Elan Ezrahi

Chairman

Elan Ezrahi is a Jerusalem-based independent consultant specializing in effective partnerships in today's Jewish world. He was born and raised in Jerusalem and served in the Israeli Air Force as a helicopter pilot for six years before pursuing a career in Jewish education. Elan has held various executive roles, including director of the International Department of Melitz - Center for Jewish Zionist education, director of the Charles Bronfman Mifgashim Center, Executive Director of Masa - Israel Journey, and director of the International School for Jerusalem Studies at Yad Ben-Zvi. Elan is a Jewish Peoplehood educator and the academic head of the MA program in Jewish Peoplehood at the University of Haifa. He is an educational specialist in the area of Jewish peoplehood and the author of "Awakened Dream - 50 Years of Complex Unification of Jerusalem" (in Hebrew). He currently teaches at the University of Haifa.

Avner Haramati

Board Member, Former Chairman

A social entrepreneur and an organizational psychologist. As an organizational psychologist he has been working since 1980 in promoting processes of change in organizations, business, government and NGO sectors. Co-founder of Oganim – an enterprise that promotes organizational effectiveness through promoting profit, spirit and wellness. Specializes in working with large groups to promote life giving and short term systemic changes in organizations and communities. Uses OST (open space technology), AI (appreciative Inquiry), Future Search, conflict resolution and coaching as tools for bringing people and organizations to their full human and business potential, and bringing all the dimensions of the system to a fruitful dialogue and action. As a social entrepreneur, one of the founders and former chairman of Besod-Siach, an NGO that promotes dialogue between groups in conflicts within the Israeli society. The initiator of the establishment of the JICC and has served as its Chairman until 2023. He focuses today on numerous projects together with Israeli, Palestinian and international partners in order to promote Jerusalem as an open, shared, equal and prosperous city. He has an M.A. in clinical and social psychology and a B.A. in economics from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

Dr. Yael Assor

Board Member

Dr. Yael Assor is a socio-cultural and medical anthropologist whose research focuses on the influence of culturally-dependent moral perspectives on medical policy tools. In her doctoral research conducted at UCLA in 2020, Assor delved into the impact of the ethical concept of "objectivity" on the decision-making process of the Israeli Public Committee for the Enhancement of the Medical Services Basket, also known as Va'adat Sal Hatrufot. Assor's research centers examine the ethical assumptions that underlie the concept of "medical effectiveness" in cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA), a crucial tool utilized worldwide for healthcare funding allocation. While CEA aims to provide a standardized and impartial assessment of different health technologies, its calculations necessitate certain assumptions regarding what constitutes "good health" and who holds the authority to determine it. In addition to her academic pursuits, Assor actively volunteers as the founding director of the Inter-Organizational Forum for Reducing Health Gaps in East Jerusalem. This initiative aims to address the significant disparities in community healthcare services between the two parts of Jerusalem.

Stephen Pincus

Stephen Pincus is one of Canada’s leading business lawyers, well-known for his leadership and creativity on many complex transactions, domestic and international, including several Canadian “firsts”. He is Chair of Capital Markets at Goodmans LLP, where he is a Partner and Executive Committee Member. He was selected by the International Financial Law Review as its inaugural Canadian Capital Markets Lawyer of the Year. He  was the founding Chair of the Canada Africa Chamber of Business and is Chair of its Senior Council of Advisors; is a member of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency for Israel and former Board Chair of Makom, its education laboratory; is a member of the Board of Governors of the Humanities Digital Degrees Project, Canada’s first digital university; is a member of the Advisory Board of the Canadian General Counsel Awards; is a member of the Corporate and Securities Advisory Board of Practical Law – Canada; is a member of the Advisory Board of the Galilee Dreamers program; is a member of the Board of Friends of Barzilai Hospital; represents UJA Federation of Greater Toronto on JFNA’s Federation Members Corporation; and has served on the boards of several public companies.  Stephen is the founder of the Kaleidoscope Israel education program.

Adina Bar-Shalom

Board Member

Adina Bar-Shalom is the founder and CEO of the Haredi College in Jerusalem and Chair of its Board of Directors. She is active in social, non-political endeavors, and is deeply involved in efforts to increase the mutual understanding between the different social, ethnic, and religious sectors in Israel. She is particularly pro-active in rapprochement efforts between haredi (ultra-Orthodox) and secular Jews. Ms. Bar Shalom is active in: Hazon for creating inter-religious bridges, the Jerusalem Venture Forum, and the Jerusalem Start-Up organization. The daughter of the spiritual leader of the Shas Party and former Sephardic Chief Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, she was awarded the Israel Prize for lifetime achievement for her efforts in advancing higher education within the ultra-Orthodox sector.

