Leadership Team
Sharon Ashkenazi, Founder
Sharon possesses a lifelong passion for Education and History. Sharon’s leadership experience spans a wide range of roles from serving as the Chief Education Officer for the Communication Corps in the IDF, professor in State University of NY and a director in American Jewish organizations such as the OFJCC, the Israeli Scouts and the ICC@JCC.
Sharon holds a BA in Education & Jewish History from Bar Ilan University and an MA in Jewish Studies from Yeshiva University.
Omer Zonenshine, CEO
Omer is a national coordinator of the Hebrew Scouts youth Movement in the last three years.
Omer leads the field of Israeli-Jewish identity in the Scouts for the third year. Omer is active in the field of informal education for the tenth year.
Among his previous roles a regional training coordinator and a district manager in Scouts.
During his work he studied at the Mandel Leadership Institute.
Or Richter Katz, Program Manager
Or is a social entrepreneur who specializes in leadership and education.
She brings a lot of "אור" to our program after leading for years youth at multiple programs such as "kav Hazinuk" and Rotchilds' ambassadors.
Or holds a M.A in school counseling, behavioral science and NLP therapy.
Ranin Diab, Program Manager and a Senior Counselor
Ranin was born and raised in Tamra, a Muslim Arab town in the North region of Israel.
Ranin is an educator, a leader and an activist in her community, She believes that education and knowledge are the key to reshaping the Israeli society to a democratic state.
Ranin’s educational experience includes leadership roles at ‘Hanoar Haoved Vhalomed’, a national youth group, where she was responsible for training young counselors. She also took an active role on ׳Nof Meshutaf’, where she fostered a young leadership program for Jewish and Arab teens, and a biology teaching position at a public school.
Ranin holds a BA in nutrition studies from ‘Tel Chai’ college and she will graduate with her MA in Education from ‘Oranim, academic college of education’ in 2019
Oren Cnaan, Advisor
Oren Cnaan, resident of Haifa, has a bachelor degree in social and community education and a teacher's certificate in history and social studies from the Oranim educational college.
Oren is specialist in education and community building with a focus on young adolescents but worked also with different audiences through municipalities, educational systems and non for profit organizations.
Oren is also involved in the Haifa's lgbtq community and initiated lgbtq hiking group. "As an educator, I believe that we are all part of the human family and I hope that one day we will realize that we all want the same basic things, and that understanding can help us overcome any obstacle".
Ameer Anabusi, Advisor
Ameer is from Baqa al-Gharbiyye, an arab city in the Haifa District of Israel, located near the Green Line.
Ameer is passionate about the combination of non formal education and PE.
In addition to his role as a counselor of ‘Israeli Salad’, Ameer leads his city program for young counselors as well as the students council, he also teaches PE in an elementary school.
Ameer is a great believer in peace and in the power of teens to change and reshape the future of their communities. He believes that sport can bridge between communities while creating a new dialogue between diversities.
‘Anybody can make history. Only a great man can write it.....’/ Oscar Wilde
For Ameer, being a part of ‘Israeli Salad ‘ is rewriting the history of Israel.
Amir holds a BA in Physical Education.
Lea Desta, Advisor
Born in Adis-Ababa in Ethiopia and moved to Israel with her family in 1991.
Lea has a bachelor's in health care management and M.B.A both from Ben Gurion University.
Lea is currently working on her master's in social work in Haifa University.
Lea is an activist in the Ethiopian community in Israel.
Lea have a great experience working with teenagers and at-promise youth.
Niroz Zoabi Abu-Saleh, PhD., Advisor
Niroz is an Arabic Muslim associate scientist that recently moved to California, USA to pursue her dreams to become a pioneer female scientist. She accomplished her PhD degree with honors at the medical school, Technion institute of technology, Haifa. During that time, she also served as a teacher assistant in different medical courses. Niroz believes in promoting positive community in Israel, and she is strongly motivated to help building bridges between our community tribes.
Sharon Galperin, Advisor
After 20 years as a Marketing and Business Executive in multi-national companies, Sharon decided to devote her career to improving Israeli society through community activities.
Sharon is now working with communities that are in processes of change and growth. In this capacity, she assists them in leading social-communal processes and dialogue groups, and civic action. Sharon writes training programs on leadership, ecology, engagement, and social action. She wants to create an open society that respects and cherishes human, social, and cultural diversity, and her work is geared toward this end. She holds a master’s degree in business administration, with a specialization in marketing from Tel Aviv University, and a diploma in mediation.
Shmuel Yoseph, Advisor
Shmuel Yoseph immigrated to Israel from Ethiopia at the age of 10 on Operation Moses מִבְצָע מֹשֶׁה, the covert evacuation of Ethiopian Jews (known as the "Beta Israel" community from Sudan during a civil war).
His journey to Israel is one of the most inspiring stories of courage and faith.
Being a passionate educator, Smuel Yoseph works as a lead teacher for Juniors youth at risk at Kfar Hadasha. Shmuel plays a major role as a lay leader of the Ethiopian Jews community.
Shmuel received his BA in Education from Lifshitz College, Jerusalem and his MA in Jewish Studies from Haifa University.
Hilal trudi, MD., Advisor
Hilal is a druze doctor. He accomplished his MD degree at the medical school, Technion institute of technology, Haifa. He also the co-founder and the executive director of the Academic union organization, and academic guidance association.
Hilal believes that education, knowledge and the ability to accept the different will make our heterogeneous country a better place.
Ronen Drori, Advisor
Ronen Drori (MA) is a senior organizational consultant with 20 years of experience, a certified group leader and an experienced
supervisor. Ronen is a graduate of the two-year senior organizational consulting program for Ofek and the Tabistock Institute (London). He holds a BA in Sociology and International Relations (Hebrew University) and a Masters degree in Security Studies from Tel Aviv University.
For 15 years, Ronen served as senior advisor, director and team
leader at the IDF Leadership Development School. He has also been
a group facilitator in "Lead" organization for youth leadership development for 7 years.
Today he is an independent consultant, an expert in the development and training of managers, leadership in education, military leadership, public service and business. Strategic consultant and accompanist for managers, programs and organizations.
He directs the Rabin Leadership Program at the Interdisciplinary
Center in Herzliya and accompanies projects in the field of social
entrepreneurship. A group facilitator in the leadership program at Kfar Hayarok School and the Military College of Behavioral Sciences and the Marom Education System program. In addition advises public organizations ,the IDF, civil society organizations and non-profit voluntary associations.
Sabeel Khattar, Advisor
Sabeel is one of the founders and creators of “Ruth - women make peace.” She is a strong believer in female power and leadership, and in equality regardless of race, gender, or religion. She is a social activist, constantly volunteering from a young age, in which she sees youths' leadership as important and essential in making changes and achieving dreams.
Sabeel holds a Bachelor’s degree graduate in Sociology and Anthropology and in Women and Gender Studies, in addition to a diploma in group facilitation from the School of Education at Tel Aviv University.
Yarden Ben Porat, Advisor
Yarden oversees and leads a commune of pre-army high school graduates under BINA - The Jewish Movement for Social Change, and participates in a secular, pluralistic Beit Midrash. Her previous roles include serving as Regional Coordinator for Rotate Jerusalem and the Merakezet for Shevet modiin in the Hebrew Scouts youth.
Yarden received her B.Ed. in Non-Formal Education and General History and the jewish History from the David Yellin Academic College of Education in Jerusalem.