JFN ISRAEL

 Shaping the Future of Philanthropy in Israel,
Influencing Israeli Society

Jewish Funders Network

JFN is an international organization established in 1991 in the U.S. by a group of Jewish philanthropists, in order to encourage quality philanthropy by creating a platform for collaboration, activity and learning. Currently, the organization boasts 2,500 private funders, foundation managers and trustees from 11 countries worldwide, who have joined forces to promote significant giving and to take an active part in processes that change thought patterns and the activity of Jewish philanthropy.


JFN Israel was established in 2008, with the aim of providing Israeli funders and social investors, who constitute about one fourth of the members of the global network, a forum for sharing ideas regarding their philanthropic involvement and for expanding their circles of giving both in Israel and overseas.

Our Unique Characteristics

JFN Israel is an accessible, intimate and productive meeting place for philanthropists who are interested in taking part in and/or initiating active and effective collaborative efforts. We help members acquire the tools to bring about real social change in Israel by offering networking opportunities, conferences and programs on a variety of topics. We also help facilitate philanthropic collaborations and joint ventures. For every activity, our vision of social change is to connect people, ideas and initiatives, in order to create added value for members, based on their needs and philanthropic agenda.

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OFFICERS

Dafna Meitar-Nechmad

Zvi & Ofra Meitar Family Fund
Ramat-Gan Israel

Douglas Bitonti Stewart

Secretary

Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation
Southfield MI

Francois Leven

Treasurer

Geneva Switzerland

Marcia Riklis

Chair

New York NY

Winnie Sandler Grinspoon

Officer

Weston MA

 

MEMBERS

Adam Levine

Circle of Service Foundation

Angelica Berrie

Russell Berrie Foundation
Teaneck NJ

Adina Shapiro

Jerusalem Israel

Dr. Ariel Kor

Jerusalem Israel

Cintra Pollack

The Singer Family Foundation
Denver CO

Cynthia D. Shapira

Pittsburgh PA

Dan Rueven

New York NY

Darin McKeever

William Davidson Foundation
Detroit MI

Deborah Hochberg

The Paul E. Singer Foundation
New York NY

Dorothy Tananbaum

New York NY

Eli Genauer

Mercer Island WA

 

Elli Booch

Edmond de Rothschild Foundation (IL)
Tel Aviv Israel

Gary E. Jacobs

Del Mar
Califfornia, USA

Georgette F. Bennett, PhD

New York NY

Irith Rappaport

Bruce and Ruth Rappaport Foundation
Tel Aviv Israel

Jeffrey Schoenfeld

New York NY

Marina Yudborovsky

Genesis Philanthropy Group
New York, NY

Michelle Rosenbloom

Lutherville MD

Orli Rinat

Los Altos Hills CA

Rafi Musher

Stax Inc
New York NY

Ruth Cummings

Jerusalem Israel

Shawna Goodman Sone

Ra’anana Israel

Shira Ruderman

Brookline MA

Steven Sim

Tucson AZ

Tina Price

Tina & Steven Price Charitable Fdn
Scarsdale NY

Vanessa Bartram

ZORA Ventures
Tel Aviv, Israel

Yoel Cheshin

Tel Aviv Israel

Zoya Raynes​

New York NY

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JFN IN NUMBERS

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Israeli families in the network

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Members Internationally

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Families and family foundations worldwide

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JFN IN NUMBERS

Over

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Israeli families in the network

Over

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Members Internationally

Over

0

Families and family foundations worldwide

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0 Million $

Awarded through matching grants

JFN IN NUMBERS

Over

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Israeli families in the network

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Members Internationally

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Families and family foundations worldwide

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0 Million $

Awarded through matching grants

Avi Naor

In 2002 Avi Naor resigned from his post as president and CEO of Amdocs (a position he held since 1995) since then devoting most of his time to social and community activities.

Founder and chair of Or Yarok Association for safer driving in Israel and the Ran Naor Foundation (road safety research). Avi is also chair of Oran Foundation (Children and youth at risk) and the Shahaf Foundation (supporting young communities in peripheral areas).

Avi is a Board Member of the Israel Democracy Institute, Hakol Hinuch (“Everything is Education”) to the advancement of better education in Israel, Jewish Funders Network and Committed to Give.

Oudi Recanati

Oudi Recanati is a Director of Overseas Shipholding Group, Inc. (OSG) and Chairman of its Corporate Governance & Nominating Committee. Together with his children, he also has substantial holdings in Israeli companies through Naftali Investments in Israel, including RGE, the leading media content provider in Israel and several high tech companies.

