Daniel Hasson

Director

Daniel became the new director of the Jerusalem Intercultural Center in March 2021. Since immigrating to Israel in 2000, Daniel has held senior leadership positions in a wide range of Israeli non-profit and civil society organizations, spanning civil and human rights, formal and informal education, health, welfare and social integration. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Contemporary Jewish Life and Thought from the University of Cape Town, and a Master's degree in Public Policy from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

Hagai Agmon-Snir, PhD

Former Director

Hagai served as the director of the Jerusalem Intercultural Center since its establishment in 1999 and until the beginning of 2021.  In his work at the JICC, Hagai developed and implemented models for making Jerusalem a culturally competent city for all its residents. In 1995-1997, Hagai was a researcher at the U.S National Institutes of Health (N.I.H.) and then returned to Jerusalem, where he graduated the Mandel School for Educational Leadership. During this period, he focused on multicultural models that combine different fields, such as political philosophy, conflict management, dialogue, community development and project management. He holds a Ph.D. in Computational Neuroscience, Hebrew University, Jerusalem.

Vardit Nehemia-Haik, MBA

Director of Operations

Vardit has been the Director of Operations since 2011, maintaining the JICC's everyday operations and ongoing administrative support. This includes human resources and budgetary fields, such as staff salaries and welfare, follow-up of personnel processes, implementation, bookkeeping and overseeing the budget. Vardit previously worked as a Human Resources Coordinator at the Yes Satellite Television company, where she oversaw the human resource needs of different and varied populations. She holds an MBA from the Ramat Gan College, with a specialty in Human Resources.

Ilana Foss

Director of Resource Development

Rabbi Ilana Foss joined JICC as Director of Resource Development in January 2024. She previously worked as a grants manager at The Schechter Institutes. Ilana received rabbinic ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary, with a concentration in pastoral care and was a Legacy Heritage Fellow. She served a congregation in Massachusetts before making aliyah in 2016. Ilana holds a BA in Black Studies from Amherst College and worked previously as a classroom and informal educator in varied settings in Washington, DC, Kenya, New York and Israel.

Daud Alian

Director, Atta'a

Daud joined the JICC staff as the Director of the Atta'a Assistance Center for the Rights of Palestinian East Jerusalem Residents in 2015. Atta'a was founded in 2004, with a goal to help Palestinian East Jerusalem residents to access basic rights that are guaranteed them by government and other national agencies. Today it operates under the aegis of the JICC. Before directing the organization Daud was an active volunteer. He also directed the Community Schools program in East Jerusalem, which aims to strengthen the connection between local schools and their communities. Daud also directed a center for youth at risk, and worked for a number of human rights organizations in Jerusalem. Daud holds a B.A. in psychology from the College of Academic Studies in Or Yehuda.

 

Anwar Ben-Badis, PhD

Arabic Language Teacher

Anwar teaches Arabic for communication at various levels to groups of students at the JICC, since 2010. Language teaching, for Anwar, includes the enhancement of cultural knowledge among his students. Anwar believes that learning a new language enables equal reciprocity in interactions between people of different backgrounds.  He also teaches Aramaic at Hebrew University while also working in the field of interpretation. Anwar holds a Ph.D. in Linguistics from Hebrew University and a Masters in Linguistics from Geneva University (HEI)

Tami Lavie Nissim

Director of Partnerships

Tami Lavie Nissim, mother of two, grew up and resides in East Talpiot - Southeast of Jerusalem. Tami joined the JICC in June 2022 and will develop current and additional projects together with residents and relevant organizations, including “Window to Mt. Zion” and “Window to the Old City”.

Tami has 20 years’ experience in group facilitation, content development and management in various social organizations in Israel. She managed the field of Education and Community Relations at the Immigrants’ and Refugees’ Hotline in Tel Aviv, and the field of Programs, Alumni and Assessment at the Beit Midrash Kolot senior leadership development program. In 2018, Tami initiated a project that aims to break the "unseen walls" between her neighborhood, East Talpiot, and the neighboring Palestinian villages "Sur Baher" and "Jabel El-Mukaber" enabling women to meet, communicate, and advance their communities together.

Tami completed a bachelor’s and master’s degree with excellence in Sociology, Anthropology and Women’s and Gender Studies at Tel Aviv University. She also received certification as an inter-faith and intercultural dialogue facilitator and as a Restorative Justice facilitator from ‘Mosaica, the Center for Conflict Resolution by Agreement’.

