Israel-Is Headquarters

Eyal Biram

Founder and CEO​
Eyal was an IDF officer in an elite combat unit and founded ISRAEL-is in 2017. He is the CEO of ISRAEL-is and was listed as one of the “Forbes 30 under 30” in Israel in 2019. Almost five years ago when he was a soldier in the most recent Gaza War, he saw firsthand the way the media incorrectly portrayed the situation and the unfair repercussions it had on Israel-adding fuel to a war in which his friends lost their lives. After the war he traveled abroad and then a sequence of unplanned events unfolded that lead him to establish ISRAEL-is.

Yakir Keren

COO
Yakir has a bachelor's and a master's degree from Ben-Gurion University. Since then he has held management positions in significant NGOs. In recent years, Yakir served as the Israeli representative of the JNF UK philanthropic foundation. Additionally, Yakir has served as a representative of the Keren Hayesod-UIA in Argentina. Decided to Join ISRAEL-is believing that only by emphasizing the personal Israeli story and increasing engagements between young people abroad will it be possible to create a change in how Israel is perceived in the world.

Rotem Sharon

Training and Content Development Director
Rotem is a B.A graduate in Political Science, Communication and Journalism from the Hebrew University. Before she worked at ISRAEL-is she was a ship commander in the navy, worked at the spokesperson’s office of the President Rivlin and took an active part at the ‘Taglit-Birthright’ alumni community. Rotem joined ISRAEL-is as she was drawn to the idea of taking such an acute problem and giving it a simple solution by utilizing an existing platform. Today at ISRAEL-is, she gives young veterans in Israel the interpersonal communication tools to tell their personal Israeli stories to backpackers from all over the world.

Omri Ninio

Director of Field Activity Abroad
Omri spent one year volunteering in amutat ‘Ayalim’ and 3 and a half years of service in a special IDF unit. He joined ISRAEL-is because of his belief in active zionism and through the simple understanding through his own trip of the great potential that backpackers have to affect Israel. His role is running, managing and developing the ‘Field Embassy’ project abroad

Mor Sofer

Director of Marketing
Mor recently returned from the United Kingdom, where he served as a university Shaliach (emissary) for the Jewish Agency, representing Israel at top British universities and building pro-Israel coalitions in universities across Cambridge, London, Manchester and Scotland. Mor was a Digital Media and Account Manager at Pazam - an advertising agency, focusing on soldiers as marketing audience. At the IDF he served as a reporter and editor at "Bamahane" - IDF's official magazine.

Itamar Ichye

Collaboration & Development director
Itamar, 27 years old, an alumni of Nachshon Mechina. Served 5 years in an elite IDF combat unit. Itamar traveled, lived and worked in South America, Africa and Asia. Itamar joined ISRAEL-is as he was looking to invest his skills and spirits to work for the good of Israel.

Adi Wengrovski

Deputy Director of Field Activity Abroad
Adi was born in Kibbutz Zikim, in the south of Israel. Before her military service she volunteered for a year with children at a school called “HaKfar Hayarok”. In the IDF she served as a sports instructor for two years, training soldiers and commanding over officers. Adi has travelled in Australia, Asia and South America, and joined the ISRAEL-is team because of the potential impact and values of the organisation.

Eden Pareenty

Office Manager
Eden, First Lieutenant Res. served in the Adjutant Corps for 4 years decided to finish her military service and embark on a life of as a civil servant through various organizations. As Eden planed her travels abroad she decided to volunteer through ISRAEL-is in Peru. Eden returned to Israel and to join ISRAEL-is staff as Office Manager including administrative tasks and projects within the organization.

Lior Chen

Director of Development and Collaboration​
Lior, a B.A graduate in Business Administration and Political Science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Graduate of the Rothschild Ambassador’s fellowship and the Unistream fellowship. Born in Eilat but living in the United States and Sweden Lior grew up with Israel Advocacy as a way of life. Lior served in the IDF’s Intelligence Corps and worked at the Taub Center Public Policy Research Center. Lior joined the ISRAEL-is due to his desire to work in Israel Advocacy through interpersonal connections.

Training Crew

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Oran Frenkel

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Shir Itzhaki

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Lior Samak

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Alon Jorji

Oren Aglamaz

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Yifat Van Leeuwen

Board Members

Maj. Gen. (Res.) Hagi Topolanski
Chairman

Former Commander of the IDF Manpower Directorate. Served in the Israeli Air Force as a commander of numerous squadrons, as Commander of the Hatzerim Air Base, Head of the Air Force Planning Division, Commander of the IAF Aerial Squadron and the Commander of the IAF Headquarters.

Yodfat Harel Buchris

Yodfat Harel Buchris is the Managing Director at Blumberg Capital in San Francisco and a Director at Discount Bank. In the past she has worked as a senior manager at Orbotech and a director at El Al and Protalix. Yodfat has been advising the non-profit sector in Israel for over a decade.

Yaniv Cohen

The Executive Director of the Abba Eban Institute for International Diplomacy at the IDC Herzliya. Before that- worked as Head of Development at the America-Israel Friendship League, a New-York based NGO that advances friendship between Israel and the United States. Former senior associate for corporate law at Naschitz, Brandes, Amir law firm. IDF Reserves Major, and a father of two.

Itay Ben Horin

Owner of “Ben Horin Alexandradovitz”, a leading media strategy and crisis management firm in Israel. He is also the proud author of three books.

Nadav Topolski

Nadav is the Chairman of RGE and Reshet media. He received his bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Economics from Haifa University and his MBA from Harvard University.

Keren Maximov Brandes

Attorney Keren Maximov Brandes is a partner and manager of the law firm Naschitz, Brandes, Amir. Prior to her current position, for over a decade she held a number of management positions in directing and editing in the world of television.

Ariel Rotter

Ariel Rotter is a managing partner at the real estate investment trust – JTLV. He received his bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Tel Aviv University and his MBA from Harvard University.

Sagi Balasha

Sagi Balasha is the CEO of Ogen, the largest social loan fund in Israel, which provides affordable credit to thousands of small business and households in Israel and is in the process of establishing Israel’s first non-profit social bank. Sagi served as the CEO of the Israeli-American Council (IAC) and Concert (formerly Kella Shlomo), which works to combat BDS and delegitimization efforts against the State of Israel.

עידן נזרי
Idan Nizri

Idan Nizri is an Entrepreneur and Owner of several Digital companies.
Has formerly Founded and acted as the CEO of EDM Ltd.
Has fully sold his venture to XL Media, in 2016 and ever since has been actively engaged in a variety of social ventures.
Holds a Management and Industrial Engineering BSc. degree from “Shenkar”.
Idan is a Major in the IDF, in Reserve.

The Founders

ברק
Barak Dery
Eyal Biram
Jonathan Saburai