Up to 2002, he was Co-Chairman and Co-CEO of IDB Holding Corporation Ltd., one of the largest diversified investment and financial holding companies in Israel and Chairman of Discount Investment Corporation Ltd. Up to 2003, Chairman of Discount Bank and Trust Company (Switzerland) and from 2003 to 2007, Director of Union Bancaire Privee (Switzerland).

Born in New York (1949), he came to Israel at age 16, served as an artillery officer in the Israel Defense Forces and earned a BA from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and an MBA from Tel Aviv University.

Oudi, together with his family has been involved in multiple philanthropic activities in health, education, culture, art and other fields since the independence of Israel. Among others, he is the Chairman of the Board of the Interdisciplinary Center Herzlyia since 2001 and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Maccabi World Union.

Together with his children, he also holds a 40% stake in the perennially-successful Maccabi Tel Aviv Basketball Club, with 5 European Championships to its credit.

Alan Feld

Alan Feld is the Founder and Managing Partner of Vintage Investment Partners. Prior to founding Vintage in 2002, Alan Feld was a general partner at Israel Seed Partners and at Vertex Ventures. Prior to Vertex, Alan was the Managing Director of Evergreen Capital Markets/Robertson Stephens Israel. Before moving to Israel in 1994, Alan was at Goodman’s (Toronto), one of Canada’s leading corporate law firms.

Alan was Founding Chairman of the StartUp Jerusalem, a non-profit Israeli and Palestinian businesspeople helping to foster job growth in Jerusalem. Alan currently serves as Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Beeri project of the Hartman Institute and is also a former Member of the Board of Directors of the Israel Democracy Institute and the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the Jewish Funders Network (US). Alan also served as Associate Chairman of Canadian Jewish Congress, President of the North American Jewish Students Network and a Member of the Board of the Canada Israel Committee and Kolot (Jerusalem), a pluralistic adult Jewish education program.

Alan received an MBA from York University in Toronto, an L.L.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto and a B.A. in Commerce and Finance from the University of Toronto.

Amir Halevy

Amir is a Senior Partner at the law firm of GKH – Gross Kleinhendler, Hodak, Halevy, Greenberg & Co.
Amir has extensive experience of technology and Venture Capital. Amir counsels family held enterprises on succession issues and advises individuals of high net worth with regards to estate and trust planning.

Amir has served as a Board Member of JFN – Jewish Funders Network between 2008-2018; He is a member of the IVN – Israel Venture Network; He is one of the founders and a board member of “Vehadarta” – Council for Advancing the Status of the Elderly.

He is a member of Committed to Give – The Initiative for Promoting Philanthropy in Israel and he is a member of Jdocu – Photographers Group who published their documentary work on Jewish Culture worldwide, and sells it for philanthropy purposes.

Benny Levin​

Benny Levin served in the Israel Defense Force (IDF) Intelligence Corps and retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. In 1978 during his army service he was awarded the Chief of Intelligence Decoration for Creative Thinking.

Benny co-founded NICE Systems a worldwide leader of multimedia digital recording solutions for business interaction management, where he served as NICE’s President and Director from its inception and as Chairman and CEO from 1998 to 2001. Under Benny’s leadership the company achieved impressive growth and raised significant funds, both on NASDAQ and the Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE).

From 2004 to 2012 Benny served as Chairman of the Board of dbMotion. dbMotion enables forward-looking healthcare organizations to seamlessly connect and coordinate healthcare, linking clinicians within their facilities, beyond their walls and across their networks. Since retiring from most of his business activities, Benny dedicates himself to a wide array of social and philanthropic activities. He serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Israel Venture Networks. IVN is a social investment organization, bridging social gaps and generating systemic change in Israel through high-impact programs and hands-on venture philanthropy for over 10 years.

Benny serves as Active Chairman of the Board of the Ben Yakir youth village, assisting youth at risk mostly from the Ethiopian community and is involved in a variety of other philanthropic activities as a member of the board of Hakol Hinuch.

Benny is the Founder of JDOCU, a group of philanthropists and photographers that use the camera as a tool for documenting the activities of Tikkun Olam (‘Repair the World’) with the partnership of JDC, making it part of a global culture with special emphasis on Israeli and Jewish culture.

Benny has a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa.

