Fellows

Mandel Program for Medical Leadership for the Negev

OCTOBER 2023 – DECEMBER 2024

Dr. Ahmad Abu-Assa

Specialist in Family Medicine and Coordinator of Family Medicine Residents, Clalit Health Services

Dr. Ahmad Abu-Assa, a specialist in family medicine, works as a family practitioner in Clalit Health Services’ community clinic in the Kuseife Local Council. He also serves as the coordinator of residents in the department of family medicine, a coordinator in the diploma course for family medicine residents, and the coordinator of the primary medicine course for general practitioners of Clalit Health Services in the southern district. A member of the Association of Arab Physicians in the Negev, he works to promote health in Bedouin society, with emphasis on diabetes and genetic diseases. He lives in the Tel Sheva local council.

Dr. Barak Aricha-Tamir

Specialist in Women’s Health, Director of the Kiryat Gat Specialist Medical Center, Clalit Health Services

Dr. Barak Aricha-Tamir practices general gynecology and maternal-fetal medicine in the community medical clinics of Clalit Health Services. Previously, he headed the women’s health services at Clalit’s specialist medical center in Netivot and is currently the director of Clalit’s specialist medicine center in Kiryat Gat. As part of his work, Barak trained health science students, residents, and doctors in various fields, and was a clinical instructor in the field of women’s health and medical research. Barak is the founder and director of “Own Road Clinic” – a mobile ob-gyn clinic that travels between the cities of the northern Negev. This unique, groundbreaking project was born of his affinity for women’s health in the community and the need for accessible women’s health services in the Negev. Barak is a graduate of the Ben-Gurion University Medical School and completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Soroka University Medical Center. He also holds a master’s degree in microbiology and immunology (summa cum laude). Alongside his clinical work, Barak has also been involved in clinical research and has published many research papers. He lives in Givot Bar in the Bnei Shimon Regional Council and loves the Negev and its people.

Mirit Biton

Coordinator of Internships and Residencies, Samson Assuta Ashdod Hospital

Mirit Biton is a human resources coordinator who is responsible for the medical students at Assuta Ashdod Hospital and coordinates the hospital’s programs for interns and residents. Mirit is responsible for the processes of study and professional development of the interns and residents and is their address for support regarding their professional and personal lives. Mirit was involved in the founding of the hospital in 2017. Previously, she served as an officer in the IDF’s Adjutant Corps and was discharged with the rank of captain after ten years of service as a career soldier. Mirit holds a bachelor’s degree in social sciences and human resources, a master’s degree in educational administration and leadership, and a teaching certificate, all from Bar-Ilan University.

Dr. Liora Boehm Cohen

Senior Physician, Pulmonology Institute, Soroka University Medical Center

Dr. Liora Boehm Cohen is an internal medicine and pulmonology specialist at Soroka University Medical Center. She treats patients with a wide range of lung diseases at the hospital’s pulmonology institute and in several unique collaborative clinics: the adult cystic fibrosis clinic, the mycobacterial clinic run in collaboration with the infectious diseases clinic, and a high-risk pregnancy clinic for women with lung diseases. As part of her work in the pulmonology institute, she also performs bronchoscopies. Liora is responsible for Israeli medical students studying abroad, as part of the staff of Soroka’s medical education unit. In the capacity of this position, she is responsible for the placement and learning of students, scheduling clinical rotations, building study days, and incorporating them into the hospital’s system. Liora is a member of the teaching committee of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev’s medical school, as well as a member of the 4th-year-students’ committee. In this capacity, she is responsible for professionalism and is working on the design of a new curriculum devoted to this topic. Liora studied medicine at Semmelweis University in Budapest, Hungary. She is married and a mother of four.

Dr. Sabri El-Saied

Deputy Director, ENT Department, Soroka University Medical Center

Dr. Sabri El-Saied has been a lecturer and senior physician and surgeon in the department of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery at Soroka University Medical Center in Beer Sheva since 2016, and has been serving as deputy director of the department since 2021. He completed his medical studies at Philipps-Universität in Marburg, Germany. He then completed an internship and six-year residency program at the department of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery at Soroka Medical Center in Beer Sheva. After finishing his residency, he returned to the Hannover Medical School in Germany for a two-year clinical and research fellowship in otolaryngology.

Dr. Moriya Gal

Regional Medical Director, Maccabi Healthcare Services

Dr. Moriya Gal is a family medicine specialist who serves as a regional medical director for Maccabi Healthcare Services. She also serves as an instructor for residents at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and in the family medicine department of Maccabi Healthcare Services and provides guidance to medical students during their studies. Moriya considers providing training in family medicine to be a fundamental part of her work. She studied medicine at Tel Aviv University and completed her residency in the family medicine department of Clalit Health Services in the Dan-Petach Tikva District. Moriya also holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Bar-Ilan University, served in Unit 8200 of the IDF Intelligence Corps, is a cachibol player, and is an amateur runner. She lives in Carmit.

