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This year 36 fellows are participating in the Mandel School for Educational Leadership. The 17 fellows of Cohort 19 are in their second year of studies. Cohort 20, which began this year, consists of 19 fellows.
Cohort 20
 Vered Altshuler Ezrachi served as professional director and head of the training unit of the Kesher Center for Special Families, an organization working for social change, whose objective is to empower parents and families of children with special needs and to develop services directed specifically toward this population. She is a former guidance counselor at the Hebrew University High School in Jerusalem. She holds an MSW cum laude from Hebrew University, and is accredited by the Group Facilitator Training Institute of the Zippori Community Education Center in Jerusalem. She is interested in the interaction between parents and the school system, leadership, organizational change, nature, and movement.
 Itay Asher has served as a teaching fellow at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Bar-Ilan University. He holds a PhD (direct track) in Brain Sciences - Computation and Information Processing from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. As part of his post-doctoral studies in science education at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, he directed the Israeli team of the European research project, CoReflect, which deals with inquiry and reflection on social-scientific issues. He is interested in cultivating quantitative thinking in biology, with an emphasis on graphic literacy, and in promoting collaboration between teachers and research/assessment bodies.
 Michal Ben-Dov is founder and director of the Camp USA organization, which sends young Israelis to Jewish summer camps in North America with the aim of maintaining a connection between the two largest Jewish communities in the world. She was involved previously with the World Maccabi movement, where she directed the Junior Maccabiah in 2005. She has served as an emissary of the Jewish Agency to the JCC Association (the umbrella organization of Jewish community centers in the U.S. and Canada). She completed her MA cum laude in Jewish studies at Tel Aviv University, and holds a BA in biology and Jewish history from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Her areas of interest include Jewish peoplehood and the encounter between Israel and the Diaspora Jewish community.
 Tomer Bouhadana has worked as a history teacher, homeroom teacher, and grade-level coordinator at the Dor Experimental Vocational High School in Herzliya. Concurrently, he ran the Nirim program at the school as well as an army preparation program. He is active politically in the Kadima party’s Derech group, which promotes a social-educational agenda. He was among the leaders of the fight to implement the findings of the Winograd Commission and apply the provisions of the Reserve Duty Law. He holds an MA in strategy and national security from Tel Aviv University and a BA in business administration from the Netanya Academic College. His areas of interest are public policy, leadership, and governance; different educational models (in particular, for “fringe populations”); and student empowerment.
 Tal El-Al served until recently as deputy mayor of Beersheva, and continues to sit on the City Council, where he holds the business development and licensing portfolio. In this capacity, he has launched dozens of programs, projects, and initiatives to expand the availability and range of employment opportunities in the South. For nine years, he ran the Open Apartments program as part of the Social Involvement Unit at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. He has also served as director of the southern region in the Hebrew Scouts movement. He holds MA and BA degrees in urban planning and regional development from Ben-Gurion University, and is presently a doctoral student in the department of geography and environmental development at Ben-Gurion. Among his areas of interest are the decentralization of systems of power in the Israeli space; processes of local identity development; narrowing of the gaps between regions; and the development of urban spaces, frontier areas, and the periphery of the country.
 Amir Fink has worked as an archeologist at sites in Turkey for the University of Chicago, including at Zincirli, where he served as associate director. He holds a PhD in archeology from Tel Aviv University, an MA from the University of Chicago and a BA from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He was awarded a Rothschild Fellowship, has been a research fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies of the Hebrew University and is a research associate at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. He has published articles and a book on the history of the Ancient Near East as well as a book (co-authored with Jacob Press) examining the history of the gay community in Israel. In addition to his areas of specialization, he is interested in consumerism and service awareness, Judaism as a culture, and Israeli art.
 Yiftach Guy served as commander of the military boarding school at the Hebrew Reali School in Haifa, which trains young people for leadership and command posts in the IDF. He founded and commanded the Sayarei Hahar reserve battalion, and commanded the Beaufort battalion. He holds an MA degree in public administration and national security from the University of Haifa and a BA in interdisciplinary social sciences from Bar-Ilan University. He is also a graduate of the IDF Command and Staff College. He is interested in strengthening the educational impact of formal schooling by introducing elements of informal education.
