential figures in Israeli culture by the Makor Rishon newspaper. Yonatan is one of the leaders of the “transparent artists” protest, and works to advance the integration of immigrants from the former Soviet Union into Jewish and religious life in Israel.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Lior Elefant

Tel Aviv | Chairwoman of the Israeli Women in Film and Television Forum

Lior Elefant is an activist, feminist, lesbian, granddaughter, and daughter. She is the chairwoman of the Israeli Women in Film and Television Forum, and one of the founders and leaders of “Politically Corret” (P.See), an online feminist media project. Lior is also the director of “Lethal Lesbian,” an Israeli film festival dedicated to lesbian content. Lior holds a master’s degree (with distinction) in gender studies from Tel Aviv University, and is currently a PhD candidate in the Sociology and Anthropology department at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. She is a serial volunteer.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Neta Elkayam

Jerusalem | Multidisciplinary Artist and Musician

Neta Elkayam is a multidisciplinary artist and musician who writes, reinvents, and performs North African music. She is the creator and artistic director of Abiyadi, a show paying tribute to Zohra al-Fassia, the diva of Moroccan Jewry, and recently released Arénas, a visual-musical showcase inspired by music of the women of the Atlas Mountains recorded in transit camps. In her music, Neta combines Andalusian, Berber, and Mediterranean influences with rock, pop, and piyut, and is the winner of the ACUM prize for 2017. She is also a plastic artist, who holds a bachelor’s degree (cum laude) from Kaye Academic College of Education. Her artwork, which includes paintings, sketches, fabrics, animation, sculpture, and video art, has been shown in solo exhibitions and many group exhibitions and festivals.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Michal Froman

Tekoa | Architect and Founder of “Good Neighbors”

Michal Froman is an architect and yoga instructor. She is the founder of “Good Neighbors” – a forum for peace-seeking Israeli settlers who work to promote good relations with their Palestinian neighbors in Judea and Samaria. Michal is a member of "Women Wage Peace" and "A Land for All," and pursues every possible avenue to create encounters and dialogue between Palestinians and Israelis. A firm believer in God and in human beings, she is 35 and a mother of five.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Saar Gamzo

Tel Aviv | Radio Broadcaster and Music Critic

Saar Gamzo is a broadcaster for Israel's biggest music radio station glgltz and is a music critic for the Israel Hayom daily newspaper. He is also the director of digital projects and member of the artistic direction team of "Mekudeshet" – the Jerusalem Sacred Music Festival. Saar holds a bachelor’s degree in media studies and management from the College of Management, and is involved in introducing alternative Middle Eastern music into both new and traditional media platforms. Saar provides online marketing services for cultural organizations such as the Fresh Paint Contemporary Art Fair and the DocAviv film festival, and is the initiator and director of the musical project “A Tribe of Brothers and Sisters” ("Shevet Achim Ve'achayot").*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Inbal Gasit

Tel Aviv | Culture Editor at the IDF's Galei Tzahal Radio Station

Inbal Gasit is culture editor and deputy director of the programming department of Galei Tzahal, the IDF radio station. She has been involved in broadcasts of Israel's army radio for more than 20 years, during which time she has served as culture correspondent and senior broadcaster. Inbal received the Galei Tzahal Commander’s Prize in 2012 for the program Night Birds with Shahar Segal and Roy Bar-Natan. She was involved in the recent redesign of Galei Tzahal’s program schedule, and has developed radio programs on subjects such as tradition, family, knowledge, economics, humor, and satire. Inbal headed the station’s journalism training program in 2015, and runs workshops on content development as part of that program to this day. She has developed, edited, and hosted the radio programs Status Quo and Gilui Da'at alongside Itai Hermann, and has edited Odeya Koren and Natan Datner’s talk show since its debut in 2007 – all while managing the station’s culture desk, which includes training and mentoring younger correspondents and producers.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Leor Grady