Kawther Hammud

Director of Physiotherapy Institute, Clalit Health Services

Kawther Hammud is the director of a physiotherapy institute in Beer Sheva for Clalit Health Services. In this capacity, she manages a professional team that provides physical therapy services in the community, mentors employees and entry-level managers, and leads collaborations and projects of healthcare teams in Beer Sheva and its surroundings to promote health and improve health services. Kawther provides pelvic floor therapy and works to promote women’s urogenital health. In the past, Kawthar managed the physiotherapy clinic in Rahat, where she developed services for the community, facilitated therapy groups, and promoted women’s health by initiating health-days and workshops in collaboration with professionals. Previously, Kawther headed a social responsibility and volunteering center for Clalit employees, which focused on road safety, at-risk youth, special education, and more. She also organized volunteer activities in the framework of Israel’s “Good Deeds Day.” Kawther holds a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from Tel Aviv University and a master’s degree in health administration from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. She is also a graduate of a pipeline program that creates mid-level management for Clalit Health Services. Kawther lives in Beer Sheva.

Dr. Ruth Kannai

Specialist in Family Medicine, Lecturer in Medical Schools, and Instructor of Medical Teams and Teaching Staff

Dr. Ruth Kannai is a specialist in family medicine who works for Clalit Health Services and is involved in teaching and medical education at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Ruth lectures and instructs medical students, interns, and residents on family medicine, pediatrics, bioethics, women’s health, burnout prevention, mind-body connection, psychiatry, palliative medicine, and how to break bad news. At Ben-Gurion University, she leads the “Healer’s Art” course developed by Professor Rachel N. Remen, which is taught to medical students, medical teams, and family medicine residents. She is also co-facilitator of the “Teaching Scholars” course for developing young medical educators in family medicine. Previously, she coordinated the diploma course for family medicine residents and taught a course on ethics and professionalism in the framework of the Adam VeRefu’a medical humanities curriculum at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Ruth is the facilitator of a discussion and support group for family medicine residents of Clalit Health Services. She has over 30 publications in medical journals, many of which are case reports and stories describing ethical issues in the doctor-patient relationship. Ruth teaches reflective writing as a method for strengthening the caregiver-patient relationship, in order to prevent burnout and to develop resilience in healthcare professionals. She holds a degree in medicine from Tel Aviv University’s School of Medicine and is a graduate of the Advancing Academic Family Medicine in Israel Fellowship program at the University of Washington in Seattle, which is an academic study program in family medicine and medical education. In her studies, Ruth focused on medical ethics, sociology, anthropology, and medical humanities. She lives in Givat Yeshayahu in the Ella Valley.

Ayala Katz

Nurse, Midwife, Lecturer, and Clinical Instructor, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Ayala Katz is a clinical instructor and the coordinator of the women’s health division of the nursing department at the Recanati School for Community Health Professions, in the faculty of health sciences at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. In this capacity, she lectures and is responsible for guiding and training nursing students in women’s health, while contributing to their personal development and increasing their sense of social and professional belonging. Ayala believes that maintaining high professional standards, coupled with personal connection and providing straightforward guidance, facilitates learning characterized by curiosity, independence, and a true desire for progress. For the last few years, she has headed the “Siudon” project, a social initiative of the nursing department in which she meets nursing students individually and in groups as part of their training in teamwork, while emphasizing mutual responsibility and constant support. Previously, Ayala worked as a neonatal nurse and as a midwife at Soroka University Medical Center and Assuta Ashdod. Ayala holds a bachelor’s degree and a master's degree in nursing, summa cum laude, from the Recanati School for Community Health Professions at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Her graduate thesis focused on coping styles and depression levels of women who are undergoing fertility treatments. Ayala received the Ruth Ron Prize for Excellence in Clinical Training for 2020, which commended her worldview, commitment, and approach, which promotes excellence and professionalism. She is a marathon runner and lives on Kibbutz Kramim in the Bnei Shimon Regional Council.

Dr. Idit Liberty

Director of the Diabetes Clinic, Soroka University Medical Center

Dr. Idit Liberty is the director of the diabetes clinic for hospitalized patients at Soroka University Medical Center and is the vice dean for student affairs at the faculty of health sciences of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. A specialist in internal medicine who works in the field of diabetes and obesity, Idit also supervises master’s and doctoral students in their research in diabetes and collaborates in research with other researchers and medical teams. Idit provides instruction in internal medicine to students, residents, and doctors, with an emphasis on diabetes and weight gain. Previously, she was responsible for organizing students’ clinical rotations during their clinical years and for developing assessments for medical students. Idit is part of the team responsible for a comprehensive and in-depth course for training doctors in the field of diabetes that is offered under the auspices the Israel Medical Association. In the past, Idit chaired the admissions committee of the faculty of health sciences at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. In her current capacity as the faculty’s vice dean for student affairs, she is responsible for assisting students from lower socio-economic backgrounds, and has a strong commitment to obtaining financial aid and academic assistance for students in need. Idit holds a degree in medicine and a master’s degree in health administration from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. She lives in Yeruham.

