Washington DC, USA
Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, Founder and President
Cathy Bolinger, Chief Operating and Financial Officer
Alan Elsner, Senior Director, Communications and Research
Julia S. Yang, Senior Accounting Manager
Jennifer Packer, Editor in Chief
Barbara Ledeen, Senior Advisor on Iran
Dustin Rubin, Special Assistant to the President
Jay Amernick, Regional Manager, West Coast
Brandon Gray, Senior Associate for Web Advocacy and Outreach
Dinah Goldberg, Web Advocacy Specialist
Alisa Rank, Internet, Graphics and Social Media Assistant
Lauren Appelbaum, Director of U.S. Communications
Lindsey Singer, Media/Communications Associate
Ari Bildner, Writer/Media Communications Associate
Nathan Klein, Director of Research and Messaging
Penina Kustanowitz, Grant Writer
Hannah Elkin, Development Events and Logistics Specialist
Abby J.Vidikan, Development Events and Logistics Assistant
Allison Dreyer, Donor Database Coordinator
Andrew Gryll, Donor Database Specialist
Carla A. Hashley, Development Logistics Specialist
Melissa Weiss, Operations Support Specialist
Jennifer Jackson, General Accountant
Mark B. Toubin, National Leadership Consultant
Catherine Zacks Gildenhorn, Special Events Advisor
Jerusalem, Israel
Marcus Sheff, Executive Director, TIP Israel
Laura Kam, Executive Director, Global Affairs
Eitan Livne, Director of Iran Research and Content, Global Affairs
David Z. Harris, Director of Research and Content, TIP Israel
Rachel Ranel, Director, Operations and Finance, TIP Israel
Eli Ovits, Director of Communications, TIP Israel
Stephane Cohen, Educating Leaders Communications Associate, TIP Israel
Arik Agassi, Communications Specialist - Tours and Events, TIP Israel
Dor Kaidar, Communications Associate, TIP Israel
Leah Soibel, Director, Spanish Media Program, Global Affairs
Shimrit Meir, Director, Arabic Media Program, TIP Israel
Christoph Heil, Director, European Affairs, Global Affairs
Alex Pevzner, China Program Director, Global Affairs
Mark Sloman, India Program Director, Global Affairs
Andrey Kozhinov, Director, Russian Outreach Program, Global Affairs
Julie Hazan, European Affairs Associate, Global Affairs
Ronit Shebson, Senior Communications Associate, TIP Israel
Sharon Segel, Communications Associate, TIP Israel
Michal Shmulovich, Research and Content Associate, TIP Israel
Shai Oseran, Communications Associate - Tours and Events, TIP Israel
Nir Ben-Tzur, Social Media Specialist, TIP Israel
Valdo Borodov, Multimedia and Web Associate, TIP Israel
Shiri Shapira, Development Coordinator, TIP Israel
Maayan Avihar, Office Assistant, TIP Israel
Emma Milman, Communications and Research Intern, TIP Israel
Kasa Bayisin, Intern, TIP Israel
Daniela Regev, Communications Intern, TIP Israel
Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, Founder and President
Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi is the founder and president of The Israel Project (TIP), an international non-profit organization devoted to educating the press and the public about Israel while promoting security, freedom and peace. TIP has offices in Washington, DC and Jerusalem.
The Israel Project is a non-profit educational organization that provides factual information about Israel and the Middle East to the press, policy makers and the public.
Mizrahi meets regularly with top Israeli leaders such as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Shimon Peres, Ambassador Michael Oren, Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon and many others. She also works frequently with pro-Israel organizations including the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Jewish federations, Jewish community relations councils and Hillel organizations.
Mizrahi previously served as a foreign affairs legislative assistant to the U.S. Congress. She studied at Hebrew University in Jerusalem and has degrees in International Relations and Judaic Studies from Emory University. Her work earned her recognition as a "Point of Light" by President H. W. Bush. Mizrahi also has been honored with the Louis D. Brandeis Award by the Baltimore Zionist District. The Forward newspaper has twice listed Mizrahi in its "Forward 50" most influential Jews in America. Mizrahi was recently named to the March of the Living’s newly established advisory board and completed close to a decade as the volunteer campaign chair for UJC in Anne Arundel County.
Prior to starting The Israel Project, Mizrahi was the founder and president of Laszlo & Associates, Inc., a strategic communications and public policy company. Mizrahi has worked on projects with the White House, President Clinton, Vice President Gore and dozens of U.S. Senators. For six years Mizrahi published a weekly column on public policy in The Daily Record in North Carolina. Mizrahi has been interviewed on "One on One with John McLaughlin," CNN, CNBC, FOX, MSNBC and C-SPAN. She has been quoted in The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Washington Times, Newsweek, The Economist, People and Investor's Business Daily. She also has been profiled in The Washington Post, Working Woman, the Jewish Times, The Jewish Press, Lifestyles, The Capitol, Hadassah, Washington Jewish Week, Jewish Sages and other publications.
Full Bio: [html] [pdf]
jenniferm@theisraelproject.org
202-857-6644
Cathy Bolinger, Chief Operating and Financial Officer
Cathy Bolinger joined The Israel Project as chief operating and financial officer in 2005 following more than 30 years of experience in the non-profit and corporate sectors. Bolinger works behind the scenes, overseeing the day-to-day operations to ensure that every aspect of the organization - ranging from strategic business decisions and financial management to fundraising - runs smoothly.
The Israel Project is a non-profit educational organization that provides factual information about Israel and the Middle East to the press, policy makers and the public.
Bolinger's service to the non-profit community includes serving as COO and CFO of the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago for seven years and assistant treasurer and first CFO for the United Service Organizations (USO). In her position at the American Red Cross, Bolinger directed all business, planning, marketing and communications, support and strategic business operations for the second largest chapter of the organization. During her post at the USO, Bolinger directed all business and financial management activities for the organization's world headquarters and 31 overseas operations, operating on a $30 million annual budget.
In addition, Bolinger spent several years as executive vice president/chief operating officer of the Research Center for Government Financial Management in Washington, D.C. There, she played a vital role in expanding the organization's membership, programs and services and collaborated with CEOs and CFOs from more than 75 Fortune 100 and 500 companies, as well as senior executives from more than 20 federal government departments.
Bolinger is a certified public accountant and holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from Indiana University at South Bend and professional certifications from Harvard University and Northwestern University.
Marcus Sheff, Executive Director, TIP Israel
As Executive Director of The Israel Project’s Israel Office, Sheff leads The Israel Project’s team in Israel. In this capacity, he manages the delivery of information from Jerusalem to over 56,000 journalists around the world, as well as day-to-day direct outreach to the 450 members of the foreign press based in Israel. The Jerusalem-based operation drives TIP’s unique programs in Israel, which include regular press conferences and press events,
the ‘Intellicopter’ (helicopter) and specially crafted ground tours for the media, as well as TIP’s Media Center in Sderot. TIP’s Israel Office also conducts media training of pro-Israel advocates and outreach to the Arab-language press in Israel and around the world.
The Israel Project is a non-profit educational organization that provides factual information about Israel and the Middle East to the press, policy makers and the public.
Sheff and the Israel team created what has become a vital resource for the media based in Israel, where 70% of the news about the region is gathered. He meets regularly with Israeli leaders, spokespeople, diplomats and NGOs on strategic communications issues and appears regularly in the international media. Sheff regularly testifies to Knesset Select Committees.
