Graduates

Mandel Program for Cultural Leadership in the Negev: Cohort 4

OCTOBER 2022 – AUGUST 2023

Yosra Abu Kaf

Multidisciplinary Artist and Activist

Yosra Abu Kaf is an artist and video artist whose work focuses on gender issues in Bedouin society. Her video work Silence was exhibited at a museum in Amsterdam. Previously, she was coordinator of culture and art for the Al-Kasum regional council, in which capacity she was responsible for cultural services and activities and developed cultural programs for the Bedouin community. Yosra was also the coordinator of transportation and education for unrecognized Bedouin villages at the Al-Kasum regional council, and managed its photo archive. She has coordinated and taught photography classes for women and children under the auspices of the Forum for Coexistence in the Negev. Yosra holds a bachelor’s degree in art and culture from Sapir College. She lives in Umm Batin, located in the Al-Kasum regional council.

Abed Alftah Abo Alhon

Director, Musician, and Community Project Entrepreneur

Abed Alftah Abo Alhon is a theater and movie director and musician. He develops community cultural projects with the aim of promoting the production and consumption of innovative culture. Abed founded the community theater and children’s theater of the Hura local council. He is in charge of culture in the Hura local council, in which capacity he encourages cultural creativity and the consumption of culture and art in the community. Abed teaches theater and film at schools throughout the Negev. He is also a musician-activist, who writes songs in Arabic on local and universal themes in a unique style of music that combines diverse global influences. Abed lives in Hura.

Lital Amsellem-Uzan

Director, Arts and Culture Department, Eshkol Regional Council

Lital Amsellem-Uzan heads the arts and culture department of the community center of the Eshkol regional council. She bases her work on the belief that culture builds community, strengthens local resilience, and creates bonds between communities and generations, making it possible to establish common ground while maintaining their unique characteristics. Previously, she directed the social projects at Sapir College’s Community Engagement Unit. Lital holds a bachelor’s degree in culture, arts and production, with a specialization in child culture and communication, from Sapir College. She lives in Kibbutz Reim.

Oren Atias

Actor and Director, Beer Sheva Fringe Theater

Oren Atias is an actor and stage director who works at the Fringe Theater in Beer Sheva and in various community frameworks. He also teaches theater in high school, and teaches improvisation, playback, and drama at the Goodman Theater and Acting School of the Negev, at theaters in Beer Sheva, and in other settings. Oren was awarded the National Education Prize for directing the play A-li-mut (Vi-o-lence). Previously, he worked as a volunteer at the Keshev Lanoar daycare center for youth at risk; at HaOgen Hakehilati (“The Community Anchor”), and with prisoners undergoing rehabilitation at the Dekel prison in Beer Sheva. Oren is a graduate of the Goodman Theater and Acting School of the Negev. He lives in Beer Sheva.

Tehila Azulay-Shaul

Artist, Writer, and Actor

Tehila Azulay-Shaul is a playwright and actor in the field of documentary-activist-social theater, whose work focuses mainly on silenced populations such as women who have suffered violence and Haredi women. Her works include Hupa, A Worthy Goal, Fragments, Rising Up from the Desert, and Contraction. She was one of the co-authors of Murder by Consent, a play in which she also acted, which examines gender violence and femicide and was first performed at the 2021 Fringe Theater Festival in Akko, garnered plaudits, and went on to tour Israel. Her play Closing Accounts, examines our emotional ties to money based on a series of interviews. It opened at the Tribuna Festival at Tel Aviv University and continues to be performed throughout Israel. Tehila is the founder of the Hashahar Theater for young people from the Ethiopian community, which seeks to alter the representations of Ethiopian Israelis. She is also one of the co-creators of the shows Warm.Home and Playing with Fire. Tehila took part in the #IWasThere project, directed by Maya Buenos. Her solo show Hupa won an honorable mention at the Small Bama theater festival. Tehila serves as artistic consultant to theater productions in schools in Yeruham and around the country, and also hosts beit midrash events for artists. She writes poetry and publishes it in various periodicals and on social media, runs writing workshops, and coordinates spoken word events. Tehila holds a bachelor’s degree (cum laude) in theater studies and a master’s degree in art in the actor-creator-researcher track, both at Tel Aviv University. She lives in Eliav in the Lachish region.

Amit Bar-Am

Cultural Entrepreneur, Actor, Director, and Theater Producer

Amit Bar-Am develops multicultural projects with local artists from the Arava region in the Negev. He founded the Raayon Theater (“Idea Theater”), which brings high-quality cultural content to young children. In this context, he developed Limpopo, a dance theater show for children, produced puppet shows, and recorded “Menagnim Sipurim” (“Playing Stories”), a musical podcast for children. Previously, he was a member of the Clipa visual theater ensemble, and appeared in fringe theater productions at theaters and festivals in Israel and around the world. Amit is a graduate of the Nissan Nativ Acting Studio and the Thelma Yellin High School of the Arts, and studied screenwriting at Stage Center in Tel Aviv. He lives in Moshav Hatzeva in the Arava desert.

Sofie Berzon Mackie

Visual Artist and Curator

Sofie Berzon MacKie is assistant curator and curator of photography at the Be’eri Gallery for Contemporary Art. Her artwork has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in Israel and around the world, and can be found in private collections in Israel and abroad. Her work and texts have also been published in magazines, catalogues, newspapers, and blogs in multiple countries. In 2020 Sofie was shortlisted to Arte Laguna Art Prize #14 and exhibited in Venice. She also exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts summer exhibition in London in 2020 and 2021. Her work received honorary mention in the International Photography Awards in 2010, 2018, and 2020. Sofie studied photography at the Technion School of Photography in Haifa and at Camera Obscura School of Art in Tel Aviv. She also studied curatorship at the Kalisher International Program for Curatorial Studies at the Kibbutzim College of Education, Technology and the Arts. Sofie is a member of Israel Curators Union. She lives and works in Kibbutz Be'eri in the Gaza border communities.