Tel Aviv | Multidisciplinary Artist

Leor Grady is a multidisciplinary artist, lecturer at the arts department of Minshar School of Art and a curatorial consultant at The Lobby Art Space in Tel Aviv. His conceptual works in various media – sculpture, video, and drawing – explore identity politics and tradition by means of repositioning everyday objects and familiar imagery and imbuing them with poetic meaning. His work has been shown at solo and group exhibitions, including at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC, the Haifa Museum of Art, the Ashdod Museum of Art, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Le MAGASIN – National Centre for Contemporary Art in Grenoble FR, Rush Arts, Exit Art, Y Gallery and The Center for Book Arts in New York City, as well as in public and private collections, as well as in public and private collections. Natural Worker, his first artist's book, was recently published by Sternthal Books.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Yair Harel

Jerusalem | Musician and Founder of "An Invitation to Piyut"

Yair Harel is a musician, artist, and artistic director, whose main focus is on traditional Jewish poetry, classical Oriental music, contemporary music, and the combination of all three. Yair has had the privilege of learning from and working with teachers of great stature, including Roger Ychai, André Hajdu, Peretz Eliyahu, Rabbi Meir Atiya, and Rabbi Chaim Lock. He is the founder of the website "An Invitation to Piyut," and has been behind many projects that have brought the world of piyut into the cultural and social mainstream in Israel and around the world. He is the artistic director of the Piyut Ensemble of the Ben-Zvi Institute, founded and managed the Jerusalem Piyut Festival in its decade of existence (2008-2017), and is currently the artistic director "Within the Secret of Many Voices," a festival of piyut, prayer, and Jewish music held at Israel's National Library. He teaches piyut and prayer throughout Israel and around the world.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Avigayil Heilbronn

Jerusalem | Social Activist in the Haredi Sector and Founder of “Lo Tishtok”

Avigayil Heilbronn is a social activist in the Haredi sector who formerly worked in hi-tech. She is the founder of “Lo Tishtok” ("Thou shalt not be silent"), an organization that helps victims of rape and sexual assault in the Haredi community and works to raise awareness of the issue. Avigayil is involved in a number of projects in the “new Haredi” community, including organizing an ultra-Orthodox ceremony to mark the Memorial Day for Israel’s Fallen Soldiers. She is currently working as a media and strategy consultant for social activist organizations and Jewish history organizations, and teaches halakha and philosophy in the Haredi community. Avigayil is studying sociology and political science at the Open University. She is 30, and a mother of two.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Ariel Horowitz

Tel Aviv | Musician and Creator of the Israeli Music App “Shiri”

Ariel Horowitz is an Israeli musician and songwriter, whose hits include Renée, 20,000 People, and Cyclamen between the Rocks. His song Love is Dead, written for his wife, singer Tamar Giladi, won the ACUM Prize for Song of the Year 2000. He has released seven solo albums and has written songs for other performers, including Chava Alberstein, Arkadi Duchin, and more. Ariel is the founder, creator, and CEO of the Israeli music app “Shiri” – a collaborative project with the Israel National Library that is supported by the Ministry of Culture and Sport – which is designed to make all forms of Israeli music more accessible to the public. Previously, he founded "The Other Me," a collaborative project between the Rimon School of Music and Enosh – The Israeli Mental Health Association. He was the artistic director of the project, which was recognized by GAMIAN-Europe as the Best Rehabilitation Project in Europe in 2013 – for around a decade. Ariel teaches at Rimon, at the Mizmor School of Music, and at ALMA – Home for Hebrew Culture. He is 49, married, and a father of three.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Einat Levi

Haifa | Founder of the Project for Digital Documentation of Moroccan Jewish Heritage

Einat Levi is an entrepreneur and researcher who divides her time between Israel and Morocco, working to develop collaborations and social tourism between the two countries, and leading missions and study tours. Einat is a research fellow at The Forum for Regional Thinking and researcher at Mitvim–The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies, where she specializes in civil collaborations, Morocco, and Israeli-Moroccan relations. In 2016, she launched a project for the digital documentation of Moroccan Jewish heritage via social media platforms and virtual reality, and now runs a number of documentation communities. Einat also has extensive experience in developing training and learning technologies for education systems, having worked at the Center for Educational Technology to develop and implement courses on Jewish peoplehood and Israel-diaspora relations for students, teachers, and principals. Einat holds a bachelor’s degree in Middle Eastern studies and international relations, and a master’s degree in conflict research, management, and resolution, both from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She is also a graduate of the ISEF Foundation's program for reducing gaps in Israeli society.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Alexandra Mandelbaum

