Heschel Center Environmental Leadership Fellows – 2001-2002

Stephanie Firestone
Planner; most recently the governmental liaison from the Ministry of the Environment to the environmental NGOs; previously the founder, director and then chair of LINK in the Galilee; was the environmental planner of the city of Carmiel; holds a BA in communications and a masters in urban and environmental planning from the University of Virginia; native of the US, currently living in Washington DC.

Einat Fishbain
Journalist (print and broadcast); has written and presented for Channel 2's "Ulpan Shishi", and "7 Days" for Yediot Acharonot on social issues; spent 2002-2003 as a prestigious Knight-Wallace Journalism Fellow at the University of Michigan; lectures on film at Beit Berl; hosted the Keshet Co.'s "Third Eye" program on social issues; formerly the labor and welfare reporter for "Ha'aretz", and the social correspondent for "Ha'Ir"; resident of Tel Aviv.

Fatan Ghatas
Social activist, director of the Israel Cancer Association's Arab sector department; formerly head of the Arab department of the Kidum Institute; was active in the Jewish-Arab "Campus" organization, and a member of the Arab Student Council at the Hebrew University; manages the "Yu'ad" band, holds a master�s degree in philosophy from the University of Sophia, Bulgaria, resident of Rami, in the Galilee.

Shai Ginnot
Noted nature photographer; lectures and leads workshops on observing nature and deepening environmental awareness using the camera; photographs and writes for a weekly internet column, "Phenomenon of Nature", on Ynet; formerly the house photographer for the Nature Reserves Authority; holds a BA in biology from the Hebrew University, and a teacher's certificate from the Kerem Institute; among her books are: "Touching the Light", "A Place in the Heart of Jerusalem", "Free in Spirit", and "Landscapes of the Soul"; resident of Moshav Kadima.

Liora Goldman
Health advocate of the Haifa District of the Ministry of Health; registered nurse; central activist in the Coalition for Public Health in the North; head of the local council of the Ministry of Health in the Wadi Nisnas neighborhood; member of various steering committees of the Haifa municipality; active in the Healthy Cities Network, holds a BA in nursing and a master's degree in public health from the Hebrew University, resident of Haifa.

Yigal Havkin
Architect and shipwright; lecturer in architecture and materials science in the Architecture school of Tel Aviv University; researches alternative energy sources, especially wind power; active in the organization "Awake at Night" (Erim Balaila - of former Israeli POWs); holds a degree in marine engineering and ship design from the Southampton Institute of Higher Education, England; resident of Tel Aviv.

Miri Lavi-Ne'eman
Educator; currently doing a doctorate in the social and cultural studies program of the education school of the University of California at Berkeley, combining political and social geography with research on changes in education; also teaching courses on democracy and education, and urban education there; and researching the development of community and shared space in an experimental project in a poor multi-lingual immigrant community in Richmond; formerly staff facilitator at the Bronco Weiss Institute for school reform; school facilitator for the "Green Network" environmental schools network; founding editor of the Hebrew language social-environmental education journal "HaKadur BeYadenu" ("The Ball/Globe Is In Our Hands"); former director of pedagogical training for the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel; holds a BA in philosophy and a history, and a master�s degree in musicology; is currently residing in California.

Ayelet Meiraz Ben Ami
Enforcement coordinator for the Haifa District of the Ministry of the Environment; has worked in environmental planning in the Jerusalem District of the Ministry of the Environment, formerly a senior department head of the legal department of the Ministry; active in the past in the Sustainable Jerusalem coalition, now active in LINK; holds bachelors and master's degrees in law from the Hebrew University, resident of Har Kamun, near Carmiel.

Muhammad Na'amneh
Educator and health advocate; director of the community center of Jisr al-Zarka; member of the parent's committee of the high school of Arrabe; active in voluntary community issues there; formerly project manager for the Galilee Society; is a registered nurse and holds a masters of public health degree from the University of Liverpool; resident of the village of Arrabe.

Valentina Nelin
Lawyer, active in the center for environmental policy at the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies; in this capacity participated in the team study on urban environmental quality with the article: "Environmental Evaluation Systems". Has edited a study on the solution to legal issues connected to ground pollution; and authored an article entitled: "Who's Afraid of Environmental Enforcement?" for the Hebrew language "Vital Signs 2003" ; is currently researching environmental information legislation; organized and ran an exhibit and conference of environmental technology innovations of immigrant scientists at the Israel International Cooperation and Export Institute (2003), together with Avraham Yisraeli and Asher Vaturi; holds a BA in law from the Hebrew University, is currently pursuing studies in bioclimatic architecture at the Polytechnic University of Madrid, in Spain; native of Russia, resident of Jerusalem.

Rafi Rich
Independent architect and urban planner focusing on sustainable planning; lectures on environmental architecture and green building; founder of the "Committee for the Preservation of Historic Petach Tikva"; member of the secretariat of the Architects Union and chair of their "Environment and Society Forum", and founder and chair of the Young Architects movement in the union; member of the planning committee of the Council for the Preservation of Historic Sites; has spearheaded the Local Agenda 21 and Rikma local sustainability programs in Petach Tikva; has written for the Israeli Architectural Quarterly and Teva HaDevarim, holds a degree in architecture from the Technion, resident of Petach Tikva.

Yishai Schechter
Director of the strategic planning department of the JNF; formerly head of the JNF�s Southern District; also ran ERAN (the mental health emergency services) in Tel Aviv; has administered agricultural projects in India and other parts of the world; graduate of the Hebron Yeshiva; holds a BA in life sciences from the Agriculture School of the Hebrew University; graduate of the social work program at Tel Aviv University and the political leadership program of the school of government of the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzlia, lives in Jaffa.

Asher Vaturi
Researcher and consultant; research fellow at the Inter-disciplinary Center for Technology Research at Tel Aviv University; specializes in energy and the environment; member in the Democratic Mizrahi Rainbow movement; has been the spokesperson and strategic consultant for the movement for the unemployed in Israel; wrote for Yediot Acharonot; holds a BA in international relations and an M.A. in political science and public administration from Bar Ilan University, pursuing a doctorate in urban planning at Ben Gurion University; resident of Hod Hasharon.

Tomer Yaffe
Environmental activist; national leadership director of Megama Yeruka campus environmental movement, and responsible for coordinator training; staff member of the Heschel Center's Rikma program for local environmental leadership development; formerly national coordinator of household composting for the Ministry of the Environment, runs workshops on waste, recycling, and compost-making; holds a bachelor's degree in animal science and a master's in environmental studies and agriculture from the Agriculture School of the Hebrew University, resident of Rechovot.

Zivia
Industrial designer; has established a studio for sustainable design consultation for private and commercial bodies; lectures at Bezalel on the connection between design, environment, and society, on the use of green materials, on the moral basis of product design, and on green industrial design; holds a degree in computer science from the Technion, and a B.Des. in industrial design from Bezalel; is completing her master's degree in design at the Technion, specializing in design for social purposes; resident of Ein Iron.