Apply
Sign-in
Facebook Instagram Linkedin Youtube

Local and International Advisors

Central to the success of GHIS continues to be the practical and financial support of our dedicated local and international advisors, many of whom have been involved since GHIS was still a dream. Leaders in their respective fields, they bring a wealth of experience to our community and play an integral role in promoting the school to potential new friends and donors, as well as providing valuable professional expertise.

Donate
Local and International Advisors
Local and International Advisors

Israel

plus icon

Luay Badir

plus icon

Eyal Dagan

plus icon

Shiri Golan

plus icon

Isaac Hillel

plus icon

Ido Sade

plus icon

Dr. Danielle Shani

plus icon

Gideon Weinstein

plus icon

Iris C. Beck
Local and International Advisors

Santa Barbara

plus icon

Rabbi Steve Cohen

plus icon

Helen Curhan

plus icon

Diane Blau PhD

plus icon

Mike Nissenson

plus icon

Sissy Taran

plus icon

Michael Wasserman

plus icon

Barbara Rosenblum
Local and International Advisors

Philadelphia

Local and International Advisors

Melbourne

Local and International Advisors

Philadelphia

plus icon

Pastor Todd Stavrakos

plus icon

Rabbi David Ackerman
Local and International Advisors

Melbourne

plus icon

Phillipa Yule
Local and International Advisors

Detroit

Local and International Advisors

Ithaca

Local and International Advisors

LA

Local and International Advisors

Detroit

plus icon

Lisa Lis

plus icon

Sherri Ketai
Local and International Advisors

Ithaca

plus icon

Noemi Kraut
Local and International Advisors

LA

plus icon

Mark and Lynn Rogo

plus icon

Loren Bloch

plus icon

Moshe and Fegie Barkan
Donate now

With Thanks to Our Corporate Partners

Pathways logo horiz large (4) (1)
cisco
gladwynchurch
gsk
hp
matanel
mitzkowich
pitango
rotary
wayfarer
betham
BST
cbb
meitav-dash
Dangoor Education
TDHS bw logo
GIMPRICH LOGO
  • Givat Haviva
    Mobile Post Menashe
    3785000 Israel
  • Tel: +972 46309240
  • admissions@gh-is.org
GH 1
dp-programme-logo-en 1
GHavazeletGr 1
Facebook Instagram Linkedin Youtube
  • © Copyright, GHIS, 2021. Photography by Danielle Mehler.

Luay Badir

Luay holds a senior position within the Israeli Ministry of Culture and Sports having been selected for the extremely prestigious MA in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University.

“The way for a better future starts with investment in education for our children as they are our future leaders. This will lead to a more tolerant, liberal generation who can accept others regardless of their background, religious affiliation, gender or skin color.”

Eyal Dagan

Eyal is the EVP at Cisco International with over 25 years of senior-level management and engineering experience in the semiconductor industry. He holds several patents in the area of computer architecture and networking and earned a BASc in Applied Science and a Masters degree in Computer Science from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.

Eyal is a believer in a joint society of Jews and Arabs in Israel. He believes that education followed later by working together are fundamentals to a joint society’s success. Eyal is active in promoting and encouraging both aspects and is a big supporter of GHIS.

Shiri Golan

Shiri Golan is co-founder and CEO of a medical device start-up. She has over 20 years experience in business development, sales and marketing.

“On being introduced to the values and goals of GHIS, I knew that I had to be involved.”

Isaac Hillel

Isaac is managing partner at Pitango Growth Fund. He has served on the boards of LiveU, Borderfree, Sansa Security, AeroScout, and Scopus; and is currently on the boards of Celeno and Applicaster.

“I became involved with GHIS after meeting some of the students, because I understood the potential of this project and it gave me hope for a better and fairer future for our country.”

Isaac holds a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from Tel Aviv University, and an MBA from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA.

Ido Sade

Ido is founder and CEO of Sade Projects, one of the leading companies for building/design in Israel ranging from offices to shopping malls, stadiums to hospitals and public institutions. Ido is using his decades of experience in the field to help modernise buildings at GHIS.

Dr. Danielle Shani

Danielle is co-founder of BeDo – Generating Change, Differently, a non-profit whose mission is to reshape Israeli leadership. Previously, she was the founder and director of the Mandel Center for Leadership in the North, a center that promotes social leadership in Arab and Jewish localities. Danielle was a Schusterman Fellow, a Fulbright Scholar and a Fellow of the Woodrow Wilson Scholars program at Princeton University and the winner of the Israeli Parliament award for exceptional academic achievements.

