Graduates

Mandel Program for Regional Leadership in Eilat-Eilot: Cohort 2

SEPTEMBER 2017 – JULY 2019

Shmuel Aaronson

Shelach Teacher and Diving and Sailing Instructor, Eilat

Shmuel Aaronson teaches "Shelach" (a Hebrew acronym for Field, Nature, and Society) at the Goldwater high school in Eilat and is a counselor at the Zviya yeshiva. He has seven years’ experience of working with youth at risk, having directed field work at the "Hebrew Shepherd" initiative, an educational-therapeutic program for “hilltop youth” in the West Bank. In that capacity, he coordinated field work of volunteers and counselors, and liaised with parents and with education and social welfare officials. Shmuel is a certified instructor of rappelling, scuba diving, horse riding, and sailing. In his spare time, he volunteers with Magen David Adom and the Eilat-Eilot Rescue Service. Shmuel holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and criminology from Ariel University.

Omer Armoza

Operations Manager, Dolphin Reef Eilat

Omer Armoza is the operations manager at the Dolphin Reef in Eilat and is a member of its management forum. In his previous jobs at the Reef, he conducted educational programs on management and environmental issues, and worked as a dolphin trainer. Omer is involved in efforts to create an ecological cross-border tourism project in partnership with the Jordanian village of Rahma. He is also working to introduce alternative educational approaches into schools in the Eilot region. Omer holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the Open University.

Yaniv Belhassen

Lecturer and Social Activist

Yaniv Belhassen is a senior faculty member at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev's Eilat Campus. His fields of expertise are the behavioral, social, managerial, and environmental aspects of tourism and leisure as consumer activities, as service industries in the local and global marketplace, and as areas of knowledge in institutions of higher education and in professional training schools. In recent years, Yaniv’s work in the public sphere has included serving as a member of the steering committee of the Combatants for Peace NGO and as the coordinator of its Tel Aviv-Tulkarm groups; acting and writing in the "Legislative Theater" project together with asylum seekers at the Holot detention center; and participating in a project to promote ecological cross-border tourism between the Jordanian and Israeli sides of the Arava Valley.

Anat Ben Moshe

Nurse and Patient Safety Coordinator, Yoseftal Medical Center

Anat Ben Moshe is one of the founders of the Unit for Patient Safety and Risk Management established at Yoseftal Medical Center in 2009. She currently also coordinates the hospital's quality assurance. Previously, Anat was the culture coordinator at Kibbutz Eilot. She holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Tel-Aviv University and a master’s degree in nursing from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

Ofra Boaron

Director, Youth Division and Training Center

Ofra Boaron is the director of the Eilat municipality's Youth Division and Training Center, which is part of the city’s community center network. She leads projects and runs the division’s training, facilitation, and human capital development activities. Previously, Ofra directed the Youth Promotion Unit of the Eilat Community Center Network, which provides services to disconnected youth and integrates them into society. Ofra holds a bachelor’s degree in special education from Levinsky College of Education, and a master’s degree in management and conflict resolution from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

Aya Feuchtvanger

Social Engagement Coordinator and Faculty Mentor at a Pre-Military Academy; Occupational Therapist

Aya Feuchtvanger is one of the founders of the Arava-Paran pre-military academy, where she mentors a team of counselors and runs community engagement activities. An occupational therapist and group facilitator by training, Aya works in the field of child development at the Hevel Eilot psychological center. Previously, she served as an occupational therapist at the Eilat Child Development Institute. Aya is also a swimming instructor for children and women. She holds a bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy from Haifa University.

Sarit Goren

Director, Be'er Ora Pre-Military Academy

Sarit Goren is the director of the Be'er Ora pre-military academy (“mechina”), where she is responsible for curricula, volunteering programs, counselors, and enrichment programs. She also mentors national service coordinators for one of the organizations coordinating national civilian service programs as an alternative to military service. Previously, Sarit worked for the Eilat municipal social services department as a social worker for at-risk teenage girls. She holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a master’s degree in social work from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

Hanit Guli

Playwright, Director, and Social Activist

Hanit Guli is the founder of The Mud House Theater in Eilat, a playwright, and a director. Previously, she was a community coordinator for the non-profit organizations Tor HaMidbar and Community Incubator, where she worked to promote social and ecological enterprises in Eilat. Hanit is a member of Women Wage Peace and of the Marak Levinsky soup kitchen for the needy in Eilat, which provides food to all, regardless of gender, race, or religion. She holds a bachelor’s degree in humanities and communications from Bar-Ilan University, and a master’s degree in theater from Tel Aviv University.

Sharon Helfenboum

Director of Training and Organizational Development, Isrotel Hotel Chain

Sharon Helfenboum is responsible for the development and implementation of Isrotel’s strategic support processes. She creates and oversees all of the chain’s training and development programs, including management of the Isrotel College, and manages training budgets. Previously, Sharon was the commercial manager of King's City, a tourist attraction in Eilat, and was a director of the Eilat Harbor Beach Development Corporation. She holds a bachelor’s degree in hotel management and tourism, and a master’s degree in public administration and policy, both from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Sharon is also certified in organizational consulting and group facilitation and in payroll accounting, and is certified as a corporate director of the Ben-Gurion University Eilat Campus.

