Orni Petruschka, Co-Chairman & Founder
Orni Petruschka (born 1958) is an Israeli high-tech entrepreneur, social activist and a philanthropis. Orni was co-founder and CEO of two successful Israeli companies, Scorpio Communications and Chromatis Networks.
In recent years Orni’s main focus of activity shifted to public and social areas. He chose to address topics that in his opinion are crucial for the well-being of Israel as an open and democratic society, home for the Jewish people and for all its citizens. He focuses on three main areas: 1. Advancing a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In that context, he has co-founded “The People’s Voice” (Ayalon-Nusseibeh initiative), and “Blue-White Future” in which he serves as chairman. 2. Promoting equality and inclusion for Israel’s Arab citizens, primarily through the work of the Abraham Fund Initiatives, a leading NGO operating in the field, where he serves as co-Chairman of the international board. 3. Promoting a philanthropic culture in Israel, both in scale and in effectiveness. His main activity in the field is Round-up Israel (“Igul Letova”) which he founded in 2009.
Ami Ayalon, Founder, Board Member
Ami Ayalon was previously head of the Shin Bet, Israel’s secret service, and commander-in-chief of the Navy. He is one of the recipients of Israel’s highest decoration – the Medal of Valor.
In 2000, during the second intifada, Ami Ayalon founded together with Professor Sari Nusseibeh, the movement of the “Amifkad ALeumi” (“the national census”), which aims to raise the Israelis and the Palestinians to sign a document of principles agreed to end the conflict. About 450 000 people, Jews and Palestinians, signed the document.
Gilead Sher, Founder
Attorney (Colonel, res.) Gilead Sher is a former senior peace negotiator and chief of staff of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. A Fellow in Middle East Peace and Security at Rice University’s Baker Institute, Sher serves as Chair of Sapir Academic College’s Executive Board of Directors.
Haimi Scheneider, Board Member
Haimi Schneider. Architect. Graduate of the Haifa Institute of Technology. Owner of an office of architects in Netanya. In the past, Haimi was one of the leaders in public and environmental issues including the fight to preserve two of Netanya’s nature reserves: the winter pond and the Iris reserve. In the past ten years Haimi has been active in groups to advance the idea of a return to the borders of a Jewish and Decmocratic state. Haimi’s present endeavors include participation in a start-up company developing environmentally sound energy.
Prof. Yechiam Prior, Board Member
Prof. Yehiam Prior was educated in Jerusalem, Berkeley and Harvard before joining the department of Chemical Physics at the Weizmann Institute of Science, where he has served as a department head, chair of the Scientific Council, and most recently as Dean of the faculty of Chemistry.
On the public scene, he has founded (with others) and headed the movement for unilateral separation (Hipardut Chad Zdadit, HACHETZ) which was very active for the building of the fence defining Israel’s eastern borders, and has been a board member for the Council for Peace and Security.
Dr. Shira Efron, Board Member
Dr. Shira Efron is director of research at Israel Policy Forum and a special climate change advisor to Israel’s Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Energy. She is also the co-chair of the subgroup on regional cooperation of President Herzog’s climate forum.
Doris Arkin, Board Member
A philanthropist, founder of the Arkin Family Foundation which supports organizations and projects in social and cultural fields in Israel.