About

Ilan has a BA in psychology from Bar Ilan University and a MBA in business studies from the Hebrew University. He is an active citizen of Bet Shemesh where he lives with his wife and six children. He serves as the Chairman of Midreshet Bet Shemesh and a member of the City Council. Ilan is the Chairman of PGC – Partnership Global Council of the International Partnership project. He also sits on the Board of several social organizations such as the National Service Association, Eshkolot and Heled. A mediator and senior teacher of Bible studies, Ilan has been the Executive Director of Gesher since 2011.

Shira is the Director and Founder of the Gesher Leadership Institute and has been a part of the Gesher team since 2002. She oversees all programs in the Institute from general management to content. Shira holds a MA with honors in Non-profits Management from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Additionally, she has an International NLP Practitioner certificate. Shira is a social activist and a member of the Executive Committee of the “Rashut Harabim”, which promotes Jewish renewal in Jerusalem.

Chezki is the Director of the Education Department at Gesher. Chezki comes back to Gesher after having worked a the Irani Group in a Product role. Prior to that, he had been a Gesher facilitator for four years. He now leads the Programming Department.

Jonathan is the Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Commodity Asset Management and the Founder and President of Uniwire International, a trading and marketing firm. Jonathan serves on the Finance Committee of SAR Academy and on the Board of Shir Chadash in Jerusalem. Jonathan is also very active with FIDF.

Matthew is an executive of Wolf Maryles & Associates and is former Partner/ Managing Director of Oppenheimer and Co. Matt is the Trustee and Chairman of the Audit Committee of YU, Trustee and former CEO of American Friends of Bar-Ilan University, former Executive Committee member and Treasurer of UJA-Federation of New York and past President of Jewish Community Relations Council of New York. He also served two nonconsecutive terms as the Chairman of Gesher.

David is the Director of Global CRM Initiative at McKinsey & Company.  He holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a bachelors degree in Creative Writing from Hunter College of the City University of New York. He is an activist of issues related to sexual abuse in the Jewish Community, and is the founder and president of organization Mi Li – Who Is For Me.

Seth is the founder and managing partner at Old City Capital. He joined Gesher’s Board four years ago after trying to start his own organization bridging the divide between different segments of the Jewish world.  He is an active supporter of Aish, Meor and many other philanthropic causes.

Heather is an International Finance and Technology Executive. Heather currently serves as a director/trustee for global fund complexes managed by the Brookfield Public Securities Group. In her philanthropic endeavors in addition to Gesher, Heather advises international business development for the Israel Financial Institute. Heather served as a water resource management US Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali, West Africa. She is a past board chair and member of the honorary board of University Settlement, New York City.

Matt is the Chief Innovation Officer at Two Sigma Investments, Inc. He and his wife are active supporters of Camp Ramah and are active in their children’s schools.

Ira is a retired attorney, businessman and real estate developer. He was Gesher’s second President  for ten years. Ira is very involved with Livnot U’lihibanot, Yachad, Manhattan Day school, and The Jewish Center.

Jerry is the founder and CEO of BuildingLink.com. During graduate school, Jerry connected with Gesher as a facilitator in Israel and joined Gesher’s Board many decades later where he as served in many roles.

Cara is a former financial advisor and non-profit professional. She has a MBA from John Hopkins University and a BA from Brandeis University.

David is the former President and CEO of Coda Resources. He is a former Board Member of the Riverdale Jewish Center and together with his wife, Ina, is very involved in and supportive of SAR Academy as well as AMIT.

Rabbi Savenor is the Director of Congregational Education at the Park Avenue Synagogue.  He currently serves on the National Rabbinic Cabinet of United Jewish Communities and Brandeis University’s Alumni Admissions Council. He was ordained at JTS in 1996 with a concentration in Education and earned a Masters of Education at Columbia University, Teachers College in 2008.

Richard M. Joel is the former President and International Director of Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life as well as the President Emeritus of
Yeshiva University. Mr. Joel, a member of the Board of Directors for Gesher is
renowned as a charismatic leader and a captivating orator with a unique perspective on future leaders of our Jewish community .

Alan is the COO of AB Bernstein Private Wealth. He is a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Hebrew Academy of Nassau County and is actively engaged with Palestinian Media Watch. Alan is also a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Maks and Lea Rothstein Foundation, where he currently serves as Finance Chair.