Sheff has worked as a media and communications professional in Israel for 20 years, beginning as a political reporter for the The Nation and later becoming an editor at The Jerusalem Post. He then set up a strategic communications company whose clients included government ministries, many of Israel's top 20 companies and international publishers and advertising agencies. The company became the leader in its field. After selling the company, Sheff worked as an international executive for global media organizations.
As a reserve officer in the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, Sheff was a prominent spokesperson for the IDF during the second Intifada and the Lebanon War. Today, he trains senior IDF officers in media skills.
Sheff has advocated for Israel many times on global TV networks, including CNN, NBC, ABC, NBC, as well as dozens of other US and European TV and radio outlets. He serves on the Knesset Forum on International Relations and on the editorial board of “Engage,” an organization that challenges contemporary anti-Semitism. Sheff studied at the University of Leeds, where he was elected General Secretary of the Leeds University Union and was active as an elected officer in national student politics.
marcuss@theisraelproject.org
011-972-2-6236427
Alan Elsner, Senior Director, Communications and Research
Alan Elsner is Senior Director, Communications and Research for The Israel Project. Prior to joining TIP in August 2010, Elsner had a 33-year career at top levels of journalism and published two novels, a memoir of his father’s Holocaust survival and an acclaimed book about the U.S. prison system.
The Israel Project is a non-profit educational organization that provides factual information about Israel and the Middle East to the press, policy makers and the public.
Elsner’s journalistic career began with The Jerusalem Post. He joined Reuters in Tel Aviv in 1980 and became the news agency’s first correspondent in Jerusalem in 1983. Elsner’s subsequent career took him back to London and to Stockholm where he headed the agency’s four Nordic bureaus.
In Washington, Elsner was assigned to the State Department from 1989-94 when he covered the end of the Cold War and the first Gulf War. His sharp questioning at the State Department during the Rwanda genocide in 1994 forced the Clinton administration to change its policy. His role was highlighted in several books about the massacres and his voice was featured in the movie, "Hotel Rwanda."
Elsner was Reuters Chief Political Correspondent from 1994-2000 and headed coverage of the 1996 and 2000 presidential campaigns. He was National Correspondent from 2001-2004 and covered the 9/11 attack. In 2006, Elsner won a Knight International Journalism Fellowship and spent nine months in Romania teaching journalism and strengthening free media.
His first book, “Gates of Injustice: The Crisis in America’s Prisons” was hailed by the late Sen. Edward Kennedy as a “wake-up call” and welcomed by the political left and right. Elsner later testified to governmental and independent commissions on prison reform.
Elsner’s memoir of his father’s wartime experiences, “Guarded by Angels,” published by Yad Vashem, has been described as a major addition to Holocaust literature. It helped spark a successful campaign to build a new memorial at the site of the Belzec extermination camp in Poland.
Elsner lived in Israel for eight years and served in the Israel Defense Forces in 1981/82.
His op-eds have appeared in The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times and he blogs on The Huffington Post.
alane@theisraelproject.org
202-857-6671
Laura Kam, Executive Director, Global Affairs
TIP's Executive Director, Global Affairs, Laura Kam, works with top press, politicians, diplomats and think-tanks from across the globe. She and her team work in ten languages and in 53 countries. A dynamic speaker and innovator, Kam is an expert on Israel-related issues and threats facing the nation. As supervisor of TIP’s Iran, European and Hispanic projects, Laura managed the delivery of information to more than 76,000 journalists, 30,000 leaders and opinion-makers. Kam is leading TIP’s expansion into key nations of increasing importance to Israel including China, Russia and India.
Prior to joining TIP, Kam worked for the Anti-Defamation League for 17 years, including as co-director of the ADL's Israel office, and was responsible for all areas of media relations for the League's Jerusalem office. She was also responsible for organizing missions that brought key U.S. and state legislators, law enforcement officials, journalists and others to Israel.
Kam previously worked as a press officer at the Israeli Consulate in New York.
Kam has a B.A. from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, an M.A. in Social Work (Community Organization) from Yeshiva University's Wurzweiler School of Social Work and has completed all course work towards a doctorate in Social Welfare Administration from the Hunter College School of Social Work.
The Israel Project is a non-profit educational organization that provides factual information about Israel and the Middle East to the press, policy makers and the public.
laurak@theisraelproject.org
011-972-2-6236427
Julia S. Yang, Senior Accounting Manager
Julia S. Yang joined The Israel Project as senior accounting manager in December 2010. Her responsibilities include overseeing the day-to-day financial operations of the organization, ensuring compliance with internal policies and procedures, and external compliance with generally accepted accounting principles.
Prior to joining The Israel Project, Yang worked as the finance director at the Mandel Jewish Community Center of Cleveland for more than 14 years. There she played a vital role in balancing the budget, forecasting year-end financial results, and providing financial analysis to assist senior executive management to ensure the effective and efficient operation of the entire organization. She also worked as a controller for Goodwill of Greater Washington.
Yang holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Hubei University in China, where she also spent four years as an instructor in mathematical logic. Yang earned a master’s in international affairs from Ohio University. She is a certified public accountant.
juliay@theisraelproject.org
202-857-6626
Jennifer Packer, Editor in Chief
Jennifer Packer, a seasoned former journalist, joined The Israel Project in January 2005 where she has been on the front lines helping reporters in the United States and abroad get the facts they need to cover Israel. During Israel's summer 2006 defensive war with Iran-backed Hezbollah, Packer was in northern Israel as missiles fell to help journalists from around the world see the destruction and devastation caused by the attacks from southern Lebanon. Packer was also in Gaza during Israel's disengagement from that region to disseminate facts to reporters and write about Israel's painful sacrifices for peace. Packer also helped begin The Israel Project's Jerusalem office.
The Israel Project is a non-profit educational organization that provides factual information about Israel and the Middle East to the press, policy makers and the public.
In Washington, Packer heads TIP's content team, working closely with journalists to provide them sources and information about Israel. An expert on Israel, she also conducts research and writes press releases, fact sheets and other material about issues ranging from Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah and Israel's commitment to peace. Her work has been read by thousands of journalists worldwide. Packer also has organized and led dozens of press conferences and events in Washington, New York and beyond with top Israeli officials such as Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Ambassador to the United Nations Dan Gillerman. Additionally, Packer serves as The Israel Project's in-house editor and twice has run the organization's summer Media Fellowship program.
Prior to joining The Israel Project, Packer worked as a senior editor for a Washington, D.C.-area counter-terrorism think-tank. Before that, she spent more than 10 years as a reporter, the last seven as a staff writer for The Dallas Morning News. Her journalism career also includes working as a Jerusalem-based freelance reporter for a dozen major U.S. newspapers, during which time she covered various aspects of the first intifada, the Israeli Cabinet and wrote numerous features stories about life in Israel. Packer also worked for the Jerusalem bureau of United Press International.
Packer, a San Francisco-Bay Area native, holds a B.A. in English and Spanish from U.C. Berkeley and an M.S. in journalism from Columbia University. As an undergraduate, Packer worked as a freelance reporter for the Los Angeles Times in addition to serving as an editor and reporter for Berkeley's The Daily Californian. She also has written freelance articles for the San Francisco Chronicle and the San Francisco Examiner.
jenniferp@theisraelproject.org
202-207-6122
Barbara Ledeen, Senior Advisor on Iran
Barbara Ledeen is a senior advisor at The Israel Project working to support the Iran communications initiative. Ledeen works on projects at the local, state and international level regarding divestment from Iran. She also works with TIP’s researchers and Iran experts to create press materials about Iran.
The Israel Project is a non-profit educational organization that provides factual information about Israel and the Middle East to the press, policy makers and the public.
