Fellows

Mandel Youth Leadership Program: Cohort 9

October 2023 – July 2024

Ayah Abdelrazek

Director, Youth and Nonformal Education, Mazra’a Local Council

Ayah Abdelrazek is the director of the youth and nonformal education department of the Mazra’a Local Council in northern Israel. In this capacity, she facilitates a regional youth council and groups of youth counselors. She also runs the council’s music activities, as part of a multicultural project that involves collaboration between the cluster of local authorities of the western Galilee. Previously, Ayah served in a variety of roles in the area of nonformal education: she was an “Ogen” (anchor) program coordinator in the community, a director of summer camps, and the director of the learning center in the Mazra’a Community Center. Ayah holds a bachelor’s degree in teaching and a master’s degree in the education systems management from the University of Haifa. She loves the professional path on which she has embarked and remembers to live as she proceeds along it. Married with two children, she lives in Nahariya.

Adham Agbaria

Director of Regional Activity Head of Multiculturalism, Net@

Adham Agbaria is the regional activity director and head of multiculturalism for Net@, a technology youth movement run by Appleseeds. He began his career working in several jobs with at-risk youth, ran the shared society department of the Museum of Man in the Yigal Allon Center in the Galilee, and in recent years, provided support and guidance to business organizations in their efforts to find, hire, and manage employees from Arab society. Adham specializes in education for coexistence and in inter-group relations. He is a social activist and advocate for change both inside and beyond Arab society. He holds a bachelor’s degree in special education from Bar-Ilan University’s extension in Safed, and a master’s degree in organizational consulting from Kiryat Ono Academic College. He lives in the village of Musmus.

Atara Apel

Deputy Director, Bat Ami Association

Atara Apel is the deputy director of Bat Ami, a social change organization that places young religious women in national civic service positions. Atara has worked for Bat Ami for about a decade, first in its “Road to Success” program, where she coordinated national service for young women from disadvantaged backgrounds, then served as the director of the Mishlavim Program, which integrates young people with disabilities in national civil service and army service, and today directs all of Bat Ami’s adaptive programs. Atara holds a bachelor’s degree in criminology and sociology and a master’s degree in management and public policy. She lives in Moshav Nir Galim.

Nessi Avrahami

Regional Supervisor in the Society and Youth Administration, Southern District

Nessi Avrahami is a regional supervisor in the southern district in the Ministry of Education’s society and youth administration. In this capacity, she is responsible for conveying the Ministry’s policy regarding non-formal education to the authorities under her supervision. She is also chairwoman of the coexistence committee in the southern district and coordinates the supervision of the district, the “New Way” program for integration of Ethiopian students, centers for cooperation, and more. Nessi worked for 15 years in the Ashkelon municipality in the area of youth at risk, serving as the director of the department of truancy and youth advancement in the education division. She also served as chair of the placement committee in the education division and as the coordinator of young people over the age of 18 in the welfare division. Nessi holds a bachelor’s degree in criminology and education (with a specialization in literature), a master’s degree in management and public policy, and a teaching certificate in education. She is a mother of four and lives in the community of Tushia in southern Israel.

Ayelet Barak Orkabi

Director of Educational Activities, Kadima Youth Centers

Ayelet Barak Orkabi is the director of educational activities of the Kadima Youth Centers. She has worked in the field of youth for about a decade, as a counselor in the Ayanot Youth Village, as a counselor in the Ben Shemen Youth Village, and as the director of the Kadima Kasirer Youth Village in the Shapira neighborhood of Tel Aviv. Ayelet holds a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science and a master’s degree in nonformal education systems management. She lives in Ramat Gan.

Tchiya Baruch

Director, Hagshama Department, Bnei Akiva Youth Movement

Tchiya Baruch is the director of the Hagshama (“fulfillment”) department of the Bnei Akiva youth movement. Previously, she worked for 19 years for HaAguda Lehitnadvut – the national civil service (“sherut leumi”) volunteer association, in positions that included national service coordinator, district manager, and director of recruitment and marketing. Tchiya holds a bachelor’s degree in education and society from Beit Berl College and the Open University. Married and a mother of four, she lives in Avnei Hefetz.

Efrat Becher Etra

Director of Planning, Follow-Up, and Auditing, Israel Association of Community Centers

Efrat Becher Etra is director of the planning, follow-up, and auditing department of the Israel Association of Community Centers. In this capacity, she is responsible for all the programs of the Israeli government’s executive arm in its work with the Association. Previously, she managed content and development for the Association’s department of children, teenagers, and young adults, headed the Association’s nationwide programs, and was in charge of training for counselors and coordinators, working in collaboration with the society and youth administration of the Ministry of Education. She is also the former community manager of the national program for children and young people at risk and the former director of the Shalva nonprofit organization. Efrat holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology, anthropology, and Israel studies, a master’s degree in public policy and administration, and a teaching certificate. A mother of five daughters, she lives in Modi’in.

Guy Ben Yitzchak

Speech and Language Pathologist and Training Director of Etgarim

Guy Ben Yitzchak is a speech and language therapist and training director of Etgarim, a nonprofit association that empowers and socially integrates people with disabilities through outdoor challenge sports. He began his career at Etgarim about a decade ago as an instructor in the Jerusalem Ropes Course, then worked for three years as the activity coordinator for the central region, and has been in his current position since 2019. Guy worked as a speech and language pathologist in the communications kindergartens of the Israeli Autism Association and at the psychology clinic of Kibbutz Yotvata. He holds a bachelor’s degree in communication disorders and lives in Tel Aviv.

Amit Delmedigo

Professional Manager, Trauma Division, ELEM

Amit Delmedigo is a professional manager in the trauma division of ELEM–Youth in Distress in Israel. Prior to this position, she ran ELEM’s Alma project, which helps girls and young women involved in prostitution. Amit has many years of experience working with young people at risk. She believes in our responsibility as a society and as professionals to act with creativity, determination, and modesty on behalf of socially excluded populations and extreme phenomena. Amit holds a bachelor’s degree in social work and is a graduate of Tel Aviv University’s two-year program in group facilitation. A mother of three, she lives in the community of Matan in central Israel.

Mazal Demoze

Director of Education and of the Northern Region, Ma’ase’s National Service Program

Mazal Demoze is the director of education and the director of the northern region of the pre-army national service program for volunteers of Ma’ase, a nonprofit organization that works to create leadership among teenagers and young adults from Israel’s geographic periphery. Previously, she served in various roles in the ELEM Youth in Distress in Israel nonprofit organization, and directed its center in Kiryat Yam. Mazal holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology, anthropology, and human services, and a master’s degree in education systems management. She is a dancer in the Beta Dance Troupe, which combines traditional Ethiopian dance with modern dance. A resident of Haifa, she is a social activist in Kiryat Yam.

