A leading thinker on Israel, Zionism, foreign policy, and education, Dr. Wilf was a member of the Israeli Knesset (Parliament) from 2010 to 2013, where she served as Chair of the Education Committee and Member of the influential Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

Born and raised in Israel, Dr. Wilf served as an Intelligence Officer in the Israel Defense Forces, Foreign Policy Advisor to Vice Prime Minister Shimon Peres, and a strategic consultant with McKinsey & Company.

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Dr. Wilf has a BA from Harvard, an MBA from INSEAD in France, and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Cambridge. She was the Goldman Visiting Professor at Georgetown University.

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Dr. Wilf is the author of seven books that explore key issues in Israeli society. “We Should All Be Zionists”, published in 2022, brings together her essays from the past four years on Israel, Zionism and the path to peace; the co- authored “The War of Return: How Western Indulgence of the Palestinian Dream Has Obstructed the Path to Peace”, was published in 2020.

Oz Davidian became an unlikely hero when he braved the Hamas attack on the Nova Festival, armed with only a handgun, to make 15 daring rescues and save 120 lives. A year later, he was the subject of the documentary film, Oz’s List, in which the 50-year-old farmer and lawyer confronts the emotional scars of the day he became an accidental hero—retracing his harrowing journey, revisiting the exact locations where he confronted terrorists, and exploring the profound connection forged between Davidian and those whose lives he saved.

Lieutenant Colonel Eyal Dror lives in Daphna, a kibbutz in Israel’s beautiful Galilee region near the Lebanese border, with his wife and three children. At the start of the war, he and his family were evacuated from their home to a hotel in Tiberias. An IDF veteran and officer of twenty-four years, Lt. Col. Dror has served in a variety of positions on the frontlines as an officer in the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) unit.

Most recently, he founded and served as the commander of the Good Neighbor unit, where he and his soldiers provided Israeli aid to 250,000 Syrian citizens on the Israel-Syria border region, all of whom were heavily affected by the Syrian civil war. Under his command, the unit conducted over 700 humanitarian aid missions— including supplying thousands of tons of food, medicine, clothing, and more and treating 1,400 sick children and 4,500 wounded civilians.

Dr. Omri Sender is a Partner and Chair of the Public International Law Practice Group at S. Horowitz & Co., one of Israel’s top law firms where he acts as counsel and advisor to governments, international organizations, and multinational corporations on issues covering the full range of international law.

These include treaty obligations, state and diplomatic immunities, territorial and maritime boundaries, international investment, international criminal law, and human rights law. Omri has particular expertise in international dispute settlement proceedings, including before the International Court of Justice in The Hague, where he is currently representing the State of Israel in the contentious case brought against it by South Africa. Omri previously served as Counsel at the World Bank, as Law Clerk to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Israel, and as Legal Assistant at the United Nations International Law Commission. He is the author of numerous writings in the field of international law. He lives in Tel Aviv with his wife and five children.

The most “Israeli” band, with nearly 20 (!) years of non-stop performances!

Hatikva 6 is known for delivering some of the best live shows in Israel, thanks to their perfect combination of immense talent, captivating charisma, powerful musical presence, and above all—a lot of joy and great music.

Over the years, Hatikva 6 has earned titles such as “Band of the Year,” become one of the leading bands on Spotify Israel, performed at the official Independence Day torch-lighting ceremony, and, of course, been named “the most beloved band among soldiers.”

Their ability to tap into the Israeli DNA and connect across diverse sectors of society has earned them the nickname “the most Israeli band.” Their songs resonate with all of us and have long become anthems—like The Most Israeli, Something Pleasant for the Soul, and Everything is Still Ahead of Me—along with countless hits such as Pour Me More Rum, Koh Phangan, Once Again, The New Hebrew, Coming Home, Warrior’s Anthem, and many more.

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Photo: Moshe Nachumovich

President Isaac Herzog is a public official who has been working in the service of the State of Israel and its society for over twenty years. He was born in 1960 to Aura and Chaim Herzog, later Israel’s Sixth President. President Herzog served as an officer in the IDF Intelligence Corps, and after completing his law degree, worked as a lawyer, specializing in communications law. One of Israel’s most respected politicians, he has held multiple positions in both the government and opposition, including government secretary, a member of the Knesset, the Minister of Construction and Housing, the Minister of Tourism, the Minister of Welfare and Social Services, and the Minister of Diaspora Affairs.