“Being involved with a school like GHIS is a dream I have carried for 30 years.”

Gideon Weinstein

Now retired, Gideon lived and worked for four decades in developing countries managing major international projects in infrastructure, energy, water, agriculture. Gideon is a great believer in peace worldwide and especially between Israel and the Palestinians. He says that ‘leadership’ is the key and that GHIS has an important role to play.

Iris C. Beck

Iris C. Beck is a senior business development consultant and sits on the boards of various companies, start up’s and VC’s. Until recently, she served as Executive Vice President, Corporate Marketing and Communications at Teva Pharmaceuticals. She was CEO of McCann Ericson Israel, CMO of Orange and Managing Director of Lever, Unilever/ Strauss. Throughout her career, business transformation in dynamic markets driven by technological disruption became a way of life and delivering results became her motto.

Iris strongly believes that leadership and heart mobilize people in good times to great places and safely through challenging times.

Iris gained a B.A. in Economics from Haifa University and an MBA from Bar Ilan University. She is married with 4 amazing children.

Rabbi Steve Cohen

Rabbi Steve Cohen has been the Senior Rabbi of Congregation B’nai B’rith (CBB) in Santa Barbara, CA since 2004. He believes that education and deep personal relationships will heal our broken world and is pleased that his community has chosen to support GHIS.

Helen Curhan

Helen Curhan loves kids. “A GHIS educational experience will change the life of every child that has the chance to experience the school,and all the world will benefit from their future leadership!”

Diane Blau PhD

Founder, professor and president emerita of the Michigan School of Psychology, Diane has long been committed to fostering positive relationships and promoting respect and regard for each human being. She is inspired by GHIS, committed to its mission and enthusiastic about its future.

Mike Nissenson

“Dale and I are fortunate to have grown up in America in its best years. GHIS students will be given the chance to grow up in times needing the best leadership. We are hoping that among the school’s graduates, leadership will evolve.”

Sissy Taran

Sissy is a professional volunteer. For the past 45 years, she has been a force for inclusion. Active in five organizations focused on inclusivity, GHIS is her ultimate passion combining youth, education, and Tikkun Olam of Christians, Jews and Muslims.

Sissy‘s goal is to take her eldest granddaughter to visit GHIS next year when Congregation B’nai B’rith has its first official trip there.

Michael Wasserman

Michael is an international wealth manager with UBS Financial Services Inc.

Michael believes in GHIS’s mission and approach. He also believes that GHIS students can help to repair the world and to make Israel stronger and healthier.

Barbara Rosenblum

Barbara is a healthcare professional, businesswoman, and educator. As founder and CEO of a successful technology business, Barbara helped improve patient health outcomes and satisfaction with care while reducing costs, all through the use of decision-driven data.

Barbara recognizes the importance of being a change agent, and believes that it’s the next generation of young leaders that will set the world on a better course. She believes that GHIS is playing a pivotal role in developing the future stewards of our planet.

Pastor Todd Stavrakos

Todd was called to Gladwyne Presbyterian Church (GPC) in 2006, after 10 years working in the political world in Washington DC. He received his undergraduate degree at Villanova University and his Master of Divinity at Princeton Theological Seminary. He lives with his wife Jennifer and their two children, Sam and Lydia, in Havertown, PA.

Among his many areas of interest, Todd is a leader in the Interfaith Partners for Peace as well as the Rabbi-Pastor Dialogue group he created with the Presbytery of Philadelphia and the Jewish Community Relations Council. This commitment to interfaith dialogue extends to Israel/Palestine, where he leads delegations to meet with Israelis and Palestinians to plant seeds of peace. He is a director of Presbyterian for Middle East Peace and on the board of Pathways for Middle East Peace.

“In a world that is fractured on many levels, GHIS is a shining example of how face to face dialogue and learning can help bridge divides and lead to lasting relationships built on dignity and compassion. If our children are our future, then GHIS is giving us hope in that future.”

Rabbi David Ackerman

David Ackerman is the spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Am Israel in Penn Valley, PA where he teaches Torah, plays guitar, and works with others to build up a sacred community rich in learning, spirituality and kindness. Educated at Princeton University and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, David has served as Assistant Rabbi at Anshe Emet Synagogue in Chicago, Rabbi at Tiferet Bet Israel in Blue Bell, PA, and Rabbi for National Outreach at JTS. David and Nomi Shapiro are the grateful parents of Josh, Elijah and Rosie.

