Bringing about effective change requires dedicated leadership. To that end, the flagship Sustainability Leadership Fellowship Program was established in 1999 order to develop a new generation of environmental leaders for Israel. It has already created a network of 350 agents of change promoting sustainability in fields such as architecture and planning, agriculture, politics, health, business, media, government and education. The Fellows Program reflects the multicultural character of Israeli society, including Jews and Arabs; religious and secular, residents of the center and the periphery. The huge success of the Fellows Program can be seen in its popularity and prestige, the eagerness of the graduates to participate in alumni activities and in the cumulative effects of its graduates’ work in the field. This success is proof of our conviction that the most effective strategy for achieving social change is through investing in people, who can productively combine reflection and action.
Heschel alumnus Eyal Bigger and his BioChar project takes CO2 back to the Earth, collaborating with two Heschel alumni Noam Sheffer and Noa Yogev.
Heschel alumni Shosh Einav and Debi Lehrer collaborate on a sustainable gardening project in the Northern city of Karmiel, bringing shade, healthier life for residents.
Heschel alumni Dr. Dorit Adler and Dr. Sigal Tepper lead the Israeli Forum for Sustainable Nutrition, where they host conferences and lobby for healthy, equal, sustainable nutrition.
Alumni Stories
Think Globally Run for Office Locally
In municipalities across Israel election day looked like Heschel Alumni day. 13 Heschel Alumni ran in the elections on October 30: their agendas were diverse but all of them were driven by, unsurprisingly, from the will to lead change.
Sustainable Food Revolution
Even today, many people are unaware that eating heavily processed foods and diets rich in dairy and meat have a detrimental effect both on our body and the environment. Industrial farming techniques also contribute to groundwater pollution, soil erosion, and breakdown of rural communities. Moreover, people throw away food without realizing the vast resources that are wasted in the process.
Ayanot Youth
Village
It is in Noam Sheffer’s job description to dream big. As the director of the Ayanot Youth Village, he works to shape adolescents’ understanding of citizenship, social responsibility, and commitment to their communities and surroundings. Noam had a dream of turning his youth village into a completely sustainable environment, starting with a pre-army Mechina (an Israeli educational program) for environmental leadership, inspired by sustainability values.