Meet the Alumni of our 19 Heschel Fellowhip Cohort!
Shlomi Ben Arush
He holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies, a master’s degree in environmental engineering, both from Ben-Gurion University, and a master’s degree in business administration from the Technion. This provides him with technological, regulatory and business knowledge in the field of environmental infrastructure in Israel and around the world. Furthermore, he has extensive experience in preparing strategy and development plans for water and energy infrastructures. He currently manages a business unit in the field of water, sewage and hazardous waste, worth of more than ten million shekels of project funding. In this position he works with a variety of bodies from the industrial and municipal sectors (municipalities, municipal corporations, etc.), and is participating in specialized committees.
Shlomi has work experience in water, energy and waste companies, such as: VEOLIA, SIEMENS, GES and more.
Anat Nir
Anat Nir is a political and social activist, who was born in 1979 and currently lives in Tel Aviv. Today she is the chairman of Feminism, a women’s economic college, and is contending for the Meretz party’s Knesset list. She holds a master’s degree in Gender and International Conflict Resolution at the UN University for Peace, with a thesis about the economic empowerment of women in Israel. Anat is one of the leaders of the LGBT community and a board member of the former LGBT society. In this function she promotes minority rights, peace, solidarity and education for feminist values on the way to an open society that encourages equality and accepts diversity.
Ortal Schmaltz
Ortal Schmaltz is an expert in knowledge management and training development. He is the director of the National Initiative for Digital Transformation and Smart Cities in Local Governments in Israel. He initiated a unique training in the field of business intelligence for young people with HFA and their integration into equal employment.
Aviram Johnson
He holds a bachelor’s degree in conservation ecology and a master’s degree in agricultural environmental sciences, and a second master’s degree in public policy as part of a cadets’ program for civil service. Aviram works as a public servant in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, where he focused on training, professional services and agroecology. He deals with sustainability in agriculture and environmental agricultural markets.
Nir Goldstein
Nir is a strategic business consultant in the fields of food, agriculture and the environment. He is trained as a patent attorney, graduated from law school and did an MBA in finance at the Hebrew University and UCLA. Furthermore, he works to promote animal rights.
Dorit Hayoun
She holds an MBA and a BA in Social Work from the Ben Gurion University. In the past she served as a business development manager in the private and third sector. These days, Dorit works mainly on herself and those around her, learning to slow down, finding the right way for her to be in the world and re-positioning herself in the meeting place between society, economy and the environment.
Lina Hiadari
Lina is a mother of four and a group facilitator in the field of mediation, parenting, family and general life issues. In addition, she has a 6-year experience in promoting low-paid employees’ rights through JDC. In the role of accompanying individuals, they offer training individually and in groups, in order to advance their skills for the labor market and therefore reduce the percentage of unemployed in general. During these activities, they identify tendencies and skills, help choosing a profession, break barriers, build up motivations, do preparations for evaluation and interview centres, construct work plans and accompany participants until the accomplishment of their goals. She holds a group facilitator’s degree in the field of parenthood and family from the Adler Institute, a group coach certificate from Haifa University and a professional mediator certificate from Gevim.
Moti Segev
He holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from the Ben-Gurion University and a BA in Industrial Engineering at the Tel Aviv University. After 25 years of service in the Air Force, he is a community social activist and consultant to government ministries on infrastructure projects. He is the partner of Netta and father two boys.
Elon Brachfeld
Elon is a lawyer who mediates and promotes social projects. He is a graduate of Computer Science and Law degrees and holds a Masters in Law and Philosophy. He currently lives in Mazkeret Batya and is married to Dana, which whom he has four daughters.
Keren-Or Rosner
She is social entrepreneur, promotes communities and impact technologies. Keren focuses on technologies with an environmental-social impact alongside economic gain, which creates a double profit line. She is a great believer in doing good, listening and in human presence (above all). She has 8 years of experience in marketing, business development and community development in international corporations, start-ups and the non-profit sector, like in technology for human services and people with disabilities. She speaks Japanese, English, Hebrew, Spanish and a little Korean. Keren is curious about human nature and personal and social responsibility.
Orly Aharoni
Orly is a lawyer with extensive professional experience and an in-depth knowledge of the public service sector and in a variety of fields of law (civil, commercial, administrative and environmental). She is involved in litigation in several legal instances and complex cases within the framework of the civil prosecution. She represents the state in various forums and public committees. Orly is a legal accompaniment for an integrated task force designed to deal with organized crime, where in this framework she is initiating an array of economic and regulatory tools to deal with the phenomenon of online gambling. Subsequently, she serves as the legal adviser to the Nature and Parks Authority and legal counsel to the plenum of the Authority, headquarters and all districts of the Authority in Israel. She is interested in environmental and social issues and volunteers in various organizations.
Rakefet Ginsberg
She holds a bachelor’s degree in social work (MSW) from Tel Aviv University. She is a group facilitator and has spent 20 years developing programs and services in communities and social organizations.
Rakefet founded and managed the social service for IDF citizens, served as a community emissary on behalf of the Jewish Agency in the United States, and was appointed Director of the Community Unit of NATAL.
Furthermore, she serves as a volunteer at the Counselling Center for Women. Currently she lives in Rosh Ha’ayin, is married to Ariel and mother to three boys.
Michal Rivlin
Michal Rivlin (Jerusalen, 1975) is a queer ecological artist in action, exhibiting values of local patriotism and nature care in Israel and in Berlin, since 2008. Michal Rivlin is also a non-practicing lawyer (2005-2006), studied Law in Tel Aviv University, Art at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem (2001-2002) and did her MA research at the interdisciplinary program of arts in Tel Aviv University. Since 2009, Rivlin performs with her companion, her dog, Giacomo Balla. Among others, Rivlin and Balla hosted exhibitions and other revolutionary acts at the Zimmer Club Tel Aviv, Salon des Refusés 2010 (Jaffa), The old Tel Aviv central bus station (2012), in Pankow Berlin (2012-2014) in Wagen Dorf Berlin, and Refugium Buch (2017-2018).
Aside from their ongoing studio and outdoors work, Rivlin & Balla are now involved (summer 2019) involved in rehabilitation of public spheres (Shoeva, Judah mountains) in the renovation and reorganization of the Heschel Center’s Green Library in Tel Aviv.