Shay Ben-Yossef, PhD

Board Member

Ph.D. in Sociology, Bar-Ilan University; M.A. in Management of Nonprofit and Community Organizations, Schwartz Program, School of Social Work, Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Areas of interest: Community, Complexity, Emergency. Navigating Complexity Consultant & Facilitator to organizations and communities. Partner at Oganim Open Space in Organizations. Tel Aviv University, Recanati Graduate School of Business Administration organizational consultant program, Ben-Gurion University E.M.E program, Former chairperson of ‘Be’Sod Siach’ for promoting dialog in the Israeli society. Board member at: Herzog Jewish Study Center, Brit Olam for humanitarian aid.

Aharon Bin-Nun

Board Member

Director of the Municipality of Jerusalem's Public Building Department and one of the Jerusalem Intercultural Center's founders. BA in Education and Geography. Married and father of three.

Yaacov Efraty

Board Member

Formerly the Chair of Directors of the Israel Railways, Ltd. and previously the CEO of the Israel Lands Authority. Previous to that appointment Yaacov was the CEO of the Ministry for National Infrastructures, as well as CEO of the Ministry of the Interior. Prior to his service at the national level, he was a senior official in the Jerusalem Municipality, from its CEO to its Treasurer and Deputy Treasurer. Yaacov holds a B.A. in Economics and Statistics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and an M.A. in Business Administration, also from Hebrew University.

Shaike El-Ami

Board Member

Shaike El Ami has been the Executive Director of the Ginot Ha'ir Community Council since 1998. In 2011 Shaike was one of the founding partners of the Yeru-Shalem Coalition for an Inclusive Jerusalem. Shaike believes that, of all places, Jerusalem is the place where the full spectrum of Israeli-Jewish culture can and should bloom in all its hues. Born on the religious Kibbutz Sa’ad, today Shaike lives with his wife and four children in Jerusalem. He holds a B.A. in History and Jewish Philosophy and a teaching diploma from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, as well as an M.A. in Jewish Philosophy from the Schechter Institute.

Shimon (Shimku) El-Ami

Audit Committee Member

The Head of the Pre-Army Mechina in Jaffa, operated by the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism, and a Jewish educator. Previously served as the as the Unit Manager of the Center for Lay Leadership in the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee's (JDC) office in Jerusalem. He was an organizational consultant, and for many years he worked as Jewish educator and facilitator in leadership development programs. Shimku received his M.A. in organizational social psychology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and his B.A. in sociology, finishing at the top of his class. He is now finishing his M.A in Jewish Studies, from the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies.

David Koren

Board Member

Dr. David Koren is the CEO of the Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research since November 2021. Koren served as director of the Ministry of Education’s five-year strategic plan for education in East Jerusalem from 2018 to 2021. Before that he headed the Middle East branch of Israel’s National Security Council in the Prime Minister’s Office, was an advisor on Arab and Eastern Jerusalem affairs to Nir Barkat, Mayor of Jerusalem, and managed the East Jerusalem team in Jerusalem Municipality.

Koren has a doctorate in Middle Eastern Studies and is a lecturer at Bar Ilan University and at the Ono Academic College. During his doctoral studies, he was the recipient of the Bar Ilan University Presidential scholarship for outstanding doctoral students.

Meir Kraus

Board Member

 Meir Kraus possesses extensive managerial expertise within the Israeli education system and the Jewish community. He has held significant roles, including the director of the Jerusalem Education Administration, director of the Administration for Equal Opportunities in Education, and international COO for Taglit-Birthright Israel. As a specialist in public policy, Meir Kraus has actively contributed to numerous educational reforms and has provided guidance for nationwide policy planning across various domains. Over the past seven years, he has played a pivotal role in overseeing the geopolitical landscape at the Jerusalem Institute of Israel Studies. His primary focus within this capacity has been analyzing the present geopolitical situation of Jerusalem and exploring potential future pathways for political agreements as part of a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Meir Kraus holds an esteemed master's degree in Jewish philosophy with honors, as well as a bachelor's degree in mathematics and computer science from Hebrew University. 

Hana Levitte

Board Member

Serves as an Education Adviser to the Israel Foreign Ministry and different projects. She is an executive board member of the Branco Weiss Institute and the Hebrew University High School, of which she was principal until August 2003. She has been working for over 40 years in education, in different frameworks, as a counselor, teacher and principal. Today she mentors new principals in high schools in both the Jewish and Arab sectorS in Jerusalem.

Hisham Najjar

Board Member

One of the founders of the Jerusalem Intercultural Center, an electrician by trade. Former chairman of the Silwan Islamic Center and director of the 'Rifadi' Institute in East Jerusalem.

Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, ofm

Board Member

Became Archbishop, Apostolic Administrator of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem in September 2016, after serving as Apostolic Administrator sede vacante since June. Had served as Custos of the Holy Land from 2004 to 2016. Born in 1965 at Cologno al Serio (BG), Italy. Was ordained as a priest in 1990, and entered in service at the Custody of the Holy Land in 1999. After his philosophical and theological studies, he obtained a Licenciate Degree in Biblical Theology at the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum of Jerusalem. While in Jerusalem he was a lecturer of Biblical Hebrew at the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum in Jerusalem, and was Vicar General of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem for the pastoral care of Hebrew-speaking Catholics in Israel.  Since 2008 he is a Consultor in the Commission for relations with Judaism of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Unity among Christians.

Speaks Italian, modern Hebrew, English, and French.

Rabbi David Rosen

Board Member

Former Chief Rabbi of Ireland, currently the International Director of Inter-religious Affairs of the American Jewish Committee (AJC). He is the honorary interfaith adviser of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and is past President of the International Jewish Committee for Inter-religious Consultations (IJCIC). Among his honorary positions, he is President of the World Conference on Religion and Peace; Honorary President of the International Council of Christians and Jews; and serves on the Board of Directors of the KAICIID Dialogue Center founded by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia together with the governments of Austria and Spain and the Vatican. In November 2005, Rabbi Rosen was made a Knight Commander by the Pope, and in 2010 he was made a Commander of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II.

Sharon Rosen

Board Member

Has co-directed the Jerusalem office of Search for Common Ground (SFCG), the world’s largest conflict transformation organization, with 50 offices in 33 countries, since 2008. She brings to the position over twenty years of managerial experience in the non-profit world and expertise in interfaith relations, leadership development, strategy planning, counseling and conflict resolution training. Born in London, England, Sharon has lived in Jerusalem for 31 years, holds undergraduate and postgraduate degrees from Hebrew University and has served communities with her husband, Rabbi David Rosen, in South Africa and Ireland.

Ahmad Salman

Board Member

Ahmad Salman born in Beit Safafa, Jerusalem. Ahmad holds a licensed accountant certificate from the Ministry of Finance and Labor. He currently volunteers as head of the administrative council in Beit Safafa Sharafat. He is one of the founders of the administrative board of Beit Safafa.

Ahmad held several important positions:

  • Former treasurer in a car company until retirement in March 2020.
  • Former Deputy General Director of the Workers' Pension Fund in Jerusalem.
  • Former director of the collection department in the municipality East Jerusalem region.
  • Former financial director of a private company in Jerusalem concerned with technology communications.
  • Former member of the Trade Union, Histadrut.
  • Former member of the Jerusalem Municipality Employees Union.

Rabbi Matityahu Yitzhak Tanenbaum

Board Member

One of the Haredi community’s senior authors and newspaper editors. He is a member of the Editors Committee, an informal forum comprising the editors and owners of the main Israeli media. He is also a member of the governing board of the Israel Press Council. He served for 13 years on the Religious Council of Jerusalem as a department head, and then became the Editor of the Ultra-Orthodox daily newspaper, Hamodia. Rabbi Tanenbaum is a sixth-generation member of the Karlin sect of Hasidism. He was born and raised in Jerusalem, and was ordained as a rabbi. He also served in the army, became an officer, and served for 17 years in the reserves as a Lieutenant in the Intelligence Corps. Today, after his retirement he continues his work in literature and the press.

Zvika Timberg

Audit Committee Member

Representative of the Joint - Russian Divison - in the CIS. In the past he was the Director of a Community Center in Jerusalem, Director of the Jerusalem Community Center Association, Director of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism, Director of MATAN-Arts and Culture Projects for Youth.

Eran Tzidkiyahu

Board Member

Eran Tzidkiyahu is a scholar specializing in Jewish-Arab relations and a board member at the Jerusalem Intercultural Center. With expertise in historical-political sociology and religious-national movements, he holds a Ph.D. from the Paris Institute of Political Sciences and is an alumnus of the Hebrew University's Department of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies. Eran is also an experienced tour guide, offering geopolitical tours and lectures on East Jerusalem. He has worked with various clients, including politicians, policymakers, diplomats, academic institutions, NGOs, and journalists. His current scholarly and guiding interests revolve around the significance of holy sites in conflicts, particularly in Jerusalem and Hebron. Eran has established and managed projects for policy and conflict transformation in sacred sites, advised religious leaders in negotiations, and actively contributes to several initiatives and organizations. He resides in Jerusalem with his family.

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