For the previous six years Ledeen was director of coalitions for the Senate Republican Conference, a Senate leadership position in which she was responsible for strategic communications and the Conference’s coordination with other Senate committees and offices. Before coming to the Senate, Mrs. Ledeen was a founder and for 10 years served as executive director of the Independent Women’s Forum, a national public policy organization. During the Reagan administration, Ledeen was director of communications for the Defense Technology Security Administration in the Department of Defense.
Ledeen is on the board of Miramed, an international non-profit organization concerned with stopping the trafficking of children and women in Russia. She is also a Red Cross volunteer at Bethesda Naval Hospital. Her articles have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Human Events and, before working in the Senate, she was the subject of a 60 Minutes segment as well as a frequent commentator on cultural issues.
Ledeen holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Beloit College.
barbaral@theisraelproject.org
Dustin Rubin, Special Assistant to the President
Dustin Rubin joined The Israel Project in February 2011 as special assistant to the president. His responsibilities range from maintaining and cultivating donor relations and researching new giving prospects to accompanying TIP’s president on fundraising trips. Rubin also works with the entire development staff to assist with events and tours and collaborates with the executive assistant to the president on scheduling and related duties.
Prior to joining The Israel Project, Rubin worked at The Institute of International Education and The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, where he focused on its Light the Night Campaign, an annual walk held to honor cancer victims and families.
Rubin is a native of Charlotte, N.C. and received a bachelor’s degree in political science from Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C. He participated in the ‘Taglit-Birthright’ trip to Israel in the summer of 2010, solidifying his interest in Israel advocacy.
dustinr@theisraelproject.org
202-857-6623
Jay Amernick, Regional Manager, West Coast
Jay Amernick joined The Israel Project in October 2010 as Regional Manager, West Coast. In his position, he is responsible for donor relations, fundraising tours and public events for TIP.
Prior to joining TIP, Amernick worked with Israeli tech companies to help them relocate to Nevada. Before that he was Nevada State Director for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), where his duties included community relations, fundraising and lobbying Congress members on legislation ranging from foreign aid and Iran sanctions to support for Israel during the peace process. He also played a key role in lobbying to require the Nevada State Pension Board to report on investments in Iran’s energy sector. Prior to that Amernick was a writer in Hollywood.
Born in Baltimore and raised in Washington, D.C., Amernick graduated from High Point College (now High Point University) with a bachelor’s degree in theater arts.
jaya@theisraelproject.org
202-603-7544
Brandon Gray, Senior Associate for Web Advocacy and Outreach
Brandon Gray joined The Israel Project's team in July 2007 as a Development Associate. In February 2008 Brandon transitioned to his current position. His primary responsibilities include the creation and maintenance of TIP's multimedia webpages.
The Israel Project is a non-profit educational organization that provides factual information about Israel and the Middle East to the press, policy makers and the public.
Prior to joining The Israel Project, Gray worked for the sales and marketing department of iComply Incorporated, a division of Washington-based Lotstein Buckman, LLP, a mortgage banking law firm. Gray also spent two years with Kraft Foods in Richmond, Va., representing the company at almost 40 retail stores in Virginia and North Carolina, where he worked as part of a team that won awards for highest market share growth.
Gray graduated from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 2003 with a B.S. in consumer science; he minored in business administration. As an undergraduate, Gray was a delegate to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee campaign training institute in Washington, D.C. and was active in the University of Tennessee's Jewish student center. Gray has been to Israel numerous times and spent a summer there studying Hebrew and Israeli culture.
brandong@theisraelproject.org
202-857-6627
Dinah Goldberg, Web Advocacy Specialist
Dinah R. Goldberg joined the Israel Project as Web Advocacy Specialist in October 2009. Her responsibilities include assisting with the creation and maintenance of Web pages, generating e-mail newsletters, developing TIP’s social networking and new media through Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, and tracking how activists and reporters use TIP’s Web site and other online media.
Before coming to The Israel Project, Goldberg traveled extensively throughout Israel and completed a 5-week leadership training course. She also spent a year in Boston working in a number of positions at Harvard University, most notably at Harvard College’s Office for the Arts. Goldberg is originally from Burlington, Vt. where she worked as Web manager for a jewelry and imports store and as a paralegal.
Goldberg graduated in 2005 from Bard College in upstate New York with a degree in philosophy and theology.
dinahg@theisraelproject.org
202-857-6578
Alisa Rank, Internet, Graphics and Social Media Assistant
Alisa Beth Rank has been The Israel Project’s Internet Graphics and Social Media Assistant since February 2011. She joined The Israel Project part-time in November 2010 as a communications intern. Her responsibilities include designing creative graphics for the Web site, maintaining Web site database and content, assisting at TIP events and helping to coordinate press events.
Rank has a strong connection to the land, people, religious tradition and historical heritage of Israel. During her travels in Israel, she participated in a six-week leadership tour.
Before coming to The Israel Project, Rank worked for an interior design firm and event photographer. A Connecticut native, she graduated from the University of Maryland in 2009 with a B.A. in studio art.
alisar@theisraelproject.org
202-857-6764
Lauren Appelbaum, Director of U.S. Communications
As TIP's Director of U.S. Communications, Lauren Appelbaum works closely with influential journalists to provide them sources and information about Israel so they have the facts they need to get the story right.
The Israel Project is a nonprofit educational organization that provides factual information about Israel and the Middle East to the press, policy makers and the public.
Appelbaum is responsible for organizing events, media tours and conference calls for journalists, responding to press inquiries and arranging briefings on Capitol Hill. She has planned numerous press tours and events in Washington, D.C., New York and beyond with a variety of senior Israeli officials including Ofir Gendelman, the Israeli prime minister’s spokesman to the Arab world; former Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gabriela Shalev; former Israeli Minister of Minority Affairs Avishay Braverman; and Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat. For the second time, Appelbaum is coordinating TIP’s summer Media Fellowship program, an internship for undergraduates and recent graduates in journalism and strategic communications. Appelbaum was previously TIP's media and special projects coordinator.
Prior to joining The Israel Project, Appelbaum worked for NBC News’ political unit. She covered the 2006 midterm and 2008 presidential elections, assisting correspondents and producers for NBC Nightly News, the Today Show, MSNBC and CNBC. Appelbaum worked closely with NBC’s political and foreign policy correspondents in the Washington, D.C., bureau and across the world. She regularly wrote articles and analyses for MSNBC’s political blog, First Read.
Appelbaum, a Philadelphia-area native, earned her master’s degree from Syracuse University in broadcast journalism. She graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in urban studies/political science and from List College of the Jewish Theological Seminary with a B.A. in Midrash. As an undergraduate, Appelbaum interned and freelanced for The Forward in addition to serving as publisher and production editor for Columbia University’s The Columbia Daily Spectator.
laurena@theisraelproject.org
202-857-6617
Lindsey Singer, Media/Communications Associate
Lindsey Singer has been The Israel Project’s Media/Communicate Associate since May 2010. She joined The Israel Project part-time in January 2010 as a Communications Assistant. In her current position, Singer assists in coordinating on- and off-site events and tours for journalists and leaders, as well as projects for TIP’s summer Media Fellowship.
Singer grew up in Colorado and graduated Quinnipiac University cum laude in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in public relations and marketing. In 2008 she was a White House Intern; more recently, she served as an intern at Susan Davis International, a D.C. public relations firm.