Tekoa | Researcher and Writer on Jewish Culture and Soviet Culture

Alexandra Mandelbaum is a doctoral student at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, where she is researching the development of Breslov Hasidism. She is a fellow scholar in the 'Maskilot' program in Shalom Hartman Institute. In addition, she has written audience-participation plays that have been performed at the Cultural Brigade's festival of Soviet culture in Israel. Alexandra teaches Hasidism, kabbala, and subjects related to Israeli and Russian identity. Previously, she directed Gvanei Yerushalayim, a program promoting Israeli Judaism in Jerusalem neighborhoods. Alexandra holds a bachelor’s degree in comparative literature from Bar-Ilan University, and a master’s degree in Jewish philosophy from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Orly Portal

Hadera | Dance Artist and Movement Researcher

Orly Portal is a choreographer; dancer; movement and voice researcher; the creator of a unique dance language based on ancient tribal Moroccan folklore; developer and mentor of distinct learning methods – Connecting to the Root of Movement through Belly Dancing, and Awareness Through Dance; founder and director of The Orly Portal Dance Company; participant lecturer and moderator in dance conferences and seminars; and leading various artistic collaborations. Born in 1969, Orly graduated from the department of dance studies at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. She began her professional career as a dancer and soloist for the Kol Demama Dance Company and the Batsheva Dance Company. Over the years, Orly engaged in extensive study of Arabic folklore, spending two years studying Arabic music at Bar-Ilan University, and traveling to Morocco to learn the traditional dances of the Gnawa and Berber tribes first-hand. Her dance creations reflect insights from her research reintroducing ancient dance through contemporary expression that captivates audiences worldwide. Winner of the 2018 Yithak Navon prize to promote and preserve the diverse culture of Israel.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Porat Salomon

Bat Ayin | Artist and Founder of the Pardes School of Art

Porat Salomon is an artist and the founder of the Pardes School of Art. He is a graduate of the yeshiva programs in Otniel and Tekoa, and holds a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in art from Bezalel Academy. Porat works in a range of media, mainly in painting and video installations, and has received the Presser Award for a Young Israeli Artist, as well as the Ministry of Culture's Young Artist Prize. He is the curator of the interdisciplinary project “Between Heaven and Earth,” which brings together a group of artists for joint study and artistic work in a beit midrash setting, culminating in a group exhibition. He also founded and teaches in the gifted art students’ track at the Haleli religious girls’ school for the arts, and teaches in the regional arts track for yeshiva students in Gush Etzion.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Mor Shimonie

Tel Aviv | Community Leader, Educator, Social entrepreneur

Mor Shimonie is a social and community entrepreneur, master of ceremonies, and producer of Jewish cultural events, as well as a teacher of Bible and Jewish philosophy. In 2015, she founded the BINA House in India, an open house for secular Judaism located in Dharamshala. Every year, the house introduces thousands of Israeli backpackers to Jewish culture and to opportunities for engaging with it and creating it, via learning, community activity, and social action. Mor holds a bachelor’s degree in Jewish philosophy from the Ofakim Program, Tel Aviv University's teacher-training program for outstanding students.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Orian Shukrun

Ma’alot-Tarshiha | Conductor and Musical Director of the Al-Mughrabia Andalusian Orchestra

Orian Shukrun is a multidisciplinary musician, pianist, composer, conductor, singer-songwriter and producer, whose work bridges between Ma’alot-Tarshiha and Jerusalem. The conductor and musical director of the Al-Mughrabia Andalusian Orchestra, Orian is also a teaching artist in the Kol Yotzer Culture Lab. He holds a master’s degree in composition and conducting from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance and the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest, and was the recipient of the 2017 "Presidential Award" of the Jerusalem Academy or Music and Dance. Orian teaches and performs in Europe, the United States, and Africa, and his compositions are performed at festivals throughout Israel and around the world.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Karen Weiss