He was later elected the chairman of the Israeli Labor Party and served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Knesset. For three years, Herzog served as the chairman of the Executive of the Jewish Agency for Israel. In July 2021, he was elected president by an unprecedented majority in the Knesset and he entered office as the Eleventh President of Israel.

Fleur Hassan-Nahoum grew up in Gibraltar and studied law at King’s College London. She qualified as a barrister in Middle Temple in 1997 and practiced in London before immigrating to Israel in 2001. In Israel, she worked at JDC in resource development for Europe and later became the Executive Director of Tikva, a nonprofit organization saving abandoned and abused Jewish children from the former Soviet Union. In 2011, she set up a communications consulting business, Message Experts, and does consulting work for large corporations and nonprofit organizations on effective communication strategies.

In May 2016, Hassan-Nahoum became a City Councilor in Jerusalem, and in February 2017, the Leader of the Opposition. In November 2018, she was re-elected to the Jerusalem Municipal Council and was appointed Deputy Mayor for foreign relations, economic development, and tourism. She is currently the only British politician in Israel and is involved in the advancement of women's rights and marginalized populations groups in the city, in economic development, and the fight for a pluralistic Jerusalem. Hassan-Nahoum is a member of the Likud Central Committee.

Yahala is a musician, cantor and payytanit, singer, conductor, and actress. She holds a BA in Composition from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance and is co-head of the Sephardic track of the Ashira Tehilot Program for Musicians and Cantors at the Schechter Institute in Jerusalem. Yahala has been on stage since childhood and now performs as a solo artist, in various ensembles, and with orchestras. She is musical director and co-head of prayer in Jerusalem's Zion community, lectures and leads services at Midreshet Beit Prat (previously known as Ein Prat), and is a master-teacher of Biblical trope and piyyutim (Jewish liturgical poems).

Mishael Dee is a singer/songwriter, cantor, and performer. A talented multi-instrumentalist and composer who studied under the late Andre Heidu, Mishael is an experienced entertainer who brings the sounds of Jerusalem to people around the world.

A Distinguished Scholar in North American History at McGill University currently living in Jerusalem, Gil Troy is an award-winning American presidential historian and a leading Zionist activist. Recently designated by Algemeiner as one of the top 100 people “positively influencing Jewish life,” Prof. Troy is the author of eleven books on the American presidency, as well as multiple books on the topic of Israel and Zionism, including 2012’s Moynihan’s Moment: America’s Fight against Zionism as Racism, designated by Jewish Ideas Daily as one of the year’s “best books.” Additionally, he co-authored Never Alone: Prison, Politics, and my People with Natan Sharansky. Troy is a sought-after commentator who has been featured on CNN’s popular multipart documentaries, The Eighties, The Nineties, and The 2000s, and has been regularly published in top American, Canadian, and Israeli news outlets like the New York Times, the Daily Beast, and The Jerusalem Post.

Luai Ahmed is a 31-year old Yemeni journalist and content creator. He was born and raised in the capital of Sanaa, and moved to Sweden when he was 20 years old in 2014 where he has been living since. He worked as a columnist and journalist at the local Swedish newspaper, Bulletin, where he focused on integration, migration, and radical Islam. In 2024, after he started making content in English, he started working as a host for Builders of the Middle East, an online content hub that fosters interfaith kinship, and fights extremism, radicalization, fake news, antisemitism, and racism on the internet.

Jordan Herzberg has been active in diplomacy, security, political and business affairs in Israel for over 20 years. Serving as a track two diplomat for several Israeli Prime Ministers, Jordan has participated in hundreds of hours of back-channel negotiations with neighboring Arab heads of state and has advised several Israeli government ministers. Since volunteering as a lone soldier in the Israel Defense Forces Paratrooper Brigade, Lt. Col. Herzberg has served in several different combat theatres, including extensive military service in Lebanon and West Bank/Judea and Samaria. Currently, he serves as a commander in a combined paratrooper/infantry/armored division.

A sought-after speaker at home and abroad on topics related to Middle Eastern security and geopolitics, Jordan has given dozens of on- and off-the-record interviews to some of the world’s largest print, internet, and TV news organizations since the beginning of the current Swords of Iron War.

Jordan holds a BA with honors in Political Science and Judaic Studies from the University of Michigan, and a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University, including studies at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and Harvard Business School.