Miron Ginzburg

Deputy Director, Elad Theater

Miron Ginzburg has worked at the Elad Theater of Eilat and the Arava since 2015. The theater is one of the most unique and creative theaters in Israel’s contemporary arts scene. It comprises actors and professionals from the Habima and Cameri theaters in Tel Aviv who have left successful careers in the center of the country and moved to the Eilat-Eilot region with their families, in order to transform the southern tip of Israel into a trailblazing center of culture. In her work at the theater, Miron works to advance this goal, which is based on the premise that investing in culture is the most powerful engine for developing employment, education, the economy, and demography of Israel’s periphery. She lives in Kibbutz Eilot.

Ami Lamdan

Project Manager, Rahat Development, Western Negev Regional Cluster

Ami Lamdan is a project manager for the Western Negev Regional Cluster, who is responsible for promoting Rahat as a special metropolis and major engine of growth in the Western Negev. In this capacity, he creates and advances projects in Rahat in the fields of tourism, business, education, and municipal affairs, in cooperation with the Rahat Economic Development Corporation, the city’s community centers, and the mayor. These projects aim to develop the city and position it as a social, cultural, and economic center in the Negev. Ami is the founder of the Tziorim Gallery in Kibbutz Urim, the first local gallery in the western Negev, which has been open for three decades and provides a platform for local artists and Negev artists in general. He also sings in the National Kibbutz Choir. Previously, he managed companies in the fields of plastics and security. Ami holds a bachelor’s degree in theater and philosophy from Tel Aviv University, and has completed training courses in business administration, senior financial management, and operations management. He lives on Kibbutz Urim in the Eshkol regional council.

Yoav Meir

Fashion Designer, Social Media Influencer, and LGBT Activist

Yoav Meir is an independent fashion designer and a curator of fashion exhibitions that promote social values such as diversity, acceptance, and positive body image. He hosts television programs on arts and design, mainly to a young audience. For the last 15 years, Yoav has volunteered with Hoshen, the education and advocacy arm of the LGBT movement in Israel. He also volunteers and organizes community activities such as fundraising fashion fairs at the Pride House in Beer Sheva. He also currently serves as LGBT coordinator for the Bnei Shimon regional council, and is a fashion correspondent for the Yisrael Hayom newspaper. Yoav holds a bachelor’s degree in fashion design from Shenkar College of Engineering, Design and Art, and a master’s degree in media studies from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. He lives in Beer Sheva.

Dani Roy-Shapira

Cultural Entrepreneur, Actor, and Musician

Dani Roy-Shapira is an actor and musician at the Beer Sheva Theater and the Dimona Theater. He also creates and produces diverse cultural events with particular focus on the Old City of Beer Sheva, such as “Dani Roy-Shapira’s Over-the-Top Fashion Ball,” which aims to display the diversity and cosmopolitan character of the Old City via a glittering showcase event. Dani is a co-founder of Kometz, a minimalistic theater based on reading plays around a table. In the past, he was the drummer in the punk band Tsenzura. Dani is a graduate of the Goodman Theater and Acting School of the Negev. He lives in Beer Sheva.

Sara Shehda

Artist, Photographer, and Photography and Art Teacher

Sara Shehda is an artist and owner of a multidisciplinary photography studio, whose works have featured in many photography exhibitions throughout Israel. Her work focuses on issues of identity and on violence against women in Bedouin Arab society. Sara teaches photography and art at high schools in the Kseifa local council and at an elementary school in the Ar’ara BaNegev local council. Previously, she taught art in preschools in Kseifa. Sara holds a bachelor’s degree in art from Kaye Academic College of Education, and is a graduate of photography course at the Technion. She lives in Arad.

Nikolas Smirnov

Photographer, Photography Teacher, and Director of the Art Spot Photography Center

Nikolas Smirnov is a professional photographer and the director of the ArtSpot studio and photography school in Beer Sheva. He teaches photography at various colleges and in the Masa project for new immigrants. Nikolas founded the Third Eye photography club in Beer Sheva, which provides a framework for shared learning and collaboration among photographers from Beer Sheva and the region. He also promotes exhibitions, lectures, and meet-the-artist events for Negev residents. Nikolas is an artistic photographer who has shown his works at a range of exhibitions in Israel and around the world. He also produces marketing and public image videos for companies and institutions, and provides product and architecture photography. Nikolas holds a bachelor’s degree in art from the photography department at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design. He lives in Beer Sheva.

Yaar Teichberg Katz

Multidisciplinary Designer, Artist, and Project Manager

Yaar Teichberg Katz is a multidisciplinary designer who has a strong passion for projects dealing with multiculturalism and social mobility. She is the co-founder of a thrift store in Kibbutz Gal-On that donates all its income to young women at risk. She also teaches sewing and sustainable fashion, and leads community projects on a voluntary basis. Yaar believes in the power of art to penetrate the heart of every person and create change in Israeli society. She recently finished building a program for social entrepreneurship in collaboration with TLI – Triumph Leadership Innovation, and is interested in developing programs that combine art, culture, and education in order to foster pluralism. Yaar holds a bachelor's degree in industrial design from the Holon Institute of Technology (HIT) and a teaching certificate in art from the Kerem Institute in Jerusalem. Yaar lives in Kibbutz Gal-On.