Maya Donner

Coordinator of Training and National Activities, Tikkun

Maya Donner is the coordinator of training and national activities of Tikkun, a nonprofit organization established by graduates of the HaMahanot HaOlim youth movement. She is a member of the movement’s content development team for the commemoration of the Holocaust and the resistance, and is a guide on trips to Poland organized by “Derech,” Tikkun’s Zionist educational center for social change. Maya has held various positions at HaMahanot HaOlim for more than a decade, including branch coordinator, northern district coordinator, grade coordinator, and national training coordinator. She holds a bachelor’s degree in nonformal education and a teaching certificate and lives in Kibbutz Na’aran.

Amir Hartman

Founder and CEO, Beruach Hashetach

Amir Hartman is the founder and CEO of Beruach Hashetach, a nonprofit organization that teaches life skills to children and youth by using the outdoors as an educational platform. He is the former coordinator of the Keshet Tavor program and was a counselor for the Jewish National Fund’s “Green Horizons” youth organization. Amir is a recipient of the “Teacher of the Year” award given by the Israel Council for Youth Organizations. He studied to be a tour guide, loves nature and humanity, and enjoys being out in the field with young people. Married and the father of a daughter, he lives in Ma’ale Gamla.

Yohay Hezi

Director of the Liel Pre-Military Academy

Yohay Hezi is the director of Mechinat Liel, a pre-military academy, and is a pedagogic advisor at “Habayit Babikaa,” a home for young adults. He began working as director of the Liel academy upon his discharge from the IDF in 2021. Prior to that, he served for 15 years in military command positions, from company commander in the elite Duvdevan Unit to deputy district commander of Unit 8200. Yohay holds a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in business administration with a specialization in organizational management, and is certified as a teacher as well. He lives in Ariel.

Rona Keshet

Manager, Arab-Jewish Partnership Department, AJEEC-NISPED

Rona Keshet is the manager of the Arab-Jewish Partnership Department of the Arab-Jewish Center for Empowerment, Equality, and Cooperation – Negev Institute for Strategies of Peace and Economic Development (AJEEC-NISPED). She worked in the Israel Scouts movement for more than a decade, ran the youth department of the Lod municipality, and then worked on a project that used hiking as a platform that enabled young people from different communities to meet one another. Rona holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and history and a master’s degree in organizational consulting and development. She lives in Hod HaSharon.

Jana Khateeb

Director of the Kimam and Taliyah Programs in Central Israel, AJEEC-NISPED

Jana Khateeb works for AJEEC-NISPED as the program director two programs for young adults in Arab society: Kimam, a gap-year program designed to integrate participants into higher education, and Taliyah, a year of volunteering in the community for high school graduates. Previously, she was the project manager for Arab society in Educating for Excellence, a nonprofit organization that strives to strengthen Israeli society by reducing socioeconomic disparity, promoting equality, and creating social mobility for talented youth from underserved communities, and was the coordinator of volunteers in the Jaljulia Local Council. Jana was involved in founding the Jaljulia Academics Association, an organization that aims to promote higher education and volunteerism within the community. She was a group facilitator in the Sanad Association’s Zamam Project, an entrepreneurship program that promotes community leadership. Jana holds a bachelor’s degree in communication and political science and a master’s degree in gender studies. She lives in Jaljulia.

Sharon Levi

Attorney at Law, Public Defender’s Office, Tel Aviv District

Sharon Levy is an attorney at law in the Tel Aviv district public defender's office, where she specializes in the supervision and youth departments. With a career dedicated to advocating for at-risk youth in criminal proceedings, she currently oversees attorneys representing at-risk juveniles, while also personally handling cases. Sharon’s background includes founding and managing a criminal law firm focused on youth representation. For over a decade, she has lectured in an outreach program incollaboration with the Ministry of Education, in which she lectures young people, students, and educators on juvenile delinquency. She also provides guidance to the legal clinic for disadvantaged populations at the Ramat Gan College of Law and Business. Sharon holds a bachelor's degree in law and asecond bachelor’s degree in educational management and policy, with a focus on non-formal education for at-risk youth (summa cum laude), from Bar-Ilan University. She is a mother of two and lives in Kiryat Ono.

Ron Olearchik

Director, Five Fingers

Ron Olearchik is the director of Five Fingers, a social-educational movement that works to foster cultural and civic change in Israel. He began his career there as a physical trainer and held various roles until his present position, in which he is in charge of the educational program and supervises and trains the physical trainers. Ron holds a bachelor’s degree in education with a specialization in sports and a master’s degree in business administration with a specialization in sports management. He is married and lives in Tel Aviv.

Israel Pachino

Jerusalem District Director, Ezra Youth Movement

Israel Pachino is the director of the Jerusalem district of the Ezra Youth Movement, having previously served as the operations director of the district. He is responsible for the educational, ethical, and organizational management of eighteen of the movement’s branches in the Jerusalem district. Israel attended Yeshivat Ramat Gan, a hesder yeshiva that combines advanced religious studies and military service, for six years and holds a bachelor’s degree in the social sciences. He believes in the inner goodness of people and in their ability to challenge themselves and overcome obstacles. Married and a father of four, he lives in Givat HaRoeh.

Tzach Shmuely

Deputy Director, The Upper Galilee Leadership Academy (TUGLA)

Tzach Shmuely is the deputy director of The Upper Galilee Leadership Academy (TUGLA), a pre-military preparatory program. Previously, he was director of the tour-guides department of the Tel Hai Courtyard Museum. Tzach lectures on educational philosophy, Jewish studies, and current events. He believes in Aristotle’s saying: “The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.” Tzach is a doctoral student in education at the University of Haifa. Married and a father of three, he lives in Kibbutz Kfar HaNassi.

Avichai Vagman

Vice President of Development, Tafnit Association

Avichai Vagman is vice president of development of innovation at the Tafnit Association. Since 2006, he has worked in various roles in the field of nonformal education with youth at risk, working his way up from a position as a coordinator in a boarding school, through principal and initiator of educational and therapeutic programs for youth at risk, and head of innovation for the Rashi Foundation, until his current position. Avichai holds a bachelor’s degree in management and education and a master’s degree in educational leadership and management. He lives in Hod HaSharon.

