FELLOWS

2021-2022

Ahmad Muhanna

CEO, Qudra Network

Ahmad Muhanna is the director of Qudra – an Arab Donors’ Network working to build and strengthen Arab responsibility and communal resilience through strategic giving. During the COVID crisis, Ahmad served as a consultant for the senior government staff responsible for the Arab Sector.

In the past, Ahmad founded and ran Amanina – an organization committed to building volunteer networks in Arab communities. Before that, Ahmad was the parliamentary aid for MK Ahmad Tibi.

Calcalist picked him for their 36 Under 36 social influencers and Globes 40 under 40 up and coming leaders.

He is currently studying for an MA in NGO management.

He was born and raised in Um El Fahem and is the father to Omar and Nour.

 

Michal Sella

CEO Givat Haviva

Michal Sella is the Executive Director of Givat Haviva – the Center for Shared Society, and an expert in Israeli politics and public policy. She has extensive experience working with governmental bodies both in Israel and abroad, working as the Director of the Center for Policy Change at Shatil – New Israel Fund, a parliamentary advisor at the Knesset; a journalist and co-editor at Channel 2; a co-founder of The Whistle (the Israeli fact-checking NGO) and a pedagogical coordinator at Hashomer Hatzair youth movement. She holds a master’s degree from Oxford University in public policy, as well as bachelor’s degrees from Tel Aviv University in history and journalism. She lives in Tel Aviv with her partner and child.

esty shushan

CEO Nivharot

Founder and director of the Nivcharot movement, promoting Ultra-Orthodox women’s presence and leadership. She is a lecturer, writer, film producer, and artist.

Esty runs the podcast “spoken Ultra-Orthodox” on the intersections between the Ultra-Orthodox community in Israel. IN 2014, Esty directed “Barren” on early motherhood and large families. In 2020 she produced the documentary “Who Knows One” on COVID and Passover.

Esty won the Yaari Prize in 2017 and the Rappaport Prize for Female Leadership and was voted one of Israel’s 20 leading female activists in 2018 in Globes Magazine.

In 2021 the movie, Woman of Valour,  a documentary on Esty’s activism came out.

These days she is working on a feature length film and a book of poems.

abed shehade

Political Advisor, Council for heads of Arab Municipalities

Abed Shehade serves as a political consultant for the Council of Heads of Arab Municipalities. In addition, Abed works in civic engagement on urban planning and housing issues.

In the past, Abed’s primary focus was education, and he served as the principal of the first Arab public school in Lod.

Abed Shehade holds a BA in education and an MA in Urban Planning.
He lives in Lod with his partner Hiba, and his children Hussain and Mag’dal.

Sondos Saleh

Social activist and educator

Sondos is a former member of parliament and a member of the political committee in the Ta’al ( Arab Movement for Renewal). She is the education coordinator for the five-year plan in Arab education, a board member in Muna High-tech center, chairwoman of Mujta’maa, an organization focused on women’s rights in the Arab sector. Sondos is a member of the popular committee in Mashad and a board member in the Heschel center. She is an entrepreneur, runs Aleen Health Care, and teaches biology at St Joseph high school in Nazareth.

She holds an MA in education and technology.

naama lazimi

Member of Parliament, Labor

Naama Lazimi is a member of Parliament for the Labor party. She was raised in Migdal Ha’emeq, and holds an MA from Haifa University in the “Jewish Leadership” program. She lives in Haifa and is the mother of two.

In the past, Naama was active on feminist and union issues, and Mizrahi struggles.

In 2018, she was elected as the city council in Haifa, as part of the “Living in Haifa” party. As a councilwoman, Naama passed many decisions on worker rights. In addition, she forwarded the program “Haifa for All” for an egalitarian and safe city for all genders. She spearheaded a decision to supply family certificates for all, regardless of gender.

In Jun 2021, Lazimi was sworn into the Knesset as part of the Labor party. She sits on the finance committee, the committee for gender equality, and internal security. In the Knesset, Naama focuses on gender equality and redistributive justice.

Israel Frey

Journalist

Israel Frey is an Ultra-Orthodox journalist, analyst, and publicist. He is the political correspondent for DemocraTV. His writing, focused on political and social issues, appears on various platforms in Israel. Yisrael was born in Zfat, graduated from Hassidic learning institutions, is married, and is the father of two.ט

 

Hanan Alsanah

CEO, Negev Coexistence Forum

Hannan is a joint CEO of the Negev Coexistence Forum. She is a feminist, social and political activist in the Arab community, particularly in the Beduin community. She holds a BA in media and middle east studies from Ben Gurion University in the Negev and a BA and MA in Law from Ono college.

Hannan is a veteran Beduin activist and was the first Negev representative to the UN in CEDAW, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. She has worked for years in unrecognized villages in the Negev as the education and development manager at Sidra. Over 3000 women participated in her adult education projects, and around 500 women in financial empowerment projects

Dr. Enaya Banna

Urban planner, Arab Center for Alternative Planning

Dr. Enaya Banna is a landscape architect and urban planner, who holds a PhD in Urban Planning from the Technion. Her research work focuses on participatory planning in Arab communities.  

She has served as consultant to the head of the Planning Administration on housing and planning in Arab towns in Israel.  She worked for ten years as urban planner for the Arab Center for Alternative Planning (AC-AP), representing Arab-Palestinian interests in planning, territory, housing and development. Dr. Banna  is currently  head of planning for Wadi Iron, an all Palestinian regional planning council.

Avner Gvaryahu

CEO Breaking the Silence

Avner was born in the Israeli city of Rehovot and raised in the religious- Zionist community. During his army service, he served in the special forces of the paratroopers brigade, where he attained the rank of staff sergeant. A year after he was discharged he joined Breaking the Silence as a researcher and tour guide with a focus on working with world Jewry and later became director of the Public Outreach. Since August of 2017 he is the organization’s Executive Director.

Avner holds a B.A. in Social Work from Tel Aviv University and an M.A from the Institute for the Study of Human Rights in Columbia University NY.

Riham Nasra

Lawyer, political and social activist

Riham is a lawyer and political activist from Abu Snan village in Upper Galilee. She received her law degree from Hebrew University and works as a human rights lawyer, first at Gaby Lasky & Associates, and today with adv. Michal Pomeranz. Riha represents Palestinian detainees in military courts, anti-occupation, and human rights activists. Before her legal work, Riham was a parliamentary advisor for MK Aida Toma-Souliman during her period as chair of the committee for the advancement of women and gender equality.

Riham is a member of the central committee in the Communist party and a member of the Hadash national secretariat.

Aviad Houminer-Rosenblum

Director of Policy, Katznelson Center

Aviad is the policy director of the Berl Katnzelson Center and a board member of “Oz Ve’shlom – A Religious Jewish Peace Movement.” In the past, Aviad served as a policy advisor for the minister of Welfare and worked in the government and society in the Prime Minister’s Office.

He is involved in many projects, specifically around workers’ rights.

Aviad lives in Jerusalem with his pattern Hodaya and their children Reut and Hallel.