Hila Zensker Paz

Director, Genesis Center for Promoting Gender Equality

Hila Zensker Paz is the director of the Genesis Center for Promoting Gender Equality. Previously, she served for a decade as the director of the education department of the Beer Sheva Theater and the Center for Excellence in Theater in Beer Sheva. A project manager and event producer, Hila initiated and managed various community and educational projects for diverse populations over the years. She was the content director of the Cultural Accelerator, where she provided professional support to help entrepreneurs implement cultural projects, and was one of the founders of Beer Sheva’s Children and Youth Theater. Hila also directed the dance program of the Bikurey HaItim performing arts center in Tel Aviv and of the Re'im Center for Dance and Movement in Holon, and was the producer and administrative manager of the Fresco dance company. Hila holds a bachelor’s degree in education and dance teaching from the Kibbutzim College of Education, and a master’s degree in management, specializing in non-profit management, from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. She lives in Kibbutz Dvir.

About The Program

Mandel Program for Cultural Leadership in the Negev: Cohort 3

OCTOBER 2020 – AUGUST 2021

Naftali Aklum

Founder and CEO, Yerus Project

Naftali Aklum is the founder and CEO of the Yerus Project, an initiative to develop and strengthen the Ethiopian Jewish community in Beer Sheva and in Israel, and to help it present its own narrative and cultural treasures. In this capacity, Naftali presents lectures, runs tours, and conducts workshops in Israel, as well as study trips to Ethiopia. He also volunteers with the elderly under the auspices of the Beer Sheva municipal welfare division. Naftali is a member of the Schusterman Family Foundation’s ROI Community, and has directed educational programs at the Branco Weiss Institute and served as a member of the Child Welfare Council of Beer Sheva. Naftali holds a bachelor’s degree in politics and government and Middle Eastern studies from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. He lives in Beer Sheva.

Linor Alaluf

Street Photographer, Media Professional, and Filmmaker

Linor Alaluf works in public relations. For a decade, she has covered the Negev as a local news reporter for Channel 11 and for Walla! News. As a film studies student, she created several short movies that were shown at the Festival Darom film festival and at film festivals around the world. The last of these, Patina, a joint German-Israeli production, was screened at the Ludwigsburg film festival to mark the 70th anniversary of Israel’s independence. Linor curated and produced Life, an exhibition of the work of the photographer and reporter Haim Rivlin at the Festival Darom film festival in 2014. She also directed the special programs at the festival, and managed its public relations. In recent years, her photographs have been shown in the Local Testimony photojournalism exhibit and in solo exhibitions, and have appeared in her articles in the Hottest Place in Hell online magazine. Linor holds a bachelor’s degree in film and television studies and is completing her master’s degree in cinema and production at Sapir Academic College. She is a member of Kibbutz Revivim.

Ariel Amit

Graffiti Artist, Teacher, and Social Entrepreneur

Ariel Amit is a graffiti artist and owner of I Heart Graffiti, a company specializing in graffiti workshops and developing processes of individual and group creativity. In recent years, he has conducted workshops for a diverse range of populations: youth at risk, Palestinian and Jewish youth, Haredi women, people with special needs, hi-tech management teams, and more. Ariel is also a civics teacher and coordinator of Jewish cultural studies at the Zafit high school on Kibbutz Kfar Menahem. He founded and leads "Judaism over Beer," a learning community that brings together people from different cultural settings in the region surrounding Kiryat Gat. Ariel holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a master’s degree in public policy with a specialization in local government from Sapir Academic College. He is currently researching art in urban public spaces, with a focus on cities in Israel’s geographic periphery. He lives in Kiryat Gat.

Noa Babayof

Musician, Artist, and Project Manager at the Bouras House for Independent Art

Noa Babayof is a project coordinator at the Bouras House for Independent Art at the Beer Sheva Youth Center. In this capacity, she provides support and guidance to independent artists, produces original cultural projects and initiatives, and develops collaborations with other cultural institutions in Israel. As an independent musical artist, she has released two albums in English and has appeared at clubs and festivals in Europe and the United States. She has also performed and collaborated with various artists throughout Israel. At the time of this writing, she is about to release her first single in Hebrew and her third album in English is being produced in the United States. Noa holds a bachelor’s degree (cum laude) in communications from Sapir Academic College. She lives in Beer Sheva.

Adi Ben Boher

CEO, Dimona Theater

Adi Ben Boher is the CEO of the Dimona Theater, an innovative, social, Israeli theater based in Dimona, which performs throughout Israel. She is also an organizational consultant to artists and cultural organizations, and specializes in resource development, grant applications, and identifying opportunities. In 2018, she founded the ACIA artists’ incubator, which serves as a source of information about opportunities and calls for proposals related to cultural enterprises. Adi has studied acting, directed the Renana Raz dance troupe, worked in a cultural PR firm, hosted a radio show in which she interviewed artists and intellectuals, worked with visiting groups from abroad, and more. Adi holds a bachelor’s degree in theater from the University of Haifa and a master’s degree in organizational consulting (academic track) from the College of Management Academic Studies. She lives in Lehavim.

Adam de Lange

Founder and Director, Desert Circus, Mitzpe Ramon

Adam de Lange is a musician, Spanish classical guitarist, writer, and artist. He founded and directs Desert Circus, a circus school in Mitzpe Ramon that teaches circus skills to young people in their 20s while emphasizing sustainability and social-communal involvement. Adam studied circus arts in Israel and in Spain. He has taught acrobalance and circus arts in a variety of settings including the Adama Dance School, programs for at-risk Jewish and Bedouin youth run by municipal welfare departments, the Yeshiva High School for Environmental Torah Education, and pre-military academies. Previously, Adam was the sustainability coordinator of the Green Network in Mitzpe Ramon and an environment and community coordinator for the Ir Ganim community council in Jerusalem. He has also worked with young people in various educational capacities, including providing nature therapy for at-risk youth, teaching woodworking at a special education school in Abu Ghosh, and serving as a counselor with the JNF Green Horizons youth movement. Adam holds a bachelor’s degree in Islamic and Middle Eastern studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he graduated from the Atidim program for municipal service cadets. He also holds a master’s degree in public policy, with a specialization in urban planning, from the honors program at the Hebrew University’s Federmann School of Public Policy. He lives in Mitzpe Ramon.