Stav Weitz

Deputy Director of National Activities, Krembo Wings

Stav Weitz, an educator, has served as the deputy director of national activities of Krembo Wings, a youth movement for children with and without special needs, since 2014. In this role, she leads some 10,000 young people from every sector of Israeli society and ability level in a shared process of creating a place and meaning for every person. Previously, she worked for the Ayalim Association, a nonprofit organization devoted to new communities, culture, and social entrepreneurship, and volunteered in Tevel, a social justice nonprofit that addresses the challenges of global poverty. Stav holds a bachelor’s degree in education and Israel studies. A mother of two, she lives in Jaffa.

Guy Yakobi

Founder and CEO of Kerem and Deputy Director of the Aharai Movement

Guy Yakobi is the founder and CEO of Kerem, the ultra-Orthodox branch of Aharai – Youth Leading Change. He has been a staff member of Aharai for about a decade, working as a counselor for Haredi youth at risk and filling various roles, including establishing pre-military academies, running Aharai’s department of local authorities, and leading the “Aharai with Faith” project. Guy holds a bachelor’s degree in special education and in Talmud, a teaching certificate, and a master’s degree in educational systems management. He lives in Tekoa.

Yaara Yarom Marziano

District Manager, Israel Scouts

Yaara Yarom Marziano is manager of the leadership of the northern district of the Israel Scouts. An educator, she is the daughter of parents who became religiously observant by choice and is a graduate of the Migdal Ohr School. Yaara has rich and varied management experience in nonformal education and ran the youth department of the Emek Hefer Regional Council. She holds a bachelor’s degree in behavioral sciences and a master’s degree in education systems management. The mother of a daughter, she lives in Moshav Sde Yitzhak.

Orel Zussman

District Coordinator for Samaria and Jerusalem, Oz Children’s Movement

Orel Zussman is the district coordinator for Samaria and Jerusalem of the Oz children’s movement. Previously, she held many positions in the areas of nonformal education and youth at risk, including work to advance youth in Jerusalem, work as a counselor at the Mesila shelter for at-risk teenage girls, work for Hut HaMeshulash, a nonprofit organization that provides a home for at-risk teens and young adults, and work at the Psiot nonprofit organization, an organization that works to prevent addiction and risky behavior and empower youth at risk. Orel holds a bachelor’s degree in special education and history and believes in today’s young generation, education, and the kindness of people. Married and the mother of two, she lives in Ramat Gilad.

About The Program

The Mandel Program for Leadership in Jewish Culture: Cohort 6

October 2023 – July 2024

Semion Aleksandrovski

Rishon LeZion | Artist, Documentary Theater Director, and Media Artist

Semion Aleksandrovski is an artist, documentary theater director, and media artist. He grew up in Israel, and travelled to attend the Russian State Institute of Performing Arts after completing his undergraduate degree. Following his graduation, he mounted theater productions throughout Russia. In 2015, he left the national theaters to create a pop-up theater in St. Petersburg – an independent theater that makes use of urban spaces such as bars, libraries, parks, hotels, and museums. Central to his work are audio shows that are deeply connected to the essence and ceremony of the place where they were produced. A recipient of the Golden Mask, Russia’s national theater award, and many other prizes, Semion recently has been collaborating with various museums and participated in a parallel program of the Venice Biennale in 2017. He has created original productions for international theater festivals such as the Baltic Circle International Theatre Festival in Finland, the Festival Theaterformen in Germany, and the SF International Arts Festival (SFIAF) in San Francisco. After returning to Israel in 2022, Semion created the interactive work “Questioning,” which has participated in many festivals in Israel, and directed a surrealistic exhibit in Old Jaffa. Semion creates performance pieces for the Israel Festival and the Acco Festival of Alternative Israeli Theatre. He leads a theater group for young people in the Shimon Peres Hi-Tech and Arts High School in Tel Aviv. He is married and the father of two daughters.

Dudi Bar David

Tel Aviv | Singer-Songwriter, Lyricist, and Musical Producer

Dudi Bar David is a singer-songwriter, lyricist, and musical producer. He was born in Lod to parents who had immigrated to Israel from the Republic of Georgia. He is a graduate of the Rimon School of Music, with a concentration in composition for films and television. Dudi has released two albums and his collaborations with dozens of leading artists from across the spectrum of Israeli music have produced important songs that have become part of the Israeli soundtrack of recent years. Dudi’s writing is sensitive to Israeli society and to the people within it who suffer from loneliness and addiction to success. His songs often deal with social gaps and inequality, and “All the Dreams Are Taken,” “Someone Else,” and “We Have Not Learned Anything Yet” have been included in the school curriculum. Dudi is working on a new album and teaches a master class titled “All the Dreams Are (Not) Taken,” for teenagers and young adults all over Israel. He is married and the father of a son and a daughter.

Rita Borodiyanski

Tel Aviv | Screenwriter, Director, Casting Manager, and University Lecturer

Rita Borodiyanski is a graduate of the Camera Obscura School of Arts, where she studied film, and holds a bachelor’s degree and teaching certification from Beit Berl College. She was nominated for the Israeli Ophir Award twice. Rita’s short film, Time Out, was awarded the Best Thriller award of the prestigious HollyShorts Festival. She is currently working on her debut full-feature film, Young Mother, which won second place and a total of three awards at the Haifa Festival international pitching contest. The film was also accepted into the Nanette Film Festival screenwriting lab and Cinema South screenwriting lab. Rita is also working on Checkpoints, a film that won second place in the Sam Spiegel Jerusalem Film Lab competition, won pitching awards in the Cyprus International, Haifa International, and International WIFTI festivals, and took part in the Tallinn Industry Academy 2023. Rita’s other projects include the final writing stages of her debut television series Crossing the Border, produced by KAN11 (script editor: Keren Margalit). Rita co-founded the “Quiet, We’re Filming” workshop for young filmmakers in Acre, and taught in the “Looking Forward” program for young artists in Lod. She also teaches film in the Kibbutzim College of Education.