Dr. Shany Manashko-Tshechmer

Chief Psychologist, Barzilai University Medical Center

Dr. Shany Manashko-Tshechmer is the chief psychologist and a senior instructor at Barzilai University Medical Center, where she is the director of psychological services, which include clinical, rehabilitative, and medical treatment in ambulatory and inpatient settings. As part of her work, Shany is responsible for psychological care of the hospital’s employees, working to prevent personal and professional burnout, to prevent the development of post-traumatic reactions in response to involvement with complex cases, and to provide emotional support during transitions between stages in the medical, nursing and health professions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she established a unit to identify employees in distress, including cases of “secondary casualties” who were impacted emotionally, and provide them with the necessary treatment. As part of this initiative, she worked with Israel’s Ministry of Health to train 250 staff members who could serve as gate-keepers. Shany is a consultant to the Directorate of Government Medical Centers on topics related to burnout and employee retention and promoting public psychology in the healthcare system. In addition to her work in the hospital, Shany teaches future healthcare professionals in a variety of academic frameworks, with an emphasis on the connection between theory and clinical work, after previously training staff of the welfare services and psychological and educational services. She also engages in research and has published several academic articles on her findings. Shany has a private clinic where she treats adults, youth, and children using an integrative and systematic approach. Previously, she served as the executive director of Telem – a private nonprofit organization that provides psychological and psychiatric treatment and diagnosis across Israel. Shany holds a master’s degree and doctorate in clinical psychology from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Her doctoral dissertation focused on maltreated children’s representations of their mother and an additional caregiver. She lives in the Omer local council.

Dr. Eitan Neeman (1978–2023)

Specialist in Pediatrics and Member of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Dr. Eitan Neeman was a senior physician in the pediatric intensive care department at Soroka University Medical Center and a member of the faculty of health sciences at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. He studied medicine at the Ben-Gurion University Medical School, completed his residency in pediatrics at Soroka University Medical Center, and completed a fellowship in pediatric intensive care at Yale University. A major in the IDF reserves, Eitan fell in battle while serving as a combat medic following the Hamas attack of October 7, just before beginning his fellowship in the Mandel Program for Medical Leadership for the Negev. A man of vision, he aspired to establish a national knowledge center in the fields of pediatric resuscitation and trauma at Soroka University Medical Center and in the faculty of health sciences at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

Dr. Caroline Ohayon

Specialist in Emergency Medicine and Family Medicine and Residency Program Director at Assuta Ashdod Hospital

Dr. Caroline Ohayon has been a senior physician in the department of emergency medicine at Assuta Ashdod Hospital since the hospital’s establishment in 2017. One of the founders of the department, she is responsible for the hospital’s residency program in emergency medicine. Caroline is an instructor in a national course in emergency medicine offered by the Israel Association for Emergency Medicine. Previously, she worked as a family doctor in a community clinic of the Clalit Health Services in Jerusalem and as an emergency room doctor at Shaare Zedek Medical Center. Caroline studied medicine and completed her residency at Lariboisière University Hospital, Paris VII. Caroline immigrated to Israel from France in 2015 and volunteers as a liaison in the field of medicine at “Qualita,” a nonprofit organization that assists French-speaking immigrants in Israel, where she serves as a consultant on matters related to health professions and offers guidance to immigrants working in medical and paramedical fields. She lives in Jerusalem.

Dr. Shahar Robinzon

District Psychiatrist, Southern District, Maccabi Healthcare Services

Dr. Shahar Robinzon is an adult psychiatrist and is the director of mental healthcare in the southern district of Maccabi Healthcare Services, both managerially and professionally. He is a lecturer in the three-year psychotherapy program at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, a clinical instructor in the medical communication course, and a consultant to the community clinic in the university’s department of psychology. Previously, Shahar held several positions at the Regional Mental Health Center in Beer Sheva and conducted research in collaboration with the University of Washington in Seattle. Shahar holds a Doctor of Medicine degree, a master’s degree in medical science, and a master’s degree in public health, all from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. He is a vegan and an animal welfare activist.

Dr. Bozhena Saar Ryss

Specialist in Gynecology and Fertility and Director of the IVF Unit, Barzilai University Medical Center

Dr. Bozhena Saar Ryss, a specialist in gynecology and fertility, is the director of the IVF unit at Barzilai University Medical Center. She gives lectures to medical students and interns on obstetrics, gynecology, and fertility in educational institutions in Israel and abroad. Bozhena holds a degree in medicine from Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University in Ukraine. She completed her residency in obstetrics, gynecology, and fertility at Barzilai University Medical Center with highest honors, and the research that she conducted while specializing won an award from the Israel Fertility Association. Bozhena completed a fellowship in fertility preservation at the Morris Kahn Center for Fertility Preservation at Sheba Medical Center and is a graduate of the Ministry of Health’s “Marom” program for physicians in management positions.