“Creative, daring, emotionally intelligent, ready (eager even) to face difficult challenges head on; GHIS is, for me, Israel at its very best. Plus, the students—each and every one —are flat out extraordinary. That’s why I’m involved.”

Phillipa Yule

New Zealand-born Phillipa has more than two decades of communications, marketing, and branding experience across diverse industries in the US and Asia.

“I derive a lot of satisfaction from helping international organizations focus their message and tell their story, build public awareness and grow their audience reach as a result. GHIS’s mission to educate students who have the drive and desire to become future leaders and help bring about positive change and cooperation is one that I deeply admire and must support. It all starts with listening to others and being open to multiple points of view.”

Lisa Lis

For Lisa, Israel has always highlighted her life from early years. She now shares her time between Tel Aviv and Detroit, where her mission is to advocate for Israel and fulfill her responsibility of Tikkun Olam.

“GHIS fits squarely within my goals as this remarkable school incorporates understanding, respect, coexistence and a stellar Baccalaureate education to a diverse group of enthusiastic students from all over Israel and the world. What better way to help repair our world and improve our future.”

Sherri Ketai

Israel and youth have been at the focus of Sherri’s life for years.

“I am excited to be a part of something that is positive and inspiring like GHIS. I believe that the amazing work it does with diversity, co-existence, shared society, mentoring and bridge-building is what our future is all about. “

Noemi Kraut

Noemi was born in Antwerp, Belgium just before the war, from where she escaped to London, before finally settling in NYC with the surviving members of her extended family. As a visitor to Israel, the country has always been central to Noemi’s identity.

“I always thought that in order to survive and flourish in peace, Israel would need to give full equality of opportunity to all its citizens and have supported and promoted many projects working towards this. But by far the most important, influential and amazing one is GHIS. This is what I had been looking for! As an educator for 30 years, I see that the school is providing the most sophisticated education in both academics and conflict resolution. This is not an easy task! It will take time, dedication, and financial support to enable GHIS students to transform their societies!

I am excited, I feel privileged, I am asking for help and support in this important venture!”

Mark and Lynn Rogo

Mark and Lynn Rogo have always been active in the Los Angeles Jewish Community. It was during a Temple Isaiah visit to Israel in January 2020 that they first encountered GHIS.

“Meeting the students with Nurit and Clare was such a moving experience that we immediately knew that GHIS was a project that we wanted to support. Mark has been an active Rotarian for many years, so we were delighted to coordinate a Rotary global grant in partnership with the Rotary Club in Haifa.”

Mark and Lynn sell residential real estate with Compass in Los Angeles. They hope that their granddaughters will one day be GHIS students!

Loren Bloch

As founder and president of Community Dynamics, a Southern California-based builder-developer of affordable and workforce housing, Loren presided for more than 30 years over the delivery of homes and communities to underserved families.

“I’m the son of a German Jewish refugee who encouraged me to invest in Israeli war bonds. While I identify deeply with the Jewish experience and the promise of Israel, I also recognize the plight of Arab Israelis and Palestinians, and found a different way to support the country that spoke to me.

GHIS is cultivating a new generation of student leaders that can respect and acknowledge each other’s painful truths, build on them, and help light the way to a vibrant and peaceful future for all.”

Moshe and Fegie Barkan

Fegie, originally from Wales, met Moshe in Israel where they raised their three children. Moving to Los Angeles in the 1980s, Moshe, a pharmaceutical device executive and entrepreneur—now semi-retired—created collaborations in device development between Israeli and US companies.

“We have always stayed connected to Israel and firmly believe in coexistence between Israeli Arabs and Israeli Jews. We have to find bridges to overcome the years of unbearable conflict. We have loved supporting GHIS since it opened, and brought all our kids to visit the campus. Meeting GHIS students has been inspiring to us, and following their amazing journeys of transformation has been so rewarding.”

David Zehavi

Hebrew Literature
Mentor

David joined GHIS because he was looking for the right educational establishment to develop personally and professionally. As soon as he heard about GHIS, he realized that it suits his values.

“As someone who has always been committed to coexistence in Israel, I see GHIS as a great vehicle to bring young people together in an accepting and non-prejudicial way.”

As well as being a teacher, David is also trained in special needs education at all school levels.

David holds a joint Honors B.Ed.  in Special Education ages 6 to 21, and BA in Literature at Oranim College