Ronnie Brodetzky

Tel Aviv | Theater Creator and Writer

Ronnie Brodetzky, a theater creator and writer, is the winner of the Rosenblum Performing Arts Award for 2020. Since completing her studies, she has been directing and writing. Her theatrical works are characterized by a unique visual language and incorporate texts in an unusual manner. Her debut novel, An Almost Olympic-Sized Pool, was published by Kinneret Zmora-Bitan Dvir and received great critical acclaim. From 2016 to 2019, Roni was the artistic director of the Haifaite Theater Ensemble of the Haifa Theatre. Her work as a director has included Aquarium, a lip-sync production (Haifa Theatre); How to Get Up from a Chair, based on instructional videos on YouTube (Haifa Theatre); Short Circuit, a participatory play (Beer Sheva Theater); Birthday Candles, winner of the Joseph Milo award for best direction (Cameri Theatre); Hubeza, a play featuring the Revolutionary Orchestra and the stories of Etgar Keret (Cameri Theatre); Typing, a play based on WhatsApp chats from real life (Tzavta), and Tartuffe (Cameri Theatre). Ronnie was born in Tel Aviv and grew up in Kfar Vradim and is currently writing her second book. She is married and the mother of two sons.

Nimrod Danishman

Tel Aviv | Director, Playwright, and Acting Teacher

Nimrod Danishman – a director, playwright, and acting teacher – is co-founder and executive director of HaMeshulash Theater, the LGBTQ theater of Tel Aviv, and the winner of the 2021 Shulamit Aloni Prize. He graduated with distinction from the theater direction and teaching program of Kibbutzim College. Nimrod has written and directed several works, including Borders (2018), which is about a virtual relationship between two men, one from Lebanon and the other from Israel. Borders was nominated for two Golden Hedgehog nominations for best play and best lead actor, and participated in The International Exposure of Israeli Theater in 2019. The play was produced in New York, London, and Würzburg, and was nominated for the best play award in the New York Summer Festival. Nimrod’s directing credits include A Last Night in Rome (2021), about a long-distance relationship; Woman to Woman, a monodrama by Roey Maliach Reshef (2018); We’re No More Than That by Gal Chapsky (2019); For Real, a documentary show inspired by narrative podcasts (2019); The Child Dreams by Hanoch Levin, and Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet at the Goodman Acting School of the Negev. Nimrod teaches acting at the Goodman Acting School of the Negev and at the Leo Baeck High School in Haifa.

Hadassa Goldvicht

Jerusalem | Interdisciplinary Artist, Writer, and Lecturer

Hadassa Goldvicht is an interdisciplinary artist, writer, and lecturer. Her work explores themes of language and motherhood, community, and mechanisms of pain and healing. In her large-scale public interventions, she works together with members of communities and institutions in the public domain, creating poetic works with and for communities, while addressing emotional and social/political issues that are both site-specific and universal, underlining unheard voices within communities. Hadassa’s work has been exhibited widely, including at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem; the Fondazione Querini Stampalia, Venice; the Jewish Museum, New York; the Tel Aviv Museum; the Beijing Biennial; the Zacheta National Gallery of Art, Warsaw; and the National Library, Jerusalem. Her works are included in both private and public collections, including the Israel Museum, the Frankfort Jewish Museum, the Tel Aviv Museum, the Fondazione Querini Stampalia, the two venues in New York: The Jewish Museum and the Center for Book Arts. Hadassa is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and holds a master’s degree in fine arts from the School of Visual Arts in New York. She is a recipient of the Ministry of Culture Award, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation grant, Asylum Arts, and the Memorial Foundation grant, and is the artistic director of a residency program for Haredi women. Her past artist residencies include Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Workspace Residency, New York University, Urban Glass, The Center for Book Arts in New York, Mamuta Pasal Media Center in Jerusalem, The OWL Lab in Jerusalem, and The Peleh Fund Residency in Berkeley, California. Hadassa lives in Jerusalem with her husband and their three children.

Yagel Haroush

Tzur Hadassah | Teacher, Composer, Poet, and Musical Director

Yagel Haroush is a teacher, composer, poet, and musical director who co-founded the Kulana School of Oriental Music in Yeruham and founded the Study Center for Makam and Piyyut in Jerusalem and Tzfat. He holds a bachelor’s degree in kamancheh performance from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance and a master’s degree in philosophy from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Yagel explores the links between poetics, music, and Jewish mysticism. In his works, he aims to revive the world of the piyyut (liturgical poem) through preservation, rejuvenation, and performance, and via writing and composing new works, as part of an attempt to establish the world of the piyyut as a living tradition that continues to be written. He has released three albums. The first, recorded with his Shir Yedidot Ensemble, is titled A-ira Shachar – I Will Awake the Dawn: Songs from the Bakashot (Supplications) of Moroccan Jewry. The second is titled Songs for Midnight, and the third is titled Chaserah Neginati: Kinnot Yehudei Morocco (Lamentations of Moroccan Jews). He has also published a book of poetry, Diwan Yagel Ben Ya’akov: Shirim LeChatzot Ha-leil (The Diwan of Yagel Ben Ya’akov: Songs for Midnight). A native of Dimona, he lives in Tzur Hadassah with his wife and five children.

Tamar Hochstadter

Ramat Gan | Writer and Editor of Children’s Books and Multidisciplinary Artist

Tamar Hochstadter is a multidisciplinary artist and writer and editor of books for children and youth at Am Oved Publishing House, where she is the head of the children and youth department. Among her books are the Duno series, Peekaboo, and The Witch's Apprentice and the Rooster's Servant. In 2010, Tamar co-founded Ha-Pinkas (The Notepad), an online children’s magazine dedicated to literature and culture. Ha-Pinkas is a platform for reviews in many areas of children’s culture and hosts an annual conference that is a major event in the local children’s literature community. During her military service at Israel Army Radio, Tamar was involved in creating a weekly children’s program. Twenty years later, she is writing, editing, and presenting the children’s podcast of Haaretz. Tamar won the Ministry of Culture’s Dvora Omer Award for children’s literature for her book Duno and the Unusual Things That Happened to Him, and the Ramat Gan Prize for Literature for her book Kruvina. She holds a bachelor’s degree in visual communication from the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design Jerusalem, and a master’s degree in child and youth culture research. Tamar was born and raised in the Western Galilee, and now lives in Ramat Gan with her husband, son, and daughter.

Avishai Huri

Jerusalem | Poet, Writer, and Artistic Director

Avishai Huri is a poet, writer, and artistic director. His publications include his first book of poetry, How Does an Abyss Do, and a novel, They Called Me Osher. Avishai was among the winners of a short story contest held by Haaretz. He is also the recipient of the Israeli Culture Ministry award for literature, the 2019 Prize for Hebrew Poetry in Memory of Nechama Rivlin, and more. Avishai is an artistic director at Beit Avi Chai and other institutions. He has worked as an editor and writer for podcasts, internet series, and original performances. A native of Beer Sheva, he lives in Jerusalem.