Dr. Noa Shani Shrem

Deputy Director of Medical Oncology Division, Soroka University Medical Center

Dr. Noa Shani Shrem is an oncology specialist at the genitourinary oncology unit and deputy director of the medical oncology division at Soroka University Medical Center. In this capacity, she builds work plans and implements them in the oncology department, the division’s clinics, and in the outpatient hospitalization unit, and is involved in the division’s day-to-day administration. Noa is involved in clinical research, teaches medical school students, and teaches residents in Soroka’s medical oncology division and in national forums of the Israeli Society for Clinical Oncology and Radiotherapy. She is an examiner in the qualification exams for the oncology specialization on behalf of the Scientific Council of the Israeli Medical Association. In the past, Noa supervised the residency program of the oncology division of Soroka. Noa holds a degree in medicine and a bachelor’s degree in medical laboratory sciences from Ben-Gurion University’s medical school. She was a genitourinary oncology fellow at the Ottawa Cancer Center in Canada, where she taught medical students at the University of Ottawa and residents at the Ottawa Cancer Center, and conducted research in the clinical research department. Noa was one of the founding families of Givot Bar, a community in the Bnei Shimon Regional Council, where she lives today.

Dr. Tsafnat Test

Specialist in Family Medicine, Clinic Director, and Coordinator of a Resident’s Program

Dr. Tsafnat Test, a specialist in family medicine, is the director of the Clalit Health Services clinic in Yeruham. She is also the coordinator of the diploma course for family medicine residents in the southern region and is a clinical instructor for residents and students, both in the faculty of health sciences of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Tsafnat holds a degree in medicine from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and a clinical teacher certificate from the department of family and community medicine of the University of Toronto. She is also a graduate of the genomics and computational biology program at Bar-Ilan University. She lives in Retamim in the Ramat HaNegev Regional Council.

Dr. Ori Wand

Director, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Barzilai University Medical Center, and Faculty Member, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Dr. Ori Wand is the director of the division of pulmonary medicine at the Barzilai University Medical Center in Ashkelon. He is a graduate of the Faculty of Medicine of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and is a specialist in internal medicine and pulmonology. Previously, Ori worked at Meir Medical Center as a senior physician and deputy director of the department of pulmonary medicine, which was the department that treated COVID-19 patients during the pandemic. He is also a faculty member of the department of internal medicine of the faculty of health sciences at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Ori has been the director of Barzilai’s pulmonary institute and the institute for the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis since 2021.

About The Program

Mandel Program for Regional Leadership in Dimona and Arad

OCTOBER 2022 – AUGUST 2024

Razi Abu Asheeba

Principal, Neve Midbar School for Special Education

Razi Abu Asheeba is an educator and the principal of the Neve Midbar School for Special Education in the Bedouin village of Abu Qrenat. Razi leads innovative processes in work with students who have developmental/intellectual disabilities, and works to bring about cultural and organizational change among the students and partners in the school. He is also developing the pedagogic model for working with students with developmental intellectual disabilities that is included in the knowledge base of the Peace Fund . A graduate of the Mifras Educational Entrepreneurship Incubator, Razi is promoting an initiative to prepare students with developmental/ intellectual disabilities for employment and optimal integration into society. He is a member of the board of the Neve Midbar Community Center, and works to increase Bedouin society’s awareness of the school experiences of students in regular and special education. Razi holds a bachelor’s degree in Arabic language and literature from Kaye Academic College of Education and two master’s degrees: one in educational administration and leadership from Tel Aviv University, and the other in special education from the Center for Academic Studies in Or Yehuda. He lives in the village of Abu Qrenat in the Neve Midbar Regional Council.

Merav Amit

Director, Department of Tourism, Central Arava Regional Council

Merav Amit is the director of the department of tourism in the Central Arava Regional Council. In this capacity, she works for the advancement of tourism in the Arava, and is involved in preservation, development, and marketing. A licensed tour guide, Merav holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Oranim Academic College and a master’s degree in tourism management from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. She lives in Moshav Ein Yahav in the Central Arava Regional Council.

Avi Buchbut

Director of the Community Division in Dimona

Avi Buchbut, director of the community division in Dimona, is also an educator and activist for settlement in the Negev. Previously, he served as the southern district of the Ministry of Education’s representative for preparation for the IDF and as the chairman of the student union at Kaye Academic College of Education. As part of his educational work, Avi was the southern district director of the Equalizer Group, a non-profit organization that works for social, gender, and geographic equality by running after-school programs that combine team sports and educational activities. Avi is the leader of the young generation of the Alliance of People of Moroccan Descent in Israel, is a member of the Israel A.S.A. Academic Sport Association, and is a member of the executive board of the National Union of Israeli Students. Avi holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in education, as well as a teaching certificate, all from Kaye Academic College of Education. He is a graduate of the Dagan Bridging Leadership Program and of Alliance–Kol Israel Haverim’s Partners in Justice program. He was born and lives in Dimona.

Sivan Cohen Avitan

Hydrotherapist, Watsu Therapist, and Swimming Instructor

Sivan Cohen Avitan, who owns a hydrotherapy pool, is a hydrotherapist, Watsu massage therapist, and swimming instructor. She is active in the struggle against the establishment of a phosphate mine in Arad. A former member of the Arad city council, she also served as an executive board member of the Arad Tourism Association. Sivan holds a bachelor’s degree in early childhood special education from the Kibbutzim College of Education, Technology and the Arts. She lives in Arad.