Avichai Jackson

Manager, Entrepreneur, and Social Activist

Avichai Jackson is a counselor at Susan’s House, a rehabilitative employment framework, and is the director of sales and marketing for the craft products made by the at-risk youth who work there. He also volunteers as a family counselor for the Paamonim non-profit organization, which promotes financial responsibility, and is the Eilat coordinator for "Rebooks," a chain of second-hand book stands that provide employment rehabilitation for people with mental health disabilities. Avichai is developing a cooperative housing project that aims to transform old buildings in Eilat into institutions that combine housing with tourist accommodation. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the College of Management Academic Studies, and a teaching certificate from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

Orgal Kadoshi Shmuel

Higher Education Coordinator, Eilat Center for Young Adults

Orgal Kadoshi Shmuel is the higher education and student coordinator for the "Achievements" program at the Eilat Center for Young Adults, part of a nationwide program to make higher education more accessible to people aged 18–35 in Israel’s periphery. She is also the municipal leader of a pilot program for public participation, conducted under the auspices of 360° – The National Program for Children and Youth at Risk. Orgal volunteers with a "Street Address" mobile unit that locates youth at risk and youth living on the streets, and has previously worked as an English teacher in the public education system. She holds a bachelor’s degree in special education and literature from Levinsky College of Education, and a master’s degree in interdisciplinary democracy studies with a specialization in public policy from the Open University.

Ayelet Kojec Holzer

Director, Hevel Eilot Regional Council Department of Education

Ayelet Kojec Holzer is the director of the department of education at the Hevel Eilot regional council, where she is responsible for kindergartens and elementary schools, and for advancing processes in formal education. Previously, she was the manager of Crystal Vision, a company that belongs to Kibbutz Samar, and served as the general secretary of the kibbutz. Ayelet holds a bachelor’s degree and a teaching diploma in Hebrew literature and Jewish philosophy, both from Oranim Academic College of Education.

Rami Lev

Principal, Branco Weiss High School for At-Risk Youth, Eilat

Rami Lev is the founder and principal of the Branco Weiss High School for At-Risk Youth in Eilat, which has been operating for some five years. Previously, he was the Eilat Cluster director for Or Shalom, a non-profit organization that cares for at-risk children and youth who have been removed from their family home by court order. He has also worked as a coordinator at a residential facility in Jerusalem for youth released from psychiatric hospitals. Rami holds a bachelor’s degree in education and teaching from The David Yellin Academic College of Education, and a master’s degree in conflict resolution from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

Yael Malka

Director, Department for Individual Care, Education Division

Yael Malka is the director of the Department for Individual Care and Special Education in the Eilat municipal education division. She also lectures at Levinsky College of Education on school management and individual-focused interventions. Previously, she founded the first hostel for at-risk teenage girls in Eilat, and worked in management positions for the Isrotel hotel chain. Yael holds a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science and a master’s degree in public administration and education policy, both from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

Moran Nahmias

Career Development Counselor and Social Activist

Moran Nahmias is a career development counselor and coordinator for the Eilat municipality’s Department of Young Adults and Human Capital. She provides employment counseling, support, and guidance to the city’s residents, and conducts forums, workshops, and community events on employment issues. Moran is also developing a municipal plan to promote employment for people with disabilities and has volunteered at a center for Holocaust survivors in Eilat for more than four years. Moran holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and public communications from Ashkelon Academic College, and a master’s degree in democracy, government and public policy from the Open University.

Edi Pinto

Hotel Manager, Isrotel Royal Beach Hotel, Eilat

Edi Pinto is a hotel manager who is currently the general manager of Isrotel's Royal Beach Hotel in Eilat. He has managed many other hotels in the Eilat region, including the King Solomon, the Royal Garden, Agamim, Laguna, and more. Edi is a member of the volunteer board of Enosh–The Israeli Mental Health Association, and runs the Isrotel Hotel Chain’s community philanthropy fund. He holds a bachelor’s degree in tourism business administration.

Racheli Regev

Director, Eilat and Arava Region, Access Israel

For the last five years, Racheli Regev has been the Eilat and Arava regional director for Access Israel, a non-profit organization that promotes accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities and the elderly. Previously, she directed various programs for Shema, a non-profit organization for the advancement of children and youth with hearing loss. Racheli is a licensed service accessibility expert, and holds a bachelor’s degree in social science from Bar-Ilan University, and a master’s degree in business administration from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

Marlen Rosenfeld

Director, Economic Development Unit and Mayor's Advisor on Women's Advancement, Eilat Municipality

For the last ten years, Marlen Rosenfeld has served as an assistant to the mayor of Eilat, and has been his advisor on women’s advancement. She has also been a director on the boards of several municipal corporations. Marlene has created and developed various women’s projects in Eilat, including a program to fund academic studies for single mothers, and was recently appointed to establish and direct Eilat’s Economic Development Unit. Marlene holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Sapir College, and holds a master’s degree in business administration from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

Yuval Hodaya Shlomi Yalovski

Educator and Member of Kibbutz Samar

Yuval Hodaya Shlomi Yalovski is a leading informal education professional at Kibbutz Samar and a member of the kibbutz's secretariat. Previously, she directed a school for children of Sudanese refugees in Eilot, and ran the Neve Eyal residential facility for young people and adults released from psychiatric hospitals. Yuval was a founder of a regional parents’ forum to promote educational alternatives in the school system, and participates in a laboratory for educational and community innovation in Hevel Eilot. She holds a bachelor’s degree in education from the Kibbutzim College of Education.

Shir Spektorman (Sharf)

Program Coordinator, Diller Teen Fellows

Shir Spektorman is a coordinator of the Eilat and Hevel Eilot region for the Diller Teen Fellows – an international leadership development program for Jewish youth. She has studied political communications, and holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and Middle Eastern and African history, and a master’s degree in contemporary Middle Eastern studies, both from Tel Aviv University.

About The Program