Roy Iddan

Kiryat Anavim | Screenwriter, Creative Consultant, and Media Personality

Roy Iddan, a screenwriter, creative consultant, and media personality, won the Israel Television Academy award for best screenplay in a drama series in 2020. He has created and written several television series, including Manayek, Kfula, Ze Lo HaGil, Punch, and Lost in Asia. He is also a creative consultant for political campaigns, who worked on the 2015 Likud campaign and the campaign of the joint Yesh Atid–Blue and White Knesset list in two rounds of elections in 2019. Roy was a commentator on the Israel version of Meet the Press and Hamateh Hamerkazi (The Headquarters). He also presented short satirical/political items on The Day That Was and From the Other Side, two programs hosted by Guy Zohar and the Hayom Balaila late night program with Guri Alfi, and is a participant on Mah Shetagidu (Whatever You Say) on Channel 11. Roy has been a radio host on three stations: Army Radio, 103FM, and Galey Israel. He is currently writing a drama series for Channel 12 and is developing content for the international market. Roy graduated with honors from the animation unit of Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design Jerusalem, and holds a master’s degree in animation from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Georgia. He taught directing and animation design at Sapir College and Shenkar College of Engineering, Design, and Art, and served as a board member of the Israel Writers’ Guild. Born and raised in Haifa, he lives on Kibbutz Kiryat Anavim. He is married and the father of two daughters and a cat.

Moran Nakar

Ein HaEmek | Director, Artist, and Social Activist

Moran Nakar is a director, artist, and social activist. Her online documentary series about religious LGBT’s, The Holy Closet, which was broadcast on the Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation Kan, was deemed best documentary by the Israeli Documentary Filmmakers Forum and received the Best Online Series Award of 2023 from the Israeli Academy of Film and Television. Moran has written and directed short narrative films that were very successful in Israel and around the world. These included Cosmopolitan, in which an Ethiopian Israeli is turned away due to the color of his skin when he tries to enter a gay party (Tallinn Film Festival 2020) and Please Hold the Line, which tells the story of a woman who fights against the call center of the insurance company that stole her money (nominated for the Israeli Academy Award for Best Short Film in 2022). Moran is a group facilitator who combines professional knowledge of cinematic writing and art and the experience and knowledge that she gained working with various populations. She has been a social activist in the religious LGBTQ+ community for 15 years, and founded the Agalot Rekot (the Empty Carts Club) initiative, which serves as a platform for professional content, meetings, and connections between people who have left religious observance. Moran grew up in Sha’arei Tikva in Samaria and lives with her partner on a moshav in the North.

Akiva Novick

Jerusalem | Journalist

Akiva Novick is a journalist at Kan, the Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation. He is a news presenter on Channel 11’s nighttime news program, hosts a weekly radio program (alongside Rina Matzliach) on Reshet Bet, and occasionally serves as a commentator. Together with Nir Goraly, he created Kan 11’s documentary podcast “Go and Remember,” which explores the effects of the Holocaust on Israeli society. He writes weekly columns for Haaretz and the ultra-Orthodox newspaper Shevi’i. He writes mainly about political and social issues and about matters of religion and state. Akiva covered five almost-consecutive Knesset elections. He is a former Knesset affairs reporter for Channel 13 and a former reporter on the Knesset, the territories, and the ultra-Orthodox community for Yedioth Ahronoth. Akiva grew up in Ofra, served in the IDF as an army radio producer and editor, and lives in Jerusalem as a matter of choice.

Jackie Pearl

Tel Aviv-Jaffa | Multidisciplinary Artist, Director, and Visual Theater Artist

Jackie Pearl is a multidisciplinary artist, director, visual theater artist, and puppeteer for adults. She is a graduate of the School for Visual Theater in Jerusalem and holds a master of fine arts degree (with distinction) from Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design Jerusalem. Her works have been performed on stages across Israel and throughout the world. Her show, “Paper Heart Pearl,” created in collaboration with director Hana Vazana-Grunwald, was staged at the Acre Fringe Theater Festival, and won a Golden Hedgehog award for best stage design and artistic concept. Her work Sodom, which won an award from the Emile Zola Chair for Human Rights, was exhibited at the Arad Contemporary Art Center and the International Theater Exposure event (Isra-Drama). Jackie uses various media in her works in order to touch the wounds of the society in which she lives. She uses poetic means, while conducting multi-layered, autobiographical, political, historical, and mythological research. Jackie is working on a new show entitled The F(e)ather Archivist: An Autobiographical Mythology. Jackie’s father was a laborer and her mother worked in academia. As a young girl, Jackie dropped out of school and was a teenager at risk. Today she teaches in the theater track in Ironi Tet High School in Tel Aviv as an act of repair, in order to instill hope in her students. A queer woman, she identifies as femme and is in a relationship with a trans man.

Ester Rada

Jaffa | Singer, Musician, Artist, Actress, and Media Host

Ester Rada is a singer, musician, artist, actress, and media host. She began her career in the musical The Troupe in the Habima Theatre, in a role that won her Habima’s award for the discovery of the year. Since then, she has acted in stage productions, television series, and films. In 2014, she released her first album, Ester Rada, which received critical acclaim and went gold, selling more than 20,000 copies. Many of its songs ranked high on the Israeli charts and on MTV. The song “Nanu Nay” even reached number seven on the Israeli weekly chart – the first song in Amharic to achieve this. In the years that followed, Ester and her band toured Israel and abroad, appearing on stages in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, the United States, Canada, and South America as a headliner in some of the world’s largest jazz festivals. She opened for Alicia Keys in Israel, and for Sting in Prague. In 2017, Ester hosted Channel 11’s daily culture magazine Mo’adon Tarbut, which won the Israel Television Academy’s award for best culture program, and in 2020, she hosted the torch-lighting ceremony on Mount Herzl alongside Guy Zu-Aretz. She lives in Jaffa with her husband and two children.

Elisheva Razvag

Migron | Choreographer, Dancer, Dance Teacher, and Dance Entrepreneur

Elisheva Razvag is a choreographer, dancer, teacher of dance and art, and dance entrepreneur in the religious community in Israel. She is the recipient of the Minister of Education and Culture’s Prize for Jewish Culture. Elisheva created the dance track at Shirat Hayam, a state-religious high school for girls. She also founded Guf Yotzer, a non-profit organization for the promotion of contemporary women’s art in the religious sector, which runs dance classes for girls and young women, ensembles for training dancers, and professional women’s dance troupes that perform on various stages. Elisheva’s dance works, which have been presented at various festivals, focus on the world of religious women, which is part of the Western fabric of life in Israel. She is married and the mother of six children.