 Itai Karin was demobilized from the IDF after 27 years of service, most of them in the Air Force in command positions. In his last post, he served as commander of the Michve Alon base of the Education and Youth Corps. The base offers Hebrew courses and conversion instruction for new immigrants; opportunities for soldiers to complete their education during their army service; and special courses for members of the Ethiopian community and soldiers with emotional difficulties. Previously, Itai served in the Air Force as commander of a flight squadron, head instructor at the IAF Flight School, and assistant air attaché in the U.S. He is completing his MA at Oranim Academic College, specializing in teaching marginalized youth, and has a BA in economics and administration from the University of Haifa. He is interested in spearheading educational progress in Israeli society, especially among new immigrants.
 Mohamad Khlil has served as director of the network of youth and community centers in the Arab sector, an initiative of the Rashi Foundation and several government ministries and local municipalities. The program’s objective is to generate growth in informal education and young leadership by establishing a high-quality service that answers the social and educational needs of every participant along the entire social spectrum in the geographic and social periphery of the country. The youth and community center model provides welfare, education, and leadership services by offering varied enrichment activities as well as emotional and social support. Mohamad holds a BA in informal education and history, and a teaching certificate from Beit Berl College; a degree in applied engineering, specializing in architecture and interior design, from the Western Galilee College; and a teaching certificate in administration from WIZO College. He is interested in being at the forefront of social-educational change in Israeli society in general and the Arab sector in particular.
 Nathaniel Leibowitz worked in R&D at InSightec, which is developing a system for destroying cancerous growths using ultrasound and MRI technology. Prior to this, he researched future technologies at Intel. In the field of education, he has focused on the pedagogical aspects of the teaching of midrash in elementary schools, publishing articles on this topic and implementing his ideas as a volunteer teacher. He holds a PhD in biomedical engineering from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and an MA in computer science from Tel Aviv University. He is interested in exploring the common pedagogical foundation of religious and secular education in Israel as a system that provides high-quality education in secular and religious subjects but restores to the parent the responsibility for inculcating ideology and religiosity.
 Ruti Nissan worked for many years as a producer in television and other media. She owns a production company, and has taken part in creating and developing television formats. She holds an MBA degree in marketing and a BA in economics and cinema, both from Tel Aviv University. Among her areas of interest are the integration of various digital media into education, the effects of this process on the definition of the teacher’s role, and the training of teachers for the digital world. Her goal is to channel her personal and professional skills and experience into the fields of education and society.
 Avi Or served as principal of the Branco Weiss high school for youth at risk in Beit Shemesh. Earlier, he ran the Mesila residence for young girls at risk, and was coordinator of the Beit Elem hostel for at-risk youth, which is part of the network run by the Youth Protection Authority of the Ministry of Welfare and Social Services. He holds an MA in administration of educational systems from the Kibbutzim College of Education and a BA in political science from the Open University. Among his areas of interest is Jewish thought, with an emphasis on Maimonides and other Jewish philosophers.
 Einat Orion headed the Human Resources Division of the IDF Intelligence Corps, where she was involved with integrating special populations. She retired from the army with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel after serving for 26 years in the central intelligence-gathering unit of the Intelligence Branch. She has filled a variety of posts in intelligence-gathering, research, and training in her field of specialization, which is translation from Arabic. She holds an MBA degree from Ben-Gurion University, and a BA cum laude in Arabic language and literature and Middle Eastern history from Tel Aviv University. She is interested in identifying the potential of gifted students from disadvantaged populations and promoting excellence in this sector.
 Vardit Rosenblum has served as a rabbinical court advocate and a lawyer at Yad La’isha, an organization affiliated with Ohr Torah Stone that provides legal assistance in the rabbinic and civil courts to agunot (women trapped in unwanted marriages) and those unable to obtain a get (religious bill of divorce) from their husbands. She is a graduate of the Beit Yaakov teachers’ seminary in Jerusalem and worked as a teacher and counselor in various schools in the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) educational system. She is licensed by the Chief Rabbinate to serve as a to’enet rabbanit (rabbinical court advocate) and holds an LLB degree. She is interested in the role of women in society in general and haredi society in particular.