Maya Dan

Director, Violence Prevention Program, Arad Municipality

Maya Dan is the director of the Arad Municipality’s violence prevention program. Previously, she held positions in community work, welfare, management, and informal education. Maya was a member of the executive board of the Har Amasa cooperative moshav, where she lives, and worked to advance culture and tourism there. A certified nonviolent communication facilitator, Maya holds a bachelor’s degree with honors from the psychology track of the Behavioral Sciences Program at Ruppin Academic Center, and is completing her master’s degree with honors in management and public policy at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

Adiel Elgi

Director, Youth Division, Dimona Municipality

Adiel Elgi is the director of the Youth Division of the Dimona Municipality, which provides services to young people aged 18 to 35 in fields such as higher education, employment, community, culture and leisure, and family life, and also tends to the needs of discharged soldiers. His work is informed by a vision that seeks to bring more young people to choose Dimona as a worthy place to live. Before serving as the director of the municipality’s youth division, Adiel was the director of Dimona’s youth center, which grew over time to become a division of the municipality. Adiel is involved in the world of music; a singer-songwriter, he plays the guitar and performs. Adiel holds a bachelor’s degree in cinema and communications from Sapir College and a master’s degree in business administration from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. He lives in Dimona.

Erez Guez

Retired Career Officer, IDF

Erez Guez served in the Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate for 24 years and was involved in research, training, and field intelligence. He was discharged with the rank of lieutenant colonel after having served as an intelligence officer in the 98th Paratroopers Division, also known as Utzbat HaEsh, a reserve-service infantry division in the Israel Defense Forces. Erez holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and communication from Tel Aviv University and a master’s degree in public administration and public policy from Bar-Ilan University. He lives in the community of Carmit in the eastern Negev, where he serves as a member of the residents’ association.

Yaniv Hasan

Educator and Principal, Noam Haim School, Dimona

Yaniv Hasan is the principal of the Noam Haim School in Dimona, where he is leading a process of growth and change in the school and in Dimona’s religiously observant community. For much of his life, he worked as a homeroom teacher and as a subject teacher in the Moriah School and as a rabbi and teacher at the AMIT Yeshiva in Beer Sheva. Yaniv volunteered for many years to work with teenagers in informal education. He holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Orot Israel College of Education and a master’s degree in Jewish philosophy from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. He lives in Beer Sheva.

Dr. Younis Hawashla

Principal, Neve Midbar PISGA Center in Qasr al-Sir

Dr. Younis Hawashla is the principal of the Neve Midbar PISGA regional pedagogic center in the village of Qasr al-Sir in the Neve Midbar Regional Council in the Negev and is a researcher in the field of education. Previously, he served as the principal of the Dar al-Kalam Comprehensive School in Rahat for 11 years and as a regional instructor in mathematics in Rahat for three years. As part of his work, he founded new educational institutions, giving them foundations for excellence, and led multi-cultural processes that will bring about ongoing improvement and organizational excellence, which will enable the assimilation of new tools and bring about cultural and organizational change. Younis holds a bachelor’s degree in education and mathematics instruction from Kaye Academic College, a master’s degree in educational administration, and an additional degree in curriculum design and teaching from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. He also holds a doctorate in educational systems management from Yarmouk University in Jordan and has published papers on education. Younis lives in the unrecognized Bedouin village of Hawashla.

Meirav Israel Levin

Teacher, Writer, and Social Activist

Meirav Israel Levin is a mathematics teacher at the Neve Amram primary school in Dimona. A writer and social activist, she is the author of the crime novels Tahanat Beinayim (Intermediate Station) and Tahana Sofit (Final Station). Meirav is active in the leadership of parents of children and youth with special needs in Dimona and provides guidance to parents. She is involved in promoting projects and processes aimed at the integration of people with special needs in society as equals, working with local official institutions such as the mayor’s office, the Dimona Community Centers, and the municipal education, welfare, and culture department. Meirav is also active in promoting the creation of leisure and welfare activities, such as a soccer club for children and teenagers with special needs, a ceramics club, and Ninja warrior activities. Previously, Meirav was a teacher in the municipality’s adult education division, where she helped adults earn their high-school equivalency diplomas and provided ongoing support to people who believed that it is never too late to complete matriculation examinations in order to obtain an academic degree and develop vocational skills. Meirav holds a bachelor’s degree in the social sciences from the Open University and a master’s degree in science instruction, with a specialization in mathematics, from the Hemdat Hadarom Academic College of Education. She lives in Dimona.

Yochai Kayat

Community Center Director, Entrepreneur, and Social Activist

Yochai Kayat is the director of a community center in Dimona. He has been a social activist for a decade, and has worked in marketing and advertising for a network of community centers in Dimona. Yochai is one of the founders of the Dimona Marathon Race, which is also known as the DMR Challenge and has more than 10,000 participants from all over Israel – and has served as its director for four years. Yochai was the director of the Hillel Israel Center at Sapir College, as well as of the Ayalim Student Village in Dimona. He is also a homeroom teacher and a “big brother” at the ORT Sapir High School in Yeruham. Yochai’s focus on social affairs, together with his desire to bring high-quality, critical journalism and change to places where it was needed, led him to found and serve as the editor of a weekly local magazine in Dimona. Yochai holds a bachelor’s degree in communications, creativity, and production from the journalism track at Sapir College and holds a master’s degree in business administration from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. During his degree studies, he was a member of the Israel Scholarship Education Foundation and a social activist in a variety of volunteer settings, including a year as an intern in the Ministry for the Development of the Negev and the Galilee. Yochai lives in Dimona and is a co-founder of the Young Dimona local political party.

