Graduates

Mandel Program for Local Leadership in Afula

OCTOBER 2015 – JUNE 2017

Yaniv Bouganim

Director, Afula municipal cultural center and gallery

Yaniv directs the Afula municipal cultural center and gallery, and is in charge of the day-to-day running of the facility which contains a large, modern auditorium forum for musical performances, repertory theater, children’s shows, professional conferences, and more. He is a member of a number of municipal steering committees, and is involved in municipal event planning and large-scale productions. He is also a member of the board of trustees of the Max Stern Yezreel Valley College, a reflection of his commitment to facilitating collaborations between Afula and the neighboring regional council. Yaniv holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and public policy from the Max Stern Yezreel Valley College, and a master’s degree in political science and political communications from Tel-Aviv University. *This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Shani Cabra-Gerbak

Coordinator of Teach for Israel (TFI) Ambassadors program, Haifa and north

Shani coordinates the Teach for Israel (TFI) Ambassadors program in Haifa and the north, and also runs her own business in organizational development consulting and personal coaching. She is responsible for supporting teachers who graduated from the TFI program, as individuals and as a group, and for their personal and professional development. Her vision is to nurture teachers and leaders for change who will promote equal opportunities in Israeli education. Shani holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in organizational consulting and development, both from the Max Stern Academic College of Emek Yezreel. She has a daughter, and lives in Afula.*This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Avihay Dahan

Home room teacher, Yad Sasson school

Avihay is a home room teacher at the Yad Sasson school on Kibbutz Lavi, where he also teaches a number of different subjects. His work is informed by a deep belief in educating and developing individuals as the key to a strong society. He holds a bachelor’s degree in education and a teaching diploma from the Herzog-Lifschitz College of Education. Avihay is married, and lives in Afula. *This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Eti Dahan

Director, Human resources division, Afula municipality

Eti directs the human resources division of the Afula municipality. In this capacity, she is responsible for managing and developing human resources, developing human capital, and managing organizational processes for the municipality. She is also a member of the board of directors of the Afula Economic Development Corporation. Eti holds a bachelor’s degree in multidisciplinary studies and social sciences from the Max Stern Yezreel Valley College, and a master’s degree in political science (with a specialization in public policy and administration) from the University of Haifa. Married and a mother of three, she lives on Kibbutz Mishmarot. *This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Itay Eliyahu

Placement consultant, Israel Elwyn nonprofit

Itay is a placement consultant at the Israel Elwyn nonprofit, working to help place people with disabilities in employment as part of a collaborative project with the National Insurance Institute’s rehabilitation department. His vision is to reduce social gaps through accessibility and guidance initiatives in the labor market. Itay holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Max Stern Yezreel Valley College. He is married and a father of two, and lives in Afula. *This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Adi Gaber

Home room teacher, AMIT Yehuda religious high school for boys

Adi is a home room teacher at the AMIT Yehuda religious high school for boys in Afula, and also serves as rabbi of the city’s Yemenite community. He was a partner in establishing the Afula religious gar’in [an ideological community of young adults working together in a municipal setting to promote social and communal issues], and helped run its community activities for the first five years. He is also a relationship counselor. Adi sees his role in Afula as a religious mission, providing spiritual and educational resources for the public in the city and the region which draw on the teachings of Rabbi Kook, and based on a willingness to partner and collaborate with any individual or group interested in helping Afula flourish. He holds a bachelor’s degree in teaching from Ohalo College, and a master’s degree in education system management and development from the Orot Israel Academic College in Elkana. He is married and a father of seven. *This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Gershon Getahun

Educational mediator

Gershon works for the Society for the Advancement of Education as a consultant and mentor to educational mediators in the state education system’s northern district. He also acts as an educational mediator on behalf of the University of Haifa, and as a legal mediator on behalf of “Israel Mediation” and the justice system. Previously, he set up the Gur Aryeh Yehuda nonprofit which works to preserve and nurture the heritage and traditions of Ethiopian Jewry. Gershon also established a synagogue for the Ethiopian community, and helps organize social gatherings there for the community. He volunteers as a community police officer, and is involved in social activism and public and community activities. Gershon holds a bachelor’s degree in informal education, and is a qualified community education professional. *This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Neta Kopelzada

Coordinator of “Connecting Bridge” program

Neta is the coordinator of the “Connecting Bridge” program, a partnership between Afula-Gilboa and the Jewish communities of southern New England. She has been involved in Jewish-Zionist education for over a decade, and served as an emissary of the Jewish Agency for Israel to the universities in Toronto. In her current role, she is responsible for the connections and relationships between residents of Afula-Gilboa and the partner Jewish communities in the United States. This includes hosting incoming missions, and leading various projects of the partnership, such as a youth leadership program and a community service year program abroad. Neta holds a bachelor’s degree in community social education and communications from Oranim Academic College. She is single, and lives in Afula. *This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Noga Lavi