Avishag Shaar-Yashuv

Rishpon | Photojournalist, Artist, and Lecturer

Avishag Shaar-Yashuv is a photojournalist, artist, and lecturer. She started working as a photographer at the age of 19, and is currently a freelance news and magazine photographer in Israel and abroad, working for newspapers from The New York Times to Makor Rishon, and from Haaretz to Israel Hayom. In 2013, she created her first documentary project: a collection of still photographs that documented Israel’s ecological communities. Over the years, the project became the story of one family that she has been photographing for a decade. The award-winning project, which has been shown in the Siena International Photo Awards competition (SIPAContest) and in the Local Testimony exhibition in the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, has also been featured in various magazines throughout Europe. Alongside her independent projects, Avishag is working on documentary projects for the Government Press Office, the National Library of Israel, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, and the Haifa Museum of Art. She is involved in documenting the sets of Israeli films and television series and also lectures on photography. Avishag recently published her first book, which includes photographs from a project that she worked on for six years. She is married and lives in Moshav Rishpon.

Esty Shushan

Rosh Ha-Ayin | Artist, Filmmaker, CEO and Founder of Nivcharot

Esty Shushan is the founder of “Lo Nivcharot, Lo Bocharot” (“No voice, no vote”), a protest movement that calls on Haredi women not to vote for parties that refuse to allow women to run for office, and is the CEO of the “Nivcharot” non-profit organization. She is a lecturer, filmmaker, media personality, writer, artist, designer, media host, and content developer, and lectures in Israel and abroad about her story and work as an activist. Esty is the host of the Haredit Meduberet podcast, which focuses on the revival of Israeli ultra-Orthodoxy. Her short film, Akara (“Barren”), which focuses on how ultra-Orthodox society pressures women to marry young and bear children, was screened at festivals in Israel and abroad. In 2020, she made a film entitled Ehad Mi Yodea (“Who Knows One”), a short personal documentary film, as part of a HOT project about Passover during the COVID-19 pandemic. Esty is a 2017 recipient of the Yaffa London-Ya’ari Prize for social activism and of the 2019 Rappaport Prize for Israeli Women Generating Change. She was named as one of the 20 most influential Israeli women activists by Lady Globes magazine in 2018 and as one of the 20 most promising Israelis of the next decade by Yedioth Ahronoth in 2020. Esty is the subject of Anna Somershaf’s 2021 documentary film, Eshet Hayil (Women of Valor), which focuses on her personal life and public activity and has been screened at a variety of Israeli and international film festivals. Her first book of poetry, Zimrat Karnei HaOr Hamitnaptzot (“Song of the Shattered Rays of Light”), published by Tangier in 2021, won the Ministry of Culture and Sport Prize for a first publication. Esty is currently working on her first feature-length film, Heshbonot Shamayim (“Heavenly Accounts”). She is a mother of four and the eldest of twelve siblings.

Ziv Slama

Jerusalem | Composer, Saxophonist, and Researcher

Ziv Slama is a composer, saxophonist, and researcher. His works are performed regularly both in Israel and abroad. In his music, he seeks to explore the boundaries between artistic and popular music, between high and low culture, and to question the cultural need for such distinctions in Israeli society. Ziv is a doctoral candidate in composition in the collaborative program of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. Viewing Israel as part of a broader and fertile Levantine region, his research focuses on the explicit and implicit connections between Westernness as defining artistic standards and contemporary classical music in Israel. Ziv has been a member of the Tel Aviv Saxophone Quartet since its establishment in 2005. This unique ensemble performs in both central and peripheral areas in Israel and is mainly committed to developing an Israeli repertoire for classical saxophone and curating contemporary music concerts from a broad stylistic perspective. Born in Akko, Ziv lives and works in Jerusalem.

Avital Wexler

Tekoa | Curator of Contemporary Art, Artistic Director, Writer, and Artist

Avital Wexler is a curator of contemporary art, artistic director, writer, and artist. She is an independent curator and also serves as a curator at Zumu – Museum on the Move. She is also a partner artist in the Tekoa Art Center. Previously, Avital was the chief curator of HaMiffal, a multi-disciplinary art and social center in Jerusalem, and the curator and artistic director of the Beita art gallery in Jerusalem. Avital holds a bachelor’s degree in art history from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a master’s degree in policy and theory of the arts from Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design Jerusalem, and certification in museology from the Israel Museum. Avital grew up in Jerusalem in a religious and pluralistic home that combined traditional observance and open-mindedness, and focuses on the seamline between Judaism and art and culture, between simple meaning and Kabbalistic meaning, between affinity with the past and renewal in the present, among other things with regard to questions of gender and feminism. A mother of five, she lives in Jerusalem.

Dana Wohlfeiler Lalkin

Tel Aviv | Founder and Director, Local Testimony

Dana Wohlfeiler Lalkin is a cultural and social entrepreneur in the field of photography. In 2003, she founded Local Testimony, a documentary photojournalism exhibition, which takes place every year alongside the World Press Photo exhibition at the MUZA Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv. Over the years, Dana has launched other projects, such as Frames of Reality, which brings together Israeli and Palestinian photojournalists and documentary photographers to promote coexistence and mutual understanding, and Picture of Nature (Tmunateva), an exhibition of photographs of nature and the environment. In recent years, Dana has worked as a curator of photographic exhibitions on various social topics. She also lectures, accompanied by a presentation, on various issues related to life and the complexity of the region. Dana holds a bachelor’s degree in history and French culture and a master’s degree in cultural studies, both from Tel Aviv University. She was born and raised in Tel Aviv, where she lives with her husband, their three children, and their dog.

About The Program

Mandel Program for Academic Leadership in Teacher Education: Cohort 2

January 2022 – July 2023

Dr. Saleem Abu Jaber

Head of Arabic Language and Literature Department, Achva Academic College

Saleem Abu Jaber is head of the department of Arabic language and literature at Achva Academic College, where he is also an academic advisor. He is responsible for ensuring the accessibility of higher education to the College’s Arabic-speaking students. Previously, he was the head of the Bedouin teacher education track and the founder and director of the Center for Arabic Language Teaching at Kaye Academic College of Education. A senior lecturer and researcher in Arabic language and literature and Islamic culture, he is also involved in promoting optimal training for kindergarten and elementary school teachers in the Bedouin society in the Negev. Saleem develops and leads training programs in education, pedagogy, educational leadership, and social responsibility, with an emphasis on self-empowerment and the professional identity of students as future educators and agents of change in the Arab society. Saleem holds a bachelor’s degree and teaching diploma from Tel Aviv University, a master’s degree from Bar-Ilan University, and a doctorate from Tel Aviv University. He lives in Kafr Qasim.