Alia Drigat

Teacher, Organizational Consultant, and Director of Ma’an–Forum

Alia Drigat is a teacher and coordinator in the special education school in the Bedouin-Arab town of Tel Sheva. An organizational consultant, she is the director of the nonprofit Ma’an – the Forum of Negev Arab-Bedouin Women’s Organizations, which works to advance social equality, women’s empowerment, and coexistence in Bedouin-Arab society in the Negev and in Arab society in Israel as a whole. Alia writes prose and poetry, and her first collection of poetry is soon to be published. She is also the founder and spokesperson for Lema’anchem, a nonprofit organization that works within Bedouin-Arab society in the Negev to mainstream children with disabilities, by making essential services more accessible and by providing information, support, and consultations. Alia holds two bachelor’s degrees, one in social and community education from the Center for Academic Studies in Or Yehuda and the other in Arabic language and Sharia law from Al-Balqa’ Applied University in Jordan. She also has a teaching diploma in special education from Gordon College of Education, and a master’s degree in organizational consulting for educational institutions and business organizations from Ono Academic College. She lives in the village of Drijat.

Dina Gavriely

Creative Actress Involved in Jewish Culture

Dina Gavriely is a playwright and actor in the women’s theater group Achayot Bama and teaches drama in various settings. She also writes and produces "Pashut for Kids," an experiential education series of "parsha packets" that discuss the weekly Torah portion. Under the aegis of the Gvanim nonprofit, Dina also provides support for young adults with disabilities who wish to build an independent life in the arts. Dina holds a bachelor’s degree in Jewish history from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and is a graduate of the Aspaklaria acting school. She lives in the community of Neta.

Shani Havdala

Designer, Researcher, and Teacher-Student

Shani Havdala has been an independent artist in the field of visual communications for over a decade. She is also a teacher-student and national instructor in design studies for the Ministry of Education. Shani has served as coordinator for Pirchey Bezalel – A Bridge to Higher Education, worked as a staff designer for companies such as David Tartakover's studio, and has taught graphic design at several colleges. She believes in the power of design to change thinking and behavior, for both the designer and the “user.” In her lessons on design, she seeks to engage her students in dialogue, critical thinking, and questioning while they observe and think about others. Shani holds a bachelor’s degree from the department of visual design at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem and a diploma in art education for all ages from Kaye College. She is currently completing a master’s degree at the department of visual design at Bezalel, where she is examining the links between learning, research, and creative design. Shani lives in Kiryat Gat and is a mother of two daughters, who are her best teachers and her creative collaborators.

Gilad Kaneti

Head Producer of the Events Division, Kivunim, Beer Sheva Municipality

Gilad Kaneti produces and directs large-scale municipal events for Kivunim, the municipal organization for recreation and culture in Beer Sheva. In this capacity, he is responsible for strategic thinking, developing ideas for implementing events, event budgeting, and securing relevant permits. He has produced events such as the Beer Sheva Festival of Light, the Beer Sheva Wine Festival, championship celebrations for the Hapoel Beer Sheva football club, the Smilansky Street Festival, and the White Night festival. He is also a project manager for events for the elderly, and helps other departments with arranging events and activities in the community. Gilad holds a bachelor’s degree in communications, creativity, and criticism from Sapir Academic College. He lives in Meitar.

Marei Ktnani

Director, Department of Culture and Leisure, Rahat Community Center

Marei Ktnani has extensive experience in community work and in developing the field of culture and leisure in the Bedouin-Arab city of Rahat. For seven years, he directed the city’s unit for combating drug and alcohol abuse. He teaches young people in schools in Rahat and the surrounding region, using non-formal educational techniques and focusing on media and preventing drug and alcohol use. Previously, Ktnani served as the accessibility coordinator and the advertising and marketing coordinator at the Rahat Community Center. He has also volunteered in various programs. Ktnani was involved in the establishment of the Rahat Community Center and of the first music school in the Arab sector in the Negev. He has also worked as a news reporter and graphic artist for a local newspaper. Ktnani holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the Al-Ahliyya Amman University (AAU) in Jordan, and has completed professional courses in group facilitation, event organization, and culture and art services. He lives in Rahat.

Shlomit Lazare

Textile Designer, Multidisciplinary Artist, Entrepreneur, and Project Manager

Shlomit Lazare is a social entrepreneur specializing in arts and crafts as a tool for social change and for personal growth. She works with diverse groups, including at-risk young women, women from the Bedouin-Arab community, elderly women, and more. She is the professional director of the Yafruk Hamidbar sewing workshop, a social business for women in the Bedouin-Arab village of Rahma conducted under the auspices of the Atid Bamidbar nonprofit organization. Shlomit holds a bachelor’s degree in textile design from Shenkar College of Engineering, Design and Art. She is currently studying for a master’s degree in the arts at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, where she is researching Ethiopian embroidery in Israel in light of Israel's social protests. She lives in Beer Sheva.

Issy Mamanov Nuriel

Art Director and Executive Director, Negev Theater, Eshkol Regional Council

Issy Mamanov Nuriel is an actor, playwright, and director who serves as executive director and art director of the Negev Theater, a fringe theater group that aims to promote theater culture in the Western Negev and to establish itself nationally via collaborations with Israel’s leading theater companies. He is also the founder and director of the Almahabash Theater in Rahat, where he wrote and directed Abdu, a play about attitudes toward the Other in Bedouin-Arab culture. Issy’s work in theater often serves as a means for cultural research. His productions include Somewhere In Between, a play about gender that represented Israel at various festivals around the world, and The Kissufim Checkpoint, a community theater production in which women from Gush Katif spoke about their experiences shortly after being evicted from their homes during Israel’s disengagement from Gaza. Issy is a graduate of the Room Theater acting school and of the theater program at the Kibbutzim College of Education, where he also earned a teaching diploma. He also holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in directing and writing from Tel Aviv University. Issy lives in Sde Nitzan.