Director of Tarbut School

Noga is director of the Tarbut school in Afula, which trains artists, writers, and creatives to become change agents in communities in the periphery. The school provides education for a range of ages, but focuses on young adults in the city and surrounding region. Noga also leads young women’s groups in Afula on gender, feminism, and female creativity, and is active in the Bo’ena women’s cabaret in the city. This latter enterprise is a pilot for creating additional groups of women in Afula who are aware, organized, and socially active on behalf of other women. Noga is currently completing a bachelor’s degree in education and art at the Beit Berl College’s “Hamidrasha” Faculty of Arts. *This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Omer Lev

Educational/social program director, Afula municipality

Omer is an educational/social program director for the Afula municipality, responsible for a variety of violence-prevention programs. He manages the Afula municipal park, with an area of 45 acres, and is responsible for its upkeep and for organizing activities for the park’s visitors. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration, and a qualification in industrial engineering and management. He is married and a father of three, and lives in Afula as a third-generation resident of the city. *This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Dana Levavy

Family and community coordinator, Future Horizons program

Dana is a family and community coordinator in the “Future Horizons” program in Afula, responsible for providing financial guidance to families in the program, helping them exercise their rights, facilitating groups, nurturing community relations, and developing community projects. Her vision is to reduce social and economic gaps by increasing awareness of rights, and by helping people gain the skills to become economically independent. Dana holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Sapir College, and a master’s degree in management and conflict resolution, including a diploma in mediation, from the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. She lives on Kibbutz Dovrat. *This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Mor Lifshitz

Director of Ohel theater

Mor is coordinator of graduate activities and director of the Ohel theater (belonging to the Tarbut [“Culture”] Movement) in Afula, and is responsible for the activities of the movement’s artist-educators active in various institutions in the city. As part of the movement’s activities, she also produces cultural events in Afula, develops models for culture in the community, and is responsible for relations with various representatives in the municipality. Mor is studying for a bachelor’s degree in art and a teaching diploma, in Tarbut’s special study program at Beit Berl College. *This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Shai Matalon

Social activist

Shai is a social activist and director of the “Yezreel Quarter – Afula” Facebook group, working to build a community in the new Yezreel Quarter in the city, and to develop cooperation between the municipality and the nascent community. He is active in encouraging residents to be involved in their environment, and promoting cooperation within the community. Shai is a software engineer at Intel, a graduate of the IDF’s Naval Officer School, and holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and management from the Technion. He is married and a father of three, and lives in Afula. *This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Yarden Mokria

Director of Afula youth social involvement programs

Yarden directs the Afula municipality’s youth social involvement programs, implementing the Ministry of Education plan for “Personal Development and Social Involvement for Youth.” She guides and mentors the city’s schools on social involvement issues, and works to develop relations with volunteering organizations in the city and create new volunteering programs for young people. Yarden holds a bachelor’s degree in educational counseling from the University of Haifa, and a special education teaching diploma from Oranim Academic College of Education. *This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Michal Shato

Educational counselor and teacher, ORT Afula educational campus

Michal is an educational counselor and home room teacher at the ORT Afula educational campus. As a counselor, she focuses on leading the school’s array of therapeutic services and on student emotional welfare, while building partnerships between parents, teachers, and the school. She also tutors teachers and parents on caring for students, and works with the school’s various student committees. Michal holds a bachelor’s degree in special education, sociology, and anthropology, a special education teaching diploma, and a degree in educational counseling. *This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Avishai Shlomi

Social activist and educator

For the last decade Avishai has been involved in education, teaching, and social activism, mainly in the field of sustainability and the environment. He has set up a Center for Local Sustainability in Upper Afula, to form part of a national network of sustainability centers. Avishai holds a bachelor’s degree from Bar-Ilan University in Land of Israel studies (archaeology track), a master’s degree in geography (with a specialization in site development), and a teaching diploma in Land of Israel studies. *This biography was last updated at the start of the program

Ohad Yona

Director, Roundglobe

Ohad is the founder and director of Roundglobe, a digital marketing agency providing advanced marketing solutions for businesses, nonprofits, and public institutions. He also acts as a consultant and mentor to entrepreneurs and businesses, including on behalf of the Israel Small and Medium Enterprises Authority, and directs a variety of projects in the fields of online commerce, marketing strategy, and communications and information technologies. Ohad holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology and anthropology from the Max Stern Yezreel Valley College, and a master’s degree in communications and journalism from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He lives in Afula. *This biography was last updated at the start of the program

About The Program