Since working for TIP, Singer has coordinated more than 50 meetings in Washington with leaders, including congressmen and Washington- and New York- based ambassadors. She also helped organize press events with Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, Israeli Minister of Minority Affairs Avishay Braverman and former Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Gabriela Shalev. On Capitol Hill, Singer assisted in planning a press tour with the head of Palestinian Media Watch, who educated members of Congress about the culture of hate.
lindseys@theisraelproject.org
202-857-2766
Ari Bildner, Writer/ Media Communications Associate
Ari Spungen Bildner joined The Israel Project's DC office in January 2011 as a writer/media communications associate. In this capacity, he produces press releases, website content, edits the bi-weekly TIP email newsletter, and assists with other web advocacy/social media efforts.
Before coming to The Israel Project, Bildner was a research intern at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, working for noted Middle East analyst David Makovsky. Prior to that, he was a reporter for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in New York, covering political stories relevant to American Jewish life. Bildner also lived in Israel for six months learning Hebrew and interning at the social advocacy group Yedid.
Bildner, a New Jersey native, graduated from Yale University in 2009 with a B.A. in History, specializing in American Jewish history. As an undergraduate, he served as editor-in-chief of the Yale Israel Journal and as a beat reporter for the Yale Daily News.
arib@theisraelproject.org
202-857-6619
Nathan Klein, Director of Research and Messaging
As Director of Research and Messaging, Nathan Klein is responsible for overseeing and managing The Israel Project’s public opinion research worldwide. To that end, Klein works with TIP’s longtime and renowned pollsters - Neil Newhouse, Stanley Greenberg and Frank Luntz.
In addition to gathering data on opinions toward Israel and the Middle East, Klein also is responsible for developing data-driven messages to inform TIP’s ongoing mission of educating journalists and leaders around the world.
The Israel Project is a non-profit educational organization that provides factual information about Israel and the Middle East to the press, policy makers and the public.
Before joining The Israel Project, Klein worked as a project director for a leading political and public affairs research firm, Public Opinion Strategies. During the 2010 election cycle, Klein worked on successful campaigns at every level of government. During his three years at Public Opinion Strategies, Klein worked on hundreds of qualitative and quantitative research projects throughout the United States and abroad; The Israel Project was one of his clients.
Prior to working at Public Opinion Strategies, Nathan spent four years living in Israel and served with the Israel Defense Force’s Golani Infantry Brigade. Upon returning to the United States, he attended Harvard University and the University of Maryland.
nathank@theisraelproject.org
202-857-6653
Penina Kustanowitz, Grant Writer
Penina brings to TIP 13 years’ experience in grant writing and foundation relations. Prior to joining TIP, Penina worked as a fundraising consultant specializing in grant writing, foundation relations training, and organizational capacity building, helping non-profits improve their infrastructure and programs to qualify for foundation funding. She has also worked as a development consultant in Israel where she developed and edited grant proposals and conducted grant writing workshops for non-profits and government offices. As a grant writer for Israel’s premier social, civil, and human rights organization, Penina wrote two awarded proposals (worth a combined two million Euro) in support of social justice projects serving minority populations in Israel. Since 2003 she has worked in fundraising, development, and marketing roles for DC-based organizations including Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life and the Association for Conflict Resolution. Penina holds an M.A in international conflict resolution from Hebrew University in Jerusalem, a B.A in political science and mass communications from Bar Ilan University in Ramat Gan, and a professional diploma in journalism and communications from Bar-Ilan’s School of Journalism and Communications. Penina is fluent in English and Hebrew.
peninak@theisraelproject.org
202-857-6557
Hannah Elkin, Development Events and Logistics Specialist
Hannah Elkin joined The Israel Project in February 2011 as the development team’s events and logistics specialist. As such, Elkin organizes and coordinates TIP’s East Coast fundraising events in addition to researching donor prospects and providing general support to the development department.
Prior to joining The Israel Project, Elkin worked as a development assistant for Institutional Partnerships at the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation. Elkin also has worked in special events and development for The Perlman Music Program and Columbia/Barnard Hillel.
Hannah holds bachelor of arts degrees in history from Columbia University and in modern Jewish studies from the Jewish Theological Seminary.
hannahe@theisraelproject.org
202-857-6624
Abby J. Vidikan, Development Events and Logistics Assistant
Abby J. Vidikan joined The Israel Project as Development Events and Logistics Assistant in August 2010. Vidikan assists in the planning and organizing of TIP fundraising events and programs while providing support for the Development Department’s donor relations and marketing needs.
Vidikan made aliyah in 1997 with her family and lived in Israel for five years before returning to the United States to attend the University of Southern California, where she served as president of USC Students for Israel, the only pro-Israel student organization on campus. She participated in student programs to Israel for special Israel advocacy training.
Prior to joining The Israel Project, Abby worked for two years as an assistant to a Los Angeles event planner in the nonprofit arena, planning and executing many successful events, until moving to the Washington, D.C. area with her husband, Daniel.
Vidikan graduated from the University of Southern California in 2008 with a degree in political science.
abigailv@theisraelproject.org
202-857-6638
Allison Dreyer, Donor Database Coordinator
Allison Dreyer joined The Israel Project in October 2009 as an Operations Support Specialist. In September 2010, she became the Donor Database Coordinator. Her primary responsibilities include maintaining the donor database and running donor reports.
Before coming to The Israel Project, Allison worked on political campaigns and had a year-long internship at CompTia, a technology trade association.
Allison grew up in Atlanta, GA where she attended the New Atlanta Jewish Community High School where she first became interested Israel advocacy. She graduated from The University of Arizona in 2006 with a BA in political science with minors in media art and criminal justice. Dreyer received a master’s degree in political management from the Graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University.
allisond@theisraelproject.org
202-857-6605
Andrew Gryll, Donor Database Specialist
Andrew Gryll, The Israel Project’s Donor Database Specialist, joined the organization in September 2010. Gryll organizes and maintains TIP’s extensive database of contributors.
Gryll graduated from Emory University with a bachelor’s degree in Judaic studies and math/economics. He also earned a master’s in business administration from the University of Baltimore and a master’s in Jewish communal service from the Baltimore Hebrew Institute at Towson University, formerly Baltimore Hebrew University. His passion for Israel comes from two years of study in Jerusalem at the David Shapell College of Jewish Studies. He also has traveled to Israel as a participant in youth programs.
andrewg@theisraelproject.org
202-857-6602
Carla A. Hashley, Development Logistics Specialist
Carla A. Hashley is the development logistics specialist for The Israel Project. She provides administrative support for the development department, researching donor prospects and assisting in other projects and events.
Hashley began working for The Israel Project in August 2010 in Operations Support before moving to her current position in February 2011. Prior to joining The Israel Project, Hashley was a full-time student at Gonzaga University in Washington State, where she completed a master’s degree in organizational leadership. While there, she worked as a graduate research assistant for faculty and staff in the School of Professional Studies.
In November 2009, Hashley received a research grant from the Gonzaga Institute for Hate Studies for her thesis work on Holocaust education. Hashley earned a bachelor’s degree in public history at Western Michigan University, where she was involved in a variety of student activities and spent a summer as an intern at the Smithsonian Institution.
carlah@theisraelproject.org
202-857-2762
Melissa Weiss, Operations Support Specialist
Melissa Weiss is The Israel Project’s Operations Support Specialist. She assists in behind-the-scenes efforts at TIP to ensure that meetings, events and the office’s day-to-day operations run smoothly.
A native of upstate New York, Weiss received a bachelor’s degree in print journalism with a minor in history from the University of Maryland. As an undergraduate, she interned at USA Today, The Baltimore Sun and on Capitol Hill. She also worked as a reporter and copy editor at The Diamondback, Maryland’s campus newspaper.
