• Prof. Avi Israeli

    Executive Director
    Biography

    Professor Abraham (Avi) Israeli is the Chief Scientist of the Ministry of Health. He is also Head of the Department of Health Policy, Health Care Management and Health Economics at the Hebrew University – Hadassah Faculty of Medicine. Prior to this he was the Director General of the Israel Ministry of Health (2003-2009) and the Director – General of Hadassah Medical Organization (1998 -2001).
    He holds the Chair of Dr. Julien Rozan Professorship of Family Medicine and Health Promotion at the Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem (since 1996) and teaches there regularly.
    Professor Israeli chaired the national committee to update the Israeli national standard basket of health services, and served on several blue ribbon panels related to health policy in Israel.
    Professor Israeli received his medical degree and his master in public health from the Hadassah – Hebrew University Medical School. He completed residencies in Internal Medicine and in Health Care Management at Hadassah University Hospital and has certification in both specialties. He received his Master’s Degree from the Sloan School of Management at MIT, Boston.
    His scientific activities are related to applied, methodological and theoretical research in the fields of health policy, health care management, and the epidemiological, economic, social and cultural basis for decision-making.
    His publications deal with translation of academic knowledge and inputs from the field into policy setting and decision-making processes.
    Two additional key research foci are rationing / priority setting and comparative health care systems.

  • Dr. Rachel (Heni) Haring

    Acting Executive Director
    Biography

    Dr. Rachel Haring has served as assistant executive director of the BSF since 2005. In this capacity, she coordinates all aspects of the granting process. She holds a B.Sc. in Life Sciences, and M.Sc. (cum laude) and Ph.D degrees in biochemistry, all from Tel Aviv University. She was a postdoctoral fellow at the Camp David Institute for International Health in the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York. She has served as senior biochemist at the Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona; and as senior scientist in several biotechnology companies. Dr. Haring has authored 32 peer-reviewed articles and 15 book chapters.

  • Michael Leibner

    Controller
    Biography

    MBA (Finance and Marketing) – Hebrew University

    Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting & Information Systems – Lev Institute

    Previous jobs:

    CFO Feuerstein Institute – a social business organization that deals with education and training, housing, employment and placement of people with special needs.

    CFO ‘Manife Manof Lehiim’ – an educational organization for at-risk youth nationwide

    CFO/Accountant German-Israeli Foundation for the Advancement of Scientific Research and Development (GIF)

    CFO Generali Foundation

  • Ms. Orli Rozencwajg

    Senior Computer and I.T. Administrator
    Biography

    Ms. Orli Rozencwajg joined the BSF in 2004. She oversees all aspects of the foundation’s information systems, database and website, and provides support services to BSF clients. Ms. Rozencwajg earned her BA in computer science from Hadassah Academic College in Jerusalem, and her MBA (summa cum laude) from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

  • Ms. Esther (Eti) Alfandary

    Senior Administrative Assistant
    Biography

    Ms. Ester (Eti) Alfandari is a Senior Administrative Assistant. She joined the BSF at a young age in 1985 and has been working in the BSF continuously since then.

  • Ms. Miri Yelagin

    Information Specialist
    Biography

    Ms. Miri Yelagin joined the BSF in 2006 as an Information Specialist, after serving in the same capacity at the Israel Science Foundation (ISF). She earned a BA in Humanities & Social Sciences, and a Master in Library Science (magna cum laude), both from the Hebrew University.

  • Ms. Yael Dressler

    Information Specialist
    Biography

    Ms. Yael Dressler joined the BSF in 2013 as an Information Specialist. Her responsibilities include the joint program with the NSF. Yael earned a BA in English Literature and MA in History, both from Bar-Ilan University. She also holds a diploma in Information Studies from the Technion.

  • Ms. Ava Chava Stashevski

    Administrative Assistant
    Biography

    Ms. Ava Stashevski joined the BSF in 2024. She has a BA from York University in Toronto, Canada and a Teacher’s Certificate from David Yellin College in Jerusalem.