 Yehonathan Schiff was program director of JVP Community in the Neve Yaakov neighborhood of Jerusalem, a non-profit organization engaged in narrowing scholastic and social gaps among children and young people in disadvantaged neighborhoods in Jerusalem; to accomplish this goal, the organization operates teams of national-service volunteers throughout the city. Yehonathan has an MA in Hebrew literature from Tel Aviv University and a BA in mathematics and computer science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is also a graduate of the program for the study of Czech literature at Charles University in Prague. He is interested in the interface and mutual influence between formal and informal education.
 Nati Stern served as principal of the Tel Nordau school in Tel Aviv and as vice-principal of the junior high school in Mevaseret Zion. He previously held several positions in the formal school system as well as in informal education in the No’ar Ha’Oved Vehalomed youth movement. He served as a parliamentary aide in the 14th Knesset. He earned an MA cum laude in leadership and educational administration from Tel Aviv University and holds a BA in political science from Hebrew University. He has a teaching certificate in civics and literature from the Kerem teacher-training institute, and is a graduate of the Tel Aviv University program for principal-training. He is involved in promoting and instilling democratic and humanistic values, and advocates an educational and social worldview based on ongoing dialogue between partners.
 Benayahu Tvila is the founder and past principal of Torat Chaim yeshiva for marginalized haredi youth. He served as director of the HILA program’s educational center in Tzfat (for at-risk youth), and is active in supplementary education for the haredi population in Israel’s geographic periphery. He is presently completing his master’s thesis in philosophy at Tel Aviv University, and has a BA degree cum laude in Jewish history and a teaching certificate in history from the Open University. He has engaged in advanced Torah study at the Slobodka yeshiva in Bnei Brak and at a kollel in Tzfat (where he studied hora’ah and dayanut, areas geared toward service as a halakhic decisor or religious court judge). He is interested in educational theory and practice; Torah study and modern Jewish thought in general, and the philosophy of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov in particular; and existential ethics and philosophy.
 Shalom Weil served as principal of the Mekor Chaim religious elementary school, prior to which he was a rabbi/teacher and coordinator of Bible studies at Himmelfarb religious high school. He has also worked as a facilitator and organizational consultant at the Ovnayim Institute for practical knowledge in education. He holds an MBA in finance and organizational behavior from Hebrew University, and a BEd in Bible and Oral Law from Herzog College in Alon Shvut. He is a graduate of the course for principals in the state-religious school system at the Michlalah Jerusalem College. He is interested in organizational processes of educational institutions, and in the connection between Torah study and the practical world.
 Revital Yahalom has served as a lecturer in democratic education in the Socio-Educational Incubator program of the Kibbutzim College of Education. As a member of the administration of the Institute for Democratic Education, she has served as a director of pedagogical development, pedagogical director of the Bat Yam “education city,” a pedagogic consultant leading processes of urban change in Hod Hasharon, Nes Ziona, and Holon, and a participant in the Educational Pioneer program for principal-training. In addition, she took part in founding and developing the Pedagogic Beehive, a division of the Institute for Democratic Education created to advance democratic pedagogy, and in building the training programs for the Yachad Morim teacher-training project. She holds an MA in Hebrew literature and a BA in general and Hebrew literature from Tel Aviv University. She is interested in creating a pedagogy that is relevant to students in the 21st-century, exploring the connection between the physical learning space and a meaningful learning experience, and crafting learning programs that develop critical thinking and social activism. Her other areas of interest are future studies and the arts.
Cohort 19
 Revital Amiran served as a lecturer in political science at Tel Aviv University and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. She has also taught at UCLA Berkeley. She holds a Ph.D. in political science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, an M.A. in political science from Tel Aviv University, and a B.A. in comparative literature and political science from Bar-Ilan University. Prior to her doctoral studies she ran a community center in Ramat Gan. She is interested in political thought, Zionism, political leadership, political behavior in Israel, and nationalism.