Maya Natan

Founder CEO

Maya Natan opened JFN’s Israel Office as its first manager of activities and projects in November 2008. She came to JFN with extensive experience working in Israel, the United States and in England. Maya worked for the Jewish Agency for Israel over a number of years in a variety of capacities, starting with working with youth movements’ summer in Israel programs, and progressing to being the Director of the Jewish Experience Israel Unit. For three years, Maya was the shlicha of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. She managed the community’s Partnership 2000 initiative with Bet Shemesh/Adulam, and developed and implemented a wide variety of educational and issues related programs. And for one year, she worked as the Director of Short Term Programs for the UJIA in England. There, too, she worked with youth movements, in various educational settings and with lay leadership. Maya has an MBA from the Inter Disciplinary Center (IDC) in Herzeliya. She lives in Moshav Olesh where she and husband Ido are parents to Shani, Ella, Alon and Gali.

Shmuel Bendror​​

Shmuel is an Israeli philanthropist and former industrialist.

He was born in Panama in 1930 to parents that were fourth generation Jerusalemites. At age 5 his family moved back to Israel and settled in Netanya. He was one of the founders of Kibbutz Kisufim in the Negev and served on the kibbutz as a farm manager, dairy farmer, and security officer. Shmuel studied business administration in the US while working as deputy director of Mekatronics Inc. in Long Island, New York. Upon returning to Israel with his family, he established Mani Moto Ltd. which produce coated peanuts and sesame seed bars. The company was later sold to “Elite”. Shmuel was the owner of Arazim Integrated Technologies, which manufactured machinery and instruments for a large number of high-tech companies in Israel and after selling the company in 2007 decided to dedicate his time to contribute to the community.

Shmuel has been married for 36 years to Raya Strauss Ben Dror. They have 6 children from previous marriages and 14 great-grandchildren. They are active together in many different initiatives they support or established. Shmuel is involved in the following organizations: Serving on the Executive Committee of the Erez College in Shlomi, Board member of Hashomer Hachadash, chairperson of the Moran Choirs in Emek Chefer, active member of the Shanti House. Recently began serving as the Chairman of “Derech Nevo”, alongside his wife Raya which serves as President. Derech Nevo aims to bring together 4 organizations they support: Hashomer Hachadash, Or Movement, Achari! and the “spirit of the Galilee”, in order to enhance their influence on the government and the Israeli public.

Rachel Cohen

CEO, The Ted Arison Family Foundation

Rachel Cohen serves as the CEO of The Ted Arison Family Foundation, a private family foundation that operates to create meaningful social change through strategic philanthropy. She is responsible for promoting social investments in organizations that focus on the fields of education, culture, art and sports, children and youth, populations in distress, disabilities, and health.

In her capacity as CEO, Rachel also takes part in leading the extensive activities of the foundation’s seven vision projects: Essence of Life, Good Deeds Day, Goodnet, Artport, Ruach Tova, Design for Change, and Social Cohesion Program.

Prior to assuming this position, Rachel had served as Deputy CEO and CFO of The Ted Arison Family Foundation since 2006, overseeing and managing its overall financial activities that include social investments, grant making, vision venture budgeting, and operational capital management. Under her leadership, the foundation’s finance department comprised seven professionals.

Prior to joining the foundation, Rachel had served as a CPA at BDO Ziv Haft (1996-2005), one of the leading accounting firms in Israel and was also stationed at their USA office for two years.

She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and holds a BA in Economics and Accounting from Haifa University.

Igal Jusidman

Jusidman foundation

Igal is a Mexican living in Sweden and working in Israel. He has directed Jusidman foundation (Former Keren Daniel) – the family foundation of the Jusidman family – since its formation in 2010. He sits on the board of the Shalom Hartman Institute and is very involved in  the projects that Jusidman Foundation supports, mostly in the field of education in Israel.

Noam Lautman

The Lautman Fund

Noam is the General Manager of 2gether Capital Ltd, a consultancy and private investment company primarily in the high tech and health care industries. Noam serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Browzwear Ltd and as a Director of Delta Galil Industries Ltd. (NASDAQ: DELT). Noam is a co-founder of the Lautman Foundation. He is also the Chairman of the Board of “Ma’ase”, an organization that operates volunteer frameworks for young people in Israel, and a Board member of “Kav Mashve”, the Employers Coalition for Equality for Arab University Graduates. Noam is the Vice President of the New Israel Fund and a member of the Tel Hai Academic College Board of Governors. He is also a member of Committed To Give, the initiative for promoting Israeli private Philanthropy. Noam holds a B.Sc. in Computer Science and Mathematics from Tel Aviv University and an M.B.A. from New York University.