Adi Sagie

Interior Designer and Cultural Entrepreneur

Adi Sagie is an independent interior designer. She works with the Beer Sheva municipality on the design of educational institutions, with the aim of changing approaches to space among education professionals and municipal officials. Adi also works with residents of Beer Sheva on “placemaking” – projects that involve communities and residents in the planning, design, and management of public spaces – and provides residents with relevant tools and knowledge. She participated in the Cultural Accelerator program in Beer Sheva, where she was involved in a community placemaking initiative that focuses on chain-link fences in public spaces. The initiative is based on an artistic model from the field of pixel art, and seeks to address the alienation caused by miles of chain-link fencing by creating connections between residents who live near the fences and the place itself. Adi is also a board member and community member of "Earth's Promise," a Beer Sheva nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing ecological agriculture. Adi holds a bachelor’s degree in interior design from the Holon Institute of Technology, and a bachelor’s degree in technology education from Tel Aviv University, where she also earned a teaching diploma in design. She lives in Beer Sheva.

Yael Savaya

Architect, Urban Planner, and Multidisciplinary Artist

Yael Savaya conducts research on adaptive neighborhoods in urban spaces, applying principles of urban diversity to the Israeli urban planning system. She is also active in promoting public art in the Pitchat Nitzana community in the Negev. Yael participated in the artist in residency program of the Redline art center in the Old City of Beer Sheva, a social lab for promoting art in the community. As part of her work as program leader for the Planning Administration of Israel’s Southern District, she advanced programs in rural areas designed to create planning frameworks for community, social, economic, and employment development. Yael is a doctoral student in the department of geography and environmental development at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. She holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem, and a master’s degree in urban planning from the department of geography at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Yael’s research for her master’s degree examined the influence of the structure of urban spaces on residents’ mobility behaviors and feelings of belonging. She lives in Beer Milka.

About The Program

Mandel Program for Cultural Leadership in the Negev: Cohort 2

OCTOBER 2019 – AUGUST 2020

Eman Abu Galion

Amirim Program Coordinator, Hebrew Teacher, and Social Entrepreneur

Eman Abu Galion works at the Abu Obeida primary school in Rahat as the coordinator of the Amirim program for excellence, as an integration coordinator, and as a teacher of Hebrew and science. During the past three years, she has been an instructor for Tec4Schools, a multicultural learning program that brings together fifth-grade classes from all over Israel for joint online study. Tec4Schools is a project of the TEC Center (Technology, Education, and Cultural Diversity) in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Kibbutzim College of Education, Technology and the Arts; its goal is to create trust among the various sectors of Israeli society in order to build a better society. Previously, Eman worked as a pedagogic mentor for Hebrew language instruction at the Kaye Academic College of Education in Beer Sheva. She was also the coordinator of a program designed to encourage graduates to go into teaching, as part of a project of the Ministry of Defense in partnership with the Ministry of Education. Eman holds a bachelor’s degree in science instruction and a master’s degree in technology and information processing from the Center for Academic Studies in Or Yehuda. She is a graduate of the school principals’ course of Avney Rosha – the Israel Institute for School Leadership, and lives in Rahat.

Saad Abu Ghanam

Poet, Editor, Workshop Facilitator, and Teacher of History and Arabic

Saad Abu Ghanam is a poet, editor, and facilitator of creative-writing workshops for children and educators. He is also a teacher of history and Arabic at the Abu Wadi School in Kseife. A collection of Saad’s poems in Arabic, titled Yellow Evening, was published in Egypt in 2015, and several of his Hebrew poems have appeared in Haaretz. Saad holds a bachelor’s degree in Jewish history and in political science, government, and Middle Eastern studies, and a master’s degree in Middle Eastern studies, both from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. He was born and lives in Kseife.

Yaacov Bitton

Poet and Lecturer

Yaacov Bitton is a poet and lecturer who has published three books of poetry, the most recent of which is titled Zohar Sister (Achoti BaZohar). A native of Beer Sheva, Yaacov lectures at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and at Sapir Academic College, where he teaches introductory courses on the epistemology of the Hebrew prophets and on the Buddhist forest monks.

Isaac Cohen

Poet

Isaac Cohen is a poet, performing artist, producer, and facilitator of writing and spoken word workshop. As part of a program for newly demobilized soldiers, he works for the Zionist social-education organization HaShomer HaChadash as coordinator of content and recruitment and as a group facilitator. Isaac previously worked for Masa Israel Journey and volunteered at Retorno, a therapeutic community for rehabilitation from drug addiction. Isaac is a graduate of the Mizmor Music School, and his first book of poems, Almost Very Good (Pardes Publishing) was recently published. Isaac lives in Shuva, a moshav in the Western Negev.

Aviva Freedman

Architect and Social Activist

Aviva Freedman is an architect and social activist who was a founder of the Zarta Studio, an architecture firm dedicated to building in the Negev, as an expression of a vision to promote high-quality, advanced, original, and local construction. The studio works to raise awareness of the importance of planning physical space based on an understanding of the reciprocal relationship between the place and the spirit, and does this by initiating and running cultural events in the Western Negev. Aviva is active in research and planning of social-residence projects, communal neighborhoods, public buildings, education, construction plans, and more. She holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem, and lives on Moshav Klahim.