After her first trip to Israel in 2005 on Taglit-Birthright Israel, Weiss later returned as an Avi Chai Foundation fellow and then as a student at Neve Yerushalayim with the Meor Israel Experience.
After earning her undergraduate degree, she traveled extensively through Asia, Europe and Central America, including a year-long stint teaching English in Seoul, South Korea.
melissaw@theisraelproject.org
202-857-6644
Jennifer Jackson, General Accountant
Jennifer Jackson joined The Israel Project in December 2009 as the general accountant in TIP’s division of Operations and Finance. Jackson’s responsibilities include accounts payable, accounts receivable and tracking and drafting the organization’s monthly financial statements.
Jackson is a native of Prince Georges’ County and has worked in the accounting field for more than five years, including as a contractor for the Department of Justice and the Department of Labor. She is currently enrolled in the University of Maryland University College where she is earning bachelor’s degrees in marketing and accounting. Jackson currently holds an associate’s degree in accounting from Prince Georges’ Community College.
Jjackson1@theisraelproject.org
202-857-6614
David Z. Harris, Director of Research and Content, TIP Israel
A highly experienced multimedia journalist, David Z. Harris has reported from countries around the Middle East and North Africa. He was under live fire in front of the cameras on the opening day of Israel’s 2006 defensive war on the Israeli-Lebanese front. Harris was reporting for radio as the opening shots were fired in the second Palestinian uprising, and in Ashkelon and Sderot as the rockets rained in.
The Israel Project is a non-profit educational organization that provides factual information about Israel and the Middle East to the press, policy makers and the public.
Harris broke the Assicurazioni Generali story that led to Israelis and Jews around the world receiving millions of dollars in Holocaust compensation and opened the floodgates to major claims against other European insurance companies.
His interviewees include Shimon Peres, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ariel Sharon, Ehud Barak, Tony Blair, several foreign ministers of countries in the Middle and Far East, decision-makers and thinkers from the worlds of politics, economics, arts, sciences and sports.
Harris began his journalistic career in his native United Kingdom with the BBC. An experienced radio broadcaster, Harris was brought into the BBC’s training unit to teach his peers best practices.
At The Jerusalem Post he took on the macroeconomics and political beats before becoming the founding editor of Jerusalem Post Radio and news editor of the Post’s Web site, taking it from five million to 21 million page views a month.
In the wake of 9/11 Harris was appointed the first Jerusalem bureau chief of The Media Line and subsequently became TML’s news director, managing a team of reporters across the Middle East and North Africa.
Before joining TIP, Harris was the regional analyst for the Chinese news agency Xinhua. Harris also has worked for the Reuters news agency and Germany’s Deutsche Welle.
A graduate of the University of Manchester’s Department of Middle Eastern Studies, he is a sought-after lecturer and makes frequent appearances in the electronic and written media as a guest analyst. Harris also has chaired numerous international conferences in the Gulf and Israel.
davidh@theisraelproject.org
011-972-2-6239-104
Rachel Ranel, Director, Operations and Finance, TIP Israel
Rachel Ranel has been working for The Israel Project since its Jerusalem office opened in 2005, when she began as General Administrative and Logistics Manager. Ranel’s role has grown as TIP’s Jerusalem office has expanded.
As Operations and Finance Manager, Ranel reports to the Executive Director of TIP Israel and is in charge of financial budgeting, recordkeeping and reporting. She also continues to work closely with the Communications Director in coordinating logistics for TIP’s “Intellicopter” tours and press briefings for foreign journalists based in Israel.
Ranel came to The Israel Project from The Jerusalem Post, where she served as an advertising coordinator, overseeing advertising revenues and production, among other responsibilities.
Ranel graduated with a B.A. in international relations and English literature from Hebrew University. She is fluent in Hebrew and English.
rachelr@theisraelproject.org
011-972-2-6239-101
Eli Ovits, Director of Communications, TIP Israel
As Director of Communications for The Israel Project’s Jerusalem office, Eli Ovits leads the organization’s daily outreach to the foreign press, developing relationships with journalists based in Israel and those visiting the region. His work also includes sharing facts, organizing media tours and briefings and providing informational interviews to the foreign press.
The Israel Project is a non-profit educational organization that provides factual information about Israel and the Middle East to the press, policy makers and the public.
In addition to serving as a guide for TIP’s flagship ‘Intellicopter’ tour, Ovits works to constantly raise TIP’s profile among the press, government leaders and the public.
Ovits provides on-site information to correspondents during crises and worked across the Gaza-border region with press throughout the 2008-2009 war on Iran-backed Hamas. He has worked with UN journalists in Cairo during President Obama’s speech to the Arab world and in Sharm el-Sheikh during Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Ovits also managed TIP’s Sderot office and Arabic Media Program.
Ovits currently oversees TIP’s new Educating Leaders Initiative which works closely with the diplomatic corps and other leaders based in Israel, offering them exclusive briefings and educational tours.
Ovits’ career in public affairs began at the Embassy of Israel in London and as a Youth Director for the Jewish National Fund. In 2000, he was appointed National Director of Bnei Akiva youth movement and in 2001 he became Executive Director of the Mizrachi Federation of Great Britain and Ireland.
After moving to Israel from England, Ovits worked for Investec Private Banking and worked for the BBC Middle East Bureau during the 2006 general election campaign.
Ovits came to TIP from the Joint Distribution Committee. Drafted into the Israel Defense Forces Spokespersons Unit in 2003, Ovits managed relations with the British and Australian media. He is a captain (res) in the reserves and served as a spokesman during Israel’s disengagement from Gaza and Israel’s defensive war against Hezbollah.
Ovits has a master’s degree in international relations from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he specialized in diplomacy and national security. He is also a graduate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Israel Advocacy Program.
elio@theisraelproject.org
011-972-2-6239-103
Stephane Cohen, Educating Leaders Communications Associate, TIP Israel
Stephane Cohen is a member of TIP’s communication team in Jerusalem, where he is responsible for developing the organization’s educational program of tours, events and briefings for diplomats and Israeli leaders.
Cohen came to TIP after several years in the Israel Defense Forces Liaison Unit where he served as commanding officer of the Liaison Unit with UN Missions on the Lebanese and Syrian borders, ultimately receiving the rank of major. He served on the Lebanese border during Israel’s 2006 defensive war with Hezbollah, also known as the Second Lebanon War, liaising between U.N. and IDF Forces. He also helped build the new coordination and liaison system with UNIFIL as part of the U.N. Security Council Resolution that ended the war.
Cohen was also a captain in the Israeli Air Force where he provided support to ground and air units. During his service, he participated in many exercises with foreign forces. In 1999, he received the President’s Award for Best Soldier in the IDF from then-President Ezer Weizman, an honor bestowed on 120 soldiers annually.
Born in France, Cohen moved to Israel in 1995, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in social and human sciences at with an emphasis on international relations at the Open University of Israel, graduating with honors. From 2009-11 he arranged and guided educational tours for JPU-UNDP (Interpeace) Israel.
Cohen is also an active member of the Astronomical Association of Israel, for which he continues to write articles focusing on the history of astronomy. He is fluent in French, Hebrew and English.
stephanec@theisraelproject.org
011-972-2-6239-119
Arik Agassi, Communications Specialist - Tours and Events, TIP Israel
Arik Agassi is a member of The Israel Project’s communications team in Jerusalem where he assists in planning and developing educational tours and events for journalists and leaders.
Prior to working for TIP, Agassi interned for Member of Knesset (Parliament) Einat Wilf and was a supervisor of the student customer service team at I.B.M. Israel.
