Transcending Israeli Politics-as-Usual at the Local Level

Baltimore Dessert Reception - Part of the Salon Series NIF-D, New Initiatives for Democracy

Dr. Eilon Schwartz, founder of Shaharit, in conversation with Naomi Schacter, Associate Director of SHATIL

Monday, October 20 at 7:30 p.m.

Hosted by Janine and Rob Frier at their home 

13 Aston Ct. Owings Mills, MD 21117

NIF-D – New initiatives for Democracy – is NIF’s newly-launched effort to build and amplify a strong, progressive voice in Israel today.  In the 35 years since its founding, the New Israel Fund played a critical role in developing and seed-funding Israeli civil society organizations that have had a significant impact on the lives of all Israelis. From the first rape crisis centers to the banning of torture in interrogations, the NIF family has worked on the cutting edge of social change. Now we are ready to take bold new steps, using our knowledge, expertise and financial resources, to effect innovative, progressive social change in Israel.

Recently-founded think tank Shaharit, and founder Dr. Eilon Schwartz, stand out as visionary.  Both an intellectual and an organizing pursuit, Shaharit aims to engage the majority of Israelis across groupings such as Russian immigrants, the ultra-orthodox, Mizrahi traditional Jews or secular Israelis to empower every group to work together on common good reforms on the local level with a vision that this collaboration can shift the national Israeli political landscape. 

For questions, contact Jessica Simon at jessica@nif.org or (202) 513-7870.


Dr. Eilon Schwartz was among the founders of the Heschel Center for Sustainability, where he served as director until recently. In addition to his work at Shaharit, Eilon is a faculty member at the Melton Center for Jewish Education at Hebrew where he teaches graduate courses in cultural criticism, social-environmental politics, and education. Over the years, he has written many scholarly and popular articles on a variety of subjects, and his book At Home in the World: Human Nature, Ecological Thought & Education after Darwin was published by SUNY Press in 2010. Eilon has served on the boards of many environmental organizations, including as the chairman of Life and Environment, the umbrella organization of Israel’s environmental movement. He spent his sabbatical year as a visiting professor at Brown University’s Watson Institute for International Studies. Eilon lives in Tel Aviv with his wife Rachel and their children: Ayelet, Chen, and Eden.

Naomi Schacter, Associate Director of SHATIL, joined Shatil in 1999. She supervises resource development efforts for Shatil. This involves working closely with the NIF development team in Israel and abroad, as well as proactive efforts to build partnerships with new foundations, government funding institutions and other groups.  Naomi grew up in New York City, and graduated from BarnardCollege with a degree in psychology and art history.  She moved to Israel in 1983 and continued her studies with an MA in Public Policy from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

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