Oded Harush

City Council Member, Media Personality, and Publicist

Oded Harush is a member of the city council of Dimona, a publicist, and a media personality, who runs nationwide projects for strengthening Jewish identity, as part of the activities of the Ministry of Education’s Jewish culture department. During the course of his studies for a bachelor’s degree in business administration at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Oded ran the Dimona Cinemathèque and was a founder of Ruah Midbar, a beit midrash for young people in Dimona, which he directs to this day. While studying for a master’s degree in public policy and administration at Ben-Gurion University, he directed Dimona’s municipal department for Jewish culture. In 2016, he started running nationwide programs for Jewish identity and began working as a writer and presenter for the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation’s Channel 11 (Kan 11). In October 2019, Oded was elected to the Dimona city council.

Tamar Herzberg-Shoseyov

Head of Pedagogy at the Yad Mordechai Holocaust Museum

Tamar Herzberg-Shoseyov is the head of pedagogy at the From Holocaust to Revival Museum on Kibbutz Yad Mordechai. In this capacity, she develops and directs the museum’s educational programs, and is responsible for staff training, cultural events, and day-long seminars. Tamar is also responsible for coordinating the national service volunteers working for the Society for the Preservation of Heritage Sites in Israel in the southern district. Previously, she served as the coordinator of recruitment and selection for the Revivim program for outstanding Jewish educators at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Tamar worked for the Movement for the Future of the Western Negev as a member of its planning teams and as a representative of the movement, and led tours of the Western Negev under its auspices. A former teacher of Bible, history, and Jewish philosophy at the middle-school and high-school levels, Tamar holds a bachelor’s degree in Bible and Jewish studies from the Revivim program of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. During her studies, she volunteered as a coordinator of courses at The Social Economic Academy (SEA). Tamar is an amateur photographer.

Uvit Kabada

Group Facilitator, Pedagogical Education Assistant, and Social Activist

Uvit Kabada facilitates parents' groups for Fidel, a nonprofit that aims to integrate Ethiopian-Israelis fully into Israeli society. She also works as an educational mediator in kindergartens and schools in Kiryat Gat, is a personal trainer, and serves as a pedagogical education assistant in a special education class for children with communications disorders. Uvit has extensive experience in directing social and community projects in Ethiopian-Israeli society. She was among the founders of Addis, a non-profit organization for the advancement of social activities for the Ethiopian immigrant community, where she coordinated the community garden project and a project for preserving and strengthening the heritage of the Ethiopian-Israeli community. Uvit holds certification in learning strategies and remedial instruction from Ashkelon Academic College as well as certification in group facilitation from Sapir Academic College, and is a graduate of the Community Management and Coordination program of Beit Berl College. She lives in Kiryat Gat.

Omri Keren Lapidot

Photographer, Photography Teacher, and Content Manager

Omri Keren Lapidot is a professional photographer and active artist. He has had several solo exhibitions in recent years and has participated in group exhibitions throughout Israel. Omri teaches photography in various formal and informal settings, including the Hebrew Reali School in Haifa, the Jusidman Science Center for Youth at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, the Zilum Ba’am photography school, and other educational settings with short-term programs. He is the director of professional content at Israel’s oldest photography store, where he is responsible for the dissemination of professional knowledge both within the organization and to the public, and manages its social media. Previously, Omri participated in the residency program of the RedLine art center in Beer Sheva and the residency program of the HaAgaf art gallery in Haifa. Omri holds a bachelor’s degree (summa cum laude) in photography and education from the WIZO Haifa Academy of Design and Education. He lives on Kibbutz Hatzerim.

Nadav Mishali

Filmmaker and Cultural Entrepreneur

Nadav Mishali is a filmmaker, cultural entrepreneur, director, and screenwriter. He is also a member of the artistic committee of the Midarom (“From the South”) Festival, the director of the Ofakim Cinemathèque, and a film distributor. During his cinema studies, Nadav made short films that were screened at many festivals all over the world. Prominent among them is “Longing” (2014), which received excellent reviews and won many awards. Nadav is active in culture and cinema in the city of Ofakim. It was there that he began his work in cinema in 2011 by leading “Moving Pictures,” a project designed to make cinema accessible to new areas in Israel, and where he founded the Ofakim Cinemathèque in 2016. Nadav holds a bachelor’s degree in film and television, and is near the completion of a master’s degree in film studies and production at Sapir Academic College. He was born and raised in Ofakim.

Buzi Raviv

Director of BGU Radio

Buzi Raviv is the founder and director of the online broadcasts of BGU Radio, the radio station of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. He is a graduate of a program for making culture accessible to the blind and visually impaired via voice description, which is offered under the auspices of the Central Library for the Blind, Visually Impaired and Handicapped; the National Insurance Institute; and the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Social Services. Buzi served as chairman of the student council of the Sede Boqer Campus of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, where he also founded the doctoral candidates’ forum. He holds a doctorate in desert studies from the French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands, one of the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. He lives in Midreshet Ben-Gurion.

Tamar Roded Shabtay

Fine Artist

Tamar Roded Shabtay is a fine artist who has been an “Artist in the Community” in the city of Arad for the last two years, as part of a fellowship program of the Ministry of Culture and Sport. In this capacity, she established a group for teens interested in the arts and ran the Arad Art and Architecture residency program. Among other places, her art has been exhibited in the following exhibitions: the artists’ greenhouse at the Fresh Paint Art Fair (2018); “Fluid Species,” a solo exhibition at the Minshar Art Gallery (2017); “Trails” at the Glo’Art Gallery in Lanaken, Belgium (2018); and “Cat-Cow,” a solo exhibition at the Gallery of Israeli Art at the Tivon Memorial Center. Tamar teaches continuing-education courses for art teachers, served as assistant curator and head of education at the Arad Contemporary Art Center in Arad, and taught a course in the art department of Sapir Academic College. She has served as artist-in-residence in several prestigious programs throughout the world, including Glo’Art (Belgium, 2018); LindArt (Slovenia, 2014); and Creative in Residence (China, 2012). Tamar holds a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and art education from Beit Berl College, and lives in Arad.