Agassi has volunteered for various organizations that advocate for Israel such as "Stand With Us," the Jewish Agency for Israel, Friends Of The IDF and Tzemach.
Agassi completed his studies in government, diplomacy and strategy at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) in Herzilya where he was enrolled in the “Argov Fellowship Honors Program” for leadership and diplomacy. He is fluent in Hebrew and English.
arika@theisraelproject.org
011-972-2-6239-116
Dor Kaidar, Communications Associate, TIP Israel
Dor Kaidar is a communications associate in The Israel Project’s Israel Office. In this capacity he works closely with senior foreign journalists, in particular U.S. outlets based in or visiting Israel. Kaidar helps offer a variety of educational tours and briefings as well as access to expert sources.
Kaidar developed an extensive knowledge of media in Israel through his work in radio, Internet and TV news. Prior to joining TIP in August 2011, Kaidar worked at the Associated Press office in Jerusalem as a producer in the TV department.
Kaidar began working in the media at Israel Army Radio, Galei Zahal as a news producer. He was later promoted to chief producer, responsible for reporters and producers of the radio's news department. Kaidar was also one of the founders and editors of the radio's weekly foreign news broadcast and later became an anchor. In 2006, while continuing to host shows for Galei Zahal, Kaidar also worked at the Israeli news Web site Walla where he was chief editor of the news desk.
In recent years Kaidar specialized in conflict resolution and coexistence. He served as the Israeli program director for Seeds of Peace. As a trained mediator and facilitator of dialogue groups, Kaidar has participated in extensive training courses in Israel, the UK and the U.S.
He holds a bachelor's degree in history and international relations from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and is fluent in Hebrew and English.
dorka@theisraelproject.org
011-972-2-6239-109
Leah Soibel, Director, Spanish Media Program, Global Affairs
At The Israel Project, Soibel is responsible for helping the U.S. Hispanic/Latino and Spanish language media worldwide get the facts they need to report on Israel and regional issues. She has worked closely with hundreds of Spanish language reporters and world leaders over the years, providing them with exclusive materials in Spanish and facilitating tours, interviews, and media events with experts and officials about the region.
The Israel Project is a non-profit educational organization that provides factual information about Israel and the Middle East to the press, policy makers and the public.
Soibel is a meticulous researcher with expert knowledge of Israel’s security needs and peace efforts, international terrorism and Iran-backed activities in Latin America and the Middle East. She regularly appears in the Spanish language media and often briefs journalists and opinion leaders in Spanish and English on the latest Mideast developments.
A five-year veteran of The Israel Project, Soibel was previously TIP's senior advisor for research and communication in Jerusalem. Her work was published regularly in TIP’s press releases, backgrounders and fact sheets read by thousands of journalists worldwide. She put her life at risk several times to get journalists the facts, working on the front lines during Israel’s defensive wars in 2006 against Hezbollah and in 2008 against Hamas in Gaza. At times when southern Israel was under daily siege by Hamas rockets, she worked out of bomb shelters on the Gaza border to send out press releases.
Soibel is a National Security Education Program Fellow and has traveled throughout the Arab world. She studied at the American University in Cairo's Arabic Language Institute. She earned a B.A. in Middle Eastern history and Judaic studies from Dickinson College and an M.A. from George Washington University in security policy studies, focusing on the Middle East. She has completed her coursework towards a Ph.D. in political science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, focusing on international public diplomacy campaigns.
Soibel is fluent in English, Spanish, Hebrew and Arabic, and reads Farsi and Portuguese.
leahs@theisraelproject.org
011-972-2-6239-127
Eitan Livne, Director of Iran Research and Content, Glob
al Affairs
As Director of Iran Research and Content at The Israel Project, Eitan Livne conducts research and writes press releases and backgrounders on issues concerning Iran and its global impact. His work is distributed thousands of journalists, experts and officials worldwide.
Prior to joining TIP's Jerusalem office in February 2011, Livne headed the Political Analysis and Media Department in an intelligence and research firm specializing in the Arab and Muslim world. Before that, Livne was the Middle East correspondent and commentator for the daily newspaper Israel Hayom (Israel Today) and worked at two of Israel’s leading TV news networks in positions related to Arab affairs.
Livne received a Bachelor’s degree, Summa Cum Laude, in Semitic Linguistics and Ancient Near-Eastern Studies from Tel Aviv University, and studied for a Master's degree in Arabic Language and Literature at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Leiden University, The Netherlands.
He is fluent in English, Arabic and Hebrew, and reads Dutch and Amharic.
eitanl@theisraelproject.org
011-972-2-6239-132
Shimrit Meir, Director, Arabic Media Program, TIP Israel
As Director of The Israel Project’s Arabic Media Program, Shimrit Meir is responsible for getting facts and sources to thousands of Arabic language journalists in the Middle East and around the world. Meir develops factual press materials geared to the needs and interests of Arab audiences so there can be more balanced coverage of Israel in the Arab media. She has worked on press events with top Israeli leaders and is an expert on Israel’s coexistence programs.
The Israel Project is a non-profit educational organization that provides factual information about Israel and the Middle East to the press, policy makers and the public.
Meir draws upon more than 12 years of experience researching and covering the Arab world, mostly as a journalist, to facilitate the flow of information between TIP and the Arab media. Prior to joining TIP, Meir was the Arab affairs correspondent and commentator for Galei Zahal, Israel’s popular army radio station. Previously, Meir worked for both Israeli public television (Israel Broadcast Authority) and for Channel 2 News, the country’s largest commercial channel.
Meir is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in international relations from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She is fluent in Arabic, Hebrew, English and French.
shimritm@theisraelproject.org
011-972-2-6239-105
Christoph Heil, Director, European Affairs, Global Affairs
As Director, European Affairs at The Israel Project, Christoph Heil organizes and hosts media tours and press events aimed at European journalists in Berlin, Vienna, Paris, London and Brussels. A native of Germany, Heil writes and translates press releases and fact sheets on issues such as Iran and terrorism, which are distributed to thousands of journalists, experts and officials throughout Europe. Heil works out of TIP’s Jerusalem office, where he also conducts research on European foreign policy, develops and maintains contacts with European journalists who cover Middle East issues and helps identify experts on Iran and terrorism in Europe.
The Israel Project is a non-profit educational organization that provides factual information about Israel and the Middle East to the press, policy makers and the public.
Prior to joining TIP, Heil worked for five years as a public affairs associate at the Embassy of Israel in Germany. He earned his undergraduate degree in Protestant theology at Humboldt University of Berlin and a master’s degree in theology at Heidelberg University. He also completed internships at the United Nations Development Programme Baghdad; the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator in the Occupied Territories, Gaza; and the Centre for Applied Policy Research in Munich. He is fluent in German, English and Hebrew and reads and writes French.
christophh@theisraelproject.org
011-972-2-6239-128
Alex Pevzner, China Program Director, Global Affairs
As director of The Israel Project’s China Program, Alex Pevzner is responsible for establishing working relations with Chinese-speaking journalists and leaders. That includes developing materials and implementing programs to provide them with information about issues that impact Israel’s security and future.
Before joining TIP’s Jerusalem office in January 2011, Pevzner spent nine years in Asia where he worked for more than five years as a staff reporter for Dow Jones Newswires’ Taipei Bureau. He covered the economy, financial markets and China-Taiwan relations for Dow Jones and articles that appeared in the Wall Street Journal. Before that, he freelanced at the American Chamber of Commerce Taipei’s monthly journal, Taiwan Business Topics.