Dr. Tami Aviad-Levitzky

Head of Department of English Language and Literature, Gordon College of Education

Tami Aviad-Levitzky is head of the department of English language and literature and head of the international English unit at Gordon College of Education in Haifa. Her work at the college includes adapting the English department’s course of study to the Wadmany-Inbar reform, developing a new certificate program in adapted English teaching, and revising the English program of the College to meet international and academic needs. Tami also oversees English-language courses offered by other departments (EMI: English as a medium of instruction), provides pedagogical support for the MASA online education portal, and helps develop curricula for student exchange programs. Tami teaches linguistics and language acquisition both at Gordon College and at the Shaanan College of Education, and conducts research in those fields. She holds a doctorate in English linguistics and foreign language development from the University of Haifa, and lives in Haifa.

Dr. Zipora S. Babchik

Head of the Education Department, Hemdat College of Education

Zipora Babchik is the head of the education department at Hemdat College of Education, where she also heads the Avney Rosha Institute’s principal training program. Zipora is a lecturer and researcher both at Hemdat College and at Levinsky College of Education. Her teaching and research focus on the entry into teaching, principal education, training for first-time principals, teaching and learning for gifted students, and links between academia and the field. Previously, Zipora was director of the Marom Center for Humanities and Science for Gifted Students in Ashdod, and served as the academic coordinator for the Hashkafa teachers’ community program in the Ministry of Education’s Jerusalem district. Zipora holds a doctorate in comparative literature from Bar-Ilan University. She lives in Modi’in.

Dr. Gilit Caduri

Head of Department of Primary Education, Gordon College of Education

Gilit Caduri is head of the department of primary education at Gordon Academic College of Education, where she is teaches on the undergraduate and graduate levels and supervises final projects of students in the graduate program in management and innovation in education. Gilit’s research focuses on teachers’ narratives, teacher education, and the philosophy of education. She holds a doctorate in education from the University of Haifa, and is a graduate of the Mandel Leadership Institute’s Mandel Scholars in Education Program. She lives in Karkur.

Dr. Brachi Elitzur

Head of the Women’s Campus, Herzog College

Brachi Elitzur is the head of the women’s campus of Herzog College, where she lectures on Bible studies and rabbinic literature in the undergraduate and graduate programs, conducts research on Midrashic literature, and coordinates the Regev accelerated degree program for academically gifted students. As head of the women’s campus, Brachi advances special programs that expand the students’ teaching skills, introduce students to diverse populations, and help students meet the changing needs of the education system. Brachi holds a doctorate in Talmud from Bar-Ilan University. She lives in Ofra.

Dr. Hagit Evan-Rifinski

Head TESOL Certification Program, Bar-Ilan University

Hagit Evan-Rifinski is head of the English teacher training program at Bar-Ilan University. She is also a lecturer at Talpiot College and has been an English teacher and homeroom teacher for over three decades at the Alliance high school in Tel Aviv. Hagit has extensive experience in both software and courseware design, having worked for many years at the Center for Educational Technology and at Eric Cohen Books. She also taught English as a second language in Australia, and worked in teacher education in Rwanda. Hagit holds a doctorate in linguistics from Bar-Ilan University. She lives in Tel Aviv.

Dr. Zeevik Greenberg

Senior Lecturer, Tel-Hai College

Zeevik Greenberg is a senior lecturer at Tel-Hai College. His areas of expertise are social and economic geography and settlement, community, and education. He is head of the Center for Rural Studies at Tel-Hai College, and a research fellow at the Institute for the Research of the Kibbutz and the Cooperative Idea at the University of Haifa. Zeevik teaches and researches fields related to the social and economic development of regions in the periphery. His research focuses on populations with multi-dimensional marginality and their integration in education and society. Zeevik holds a doctorate in human geography from the University of Haifa. He lives on Kibbutz Yiftah.

Dr. Guy Hefetz

Head of the Creative Arts in Education Department, Oranim College of Education

Guy Hefetz is head of the creative arts in education department at Oranim College of Education, where he is also the head of program development and staff development in the Faculty of Education. Guy has headed the development of curricula and staffs of lecturers and pedagogical instructors at the College for the last decade, and also leads alternative training for teachers there. Guy facilitates change processes in schools that are seeking to implement systemic change and to adopt new educational paradigms. He is involved in the professional development of individuals, teams, and organizations, and is guided by a vision of promoting humanist approaches in education and society in Israel. Guy holds a doctorate in education from the University of Haifa. He lives on Kibbutz Hannaton in the Lower Galilee.

Dr. Tammy Hoffman

Program Head at Kibbutzim College of Education; Director of Education Policy at Israel Democracy Institute

Tammy Hoffman is the head of the Regev program for outstanding students at the Kibbutzim College of Education and is a research fellow and director of education policy at the Israel Democracy Institute. Tammy has worked in teacher education for over 15 years. Her research areas include the link between the education system and the military, as well as the promotion of civics and democracy education in the education system in the context of teacher education and teacher status. In her role at the Kibbutzim College, she heads an excellence program that provides a unique space for educational leadership and influence in the College’s areas of activity; in her role at the Israel Democracy Institute, she conducts research in policy and ways of implementing education for democratic citizenship in the education system. Tammy holds a doctorate from the Constantiner School of Education at Tel Aviv University, and is a graduate of the second cohort of the post-doctoral program at the MOFET Institute. She lives in Herzliya.

Dr. Shira Iluz

Lecturer in the Faculty of Education, Bar-Ilan University

Shira Iluz is a lecturer in the faculty of education at Bar-Ilan University, where she is also the director of HaLev – The Center for Simulation in Education. Shira leads the application of simulative experiences in professional training and development processes for teachers, and develops theoretical and applied research based on the principle of evidence-based practice. Her research examines the attitudes and positions of teachers in diverse contexts. Shira holds a doctorate in education from Bar-Ilan University, where she is a senior staff member in the faculty of education. She lives in Nof Ayalon.

Dr. Yehuda Jacobson

Head of the Teacher Education Unit, Tel Aviv University

Yehuda Jacobson is the head of the teacher education unit at Tel Aviv University, where he is a member of the management team of the Constantiner School of Education. As head of the teacher education unit, he leads a new practice-based teacher education (PBTE) program and is head of the social science teaching track. Previously, Yehuda was principal of the Alon high school in Ramat Hasharon and served as deputy chair of the Association of Secondary School Principals in Israel. Yehuda holds a doctorate in sociology and anthropology from Tel Aviv University, with a specialization in the anthropology of adolescents and young adults and the anthropology of education. He lives in Ramat Hasharon.