 Vered Amar served as chair of the administrative board of the MAROM program—a joint undertaking of the Merom Hagalil Regional Council, the United Jewish Israel Appeal of the UK and the Rashi Foundation. The program is intended to generate growth in the field of education by establishing a community education campus in conjunction with the Ministry of Education that offers a physical and pedagogical infrastructure for creating a learning continuum from preschool to high school. She holds an M.A. in Geography, Environment and Society from Tel Aviv University, and a B.A. in architecture from the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design. She is interested in spearheading change processes in local government, with an emphasis on developing the fields of strategic planning, education, and social welfare.
 Gad Bartov headed the Bnei Akiva high school yeshiva in Kfar Haroe’h. He received rabbinic ordination from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, and holds an M.A. in Jewish Law from Tel Aviv University and a B.Ed. in Oral Law and Jewish Philosophy from the Michlalah Jerusalem College. While at the yeshiva high school, he instituted a special major for the study of law. He has been a member of the Tzohar organization of religious-Zionist rabbis, and is interested in halakha, the philosophy of halakha, and Jewish law.
 Limor Berman Harms served as the principal of the elementary school in Kfar Shemaryahu, Hof Hasharon. Earlier, she was the principal of the Hasmonean School in Jaffa, a school with a mixed population. Under her stewardship, the school won a national education award for teaching values of dialogue and multiculturalism, and improving academic achievement. She completed her M.A. cum laude in educational administration and policy and her B.A. in education and history at Tel Aviv University. She believes in the need to create a meaningful pluralistic space within educational settings that stimulates thinking and invites emotional experiences as a basis for empowering individuals there. Limor is interested in the influence of Web 2.0 technologies on the fields of education, gender, multiculturalism, and principal training.
 David Blaugrond served on the Harish-Katzir Local Council and was a member of the Special Regional Planning Commission for the city of Harish. He has rabbinic ordination from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, and holds a B.A. in economics and business administration and a certificate in public administration from Touro College.
 Mulu Brahan served as director of the Shiluvim program—a unique project administered jointly by the Haifa-Boston Connection and the Haifa Municipality. The program offers a systemic, holistic response to the integration of Ethiopian immigrants living in Haifa. Mulu holds an M.A. in education from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and a B.A. in special education and human resources management from the University of Haifa. She is interested in finding creative and innovative ways to empower and integrate weaker populations in the fabric of Israeli life.
 Bezalel Cohen is active in promoting employment in the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) world. Together with several partners, he founded the KEMACH non-profit organization for haredi professional advancement to provide financial assistance to haredi students through scholarships for social entrepreneurship from the Israel Venture Network (IVN). He has initiated, developed, and run employment programs for the haredi sector at JDC Israel (the Joint), among them programs for integrating haredim in the technical systems of the IDF, and for bringing haredi men into academic learning. He has fostered internal haredi dialogue, primarily through haredi Internet forums. He is also a member of the editorial board of Eretz Acheret magazine. Bezalel is a graduate of Torah study programs, and is presently studying for his B.A. in sociology and political science through the Open University. His areas of interest include social changes in the haredi world, particularly in the area of employment: professional training, higher education and army service, promotion of internal dialogue in the haredi world, and dialogue between the various populations in Israeli society.
 Keren Epstein served as manager of a development group at Check Point Software Technologies, an Israeli high-tech company specializing in data security. She holds an M.Sc. in neurobiology from the Weizmann Institute of Science and a B.Sc. in mathematics and computer science from Tel Aviv University, both cum laude. She is interested in teaching creativity and values, and in the use of puppetry as an educational-therapeutic tool.
 David Fridman taught mathematics and physics and served as a homeroom teacher and grade-level coordinator at Pardes Hanna Agricultural School and ORT Shapira in Kfar Saba. Concurrently, he was a political activist in the National Secondary-School Teachers Organization, where he founded the New Spirit movement. He holds an M.Sc. and B.A. in mechanical engineering from Tel Aviv University. His areas of interest include advanced learning methods, different school models, and educating students toward political involvement.