Michael is the President of KL Capital, Inc. which invests in manufacturing and distribution businesses. He is a graduate of Brandeis University and the Columbia University Graduate School of Business.  Michael is the immediate past President of the Wesley Hills Synagogue, where he is actively involved and has served on the Board of the JCC-Rockland, and the Executive Board of the Adolph Schreiber Hebrew Academy of Rockland. Michael lives in Wesley Hills, New York with his wife Dr. Phyllis Weingarten.  Phyllis & Michael are the proud parents of Joshua, Lauren & Rebecca.

Shalom is the CEO of Shalom Bronstein Inc. He is the President of American Friends Keren Malki Foundation (home therapy for handicapped children). Shalom is a Member of the Board of Shvut Ami and Co-Chair of Teaneck Advisory Board on Community Relations.

Born in Johannesburg, Ian obtained a Bachelor of Commerce degree and a Bachelor of Accounting degree from the University of Witwatersrand after which he qualified as a chartered accountant in 1990. In 2000, Ian founded Commodity Trading Company Republic House AG, which he then sold to First Quantum Minerals in 2010. Ian lives in London with his wife Ilana and his three children.

Orit is the founder and Managing Director of Adato Consulting Ltd. Company, which specializes in Correctional Systems, leadership and strategic planning and training, managing terror inmates, security, correctional systems intelligence and cooperation with other Security and Law Enforcement Agencies. She served in the IDF for 25 years ranking as a former Lt-Gen (res.), former head of IDF Women’s Corps and former Chief Commissioner of Israel Prison Service and President of International Women Forum Israel. Orit is a Board Member and Chairperson of the Gesher Leadership Institute.

Lior founded Strativity Group, a customer experience research and consulting firm that measures its success by one simple yardstick; how successfully the client has implemented their strategy. Starting in the most traditional entrepreneurial way from his garage, the company has grown to have offices around the US and around the world, including Canada, the UK, Norway, Turkey and Australia. Forrester Group has recognized the firm as being at the forefront of customer-centric transformation.

Arussy has published 7 books concerning customer experience and employee engagement, while more than 1 million readers around the world see his “Focus: Customer” syndicated column every month. In addition, he has had more than 100 articles published globally in prestigious journals, including the Harvard Business Review.

Lior has worked for Hewlett-Packard as leader of the Internet security division; under his stewardship, business grew by 50% per quarter for 3 consecutive years. He introduced a number of innovative strategies, and during his tenure no client bank ever had its eBanking security compromised; no mean feat considering he was responsible for 120 of the world’s largest banks with assets totaling $8 trillion.

Chaim is a businessman. He lives in Jerusalem and has been involved with Gesher since it was first established.

Sigal most recently served as the CEO of Toys R’ Us Israel.

Yair is the CEO of Airport City. Yair served as the Director General of the Prime Minister’s Office from 2021-2022. Prior that he held senior positions in the Ministry of Finance.

Itzhak is a founding partner in Nevet – The BioMedical Investment Ltd. and is also the owner of Ishon – Consultation, Management & Holding Ltd. He is the chairman of the Maccabi Healthcare Services Foundation and of the Weitz Center for Development Studies. Yitzhak received an LL.B from Bar Ilan University’s Law School in 1992, and an MBA from Bar Ilan University in 2007. He holds a PhD in Economy from the International University of Business & Law and lectures in the Faculty of Management at Bar-Ilan University.

Gil Livne is a legal and municipal consultant.  He recently stepped down from his position as the Mayor of Shoham, a thriving city in Central Israel.

Liz is a facilitator at the Shefer School of Parenting and is the representative of the Morris Family Foundation.  Until recently, she was director of the Gush Etzion branch of the Big Brother, Big Sister mentoring program.  Liz is a graduate of the school of social work at the Hebrew University and is currently the Chairperson of the Gsharim.com media leadership track. Liz has five children and lives in Efrat.

Founder (in 1970) and President Emeritus of Gesher, Rabbi Tropper is the driving force behind the initiatives and activities of Gesher, which have influenced more than one million Israelis by promoting mutual understanding and tolerance in Israeli society.  He received his ordination from Rabbi J. B. Soloveitchik and his Ph.D. in Jewish History from Yeshiva University (1970).  Rabbi Tropper has published scholarly articles and op-ed pieces in Israel and the Diaspora.  He is a sought-after lecturer in schools, the IDF and public forums.  He has been awarded many prizes for his life’s work of promoting dialogue and tolerance in the Jewish people.