Dr. Anat Kidron

Program Head and Academic Director, Tel-Hai College

Anat Kidron is the head of the program for teaching Land of Israel studies at Tel-Hai College, where she is also the academic director of the M.Teach combined master’s and teaching certificate program. Previously, Anat was head of the faculty of humanities and social science at Ohalo College. Her teaching areas include regional teaching, the development of alternative assessment, innovative pedagogy, and problem-based learning. Her research focuses on the history of the Land of Israel in the modern era. Anat holds a doctorate in Land of Israel studies from the University of Haifa. She lives in Tzurit.

Dr. Shai Mamo

Head of Clinical Training and Program Coordinator, Hemdat College of Education

Shai Mamo is the head of clinical training at Hemdat College of Education, where he is also the coordinator of the Regev program for outstanding students. A member of the College’s management team, he oversees a cooperative initiative with municipalities that links the College’s pre-service teacher-training with local needs. He also lectures in the education department and is involved in tutoring and mentoring, in-service training programs, and pedagogical consulting for various initiatives. Previously, he served as a school principal for over 20 years. Shai holds a doctorate from the University of Potsdam in Germany. He lives in Jerusalem.

Dr. Rama Manor

Head of the Elementary Education Track, Beit Berl College

Rama Manor is head of the elementary education track at the Arab Academic Institute for Education of Beit Berl College, where she is also a senior lecturer in the department of Hebrew language and literature and the head of the research lab at the Center for Education for Shared Society. Rama also teaches in the School of Education of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Previously, she served as head of the department of Hebrew language and literature and as a pedagogic instructor at Beit Berl’s Arab Academic Institute. Rama specializes in the grammar, semantics, and pragmatics of written and spoken modern Hebrew, as well as in teaching Hebrew as a second language in Arab society. She holds a doctorate from the department of Hebrew and Semitic languages at Bar-Ilan University. She lives in Tel Aviv.

Dr. Ohr Margalit

Head of Department and Program Coordinator, Levinsky College of Education

Ohr Margalit is head of the department of Biblical studies and of the Jewish thought unit at Levinsky College of Education, where he also serves as the "Israeli Hope" and anti-racism officer. He is active in promoting coexistence both on campus and by means of partnerships with other institutions, as well as in non-academic social organizations. He is also the co-coordinator of the Coexistence Forum of the MOFET Institute. Previously, Ohr served as dean of students at the College and as head of the Jewish philosophy department, and was co-founder and co-chair of the Lobby for Suicide Prevention in Academia. Ohr holds a doctorate in Jewish thought from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and was a research fellow at Harvard University and at the Shalom Hartman Institute. He lives in Modi’in.

Dr. Hiam Nasseraldeen

Lecturer and Pedagogical Instructor, University of Haifa

Hiam Nasseraldeen is a lecturer and pedagogical instructor in the Department of Learning and Instructional Sciences at the University of Haifa. She has been working in teacher education for over a decade. Hiam lectures in the English teaching program and provides guidance to students during their teaching practicums. Her research examines new teachers’ learning and induction, and her work in education combines academic research and professional practice. Hiam has been a teacher for over 20 years, and serves as a counselor for English teachers in the Ministry of Education, Haifa district. She holds a master’s degree in education system development from the University of Haifa, and her doctoral dissertation has recently been approved. Hiam was born and raised in Daliyat al-Karmel, where she lives today.

Dr. Lamis Odeh-Saba

Lecturer, Pedagogic Instructor, and Coordinator, Levinsky College of Education

Lamis Odeh-Saba is a lecturer and pedagogic instructor in the special education program of Levinsky College of Education, where she is also the coordinator of students from Arab society. Her research focuses on people with disabilities and their families in Arab society, as well as on multicultural aspects of various educational issues. Lamis has led advocacy groups for people with disabilities living in institutional settings. She completed her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral studies in special education at the University of Haifa. She lives in Be’er Ya’akov.

Dr. Havi Sason

Department Coordinator and Lecturer, Herzog College

Havi Sason is the coordinator of the department of education at Herzog College, where she is a lecturer in education, physics, and science. A former high-school physics teacher who prepared students for matriculation exams, Havi was a member of the Israel Ministry of Education’s physics subject committee. Her research focuses on self-directed education, learning, and the teacher’s role in distance learning. Havi holds a doctorate in science teaching from the faculty of education at Bar-Ilan University. She lives in Nof Ayalon.

Dr. Hait Shaham

Head of the Teacher Development Unit, Beit Berl College

Hait Shaham is the head of the teacher development unit at Beit Berl College. Her research and teaching focuses on pedagogy and the didactics of mathematics teaching, as well as on the interface between academia and the field in teacher education. Hait is in charge of practical training at Beit Berl College, and leads special programs such as the Academia-Classroom partnership for teaching reinforcement. In the field of teacher education, she has many years of experience as a pedagogical instructor and a lecturer in mathematics teaching from pre-school through elementary school. Hait also coordinates the MOFET Institute’s program on pedagogical instruction in times of change. Hait holds a master’s degree in mathematics education from the University of Haifa, and a doctorate in education from Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) in Hungary. She lives in Kfar Monash.

Dr. Merav Solomon Even-Chen

Coordinator of Leadership Program, Oranim College of Education

Merav Solomon Even-Chen is the coordinator of the leadership program in the department of social community education at Oranim College of Education, where she is also a lecturer in the faculty of advanced studies. Merav serves as a consultant and adviser to various officials, forums, and educational and community processes throughout Israel. She is a community social worker, and holds a doctorate in social work from Bar-Ilan University. Merav lives in Mitzpe Ilan, a religious community in the Galilee, and is one of its founding members.

Dr. Nimrod Tal

Director of the Israeli Institute of History Education, Kibbutzim College of Education

Nimrod Tal is a historian who serves as the coordinator of the academic post-graduate teacher-training program in the faculty of humanities and social sciences of the Kibbutzim College of Education, where he is the director of the Israeli Institute of History Education. He researches, publishes, and teaches in the fields of American history and history education in Israel and around the world. His work focuses on the role of teachers in fostering an awareness of the past that shapes identity and civic action. Nimrod holds a doctorate in American history from the University of Oxford. He lives in Hod Hasharon.

About The Program