Tzur Hadassah | Deputy Director of the AVI CHAI Foundation

Karen Weiss is deputy director of the AVI CHAI Foundation Israel, and a project officer for the Foundation. One of the pioneers of the field of local Israeli-Jewish community development in Israel, she is the chairperson of Nitzanim–Jewish Israeli Identity and Zionism. Previously, Karen directed the Philip Laon Community Center in Jerusalem. For several years, she produced content-related events for the Israel Festival and for the nonprofit Shorashim. Karen holds a bachelor’s degree in physical education from the Wingate Institute, and a master’s degree in organizational consulting for social organizations and businesses from Ono Academic College. She is a former competitive athlete.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

About The Program

Mandel Program for Leadership in Jewish Culture: Cohort 2

November 2018 – July 2019

Rafael Balulu

Tel Aviv | Film Director and Cultural Entrepreneur

Rafael Balulu is the director of the film A Song of Loves – R. David Buzaglo, and Levantine – The Story of Jacqueline Kahanoff. He is currently working on a monumental documentary series recounting the history of the Jews in the Muslim world. Rafael teaches film studies at the Technion’s department of architecture, is a member of the board of the Israeli Documentary Filmmakers Forum, and is a member of the Israeli Academy of Film and Television. He holds a bachelor’s degree in film studies from the Sam Spiegel Film and Television School.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Ron Bartos

Tel Aviv | Art Curator and Scholar Specializing in Israeli Art

In the books, catalogues, and articles that Ron Bartos has published, as well as in the exhibitions that he has curated, he explores the history of art in Israel and examines contemporary local art. Ron holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Tel Aviv University’s department of art history, and is a graduate of the fellows’ program at the ALMA Home for Hebrew Culture in Tel Aviv.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Livnat Ben-Hamou

Ashdod | Radio Broadcaster and Musical Editor, Presenter, and Cultural Entrepreneur

Livnat Ben-Hamou is a senior broadcaster at Galgalatz, an Israel Army Radio station, and is a member of the station’s playlist committee. She presents the Night-birds show on the main Army Radio station Galei Tzahal, and was awarded the station commander’s prize in 2014 for editing and presenting Ars-Poetica, a program that explored the link between poetry and social issues. She also writes on culture and society for the Makor Rishon newspaper, lectures on media studies and the periphery, and organizes encounters with women artists in order to increase women's involvement in the arts in Israel. Livnat is a graduate of Tel Aviv University’s Honors Program in the Humanities and Arts, and of the Tidreshi Beit Midrash for Women's Social Leadership.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Rachel Elitzur

Elad | Filmmaker and Director of the Ultra-Orthodox Branch of the Maaleh Film School

Rachel Elitzur is an ultra-Orthodox screenwriter, researcher, director, and filmmaker. She has directed the ultra-Orthodox branch of the Maaleh School of Television, Film and the Arts since 2013, and her documentary movie Covered Up premiered at DocAviv, the Tel Aviv International Documentary Film Festival, in 2018. Rachel grew up in an ultra-Orthodox household and studied in Bais Yaakov schools until the age of 20. She is a graduate of the Maaleh film school.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Noam Enbar

Tel Aviv | Singer, Composer, and Founder of Artistic Collectives

Noam Enbar is the founder of the band Habiluim, the ensemble Oy Division, and the Great Gehenna Choir, a cooperative collective. He has appeared at numerous festivals worldwide. Noam has written music for theater and film. He collaborated with playwright Yonatan Levi on two productions: The General and the Sea (2014) and the trilogy Giants (Nefilim) (2016). His solo exhibition, Preaching to the Choir, opened at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art in 2017. Blindsight, his work for multiple participants, was presented at the 2018 Mekudeshet festival. Since 2012, Noam has taught music composition and performance and has been a choirmaster at Musrara – the Naggar Multidisciplinary School of Art and Society in Jerusalem.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Rachel Gets Salomon

Ma’alot Tarshiha | Artist, Actor, and Lecturer

Rachel Gets Salomon is an artist, a curator, and a member of the Department of Plastic Arts of Israel’s Council for Art and Culture. She lectures on design and experimental curation at the Technion’s Faculty of Architecture, and lectures on culture and politics at the Max Stern Yezreel Valley College’s Department of Political Science. Rachel was the creator of the plays Don’t Say “Water Water,” Thinly, Thinly Sliced, and Beat Disorder, and was one of the actor-creators in the production Observation 1976, which won first prize at the Akko International Fringe Theater Festival. She is also a member of the artistic committee of the Metulla Poetry Festival. Rachel is a graduate of the Department of Fashion at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, and is a doctoral student at the Technion’s Faculty of Architecture, where she is conducting research on gender, design, and ethnicity.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Esther Ishayahu