Eran Tzelgov

Poet, Editor, Literary Scholar, and Social Activist

Eran Tzelgov is a Hebrew poet, translator, and scholar who is interested in cultural activism and sees literary works as social agents. His interests include translation and gender studies, postcolonial theory, and contemporary Israeli poetry. In 2012 he founded “Raav,” an independent press that challenges what he sees as the "overly homogenized" nature of the Israeli canon. He held teaching position at Ben-Gurion University, the Open University of Israel, Minshar College of Art, Bina – The Secular Yeshiva, New York University, and Northwestern University. Eran lives and writes in Beer-Sheva.

Yogev Vanounou

Photographer, Artist, and Producer

Yogev Vanounou is a photographer, artist, and producer at Homa, a nonprofit association of artists in the Negev. Previously, he was one of the founders of the Negev Artists’ House in the Old City of Beer Sheva, which became Homa, a collaborative of artists who work together to advance art in the Negev and to establish an artistic, creative, and cultural space. Among the projects that he has initiated and produced are the B7 Art Experience; documentary photography tours for groups of youth from Beer Sheva who are interested in art; production and facilitation of social photography workshops at Sapir Academic College and at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; and production of a boulevard of plastic art, the first of its kind, at the 2018 Smilansky Street Festival. Yogev holds a practical engineering degree in photography and digital media from Sapir Academic College. He lives in Beer Sheva.

Moshe Yohananov

Filmmaker and Artistic Director

Moshe Yohananov is a filmmaker who is also the artistic director of the Huna Theater, which is operated by Ami, a non-profit association dedicated to the advancement of culture in Israel’s Caucasian community. Moshe has written, filmed, and directed movies on topics related to the Caucasian-Israeli community, and runs “Family Quiz” projects for MiDor LeDor, a non-profit association dedicated to young people descended from the mountainous Jewish communities of Caucasus. Moshe holds a degree in filmmaking from the School of Audio and Visual Arts at Sapir Academic College. He lives in Beer Sheva.

About The Program

Mandel Program for Cultural Leadership in the Negev: Cohort 1

OCTOBER 2018 – AUGUST 2019

Jamal Alkirnawi

Executive Director, “A New Dawn” and Social Worker

Jamal Alkirnawi is the founder and executive director of “A New Dawn,” a community-based Bedouin-Jewish organization that focuses on education, employment, and leadership for Bedouin youth and young adults in the Negev. The organization aspires to further a shared society based on the values of equality, entrepreneurship, and communal action. Previously, Jamal worked for professional and civil society organizations in the Negev as a community organizer and social worker. He also worked for “Shatil” (the New Israel Fund's initiative for social change), was a community advocate, and was the academic counselor to Arab students at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Jamal holds a bachelor’s degree in health systems management from Ben-Gurion University, a master’s degree in social work from McGill University in Canada, and an MBA from the Mandel Social Leadership Program at Ben-Gurion University. He lives in Rahat.

Tahreer Alzbede

Artist

Tahreer Alzbede is a member of the “Artist in the Community” project at the Community Center in the Bedouin town of Hura. An active artist, Tahreer shows her work at joint exhibitions with groups of artists from the Negev. In the past, she has worked as an occupational rehabilitation counselor for people with mental health disabilities, as an art therapist for deaf children, and as an art teacher. Tahreer holds a bachelor’s degree in art history, with a minor in Arabic culture and language, from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and lives in Ar’arat an-Naqab.

Ayelet Bar-El Avisar

CEO, Beer Sheva Theater for Children and Youth

Ayelet Bar-El Avisar is the CEO of the Beer Sheva Theater for Children and Youth. Previously, she served as the spokesperson for the Beer Sheva Theater for six years, while also serving as marketing director of Beer Sheva’s Fringe Theatre. After concluding her work with the Fringe Theatre, Ayelet established a public relations office specializing in cultural institutions in the Negev. She holds a bachelor’s degree in culture, art and production from Sapir College, and is a graduate of acting studies at the Goodman School of Acting in the Negev. She lives in Beer Sheva.

Shiri Bar-On

Filmmaker and Cultural Entrepreneur

Shiri Bar-On is a filmmaker, educator, and cultural entrepreneur. She films and directs documentaries, and teaches cinema, filmmaking, photography, and movement and dance in various settings. Shiri is the content manager and director of “CineMakhtesh,” which runs creative workshops, screens films, and hosts meetings with artists in the performance hall of the Mitzpe Ramon Community Center. Previously, Shiri was a dancer with Liat Dror and Nir Ben Gal’s Dance Company, and taught dance at the Hangar Adama choreography and movement school. A resident of Mitzpe Ramon, she holds a bachelor’s degree in photography and art from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, and is completing her master’s degree in film studies at Sapir College.

Efrat Baruchi

Designer and Community Activist

Efrat Baruchi is a designer and development manager at a project management company, where she is involved in manufacturing and international marketing. For the last 20 years, she has been a part of shaping the renewed community of Moshav Klahim and has been involved in developing cultural and community initiatives in the northern Negev. Efrat holds a bachelor's degree in jewelry and fashion design from the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem, and a master’s degree in art history and curatorship from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. She lives on Moshav Klahim in the western Negev.

Sivan Cohen

Director of Entrepreneurship, Creativity, and Community in the city of Netivot

Sivan Cohen initiates and cultivates original local art. She relocated from northern Israel to the south in order to create and develop infrastructure for artists and creators in the Negev. Sivan initiates and develops original, local, creative projects in the city of Netivot. She is the director of "HaMakom" (The Place), a cultural and culinary center that celebrates the heritage of North African Jewry, and is the founder and director of the Netivot Festival of Israeli Folklore in the Negev. Sivan is also the director of the forum for local artists and creators in Netivot and works to increase the accessibility of art and culture in the public sphere. She holds a bachelor’s degree in film and animation and a master’s degree in public administration and policy from Sapir College, and lives on Kibbutz Ruhama in the western Negev.

