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Executive Committee
The Executive Committee of the Foundation is chaired by Yarom Ariav, former Director General of the Ministry of Finance. The majority of the committee members are Lod residents from the different communities represented in the city. They contribute from their time and energy, entirely on a volunteer basis, driven by a commitment to social action in the city.
Yarom Ariav, Chairperson
Director General of the Ministry of Finance from 2007 to 2009, Ariav was one of the leading figures on the economic scene in Israel at the time of the global economic crisis. The Israeli eeconomy faired that crisis impressively, with Ariav responsible for charting and executing the economic policy of the government before and during the crisis. Since concluding his term of office at the finance ministry, Ariav has dedicated himself to initiatives and involvement in various projects on behalf of the economy and society.
Avi Rokach
Married to Tal, father of six, Rokach lives in Lod. He is the Chairperson of the Garin Torani in Lod. Rokach is Director of the Center Community of the AMIT network. Formerly, he was the Headmaster of the AMIT Amichai High School Yeshiva in Rehovot. He has a bachelor's and a master's degree in Talmud from Bar-Ilan University. He was certified for the rabbinate by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.
Eitan Lombard
CEO and owner of Sensecom, Lombard chose the northern industrial area of Lod as the company's home over 20 years ago. His professional experience and broad vision are applied to developing applied business models for evaluating projects in the fields of Sensecom's expertise and contribute to the work of the Lod Foundation.
Ronen Shitrit
Born and raised in Lod, Shitrit is the owner of Shitrit Holdings Co., a group that specializes in initiating and marketing projects, and is chairman and owner of Anglo-Saxon real estate brokering chain. Shitrit began his business career in Lod when he purchased the Anglo-Saxon franchise in Lod, and from there he grew and developed. Today, Shitrit promotes projects in Lod which are a meaningful growth engine for the city, including construction projects, and culture and leisure ventures.
Gil Weiser
Chairperson of BGN Technologies, sitting on the Board of ATTU and a number of other startup companies, Weiser has 30 years of managerial and executive experience in the hi-tech industry and finance companies. Likewise, he has an extensive record of public involvement - from managing HP Israel, as a member of the Executive Committee of the University of Haifa to serving on the Board of Directors of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. Weiser served for many years as director of Digital Israel (DEC-Digital Equipment), CEO and president of Fibronics, CMS companies, as vice president of Orma Investment Bank, CEO and president of Orsos. He served as chairperson and/or director on the board of several companies: Chair of BBP (Switzerland), Board member of Clicksoftware (CKSW, 2001-2015), and PandTek (2000-2011), Optibase (OBAS), Formula Systems, Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, Regisoft Systems, Tascom, and others.
In the public sphere, Weiser served as chairperson of the Board of Governors of the University of Haifa (1994-2006), chairperson of Friends of MDA Israel, chairperson of action committees of a number of schools in Israel (Shevach and the ORT Arab High School of the Sciences in Lod), chairperson of the marketing forum (res.), etc. He earned his M.Sc. from the University of Minnesota and a B.Sc. from the Technion.
Yeshayahu Ben-Baruch
A resident of Lod, Ben-Baruch made aliyah in 1972 from Ethiopia. He has been involved in volunteer activity on behalf of aliyah absorption and the welfare of the Ethiopian immigrant community for over 30 years. He was recruited by the Jewish Agency to help with the absorption of Ethiopian olim and was asked by the late Prime Minister Menachem Begin to serve as a consultant for the plans of action to bring Ethiopian Jews to Israel. Ben-Baruch volunteers on a routine basis and is recognized in Lod as a leader, dominant in all matters related to action on behalf of society and the community.
Lior Journo
CEO of Tozeret Ha'aretz (formerly Re-Lod) which establishes and operates communities of students and young adults in the geo-social periphery of Israel, Journo established and managed the student villages under the NGO Ayalim in Lod. In her professional work, she led processes and initiatives for leveraging and maximizing student forces in Lod and in Israel's periphery. Journo has a bachelor's degree in behavioral sciences and a master's degree in consulting and organizational development. She is a resident of Lod and mother of two children.
Ziona Yeshayahu
A Lod resident, Yeshayahu is an employee of Bank Hapoalim. She earned her undergraduate degree in business administration at Ono Academic College and became certified by the Adler Institute in facilitating parent groups. She made aliyah in 1982 from Ethiopia, and is involved in volunteer activity for the welfare of the Ethiopian community.
Shirin Natour Hafi
A Lod resident, Natour Hafi is the principal of ORT-Lod, the first public high school for the sciences and engineering for the Arab population in Lod, in the train neighborhood. In 2012, she appeared on the list of the 40 most promising young adults published in The Marker newspaper, and as one of the 50 most influential people in the field of education according to Ha'aretz newspaper in the same year. Natour Hafi is a member of the Executive Committee of the movement, Hakol Hinuch ("Education is everything") and a member of the plenum of the Broadcasting Authority. Natour Hafi believes that the way to a better future for children is through education and investing in them.
Faten El-Zinati- In 2022 we lost a dear friend
A resident of Lod, El-Zinati is Director of Matnas Chicago in the Ramat Eshkol neighborhood of the city, and she serves as Education Coordinator for Arab Society, as well as Arab Society Coordinator for the national program, "City Without Violence," in Lod. El-Zinati is an expert in multicultural, community dialogue processes. Together with her professional work, she is a leading social activist in Lod's Arab community. El-Zinati is the heart and soul of the documentary series, "Lod: Between Despair and Hope," which tells the complex and fascinating story of the city.
Albert Sivan- In 2022 we lost a dear friend
Director General of the Municipality of Lod (for 15 years) under the late Mayor Maxim Levy, Sivan also served as Chairperson of the Matnasim (community center network) in Lod and was a partner to their establishment. As an active member of the Rotary Club in Lod, he has held a number of positions, including a president. Today, he serves as chairperson of an NGO in Lod for the development of welfare services. He is intimately familiar with the issues and problems confronting Lod and is involved in many volunteer activities.
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