Nahariya | Activist for the Conservation of Beta Israel Culture

Esther Ishayahu is a treatment coordinator for victims of family violence at the Kiryat Bialik municipal welfare department, and founder of the Tiferet Synagogue for Ethiopian Jewry, a nonprofit that works to conserve Beta Israel traditions. Esther immigrated to Israel from Ethiopia in 1984 during Operation Moses. She is involved in the "Story along the Way" (Sipur Al HaDerech) project, which brings the immigration and absorption stories of Ethiopian-Israelis to the broader Israeli public. Esther holds a bachelor’s degree in social work and a master’s degree in sociology and anthropology, both from the University of Haifa. Her master’s thesis, titled “Black on White,” focused on the conspiracy of silence surrounding a marginalized minority group within the Ethiopian community.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Ronen Izhaki

Jerusalem | Choreographer and Artistic Director

Ronen Izhaki is the director of Between Heaven and Earth, a nonprofit organization that runs the Kol Atzmotai Tomarna dance school, the Ka’et Contemporary Dance Ensemble for men, and the Between Heaven and Earth dance festival, as well as an inter-disciplinary arts project. He has taught movement and dance at the department of theater and dance at the Kibbutzim College of Education, Technology and the Arts and at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's department of theater studies. Ronen holds a master’s degree in composition from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Yair Kochav

Jerusalem | Founder and Artistic Director of the Tahrir Mizrahi Culture Bar

Yair Kochav is a businessman, social entrepreneur, musician, and performer of piyyut (classical Jewish liturgical poetry). He was born in Bat Yam and has lived in Jerusalem for over a decade. As a child, Yair learned the roots of piyyut and Mizrahi music at synagogue. He later continued his studies at the Renanot Jewish Music Institute and at the Center for Middle Eastern Classical Music in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Musrara. In the summer of 2013, Yair founded the Tahrir Bar in the heart of Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda market as an enterprise combining his business talents with his artistic and social inclinations. Since then, Tahrir has been the base for many events that have been bringing the lively Mizrahi music scene to a wider audience.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Sharon Mayevski

Jerusalem | Artist, Writer, Marriage Officiant

For the last decade, Sharon Mayevski has been involved in producing theater, mainly at fringe theater festivals in Israel and around the world. She runs workshops and lectures on feminism, with a particular focus on religious feminism and sexual violence. She worked at the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel for many years, as both a volunteer and an employee. The majority of her work today takes place online, whether as the viral video character known as Rabbanit Pashmina, or through her writing on issues close to her heart. Sharon also officiates at marriages on behalf of the Havaya organization. She is married to Ariel, has two daughters and a son, and lives in Jerusalem. Sharon holds a bachelor’s degree in theater direction from the Kibbutzim College of Education, Technology and the Arts and a master’s degree in gender studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and is a graduate of the screenwriting program at the Sam Spiegel Film and Television School.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Oded Mazor

Hannaton | Rabbi and Teacher at the Leo Baeck Education Center

Oded Mazor is a Reform rabbi, member of Kibbutz Hannaton, and a Jewish educator at the Leo Baeck Education Center in Haifa and the Hannaton Educational Center. He provides guidance to individuals and families regarding life-cycle events and is involved community building. Oded edited Hasimcha Shebalev, the festival prayer book of the Israeli Reform movement, and is involved in creative liturgical renewal. He teaches and writes on Jewish halakhic thought, particularly Reform halakhic thought. Oded holds a master’s degree in Jewish philosophy from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Michal Prins