 Gideon Kaplan was a co-founder and VP of technologies and R&D at Gilat Satellite Networks and Sandlinks Systems. He holds a Ph.D. in information theory, and a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in electrical engineering and communications, all from the Technion. He volunteers with the Yedid non-profit organization, leading a group that adopted the organization’s Ashkelon branch several years ago. He is interested in entrepreneurship; leadership; interpersonal communication; education and volunteering in the third sector; literature; and sailing.
 Udi Klein served as deputy director of sales and branches for Kidum test preparation services. At this post, he initiated and led the process of turning the company’s branches into learning centers with added value, creating a package of services and support for the student, above and beyond the didactic content, and building a professional staff. He holds an MBA in business administration and an LLB degree from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Udi has volunteered with the Acharai! non-profit organization for promoting meaningful IDF service. His areas of interest include public policy, with an emphasis on reducing social gaps and leading processes of change and empowerment at the personal and organizational levels; prose and poetry; and history.
 Tomer Oshry served as head of the Negev pre-army preparatory academy and as director of the Gal Center for Educational Leadership at Sde Boker. He holds an M.A. in Bible Studies from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, a B.A. in education and history, and a teaching certificate in history. Tomer is interested in existentialist philosophy, Hellenist history, history of the Land of Israel, education, and Bible.
 David Peretz is a musician, artist, performer, producer, writer, and lecturer. In particular, he is involved in cultural entrepreneurship and in fostering local culture in Beersheva and southern Israel. He taguht music and writing at the Branco Weiss high school in Beersheva. David holds an M.A. in Hebrew literature from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and a B.Ed. in geography and computer instruction from Lifshitz Teachers College. He is interested in music, words, and the people between the two.
 Yoav Pridan served as co-director of the educational initiative for teaching thinking “Metanoya–Education for Smart Thinking” and developed educational programs in the fields of economic thought and the development of thought through games. In addition he was the CEO of a company in East Asia, and served in managerial positions in the Finance Ministry and the UMT company in London and served as a legal advisor at the Antitrust Authority. Yoav holds an MBA in management from Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University in Rotterdmam, Holland and an LLB and BA in administration from Tel Aviv University. He is interested in educational public policy, economic thought, teaching thinking, innovation, games and more.
 Lirit Serphos served as deputy head of the National Security Council’s Policy Planning Division, where she helped formulate an integrative policy for the Arab sector and a consensual arrangement for Bedouin settlement. In recent years, she launched and ran the ZALA project of the LEAD non-profit organization which empowers citizens to address social problems using teams to improve society. Lirit holds an MBA from Tel Aviv University as well as an M.A. in urban and regional planning from the Technion and a B.A. in agriculture from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Her areas of interest include the third sector, the environment, futurology, and partnerships that cross boundaries.
 Ofer Yichye served as an instructor in the OMETZ program-Central Region—a program for enhancing academic success as a tool for preventing drop-out and expulsion from schools. He also served as the principal of the Kiryat Ye’arim school for at-risk youth, which, under his direction, became a six-year high school. He holds an M.A. in political science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a B.A. in Jewish history and international relations. He is interested in German history-Holocaust studies, youth at risk, and photography.
 Ariav Yust served as a rabbi/teacher at the Bnei David–Eli pre-army preparatory program, post-army beit midrash, and institute for higher talmudic studies. The yeshiva trains Torah scholars to serve as commanders and officers in the IDF and to take their place as leaders in public life. He has served as rabbi of the Mizrachi congregation and head of the Yavneh yeshiva and girls’ seminary in Antwerp, Belgium. His work there centered on preparing families and students for their aliyah to Israel and integration here. He earned his rabbinic ordination from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and holds an M.A. in Jewish Law from Tel Aviv University and a B.Ed. in Biblical Studies and Oral Law from Herzog Teachers’ College in Alon Shvut. He is interested in the following areas: education aimed at integrating the Torah approach into everyday life, and in Talmud, philosophy, Jewish law, secular law, and music.
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