In order to realize the vision of establishing such a center, a non-profit organization headed by leading members of the Soviet immigrant community in Israel was established, including intellectuals, academics and cultural personalities. The project received the blessing of prominent public figures, including the former Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky, the former Knesset Speaker Yuli Yoel Edelstein, and the former Minister of Jerusalem Affairs and Environmental Protection, Ze'ev Elkin.
The Organization
David Shechter
Born in 1956 in Odessa, Ukraine. Graduated from a journalism school and also received an MA in Engineering. Refusenik since 1981. Worked as an engineer, studied and taught Hebrew and Judaism, and distributed material about Zionism and the State of Israel. Immigrated to Israel in 1987, and subsequently worked as the editor-in-chief in a series of Russian-language periodicals, as a press secretary to the party of repatriates and its parliamentary faction, and as a media advisor to the ministers of absorption, diaspora and Jerusalem.
D. Shechter is the author of five books. Since 2010 he is the press secretary of the Jewish Agency.
Founders of the NGO
Natasha Manor
Michael Shapiro
David Markish
Victoria Dolinsky
Slava Ganelin
David Shechter
Prof. Wolf Moskowitz
Mark Kozlenko
Expert Committee
Yosef Begun
Michael Beizer
Dorit Drucker-Golender
Ephraim (Alexander) Holmiansky
Dorit Drucker-Golender
Born in Vilna, Drucker-Golender immigrated to Israel with her parents in 1967. She studied Sovietology and English at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and worked for the Russian department of Kol Israel radio station. Betwehen 1996-2010, she directed and edited the Russian Immigrant Absorption Network radio station. From 2010 to 2015 she served as Israel's ambassador to Russia.
Board of Trustees
Alexander Shpikelman
Yuri Zelvensky
Michael Lutzky
Arkady Mayofis
Michael Lutzky
Born in 1955 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Educational background is in mathematics. Immigrated to Israel in 1978; worked in software engineering in Israel and abroad as a specialist in analysis and systems programming, and also engaged in research. Founder and manager of hi-tech companies.
The Staff
Marina Ben Arie
Born in Ukraine and immigrated to Israel at the year of 1971. Marina studied linguistics at the university of kharkov. During the years 1993-1996 Marina served as a consul to the Israeli embassy in Kiev, Ukraine. Subsequently, Marina held different positions as a representative of the Jewish Agency to the former Soviet Union. Those including : head of immigration program to Russia and the Baltic Region, head of mission to Kharkov (Ukraine), Head of mission to Uzbekistan and the central asian region and most recently head of mission to Odessa and Kishinev (Moldova).
Marina Ben Arie CEO
Ella Dembo North America fundraising
Alla Alchova | Public Relations manager
Vladimir Boroda | Resource Development