Sde David | Founder and Director of Merkaz Yahel, Writer, and Teacher

Michal Prins is a graduate of Israel's national religious school system. She served as an education officer in the IDF, and is now a mental health officer in the IDF reserves. She lives on Moshav Sde David in the Lachish region, and is a married mother of four. Michal is the founding director of Merkaz Yahel – The Center for Jewish Intimacy, which provides relationship guidance and sex education in the religious community. The center’s focus is cultural rather than treatment-oriented, and it works toward broad social change rather than focusing on specific therapeutic work. Michal writes a column for Makor Rishon’s women’s magazine Nashim, and teaches at the College of Management Academic Studies. She holds a master’s degree in gender studies from Bar-Ilan University, and is currently writing a doctorate dissertation on the sexuality of religious women.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Alex Rif

Tel Aviv | Israeli Russian Poet and Social Activist

Alex Rif is one of the founders of the Cultural Brigade, a group of young Russian speaking men and women from “Generation 1.5,” who immigrated to Israel with their families as young children. The Brigade works to make the story and culture of immigrants from the former Soviet Union an integral part of Israeli culture by means of projects such as the "Israeli Novy God" project, “Operation Veteran,” “Tusovka” immigrant poetry evenings, and more. She immigrated to Israel with her parents in 1991 at the age of five. Alex is a graduate of the screenwriting program at the Sam Spiegel Film and Television School and of the Helicon Poetry School. Her first book of poetry is to be published this year by Pardes Publishing. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and business administration and a master’s degree in public policy from the Civil Service Cadet Program at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Jennie Rosenfeld

Jerusalem | Spiritual Leader and Director of Beit Din, Efrat

Jennie Rosenfeld serves as the manhiga ruchanit (female spiritual leader) of Efrat and as the director of the Beit Din for financial matters in Efrat. She received permission to issue halakhic rulings (heter hora’ah) from Rabbi Shlomo Riskin and Rav Shuki Reich, after completing studies at the Susi Bradfield Women’s Institute for Halakhic Leadership at Midreshet Lindenbam. Jennie co-authored Et Le’ehov: The Newlywed’s Guide to Physical Intimacy (Gefen 2011; Hebrew translation 2013), and was named one of the “36 under 36” by the Jewish Week in 2008. A graduate of Stern College for Women, she completed Yeshiva University's graduate program in advanced Talmudic studies for women, along with a master's in Jewish education at the Azrieli Graduate School. Jennie holds a doctorate in English from the City University of New York Graduate Center, where she wrote her dissertation on “Talmudic Re-readings: Toward a Modern Orthodox Sexual Ethic” as a Wexner Graduate Fellow.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Avishay Wohl

Jerusalem | Co-Founder and Co-Director of the BINA Jerusalem Secular Yeshiva

Avishay Wohl is a co-director and teacher at the BINA Jerusalem Secular Yeshiva and at the Beit Yisrael and Masbaha pre-army programs (“mechinot”). He was born in Karkur and grew up in Jerusalem, and has taught at the Rene Cassin high school and the Nativ program for immigrant soldiers. Avishay holds a bachelor’s degree in general literature and Bible studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and is a graduate of the Kerem Institute for Jewish Humanistic Education, where he trained in teaching literature and Bible. He studied film and television in a joint program of the Maaleh School of Film and Television and the Lifshitz College of Education.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

About The Program

Mandel Program for Leadership in Jewish Culture: Cohort 1

November 2017 – July 2018

Danny Admasu

Rishon Lezion | General Manager, Hila – For Equality in Education; Founding Director, Ethiopian Jewry Heritage Center

Danny founded the Sheba Scouts division to promote the integration of Ethiopian-Israelis into the Israel Scouts. He has served as director of the Israel Association for Ethiopian Jews and area head at the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. Served as founding-director of the Ethiopian Jewry Heritage Center, a government corporation. Currently Danny is director of Hila - For Equality in Education. He holds a master’s degree in hermeneutics and cultural studies from Bar-Ilan University, where he is now a doctoral student.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Yair Assulin

Rehovot | Columnist, Author and Artistic Advisor

Yair writes a weekly cultural-political column for Haaretz, and is the author of the novels The Journey (2011, awarded the Sapir Prize for Debut Fiction), and The Things Themselves (2014), the longform poem Munich (2014) and editor of “Hear My Voice: New Old Psalms”. He edits scripts and teaches writing, and also serves as artistic advisor on various projects. He is the chief artistic advisor for the Gesher Multicultural Film Fund and the Avi Chai/Gesher Film and Media Collaborative. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history and philosophy from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. *This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Heli Bareket Tabibi