Nechama Ohana

Deputy Director, Welfare and Social Services Division, Dimona Municipality

Nechama Ohana is the deputy director of the Dimona municipality’s welfare and social services division. In this capacity, she is involved in the conception, development, and implementation of unique, groundbreaking programs that aim to provide guidance and assistance to families who live in poverty and exclusion. She is both aware of the needs on the ground and open to new ideas and connections with the academic world and with system-wide interfaces. Nechama holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in social work from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. She grew up in Dimona and now lives in Omer.

Ortal Sarig

Director, Assessments Department, Beer Sheva Municipality Collections Division

Advocate Ortal Sarig is the director of the assessment department of the collections division of the Beer Sheva municipality. She has worked as a tax lawyer in the Beer Sheva Municipality for about a decade, and has served as the director of the assessments department for the last two years. Ortal holds a bachelor’s degree in law from Ono Academic College and a master’s degree in democratic studies from the Open University, and lives in Dimona.

Ofer Sela

Director, Amos Oz Public Library, Arad

Ofer Sela, an activist in culture and art in Arad, has been the director of the Amos Oz public library in Arad for 14 years. He is a playwright, a facilitator of writing workshops, and a mediator. He also works with community theater groups and with young people in the Negev. He holds a bachelor’s degree with honors in Hebrew literature and philosophy from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and is a certified librarian who studied at Beit Berl College. He lives in Arad.

Yoni Shtern

Tourism Entrepreneur and Environmental Activist

Yoni Shtern is a tourism entrepreneur and environmental activist in the Negev. A licensed tour guide, he is a tourism consultant in fields related to the desert environment and to technological entrepreneurship and the digitization of tourism. Yoni was the director of the tour guide course at the Israel School of Tourism at the University of Haifa, and has worked as an instructor and trainer in other tour guide programs in Israel. He also served as a consultant and writer for the southern tourism plan produced by the Ministry of Tourism and the local councils of the southern Negev. Yoni holds a bachelor’s degree in geography, environmental studies, and archaeology, and holds a master’s degree in natural resources and management policy, both from the University of Haifa. A founding partner of the Sol Village guest house at the Dead Sea, Yoni works to advance the settlement and economy of the Kikar Sdom district and lives in Neot HaKikar.

Oshrit Ziv

Director, Community Security Authority, Dimona Municipality

Oshrit Ziv is the director of the community security authority of the Dimona municipality. In this capacity, she integrates all of the systems necessary to ensure the residents’ sense of security and to decrease violence and crime in a systematic, collaborative, professional, innovative, ethical, and community-focused manner. Previously, Oshrit was the southern district manager of the Educating for Excellence (E4E) non-profit association. Oshrit holds a bachelor’s degree in education from the honors track at Ben Gurion-University of the Negev and a teaching certificate from the Tmurot track at Kaye Academic College of Education, as well as a master’s degree in educational administration from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. She lives in Dimona.

About The Program

Mandel Program for Cultural Leadership in the Negev: Cohort 5

OCTOBER 2022 – AUGUST 2023

Sleman Abo Madegam

Director of the Pais Cultural Center, Rahat

Sleman Abu Madegam, the director of the Pais Cultural Center in Rahat, teaches computers and mathematics and is active in Arab culture and society in the Negev. Sleman initiated in the introduction of the city of Rahat to the concept of sustainability developed in Project Wadi Attir. A pedagogical leader, he also fights to keep high-school students from dropping out of the city’s schools. Sleman holds a bachelor’s degree in technology and computers, a teaching certificate in post-primary education, and a master’s degree in educational systems administration from the Kibbutzim College of Education, Technology and the Arts in Tel Aviv. He is also a graduate of Sapir Academic College's training program for cultural leaders in the Western Negev. Sleman lives in Rahat.

Abed Alkean

Director of the Culture Department, Hura Community Center

Abed Alkean is the director of the culture department of the Hura Community Center, where he is also a project manager and acting director of the Center. Abed promotes and coordinates the Center’s cultural activities and art lessons and manages Hura’s basket of cultural services. A cultural and community leader, Abed works to increase community awareness of culture, theater, music, and art. He devoted six years to rebuilding and coordinating the local chapter of the HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed (NOAL) youth movement. Abed promotes adult education courses and vocational training in the community center, with particular attention to training pre-school assistants and daycare providers. He also leads volunteer projects in the community and gap-year programs in conjunction with AJEEC-NISPED (Arab-Jewish Center for Equality, Empowerment, and Cooperation and the Negev Institute for Strategies of Peace and Economic Development) and Leket Israel, in order to support families in need. Abed is the chairman of the children and youth committee of 360°–The National Program for Children and Youth at Risk. Abed holds a bachelor’s degree in humanities and social sciences from the Open University and a master’s degree in organizational management and consulting from Ono Academic College. He also holds a diploma in group facilitation from the MAOZ Echo (Tehuda) program for management teams. A resident of Hura, he grew up in the unrecognized Bedouin village of Umm al-Hiran.