Dafna Meitar Nechmad

Zvi and Ofra Meitar Family Fund

 

Irit Rappaport

Irith Rappaport is a dedicated philanthropist, patron of the arts, and daughter of the late Ruth and Bruce, who were among the pioneers of Israeli philanthropy. Irith was born in Haifa. After graduating from the New York University School of Journalism and Mass Communications, she pursued a successful career in international business development and strategic counselling.

Over the years, Irith was involved in numerous charitable projects on behalf of the Rappaport Family Foundation and is personally responsible for establishing the famous Rappaport Prize, awarded for excellence in art and biomedical research, as well as to women who have made significant achievements in public, social, community and economic spheres across Israel. 

Acting on her belief that art and culture can drive social change, she is a major and active supporter of the arts and education in Israel and across the globe.

Irith serves on the Board of Governors of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, as well as on the Museum’s Board of Directors and is the President of its International Friends Association. Further leadership commitments include: Board of Directors, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra; founding member of the Institute of Law and Philanthropy at Tel Aviv University; International and Israeli Board of Directors, Jewish Funder’s Network.

In her hometown Haifa, Irith carried on the generous legacy of her Technion Guardian parents, Bruce and Ruth Rappaport. They played a key role in the development and success of the Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, which bears their name. They also established the Rappaport Institute for Research in the Medical Sciences to promote excellence in biomedical research. The Ruth Children Hospital at the Rambam Medical Campus was inaugurated in 2014 and more recently Irith implemented her mother’s will and laid the cornerstone for the Rappaport Technion Center for Advanced Medical Research. In addition, Irith serves on the Board of Directors and Chairperson of Biorap (the technological transfer commercial company of the Rappaport Institute of Biomedical Research); and Deputy Chairperson of the Rappaport Research Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Technion.

Irith is a member of the Committed To Give initiative for promoting Israeli philanthropy.

Adina Shapiro

Adina Shapiro is an attorney and a partner in the Herzog Fox Neeman’s high tech department. Adina’s practice focuses mainly on corporate and commercial law with an emphasis on cross border transactions. Adina also co-heads the firm’s Impact Investing practice, leads the firm’s practice in the Arab sector in Israel and is a member of the firm’s diversity committee. Adina serves on the board of directors of Bader Philanthropies and has founded and headed several associations and other philanthropic activities in both the Jewish and Arab sectors in Israel. Among other activities, Adina is a board member of the Jewish Funders Network, the Jerusalem International YMCA (also serving as chair of the organization’s Programs Committee and a member of its Executive Committee); chairs the board of Between Heaven and Earth (a Jerusalem based contemporary dance company); is a member of the purchase committee for Contemporary Israeli Art at the Israel Museum; and is a member of several other public committees including regarding care for infants of migrant and asylum seekers in Israel, the JDC Eshel Peer to Peer Program for the elderly, an advisory committee for young Arab women at risk, and an advisory committee for establishment of Arabic-speaking information centers for the disabled in Israel.

Ariel Kor

Ariel Kor is a Psychologist and an Assistant Professor and lecturer at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya (IDC). He holds a dual appointment at the Yale University School of Medicine.  Dr. Kor is a researcher of addictive behaviors. Dr. Kor holds BA and MA degrees from Oxford University. and a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University. 

For years, Dr. Kor has been working in finance and philanthropy, and has founded several successful projects in the fields of education, mental health and support for Jewish communities in the Diaspora. Dr. Kor is the co-founder of the Maytiv Center of Positive Psychology (www.maytiv.co.il) – one of Israel’s largest and most successful school intervention programs, and of Jewish Spirit. He is a board member of Matan (United Way Israel), the American Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), Meor Education & Leadership, and the Haredi Institute for Policy Studies. He is the Chairman & Founder of the Israel Center on Addiction (www.ica.org.il). 

Dr. Kor was formerly the Executive Director of Sampoerna Capital, a private investment fund where he continues to serve as an advisor, and a board member of the Harel Insurance Group, the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Company, and Singapore’s Hour Glass. He received an honorary doctorate from Bar-Ilan University. Ariel is married with five children.

Dan Oren

Dan Oren is an entrepreneur and impact investor. Founded and ran a successful internet company and today is a director in a number of companies. Manages an investment portfolio that prioritizes social and environmental gains. Invests in startups as an angel and through VC’s, in social bonds through Social Finance Israel, and more. Member of committed to give and of Encounter. Board member of various initiatives that work to strengthen Democracy in Israel. Intelligence officer in reserve. M.A. with honors in Government from the Reichman University.