Jerusalem | Director of Hillel at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Cultural Entrepreneur

Heli is one of the leaders of Rashut Ha’Rabim – The Jerusalem Forum of Jewish Renaissance Organizations and Director of Hillel at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She is a board member of several social organizations, and a member of the Jerusalem municipality’s Society and Culture Committee. She founded the Hillel Beit Midrash for Israeli Singers; worked as a commentator for the educational television series Ibn Gvirol and Yehuda Halevi; served as a consultant to the Mifal Hapais (Israeli National Lottery) Council for Culture and Art; and was a member of the steering committee for An Invitation to Piyut, a website promoting traditional Jewish liturgical poetry. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Jewish history from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Regev Ben-David

Jerusalem | Head of Beit Midrash Programs at Ein Prat – The Midrasha in Alon

Regev has worked as a group facilitator in several different settings; he led and directed Beit Prat, the Ein Prat alumni community in Jerusalem; is a member of the ROI Community, an international network of Jewish social entrepreneurs, activists, and educators, via which he led Limmud Jerusalem and founded and led YOM – A Workshop for Pluralism in Religion and State. Since 2015, he has served as head of the Beit Midrash programs at Ein Prat. He holds a master’s degree in political science from Bar-Ilan University.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Amichai Chasson

Givat Shmuel | Poet, Filmmaker, Curator, and Artistic Director at Beit Avi Chai in Jerusalem

Amichai is a graduate of the Otniel yeshiva and of the Sam Spiegel School of Film and Television. He has worked as a journalist and culture critic for the papers Makor Rishon and Ma’ariv, and as a speechwriter for the President of Israel. He is one of the editors of the poetry journal Meshiv Haruah; lectures in screenwriting at the College of the Literary Arts in Jerusalem; and is a broadcaster for the public radio channel Kan Tarbut. He has written and directed for a number of television series, including The Winner (“Hamenatzeach”) and Iron Dome (“Kipat Barzel”), and is currently shooting a documentary on the Hebrew poet Avoth Yeshurun (Yehiel Perlmutter) as part of the Hebrew culture project The Hebrews. His collection of poetry Talking with Home (2015) was awarded the Minister of Culture’s Prize for New Poets.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Uri Cohen

Mevo Beitar | Director of Masa Israeli Routes Odyssey

Uri has served as director of Gesher Educational Enterprises, educational director for the Former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe Division of the Jewish Agency’s Youth Education Department, youth coordinator at a rehabilitation center, and high-school teacher in Israel and the United States. In 2005, he founded Masa Israeli Routes Odyssey to provide Jewish, Zionist, and Israeli education in Israel’s non-religious state school system, in the diaspora, and in the IDF, and has served as its founding director since then. He holds a master’s degree in public policy and administration from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Chamutal Doitchman

Mazkeret Batya | Community Director of Masuot Yitzhak

Chamutal has previously served as the director of the social services division of the Givat Brenner Regional Council, and as community director for Kibbutz Kfar Menachem. Since 2012, she has been the community director for the cooperative agricultural settlement Masuot Yitzhak. She is also the chair of the parents’ board of the Keshet elementary school in Mazkeret Batya, which serves students from both religious and secular families. She holds a master’s degree in social work from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Anat Marla Heffetz

Kibbutz Nirim | Secretary-General of Kibbutz Nirim

Anat is the social and community director of Kibbutz Nirim, and is responsible for leading long-term strategic planning processes for the kibbutz. She is an active member of a number of forums and groups in the area and throughout the Negev, and is active in the Kibbutz Movement. She is one of the founders and leaders of the Movement for the Future of the Western Negev, a civil society organization formed by Western Negev residents to promote a diplomatic solution in Gaza. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history from Tel Aviv University, and is a doctoral student in the department of politics and government at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Her research focuses on the commemoration of the War of Independence in the Negev, and examines questions of collective memory and local, communal, and national identity.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Rachel Keshet

