Our Team & Board
Don Futterman
Hana Gilat
Eti Bukshpan
Sally Awad Asfour
Menberu Shimon
Dr. Iris Jerby
Rawiya Kittan Boulos
Baruch Passentin CPA
Mira Pinchas
Liora Eldar
Rasha Odeh Sakhnene
Lotfiah Raida Shehab
Said Audi
Sima Simcha Pando
Rachel Navon
Rose Shaaban
Zahra Bakri
Meyrav Rotem
Orly Dochin
Nurit Bechar
Rema Ighbaria
Rana Marwat Rabah
Boran Handaklo
Ghada Jljouli
Shula Nahum
Prof. Sarah Hershkovitz
Tezeta Garmai
Berku Samuel
David Armias
Mayan Bashan
Mahmoud Jabarin
Lee Perlman
Rivka Cohen
Silvana Sasson
Tal Haasz
Adi Ziv
Our Board
Lior Brown
Board Chair
A former senior government policy maker, Lior Brown served in both the Bank of Israel and the Budget Division of the Ministry of Finance, where she was responsible for overseeing Israel’s Education Budget. Lior is currently leading the R&D planning and execution at Via, a pioneering Transit Tech company developing innovative transit solutions across the globe.
Dr. Michal Tabibian
Dr. Michal Tabibian is the head of the Manor Center for Research, Policy, and Impact at The One Hundred Initiative. She previously served as director of strategy and planning at the Ministry of Education, and before that as the division head in the Department of Governance and Society in the Prime Minister’s Office. She is among the founders of the Knesset’s Research and Information Center. She edited the government planning guide and led the formulation of the ‘Israeli Education 2030’ approach. Michal holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where she also lectures at the School of Public Policy.
Eli Shermeister
Eli Shermeister served as the Chief Education Officer of the Israel Defense Forces from 2007-2013, where his responsibilities included the social integration of Ethiopian-Israeli, new immigrant and minority soldiers, instilling of ethics and values, and providing educational opportunities for IDF soldiers, especially for those from low socio-economic backgrounds. He also served as the Executive Director of Madatech, Israel’s National Museum of Science, Technology and Space, the Haifa-based interactive education museum.
Professor Abdussalam (Abed) Azem
Professor Abdussalam (Abed) Azem is the Dean of the George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences at Tel Aviv University, since 2019. Prof. Azem’s expertise is in the field of Biochemistry of rare genetic diseases. He received his PhD from Tel Aviv University and pursued postdoctoral studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and later on in the Biozentrum, University of Basel. Prof. Azem lives in the town of Taibe in central Israel, where he was born and raised.
Michal Avera Samuel
Michal Avera Samuel is a seasoned leader with 20 years of experience pioneering and leading cross-cultural community-building and educational efforts. She is currently Researcher and Coordinator for Shalom Curriculum Project at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, creating educational materials tailored for Jewish educators and families that include diverse racial and ethnic images. Michal was the Senior community shlicha (emissary) at Jewish Columbus, where she served the Columbus, Ohio community as an advocate and an educator for Israel. Michal served as the CEO of FIDEL Association, advocating and leading for the successful integration of Ethiopian Israelis and serving on the prestigious national Round Table Panel on Social Issues at the Prime Minister’s Office and research assistant for the Israel Democracy Institute. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in counseling from Haifa University and sits on numerous boards and volunteers with organizations.
Harvey Newman
Harvey Newman is a founding member of the Israel Center for Educational Innovation, former Senior fellow at the Center for Educational Innovation, and now board chair at John V. Lindsey Wildcat Academy, as well a board member of Blue Ribbon awardee, Hellenic Charter School in Brooklyn and Hellenic Classical Charter School in Staten Island. He continues as advisor on educational matters between parenting and grandparenting.
Michael Berman
Michael Berman is a Medical Device Entrepreneur and Investor working with a select group of high potential Israeli companies. From 1995-2000 Mr. Berman was President of Boston Scientific Cardiology. He currently resides in Tel Aviv. In addition to his work with ICEI Mr. Berman serves on the Boards of Young Judaea Global and Tali Schools.
Rachel Liel
Rachel Liel is currently the President of the New Israel Fund. She is the former Executive Director of The New Israel Fund (NIF) and Shatil, NIF’s Initiative for Social Change. She is Former Deputy Director, Division of Rehabilitation Services in the Ministry of Labor and Welfare, and Policy Analyst in the Department of Social Policy Planning of the Prime Minister’s Office. Rachel was the Chair of the Board of ACRI- The Association of Civil Rights in Israel.
In Loving Memory
Mary Ann Stein, z”l
Founding ICEI Board Chair
A tireless champion for social justice causes throughout her life, Mary Ann served for more than 30 years as the founding president of The Moriah Fund. With a philosophy rooted in fundamental Jewish values, Mary Ann focused on human and civil rights in the U.S., Israel and around the world, women’s rights, reproductive health, and economic justice. Mary Ann was also the visionary behind the founding of ICEI in 2009, initially aimed at dramatically improving literacy outcomes among Israel’s Ethiopian students. Under her 13-year leadership as board chair, ICEI grew considerably, eventually expanding its mandate to include all Arab and Jewish children in underperforming schools in Israel’s low-income communities. ICEI’s success is a testament to Mary Ann’s drive, trust and vision. We have tried to infuse her values – to believe change is possible, to commit to the long term, to always come from a place of being supportive and respectful – into every aspect of our work. Mary Ann was an inimitable leader, mentor and friend who will be sorely missed. We will forever be grateful for her profound impact on our efforts, and we will strive to continue in her path.
Prof. Alice Shalvi, z”l
ICEI Board Member
ICEI mourns the recent death of long-time board member, Professor Alice Shalvi, at the age of 96. Alice was a recipient of the Israel Prize for Lifetime Achievement in Education and received countless other honors. Alice was an innovative educator, tireless social activist, and a founding mother of modern Jewish feminism in Israel. Professor Shalvi cared deeply about Israeli society, in all its facets, and particularly about disadvantaged communities. Her unwavering support for ICEI was a source of inspiration. One of Alice’s favorite ICEI activities, which she attended way into her 90’s, was the Annual Young Writers Competition Awards Ceremony, ICEI’s network-wide contest for third to sixth graders, intended to promote the love of writing and showcase the talent of our students. With the passing of Alice so soon after that of founding chair Mary Ann Stein (z”l), it’s been a difficult year. We deeply miss and mourn them both.