Jude Yovel Recanati

Jude Yovel Recanati is a leading social activist in Israel who is committed to and strives for a stronger, healthier Israeli society.

In 2004, together with her late husband and three daughters, she established the Gandyr Family Foundation, aimed at strengthening Israeli society with special emphasis on young adults and youth movements and is one of the founders of Sheatufim, which aims to encourage a better civil society and philanthropic culture in Israel.

By connecting the next generation of the family to the philanthropic cycle, Gandyr Foundation continues a three generation tradition of Israeli philanthropy that began with Jude’s grandfather, Leon Recanati.

Jude Yovel Recanati is the co-Founder and Chairperson of NATAL: Israel Trauma Center for Victims of Terror and War, where she has been involved on a daily basis since its establishment in 1998.

Jude is an active member at the CTG (Committed to Give group), a social entrepreneurial initiative which promotes Israeli Philanthropy, she is a member at the Israel Lion of Judah, and serves on the board of several organizations that work to advance civil society.

She is the mother of three daughters and grandmother of nine.

Elli Booch

The Edmond de Rothschild Foundation (Israel)

Elli Booch is the Director of Philanthropy at the Edmond de Rothschild Foundation (IL).
The EdRF (IL) spearheads philanthropic efforts to build an inclusive society in Israel by promoting excellence, diversity, and leadership, particularly through higher education.
Since 2009, Elli is responsible for the Foundation’s philanthropic management and for developing and implementing its strategy, especially in the fields of entrepreneurship, leadership, access to and success in higher education, and academic excellence. He has led the Foundation’s transition from traditional giving to strategic philanthropy through a variety of result-oriented programs and partnerships. He is also a member of the Israel National Advisory Board of the Global Steering Group for Impact Investing, a member of the board of the Jewish Funders` Network (JFN), and former chair of the Forum of Foundations in Israel.
For over 20 years, Elli has been involved in developing and leading innovative solutions for social challenges. He established educational programs in Israel and abroad, and was a founder and executive director of Kav Hazinuk, a non-profit organization that cultivates leadership and social entrepreneurship.
Elli holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the Bar-Ilan University and a master’s degree cum laude in public policy from Tel Aviv University. He is married to Meirav and has three children.

Sigal Yaniv-Feller

Director

Sigal is the Deputy Director and senior Director of Advisory Services at JFN Israel, consulting to Jewish funders and foundations from around the world and assisting them in the development of philanthropic strategies for their Israel giving. Sigal joined JFN in 2015 after returning from living in Hong Kong for three years where she and her family were based as Israeli diplomats, during these years Sigal served as the Israeli representative of KH-UIA (Keren Hayesod) in Hong Kong and the Far East. Sigal has over 20 years of experience with the Israeli philanthropic sector; between the years 2001-2011, Sigal served as the founding Executive Director of the Green Environment Fund (GEF), a unique philanthropic model of five foundations supporting the environment in Israel through a joint strategy. Over the course of these years, GEF was a significant player and leader in building the environmental movement in Israel. In 2006, Sigal was chosen as one of the 10 most influential people on the environment in Israel by the “The Marker” Israeli magazine. Sigal was born in NY to Israeli parents, and moved to Israel at the age of 6, she holds degrees in Biology and Environmental Science from Hebrew University. She lives in Reut with her husband and three children.

Sharon Dwek

Membership Director

Sharon joined JFN as the Director of Membership at JFN – Jewish Funders Network Israel after living in the Bay Area and Vancouver for 13 years. Sharon worked at the San Francisco Federation staffing the Israel and Overseas committee. In Jewish day schools, Sharon worked as Development and Program Director inspiring donors through social and emotional experiential programs. Sharon was co-founder of Gvanim in the Bay, developing local Israeli leadership integrated into Jewish community life. As the Head of Strategy for the Vancouver JCC, Sharon served as a liaison between the Jewish community and local government to develop a Jewish community campus. Most recently Sharon served as the Development Director of the Legal Clinics of Tel Aviv University. Sharon is a lawyer by practice and served as corporate counsel for Evergreen Venture Partners and later became Investor Relations of the Fund. Sharon holds a Master’s degree in Education from the University of British Columbia.

Maya Golan

Director, Family Philanthropy

Maya serves as Director of Family Philanthropy at JFN Israel. As part of her role, she is responsible for developing programs and services for multigenerational giving and leading the first Israeli Center for Family Philanthropy within JFN Israel.