Tekoa | Founder and Principal of the Keshatot School of Theater

Rachel is the creator of the plays Don’t Say ‘Water Water’, Finely Cut, You Don’t Say, and And She Conceived and Gave Birth, and was the actor-creator in the production 1976 View which won first prize at the Akko International Fringe Theater Festival. She was awarded the Minister of Education’s Prize for Jewish Culture and the Golden Hegehog Performer of the Year Prize for her performance in And She Conceived and Gave Birth. She directs community theater around Israel, and since 2015 has been the principal of the Keshatot School of Theater. She holds a master’s degree in theater from Tel Aviv University.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Tamar Meir

Givat Shmuel | Founder of Kulana, a Community Beit Midrash

Tamar is a member of the board of directors of Beit Hillel, an organization of rabbis and rabbaniyot seeking to provide an attentive rabbinical leadership, and is the founder of Kulana, a community beit midrash in Givat Shmuel. She is the author of Francesco Tirelli’s Ice Cream Shop (2017), which won the Yad Vashem Prize for Children’s Holocaust Literature. Since 2011, she has served as head of the literature department at the Givat Washington Academic College of Education. She teaches on the master’s program in Aggadah at Efrata College of Education, and at the Midrasha of Bar-Ilan University. She holds a doctorate in literature of the Jewish people from Bar-Ilan University.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Neta Meisels

Jerusalem | Cultural Entrepreneur and Researcher; Director of HaMiffal in Jerusalem

Neta was one of the founder members of the artists’ group Empty House, founded and directed the temporary culture and arts space Carriage 322, and was the artistic director of the Voice of the Word festival at the Hazira Performance Art Arena. He studies and works on the seam between art, community, and urban spaces, and since 2016 has been the director of HaMiffal, “the factory,” an arts and culture center in Jerusalem. He holds a master’s degree in philosophy from the Hebrew University, and is a doctoral student at the Cohn Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Ideas at Tel Aviv University.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Inbal Ron

Tel Aviv | Executive Director of Dror Educational Centers

Inbal was one of the founders of Kibbutz Eshbal, a kibbutz of educators in the Galilee, where she was involved in founding and running a boarding school for at-risk youth. She has also worked in group facilitation and in curricular development. She taught in the “Beit Midrash for Folk Teachers” track at Beit Berl College, and founded and directed the Mitzpe Ramon boarding school for leadership and social action. Since 2014, she has been the founding director of the Dror Educational Centers’ network of professional leadership colleges and is currently director of Dror Educational Centers. She holds a master’s degree in education system management and organization from Beit Berl College.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Malki Rottner

Ashdod | Author and Social Activist

Malki oversaw public relations for the Shorashim Jewish Culture Center, and ran the organization’s activities aimed at bridging gaps in Israeli society. She is now a social activist working on municipal community initiatives in Ashdod to create dialog between different sectors, including the “Ashdodim” movement and the secular-Haredi beit midrash “Plugta.” She is also a fellow at the Shaharit Institute.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Eran Schwartz

Gan Ner | Director of the Yigal Allon Center in Ginosar

Eran is currently director of the Yigal Allon Center, an educational nonprofit that provides leadership training in the spirit of Yigal Allon. The center, situated on Kibbutz Ginosar, is a leading institution in educating toward Zionist-humanist leadership and social activism, for a broad range of populations. The center also works to strengthen relations between Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel. Eran is a former commander in the Israeli air force. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Haifa’s Afikim program for outstanding students, and has studied at Sciences Po (Paris Institute of Political Studies) and in the US State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP).*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Ofir Toubul

Tel Aviv | Cultural Entrepreneur, Radio Broadcaster, and Social-Legal Activist

Ofir founded and edited Café Gibraltar, an internet magazine and incubator for entrepreneurism in the cultural periphery, and founded Golden Age, a movement guided by the values of traditional Judaism and Mizrahi Zionism. He presents a radio show for the Kan Israel Broadcasting Corporation; writes a column for the nrg news website; and is one of the leaders of the “Imprisonment is Not the Answer” campaign, which criticizes punishment by incarceration in Israel. He is a lawyer, and is studying for a research-based master’s degree in law as a fellow in the Emile Zola Chair for Human Rights at the College of Law and Business in Ramat Gan.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

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