Raz Gluzman

Artist, Teacher, Therapist, and Social Activist

Raz Gluzman’s current work spans art and culture, therapy and teaching, alongside social action. Raz’s dance and performance art works have been performed at festivals and exhibitions in Israel and in Germany. A provider of spiritual support to people in times of crisis, Raz also teaches movement and meditation. Raz is the creator of Merhav Ga’ava (Pride Space), a range of LGBTQ cultural and artistic events in Mitzpe Ramon that includes political-activism. Raz holds a bachelor’s degree in dance and in education from Kibbutzim Academic College and a master’s degree in art history and visual culture from the curation track of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Raz did an internship in curating at the Tel Aviv Museum, and lives in Mitzpe Ramon.

Avihay Hazout

Musician, Social Entrepreneur, and Educator

Avihay Hazout, a musician, writer, composer, guitarist, and oud player, is a social entrepreneur and educator. He founded the Mahsan 52 youth center for performing arts in Yeruham, coordinated community-wide cultural programs, conceived and produced cultural events for teenagers and young adults, and managed the community’s youth department. Currently, Avihay meets groups via performances of his musical one-man show, “Yeruham in Story and Song,” which combines his own story with that of Yeruham, as part of the repertoire of The Maghreb Ensemble, which links East and West and old and new. Avihay holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and management from the Open University and a master’s degree in management and educational policy from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. A group facilitator, he lives in Yeruham.

David (Dudi) Itzhaki

Musician, Educator, and Entrepreneur

David Itzhaki is the director of the music department in the Western Negev Cluster. He is also a lecturer at Sapir Academic College, a guitarist and bassist, and an arranger and composer. Selected initiatives in which David has been involved over the years include the Maktub Ensemble and the Shergi Ensemble, multi-cultural ensembles that combine Jewish and Bedouin music; the Western Negev Chamber Orchestra; a group of young musicians called Jazzert, and a young rock group called Sandband. David founded and ran the music program at Nitzana, was the director of the Eshkol Conservatory, founded and ran the Segev Shalom Conservatory, served as the musical director of the Mekorot Darom program and festivals, and more. David holds a bachelor’s degree in composition, a second bachelor’s degree in music education, and a master’s degree in composition from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. He is a co-founder of Moshav Beer Milka, where he lives.

Nevo Jakubovitch

Entrepreneur in Educational Ecology; Filmmaker, Film Producer and Teacher

Nevo Jakubovitch is an entrepreneur and activist in the field of educational ecology, who develops cultural programs related to the link between art and the environment, with an emphasis on ecological activism and greater awareness of the public-urban space. Nevo is also a filmmaker, film producer and communications teacher. He created a program entitled “Between City and Desert,” which is dedicated to improving the aesthetics of Independence Street in Beer Sheva’s Old City, where his art studio combines desert vegetation and art from recycled materials. Nevo tends to community gardens of succulents and cacti on a volunteer basis. He also works as a therapeutic gardening consultant in varied institutions, and is planning a green roof where he will be able to coordinate these activities. Nevo writes Zen poetry in haiku form. He holds a degree in cinema and visual studies from Sapir Academic College and a teaching certificate in communications from Beit Berl College. Nevo lives in Beer Sheva.

Tzlil Kahana

Filmmaker, Screenwriter, and Producer

Tzlil Kahana is a filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer who currently leads writing workshops and personal expression groups. Her short films have won various awards and have participated in film festivals in Israel and abroad. Tzlil is a screenwriter for the Shakshuka series on KAN, she is the creator of the web series Mitzpe Ahuvati, and is a partner on the HaSahar Project, which makes production services and equipment available to local independent filmmaking. Tzlil is a passionate filmmaker who believes in the power of stories to shape and reflect the world in which we live. She also holds a passion for directly interacting with the next generation of film makers and storytellers, and exercises this passion in part by lecturing in digital content creation and screenwriting at the Camera Obscura School of Arts. Tzlil holds a bachelor’s degree from the cinema and television arts department of Sapir Academic College and lives in Mitzpe Ramon.

Lior Oron

Director and Artistic Director of the Negev Film Fund; Film Producer and Filmmaker

Lior Oron is the director and co-founder of the Negev Film Fund, a public foundation supported by the Ministry of Culture whose goal is to promote filmmakers and filmmaking in Israel’s southern region and to place the south at the center of cultural production and discourse in Israel. Lior is a co-founder of a community of filmmakers and cultural creators in the Western Negev, whose emphasis is on making connections between the communities in the Southern District. He is also a partner in Media Ba-Negev, a cultural, social, economic, and regional growth engine. Lior is a former executive producer at the School of Audio and Visual Arts at Sapir Academic College, where he accompanied dozens of students in their training in creative arts and production. Lior was also involved in social initiatives in the field of culture in the south. He lives on Kibbutz Magen in the Eshkol Regional Council.