Elinor Cohen

Visual Artist and Community Project Director

Elinor Cohen is a freelance photography and video instructor for youth in special education. She develops art projects with communities in Beer Sheva and Rahat, and is currently working to make rights accessible to people with mental health disabilities, as part of the Ruderman Foundation’s Link20 program. Elinor lectures on photography and is a community artist, working in photography, painting, music, dance, cinema, and public sculpture. Previously, she was involved in training and project management for special populations, including people with mental health disabilities, vulnerable populations, and children and youth at risk. Elinor holds a bachelor’s degree in creative communication and photographic engineering from Sapir College. A graduate of the “Art in the Community” residency program at Shenkar College, she lives in Beer Sheva.

Yaniv Giladi

Voice-Over Talent, Radio Entrepreneur, and Voice Instructor

Yaniv Giladi is a professional voice over talent, radio entrepreneur, and voice instructor. He established the Community Digital Radio Project in Ramat Hanegev, and provides support to educational institutions and local authorities in the Negev that wish to develop radio initiatives. Yaniv has held broadcasting and content positions at Radio 99, Yedioth Ahronoth, and Walla! News, and was one of the senior radio broadcasters of the main current-affairs program “Good Morning South.” Yaniv develops and runs unique voice training workshops and his voice can be heard in various television and radio advertisements. A graduate of the Radio Tel Aviv College and the Channel 13 television school, he lives on Kibbutz Mashabei Sadeh in the Negev.

Mor Hanay

Film director and screenwriter; Artistic Director at Beer Sheva Short Film Festival; and CEO of the Negev Film Foundation

Mor Hanay is a film director and screenwriter. She is the artistic director and initiator of the Beer Sheva Short Film Festival, founded and run in cooperation with the Beer Sheva municipality, the Negev Development Authority, and Cinema City. Mor is also the founder and CEO of the Negev Film Foundation, which was founded to create and promote cinema in the Negev. Her short film The Update was screened in local and international film festivals, winning the best short film award at the Utopia Festival in Tel Aviv and the best screenplay award at the Early Bird Festival in Bulgaria. Mor holds a bachelor’s degree in cinematography studies from Sapir College.

Alex Katzenelson

Manager of Pub 40 at Kibbutz Tlalim

Alex Katzenelson is the manager of Pub 40 at Kibbutz Tlalim, a branch of the Ramat HaNegev Center for Young Adults that serves as a space for cultural and artistic encounters. He is currently in the process of reopening the information center of the Ramat HaNegev Regional Council, which will serve as a resource for tourism, settlement, and cultural development in the Negev region, and will tell the story of the history and heritage of the Negev’s residents. Alex holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences from Tel-Hai College and is a graduate of the first cohort of the Rothschild Ambassadors program. He lives on Kibbutz Tlalim in the northern Negev.

Michal Liptscher

Developer and Producer of Artistic Events, and Graphic Designer

Michal Liptscher develops and produces cultural and artistic events in the public sphere on a freelance basis. Her recent projects have included the “40 + 08” project; “Color in the Old City,” a project in which a group of local artists creates murals on the streets of Beer Sheva’s Old City; and the “Street Games” project, a series of large-scale intellectually challenging games that have been made from wood and installed in public areas. Michal also teaches in the StudioLab program, a laboratory for active citizenship, for which she also coordinates teacher training courses at Sapir College. She is also involved in developing “placemaking” projects in high schools throughout the Negev, and works as an independent graphic designer. Previously, she took part in the “Redline” residency program. Michal is a graduate of the Department of Visual Communication at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, and lives in Beer Sheva.

Nuriel Shabat

Director, Beer Sheva Youth Center for Arts and Culture

Nuriel Shabat directs the Beer Sheva Youth Center, a home for local artists run by Kivunim, the municipal company for recreational culture in Beer Sheva. As part of his work at the Center, Nuriel leads “Bouras,” a new arts initiative providing a platform for independent artists. He served as a singer and musician in the IDF Southern Command Military Band, and has been involved in content production and logistics for various events and productions in Beer Sheva, including the Smilansky Festival, the Beer Festival, the Wine Festival, and many more. Nuriel has also worked in the Young Adults Department of the Beer Sheva municipality as a creative coordinator, while also serving as the musical director of the municipality's Beer Sheva Youth Band. He has a bachelor’s degree in social sciences and the humanities from the Open University, and lives in Beer Sheva.

Hadassa Yitshak Shareth

Art Studio Founder and Director, Designer, and Group Facilitator

Hadassa Yitshak Shareth is a social entrepreneur who uses art and design as tools for social change. The founder and director of the Zuak Studio for Moroccan Art and Design, she studied art in Morocco and was then inspired to develop a unique technique for bringing the art of Islam to the public. The Zuak studio develops connections between the periphery and the center, between East and West, between Judaism and Islam, and between culture and art and space and place. Hadassa also facilitates groups on identity and student leadership at the Yeruham Center for Young Adults. A resident of Yeruham, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Israel studies and Hebrew literature from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

Ofra Yizhaq

Artist, Art Teacher, and Teacher-Trainer in the Bedouin Community

Ofra Yizhaq trains kindergarten teachers in the Arab-Bedouin community of the Negev in art education and developing creative thinking. A painter and drawer, she teaches after-school classes in painting and drawing for children and youth, as well as art classes for adults. She also designs spaces in educational institutions. Ofra is the owner of the “Sfat Midbar” art studio at Midreshet Ben-Gurion and leads creative arts workshops at the studio and in outdoors settings. In recent years, she has helped lead projects to improve aesthetics in Arab-Bedouin educational institutions, under the aegis of the “Desert Stars” nonprofit. Ofra was born in the Negev and lives at Midreshet Ben-Gurion.

About The Program