Intisar Qaraeen, MBA

MiniActive Director in East Jerusalem

Intisar has been directing the MiniActive Network of Palestinian Women in East Jerusalem since January 2014, and has been involved with the project since 2014. During that time she has developed the 1,000-women network, one of the largest volunteer networks in East Jerusalem, engaging members' personal obligation to beautiful and clean environment in their neighborhoods and communities. She organizes and conducts training and personal development courses for the network's members, which today has expanded to include youth as well as women. The highly-successful results on the ground have engendered trust within the community, fueling further success and growth. Before coming to the JICC, Intisar taught mathematics to grades 5-10 at the Promise School in 2012-2013. From 2011 – 2013 she also worked at a school for special needs children as part of the Perach student volunteer project. Intisar holds a B.Ed. in secondary mathematics from the David Yellin Academic College of Education, and an MBA in organizational management from the Ono Academic College.

Orna Shani-Golan, MBA

Director, Cultural Competency Desk

Orna became the Director of the Cultural Competency Desk in 2014, but has been working with the JICC since 2006.  In addition to her work at the JICC, she lectures on communication at the nursing schools of Wolfson (Holon), Sha'are Zedek (Jerusalem) and Kaplan (Rehovot) hospitals. She is the former Director of the Community Mediation section of Mosaica, the Center for Conflict Resolution by Agreement, where she worked to make mediation more accessible to the different communities in Jerusalem and to advance multicultural dialogue. She also accompanies the Department for Social Integration in Lod, in assimilating cultural competency in the local Municipality. Orna holds an MA in the Program for Conflict Research of the Swiss Center for Conflict Research at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and an MBA from the Academic College of Management.

Eli Shnapp

Director of Shared Society

Eli is JICC's Director of Shared Society and the founder and co-manager of Plugta - a cross-sectoral dialogue project building meaningful relations between Haredi and non-Haredi residents. Prior to his position he managed a network of 70 volunteers in an NGO that provides support for children of single-family households and coordinated their activity with the Jerusalem welfare department. A graduate of Chevron Yeshiva, he holds a B.A. in education from the Jerusalem College as well as certificates in coaching and mediation. He lives in Jerusalem.

Mohammed Akeel

Rights Consultant, Attaa

Mohammad serves as the Rights Consultant at Atta'a, helping Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem receive the social, health and educational rights that are guaranteed them by law. Muhammad has been associated with Atta'a since its establishment in 2005, first as a volunteer and then (since 2009) as a reception hours coordinator. Prior to working at Ata'a Muhammad worked at a cellular phone company for two years and as an instructor and exhibit technician at the Bloomfield Science Museum Jerusalem. Muhammad is studying nursing at the Henrietta Szold Hadassah - Hebrew University School of Nursing.

Sarah Sznabel dit Simon

Project Manager, Santé Israel

Sarah has been a genetic counselor for more than 10 years. She made Aliyah from France in 2018. Her experience in the Jewish youth movement in France (EEIF) and her knowledge of the Israeli health system allows her to answer as clearly as possible regarding any questions of the Israeli health care system.

Rachelly Ashwall, Ph.D.

Rachelly joined the JICC in January 2020, and is covering the maternity leave of Desk Director Orna Shani-Golan. In addition to her work at the JICC, she is a co-founder and a director of “Agree-Online”, a startup educating conflict resolution in the social-media and digital environment. She is also a professional mediator, a trainer and a facilitator of mediation & negotiation workshops.  In addition, she is a post-doctorate researcher at the Center of Jewish and Democratic Law, At the law faculty in Bar-Ilan University. She holds a PhD in Conflict Resolution, Management and Negotiation from Bar Ilan University. She wrote her PhD on the impact of joint learning programs on the identity-based conflict between Haredi and non-Haredi in Israel. 

Suha Taweel – Kadry

Arabic Language Teacher

Suha has taught Arabic for communication at the JICC since 2005. She is an experienced Arabic instructor, teaching all levels of literary and spoken Arabic to groups and individuals. She has taught Arabic for communication for the past 15 years, at institutions and organizations such as: Ha’aretz newspaper, ALYN Rehabilitative Hospital, Machsom Watch, and more. As in the Arabic saying, “Language is a mirror of culture,” Suha has also worked as a Hebrew – Arabic as well as Arabic – Hebrew translator, both in written and in simultaneous translation. Suha sees the natural and indistinguishable connection between language and culture, and strives to combine both culture and language in the learning experience she provides. Suha holds a B.A. in Arabic Language and Literature from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Shaher Salaime

Facility Manager

Shaher is the JICC Facility Manager, making sure that our beautiful and historical building and garden are clean and in working order. Before coming to the JICC, Shaher worked for 10 years in maintenance at prestigious hotels in Jerusalem. Shaher trained as an auto mechanic, and he worked for the Jerusalem Ford dealership for 17 years, before an injury forced him to switch professions.

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