Ayala Perel

Puppet Theater Artist and Theater Arts Teacher

Ayala Perel is a puppet theater artist, a theater arts teacher, and the creator of the Ayalushka Theater, an artistic puppet theater that travels around Israel. Ayala’s works are based on her childhood memories, and she works mainly with paper and shadows, objects that were an inseparable part of her play in childhood. Ayala has performed in international festivals, including the Jerusalem Puppet Festival at the Train Theater and the International Puppet Theater and Film Festival in Holon. Ayala received a grant from the Holon Puppet Theater in 2019 as part of a program to encourage the creation of original Israeli art. In 2020, she won first place in the SocialTwist program and received a grant to direct “Havila Overet” (Pass the Parcel), a production based on the story of her aliya to Israel at the age of 14 as part of the Na’aleh Program. A theater arts teacher at the Tmarim School, Ayala serves as an artistic consultant for theater productions in schools throughout the Negev. She also founded and runs a club for self-employed women in the Yattir District. Ayala holds a bachelor’s degree in drama and theater from Emuna College, is a graduate of the School of Puppet Theater in Holon and a graduate of the “Incubator” – a continuing education program in visual theater and children’s puppet theater run by the Train Theater. She lives in Susya in the southern Hebron hills.

Adva Peres

Teacher and Playwright

Adva Peres is a theater arts teacher and educator who serves as a grade coordinator at the Meitarim Branco Weiss High School in Meitar. She is the director and artistic director of the Alma Theater for Women’s Art in a Jewish Spirit, which is a home for female and Jewish art. Adva holds a bachelor’s degree in theater arts from Tel Aviv University and is a graduate of The Goodman Theater and Acting School of the Negev. Her work in theater takes various forms: she is a director (“Marks,” “Wild about Her,” “Chocopelet”), a facilitator of workshops for individuals and groups, a festival producer (the Fringe Theater Festival and the Smilansky Street Festival in Beer Sheva), and an actor. She is also lectures in the course “The Theater Experience” at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sapir Academic College, and at Sami Shamoon College. Adva lives in Beer Sheva.

Rani Shaul

Architect, Director of Planning and Development of a Tourism Product in a Government Enterprise

Rani Shaul works in architectural planning, content promotion, and real-estate initiatives related to buildings and places of tourist interest in the Negev, the Dead Sea, and Eilat. Rani sees architecture as a way of life that provides users with actions, habits, and thoughts. Over the past 20 years, she has implemented this view in her work in the private market, government ministries, and municipal authorities. In residential planning, she has focused on the private sanctuary; in planning public buildings, she has stressed the community framework that every person needs; in planning accessible spaces for people with disabilities, she has emphasized the dignity and independence of every person; and now in tourism planning, her work takes into account the human spirit as well as the atmosphere, the landscape, and the connection with nature, heritage, and culture. As a result of her work in developing tourism focal points in the Negev, Rani conducts ongoing dialogue between preservation and development, development and sustainability, the preservation of sites versus development and tourism, and architectural restoration versus expansion and cultivation. Rani has taught design and architecture at Haredi colleges, out of the belief that this would lead to personal and community development. She holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Ariel University and a master’s degree in conservation and development from Bar-Ilan University. She lives in Elkana.

Keren Singer

Interior Designer, Entrepreneur, Owner of a Design Studio

Keren Singer is an interior designer and cultural entrepreneur, who founded and runs the Suit-Case Studio in Yeruham, a design studio for local art and art from recycled materials. The studio conducts upcycling workshops and has a gallery caf? that showcases Israeli art and design. It makes design accessible, with particular emphasis on the use of recycled materials, and it connects design with the environment and with people. Keren has designed various learning spaces in Yeruham, and has taught and engaged in design and place-making together with young people from city schools. She has taught in the activism track of Kulna, the external education program of Sapir Academic College. Keren participated in the designers’ program of the Pais Culture Lab at the Yeruham Design Terminal. After the program, she produced exhibitions and public events that connect culture, contemporary design tradition, and place. Keren’s studio work has been shown at exhibitions such as Fresh Paint, Illustration Week, and the Innovation Fair. She holds a bachelor’s degree in interior design from the Holon Institute of Technology and is a graduate of the Merage Foundation’s entrepreneurship training course. She lives and works in Yeruham.

Smadar Zamir

Film Director, Feminist Activist, and Entrepreneur

Smadar Zamir is a film director who works to promote the advancement of women in Israel’s film industry. Her film In the Director’s Chair Sits a Woman won awards in local and international festivals and was a finalist for the Ophir Prize for the best Israeli documentary film of 2020. Smadar teaches courses on women and cinema in the School of Audio and Visual Arts at Sapir Academic College and other institutions. She is also the lead developer of content on film and gender for the Ministry of Education’s research and development department and its coordinator of cinema. Smadar is a co-founder and leader of the Israeli Women in Film and Television Forum. She founded filmmaking programs devoted to films produced by women, including Focus Nashim (Women’s Focus) in the Cinema South Festival. Smadar publishes opinion pieces in various outlets and works to increase awareness of the importance of women’s voices in cinema. She holds a bachelor’s degree in cinema from Sapir Academic College and a master’s degree in gender studies from Bar-Ilan University, both with honors. Smadar is completing her doctorate at the University of Haifa, and lives in Arad.

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