Maya has a rich experience of over a decade in various projects in the nonprofit sector. Before joining JFN Maya worked 6 years at the Ramon Foundation, founded by Rona Ramon. In her last position as the VP of space education.

As part of her role, Maya established the space education department that includes world-leading programs in Israel and outside it, communities, training, conferences, and events. Maya also led the team in its field and established strategic relationships between the educational, business, and academic fields, as well as worked with leading partners around the world.

Today, Maya continues to take an active part in various educational projects, including as a consultant on the educational mission of the first Israeli on the International Space Station.

Maya holds a BA in Political Science and Education and an MBA in Social Leadership, a joint program of Ben-Gurion University and the Mandel Foundation. She lives in Tel-Aviv with her husband Yotam and son Tomer.

Reut Stoller

Head of Strategy

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Sarit Feiler - Lior

Director of Finance and Operations

Sarit Lior is the Operations & Finance manager at JFN Israel. Sarit holds a B.A degree at psychology & human services, mediation certificate and studied Applied Behavioral Analysis at Tel Aviv University. Prior to JFN Sarit was a part of the Naor Family Office and Foundation where she served as PA to the founder and administrative executive. Sarit lives in Ganey Tikva with her husband and her three children.

Maya Foner

Director of Programs

Prior to her current position at JFN Israel, Maya was the director and educational director of several civil society programs aimed at advancing higher education opportunities and leadership development for peripheral populations in Israel. She has extensive experience in program and content development and has written curricula in the areas of leadership, social action and volunteerism, Israeli society, Israel-Diaspora relations, and intercultural communication. Maya is a certified organizational consultant and group facilitator who bases her practice on a combination of methodologies from disciplines such as The Art of Hosting, Theory U, Focusing, and Informal Education.

Maya worked for many years in the field of Israel-Diaspora education and has served twice as a “shlicha” (Israeli emissary) once in the United States for Young Judaea and a second time for Habonim Dror in the Netherlands. Maya is a graduate of the tour guide course of the Israeli Ministry of Tourism and a lecturer on “Israel Society Through Film.”

Maya holds a B.A in Israel studies and criminology from Bar Ilan University and an M.Sc in professional communication from Clark University. She lives in Binyamina with her husband and three daughters. Maya is passionate about making a difference in Israeli society.

Amy Sorensen Ben-Dov

Communications and Project Coordinator

Amy’s background is in philanthropy and social justice issues in Israel and the United States. She has been fortunate to work with her passion in both countries and has acquired personal and professional experience in the non-profit and philanthropy sectors in Israel and the US.
 
Most recently Amy was a facilitator for external relations and partnerships at PICO Kids, a Jerusalem based organization encouraging youth to acquire 21st century skills in science, technology and leadership through values based workshops and experiential learning.
 
She previously worked at the Gesher Leadership Institute, aiming to strengthen dialogue and relationships among emerging leaders in Israel and with their peers across the world.
 
The Nathan Cummings Foundation, where Amy is a fourth generation family member and Trustee, focuses on racial, economic and environmental justice, and has aligned all of its assets for maximum impact through grant making and impact investing in the U.S. and Israel. Amy is playing a role in leadership succession at the foundation and serves as Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees and chairs the Impact Committee.

 

Amy moved to Israel from New York in 1994, and lives in Jerusalem with her husband and two boys.

Gil Yaacov

Project Manager, Green Funders Forum

Gil Yaacov leads JFN’s Green Funders’ Forum, a peer network for funders that seeks to bring the climate crisis and sustainability issues to the forefront of the philanthropic community. Gil has advised leading philanthropic foundations, including Yad Hanadiv, The Ruderman Family Foundation, The Sheli Fund, The Stein Family Fund, and more, helping create philanthropic strategies for impacting Israel’s environment.

Gil has served as founder, director, and board member of leading environmental organizations in Israel over the past 20 years and was chosen as one of the 100 most influential people in Israel by Israel’s The Marker Magazine in 2018, for his role as the founder and executive director of 15 Minutes: Public Transit Alliance in Israel.

In addition, under Gil’s leadership, the Israeli students’ NGO Green Course (Megama Yeruca) was awarded The Presidential Award for Volunteerism by the late president of Israel, Shimon Peres. Gil also co-founded and coordinated the Coalition for Public Health, winner of several rewards for reducing industrial pollution in the Haifa Bay area.

Emergency Philanthropy

Since the outbreak of the war we have created a designated site sharing knowledge and tools for giving during the current emergency

Emergency Philanthropy

Since the outbreak of the war we have created a designated site sharing knowledge and tools for giving during the current emergency