Pevzner also worked as a research assistant at the Shalem Center in Jerusalem where he helped Ambassador Michael Oren prepare his book on Israel’s Six-Day War.
Pevzner earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations and East Asian studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He also studied modern Chinese at Tsinghua University in Beijing and classical Chinese at National Taiwan Normal University. He is fluent in Russian, Hebrew, English and Mandarin Chinese and is proficient in Japanese and Taiwanese.
alexp@theisraelproject.org
011-972-2-6239-130
Mark Sloman, India Program Director, Global Affairs
As director of The Israel Project’s India Program, Mark Sloman strengthens relations with Indian journalists, business leaders and decision-makers. He is responsible for developing programs and materials that highlight issues and opportunities of mutual interest and benefit.
Sloman has more than 20 years of international public affairs experience. After serving as a consultant to the U.S. Departments of State and Defense on a variety of issues including humanitarian assistance to the Former Soviet Union and U.S. policy in the Balkans and Iraq, he established a strategic communications and business development consultancy servicing U.S. and European corporations interested in opportunities in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. In the years immediately prior to joining The Israel Project, he spent considerable time in India identifying prospects and successfully negotiating strategic partnerships on behalf of U.S., European and Middle East clientele in a variety of industry sectors, including telecommunications and homeland security.
Sloman earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and Soviet studies from Wittenberg University. He received a master’s degree in international relations, with a focus on low-intensity conflict, from The American University in Washington, D.C.
marks@theisraelproject.org
011-972-54-807-1784
Andrey Kozhinov, Director, Russian Outreach Program, Global Affairs
As Director for TIP’s Russian Outreach Program, Kozhinov is responsible for establishing working relationships with the Russian-speaking media and opinion and policy makers in Russia. The Russian Affairs program provides information about Israel on issues including Israel-Russia ties; technological innovations and Israel’s regional security challenges.
Prior joining TIP in March 2011, Kozhinov worked for more than six years as a military and security affairs correspondent and analyst for the Israeli Russian speaking TV channel. He covered numerous military operations, wars and terror attacks as well as security affiliated industry and general strategic issues.. Before becoming a journalist, Kozhinov served as a Head of IDF Spokesperson Unit Russian Speaking desk, providing journalists with timely information about IDF activities.
Kozhinov has earned his Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications and International Relations from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and also received his Master of Art degree for Conflict Management, Research and Resolution from The Swiss Center for Conflict Management in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is fluent in Russian, English and Hebrew.
andreyk@theisraelproject.org
011-972-2-6239-131
Julie Hazan, European Affairs Associate, Global Affairs
As TIP’s European Affairs associate, Julie Hazan carries out extensive research focusing on European media coverage of Israel and the Middle East. Through her research, Hazan helps develop TIP’s communication strategy for Europe, and maintains TIP’s database of European experts and journalists on Israel and Iran.
A native of France, Hazan is familiar with the politics, organizations and activities of the European Union. Using her experience with outreach, public relations and partnership building, Hazan helps develop and implement TIP's media tours and press events in Europe. She also edits in French and circulates press releases and fact sheets read by thousands of journalists, experts and officials worldwide.
Julie Hazan started working with TIP in 2007 as a Media Fellow in Washington, DC,and continued there for three years, gaining professional experience within the Israel advocacy community and establishing meaningful relationships with notable European journalists and experts. In 2010, she moved to Israel and continued in TIP’s Jerusalem office as the European Affairs Associate.
Hazan studied law and strategic communications at the University of Marseille. Hazan received a MA in public management with a focus in European and international public affairs at the University of Aix en Provence.
She is fluent in French and English and is currently learning Hebrew.
julieh@theisraelproject.org
011-972-2-6239-129
Ronit Shebson, Senior Communications Associate, TIP Israel
As senior communications associate, Ronit Shebson is an intrinsic part of TIP’s communications operation in Israel. With her U.S. media portfolio, Shebson works closely with TIP’s director of communications and members of the communications team, helping implement a strategic communications program designed to support the 470-plusforeign correspondents based in Israel and the hundreds of journalists visiting the region annually.
Shebson has taken a lead on key communications campaigns including coordinating TIP’s programming on the Goldstone Report and Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the Holy Land. Shebson runs TIP’s new Educating Leaders program, reaching out to diplomats and officials offering a series of tailor-made educational tours and briefings focused on key issues.
Shebson previously worked in corporate and political PR. During her time at a top London PR agency she worked on client accounts including The Princes’ Trust and The London Parade before moving on to head up an analysis project in the press office of the UK Conservative Party. In 2000 she took on the position of head of PR for Anglo-Jewry’s leading child and family services charity where she devised and implemented an integrated PR strategy and advised the chairman and board on corporate communications and crisis management. When Shebson moved to Israel in 2006, she ran the Israel office of a UK-based consultancy, specializing in the nonprofit sector. She joined TIP in May 2009.
Shebson has a degree in marketing communications from London University. She holds dual British and Israeli citizenship and speaks English and Hebrew.
ronits@theisraelproject.org
011-972-2-6239-107
Sharon Segel, Communications Associate, TIP Israel
Sharon Segel joined The Israel Project with an extensive background in media relations spanning more than a decade. As communications associate in TIP’s Jerusalem office, she is responsible for developing relationships with key journalists from global outlets, pitching news stories, inviting reporters to TIP’s press events and promoting TIP’s educational tours.
Prior to working at TIP, Segel worked for Hadassah’s public relations division; the Women’s Zionist Organization of America; and the British Jewish community, where she was a media and communications specialist at the 2009 Durban Review Conference in Geneva.
Before immigrating to Israel in 2006, Segel spent six years in the UK political arena, working for two members of Parliament and the Parliamentary Committee Against Anti-Semitism, where she helped set up The All-Party Inquiry into Anti-Semitism in the UK in 2005. She also worked closely with MPs and their staffers to raise awareness of issues facing the UK’s Jewish community.
Segel holds a bachelor’s degree in history and politics and a master’s degree in American politics from the University of London. As a student, Segel wrote for her university newspaper and was active in student politics. As president of the Jewish Society and the anti-racism officer for the University of London Union, she campaigned for Jewish students’ rights on local and national levels and drafted and introduced anti-racism motions.
Segel is a graduate of the British Jewish community’s Adam Science Foundation Leadership Program, the UK’s ZF European Young Leadership Program and a past fellow of the Legacy Heritage Fellowship Program, which cultivates young Jewish leaders worldwide.
sharons@theisraelproject.org
011-972-2-6239-106
Michal Shmulovich, Research and Content Associate, TIP Israel
Michal Shmulovich joined TIP’s Jerusalem office in October 2010 as a research and content associate. In that capacity, Shmulovich conducts research and writes press releases, backgrounders and material for press kits and newsletters distributed to journalists and political leaders worldwide. Her primary research areas are Israel and the Middle East, terrorism, security, Hezbollah, Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
Shmulovich graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Rutgers University. She later received a master’s degree in modern Middle Eastern history from Tel Aviv University and wrote her master's thesis on political shifts in the Persian Gulf during the 1980s. In the interim, she worked as communications director for a New Jersey state senator and as a mutual funds specialist at Citigroup. Shmulovich also interned for the U.N.’s High Commissioner for Refugees in Tel Aviv, where she worked with refugees from Darfur. Most recently, Shmulovich was deputy director of Russian outreach for New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s reelection campaign in New York and staff assistant to Sen. Robert Menendez.