Today, Jordan lives with his family in Jerusalem, where he serves as the elected representative of the Abu Tor neighborhood in the Greater Baka (Jerusalem) Community Council since 2021.

Eugene Kontorovich is a professor at George Mason’s Antonin Scalia School of Law, and the director of its Center for International Law in the Middle East. Before coming to George Mason, he had been a professor at Northwestern University School of Law for 11 years. An expert in international and constitutional law, he has published over thirty academic articles in leading law reviews and peer- reviewed journals. His scholarship has been cited in leading international law cases in the U.S. and abroad.

Prof. Kontorovich is also a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation. He is recognized as one of the world’s preeminent experts on international law and the Israel-Arab conflict. He “has emerged as a one-man legal lawfare brain trust for the Jewish state,” as well as “one of the cagiest commentators,” according to an essay in Haaretz.

Prof. Kontorovich also plays a leading role in many Israel- related policy matters, and is regarded as the “intellectual architect” of U.S. state laws regarding boycotts of Israel.

In his work at Forum Kohelet, he regularly advises senior Israeli, U.S. and European officials on a variety of diplomatic issues including opening the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem to defeating EU boycott efforts.
He is a widely sought-after speaker who is called on frequently to testify in Congress about the Arab-Israeli conflict, regularly briefs visiting European and American legislators and celebrities on their trips to Israel, and who has spoken to hundreds of universities, synagogues, and Jewish and professional groups in the U.S. and Europe.

Prof. Kontorovich’s expertise is often sought out and quoted by major news organizations such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR News, The Associated Press, LA Times, and television and radio programs on Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, Al Jazeera, Sky News, BBC, NPR, and more. His popular writings have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, POLITICO, Haaretz, and numerous other leading publications.

Nissim Louk is the father of Shani Louk z”l and a proud father of four. He holds a BA in Psychology and Communication, along with a background in Mechanical Engineering. He served in the Air Force
for a total of seven years. An investor, inventor, and educator, he currently teaches physics at various colleges. He also served as the manager of the Herzl House Museum, working with the Jewish National Fund (JNF). Nissim resides in a small moshav in the Judean Hills, near Beit Shemesh.

Rawan Osman is a Syrian-born, Germany-based activist, content creator, and writer who advocates for
peace and dialogue between Arabs and Israelis. Raised in Lebanon and educated in Germany, she studied Islamic and Jewish Studies at Heidelberg University. Her journey—from being raised in
an antisemitic environment to becoming a self-described “Arab Zionist”—has inspired her work with organizations like Sharaka, the Center for Peace Communications and the Aseret movement in Israel.

Rawan founded “Arabs Ask,” a social media channel to combat the misinformation propagated about Israel in the Arab world. She has participated in delegations to Holocaust memorial sites and peacebuilding events around the world. Rawan is the CEO of Brit Shalom, an upcoming virtual platform designed to connect Israelis with Syrians and Lebanese eager for peace in the Middle East. As she puts it: “to achieve peace, we must start by imagining it”. She is currently working on a book about her evolving relationship with Judaism and Israel. She is also the main figure in “Tragic Awakening”, a documentary on the roots
of antisemitism.

Often referred to as “Mr. Maestro,” JoDavi fuses his soulful roots with his passion and schooling in orchestration to create live music that many call “Symphonic Soul;” a sound that likens to Earth, Wind and Fire, the 5th Dimension, your favorite movie soundtrack, and his background in gospel, RnB, reggae, and funk.

JoDavi has opened for Grammy Award-winning artists India Arie and Anthony Hamilton. He has also backed renowned singer Alex Isley, and has shared stages with Jeremy Passion. As far as his own work goes, JoDavi has released over a dozen albums and singles, including his full-length album, Zion, which he has premiered in New York, California, North Carolina, Georgia, and many other parts of the world including Israel, Paris, and South Africa, and his most recent EP, The Vault, which features UK-based singer-songwriter Selina Albright.

Since JoDavi’s wife passed away in January of 2025, the overall sound of his music has changed somewhat; the lush Symphonic Soulful sounds are still there, but with more of an influence of a singer-songwriter vibe, not unlike Bill Withers, James Taylor, or Paul Simon. He has more of an Afro-Soul sound as well, influenced by artists from his late wife’s country of origin, South Africa, and other East and West African sounds. This mixed in with his previous work simply provides the listener with an even more robust palette of both music and lyrical content.