Shmulovich has traveled throughout the Middle East and south Asia. She is fluent in English, Russian and Hebrew and proficient in Arabic, Spanish and Italian.
michals@theisraelproject.org
011-972-2-6239-111
Shai Oseran, Communications Associate - Tours and Events, TIP Israel
Shai Oseran is a member of TIP's communications team in Jerusalem, where he is responsible for developing and coordinating educational tours and events for leaders and journalists.
Oseran serves as a guide on TIP's flagship Intellicopter program, which educates journalists from aboard a helicopter to show Israel's ongoing need for defensible borders. In addition, Oseran coordinates TIP’s ground ‘Intelltours,’ which include educational excursions in Jerusalem, the southern Israeli city of Sderot, Israel’s northern border and other areas depending on need and the news cycle. Oseran also works in the field seeking experts for journalists to interview.
For several years, Oseran worked for Archaeological Seminars, where he was a tour guide for families and youth groups visiting Israel from across the globe. He also participated in an Israeli-Arab coexistence program, which included conflict resolution seminars and meetings with U.S. Congress members in Washington, D.C.
Oseran holds a bachelor's degree in international relations and business management from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is fluent in Hebrew and English and proficient in Arabic.
shaio@theisraelproject.org
011-972-2-6239-108
Nir Ben-Tzur, Social Media Specialist, TIP Israel
As an associate on the Arabic team in The Israel Project's Jerusalem office, Nir Ben-Tzur assists in organizing press conferences, briefings, tours and other events specifically designed for the Arabic media. Ben-Tzur also researches the Arabic press and distributes information about Israel in Arabic using a variety of social media tools.
Ben-Tzur built and maintains a blog, Facebook group and Twitter account in Arabic for The Israel Project.
Ben-Tzur, an Israeli, is fluent in Hebrew, English and Arabic and is currently learning Chinese.
nirb@theisraelproject.org
011-972-2-6239-113
Maayan Avihar, Office Assistant, TIP Israel
Maayan Avihar works as the office assistant for TIP’s Jerusalem office. She provides support to staff as well as running the office’s daily and financial operations. Avihar also serves as personal assistant to TIP-Israel Executive Director Marcus Sheff.
Avihar organizes and manages TIP pollsters’ visits to Israel, when they present their data to top-level Israeli officials.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and biology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and is fluent in Hebrew and English and proficient in Spanish and French.
maayana@theisraelproject.org
011-972-2-6239-115
Valdo Borodov, Multimedia and Web Associate, TIP Israel
As TIP’s Jerusalem Multimedia and Web Associate, Valdo works to strengthen Israel’s image online in English and in Russian.
Brought up in Azerbaijan, he made aliyah to Israel in 2003. Valdo has worked for a number of companies over the last six years as a Web master. Also, he worked for the Jewish Agency in Israel and as a foreign emissary to Russia. Prior to joining TIP, Valdo was working as a Web master at the internationally renown high-tech company Delta Three.
Valdo has a BA in philosophy from the University of Azerbaijan. He is fluent in English, Hebrew and Russian.
valdob@theisraelproject.org
011-972-2-6239-110
Shiri Shapira, Development Coordinator, TIP Israel
As development coordinator for The Israel Project’s Jerusalem office, Shiri Shapira is responsible for all of TIP’s fundraising activities in Israel.
Shapira previously worked for TIP as project and development coordinator before leaving for two years to pursue a master’s degree in organizational studies at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She also holds a B.A. in human resources from Ben-Gurion University.
While studying for her master’s degree, Shapira was an intern at Intel’s Human Resources Department on its academic relations and sourcing team. Shapira, a native of Israel, served in the Israel Defense Forces as an education officer, attaining the rank of first lieutenant.
She is fluent in Hebrew and English.
shiris@theisraelproject.org
Mark B. Toubin, National Leadership Consultant
As The Israel Project’s National Leadership Consultant, Mark B. Toubin works with TIP staff to develop strategically the organization throughout the fifty states. With a background in politics, law, communications, Israeli affairs and non-profit organizations, Mark is uniquely suited to promote TIP’s mission of securing Israel and the Jewish People.
The Israel Project is a non-profit educational organization that provides factual information about Israel and the Middle East to the press, policy makers and the public.
Most recently the Southwest Regional Director for the the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), Mark graduated from Emory University in 1985 and the University of Texas School of Law in 1988. During his eleven years as a civil litigator, Mark engaged in significant political and Jewish communal activity as a lay leader in Houston, TX before joining AIPAC in 1999. As Southwest Regional Director until February 2008, Mark led political initiatives to federally elected officials on a bipartisan basis, developed effective communication strategies, and successfully completed eight annual campaigns.
A former political talk show host, Mark has served on the boards of the Houston Area Women’s Center, The Inter-Ethnic Forum and the Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston.
Catherine Zacks Gildenhorn, Special Events Advisor
A native of Columbus, Ohio, and graduate of The University of Michigan and Emory University School of Law, Catherine worked with several presidential campaigns including Ford/Dole, Reagan/Bush, Bush/Quayle and McCain/Palin. Her role at TIP is in organizing media and other events.
Catherine serves on the Advisory Committees of Women in Film and Video and The Florence Melton Adult Mini School. She has served on several local and national boards including The Kingsbury Center, The Edna Gladney Fund, Adas Israel Congregation, The Jewish Social Service Agency and The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington.
Catherine served as presidential appointee to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council from 1990-1995 and worked on the opening of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
(202) 857-6644
Emma Milman, Communications and Research Intern, TIP Israel
Emma Milman joined The Israel Project in March 2010 as a communications and research intern in TIP's Jerusalem office. She supports the communications team on core functions, which include inviting journalists to TIP news conferences and promoting TIP’s educational tours to key journalists. Milman also assists the content team in writing news releases, backgrounders and press kits.
Prior to joining TIP, Milman worked as an intern at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs where she researched and wrote materials about the 2009 Knesset election.
Milman holds a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Florida, and a master’s degree in Jewish history from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Milman is a graduate of the Young Leadership Fellowship program at the Institute for Zionist Strategies. She is fluent in Hebrew and English and proficient in French.
maayana@theisraelproject.org
011-972-2-6236427
Kasa Bayisin, Intern, TIP Israel
Kasa Bayisin is an intern with the development team in The Israel Project’s Jerusalem office. Bayisin helps with event-planning and donor contacts. In addition, she assists the research team with long-term projects.
Bayisin was born in Ethiopia and immigrated to Israel in 1991 with her family when she was 9. She served in the Israel Defense Forces before enrolling at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem where she is completing her studies in international relations, education and public administration. Bayisin was elected to serve as a board member of the university’s Student Union. She also coordinated the young Ethiopian student leadership group, “Guzo.” This work enabled her to meet President Obama and speak with him about her work for the university.
Bayisin also completed two years as the Israel program director at Ohio State University’s Hillel in a joint program of the Jewish Agency for Israel and national Hillel.
Daniela Regev, Communications Intern, TIP Israel
Daniela Regev joined The Israel Project in May 2011 as a communications intern in TIP's Jerusalem office and is currently in the research department. She coordinates media workshops for Israeli civilians, physicians and officials.
Prior to joining TIP, Regev worked as a business development manager at Digital Fuel Technologies; an announcer and editor at Jerusalem Radio 101 FM; and staff recruiter at The Jewish Agency Summer Shlichim Program.
During her compulsory service in the IDF’s strategic division, Regev served as a liaison and foreign relations non-commissioned officer, working with foreign military authorities and Israeli military attachés, attaining the rank of sergeant.
Regev is completing a bachelor's degree in communications/journalism and business management at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Regev was born in Santiago, Chile and spent nine years there. She is fluent in Hebrew, English and Spanish.