As a voting member of the Recording Academy, JoDavi will submit his latest project dedicated to his wife. His upcoming single ‘The End of Time’ comes out summer of 2025, and he has been journaling through his grief from the loss of his wife, which he will make into a book in 2026.

Do not miss this rising star as he continues to make his presence known across the globe.

Gideon Sa’ar is an Israeli politician, currently serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chairman of the United Right Party, and as a member of the Knesset and the Security Cabinet. Previously, he held various positions, including Minister of Justice and Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Education, Minister of the Interior, member of five security cabinets, member of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, and member of its subcommittees for intelligence and secret services. Sa’ar has served as a Member of the Knesset since 2003, with one break, first representing the Likud and then the New Hope party, which he founded and chairs.

Since December 2022, Amir Ohana has served as the Speaker of the 25th Knesset. A former Shin Bet official who held positions related to intelligence and the fight against terror, Ohana was first elected to the Knesset in 2015 and has previously served as Minister of Justice and Minister of Public Security.
Speaker of the Knesset Ohana serves as chair of the Likud Pride Group, which promotes equality and freedoms for the LGBT community within the Likud Party. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Tadmor—Eretz Yisrael Loyalists Group in the Likud—and is also a member of the Manof Forum for young liberals in the Likud.

Ohana lives in Tel-Aviv with his partner and is the father of two.

Yair Lapid was the Prime Minister of the State of Israel and Minister of Foreign Affairs in Israel’s 36th
government. He is also the chairperson of the Yesh Atid (There is a Future) Party and currently serves as Leader of the Opposition. Lapid was born in Tel Aviv in 1963. He is married to Lihi and the father of Yoav, Lior, and Yael.

Before entering politics, Lapid was a best-selling author, journalist, TV presenter, playwright, actor, and musician. He published 12 best-selling books, wrote a weekly newspaper column (which was the most widely read column in Israel), and presented several TV programs that won numerous awards. He also anchored the highest-rated news show on Israeli TV. In addition, Lapid has written hit songs, that reached the top of the Israeli music charts.

Lapid has been included in TIME magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world and in Foreign Policy’s 100 Leading Global Thinkers.

Photo by GPO

Roz Rothstein is the co-founder and CEO of StandWithUs. The daughter of Holocaust survivors, Roz was a family therapist for over two decades in the state of California before helping to co-found StandWithUs. Rothstein and her husband Jerry, along with community activist Esther Renzer, sought to empower Israel’s supporters worldwide through innovative educational materials, conferences, fellowships, campaigns, missions to Israel, social media, educational videos, and programs. StandWithUs has grown significantly in only 23 years and now has offices on six continents around the world, educating people of all ages and faiths, and fighting the newest forms of antisemitism. Roz hosts a weekly TV show on JLTV every Tuesday night about Israel- related issues. Since the inception of StandWithUs, The Forward magazine has twice named Rothstein one of the 50 most influential Jews in America, and in 2011 and again in 2016, The Jerusalem Post named her one of the 50 most influential Jews in the world.

Michael Dickson is the Executive Director of StandWithUs in Israel and leads the organization’s dynamic Jerusalem-based team of educators and social-media experts.
 

Michael regularly addresses audiences and broadcasts on issues pertaining to Israel and public diplomacy. Michael has addressed audiences in global forums, including at the UN, in the Knesset, and in Europe, America, Asia, and Africa. Michael is a Senior Fellow at the Center for International Communication of Bar-Ilan University, an honorary member of Alpha Epsilon Pi, and in 2015 was appointed to the Spectrum Forum of leading Executive Directors in Israel under the age of 40. In 2016, he was listed as the 14th most influential Jew on Twitter and also named in Channel 13 TV’s “30 Israelis Making a Difference.” Michael was listed in the Top 30 of “The Aliyah 100 List” of British immigrants to Israel. In 2019, he was awarded the Bonei Zion (“Builder of Zion”) Prize, recognizing the achievements of outstanding Anglo immigrants and their contribution to the State of Israel. In 2020, he was listed on the Global Jewish 100—“a celebration of people across the world who are moving Jewish culture forward”—and was named among “The Top 40 Global Advocates for Israel Online” by JNS (Jewish News Syndicate). He is the author of ISRESILIENCE: What Israelis Can Teach the World, published in 2020, written together with Dr. Naomi Baum.
 

Michael made Aliyah from the UK in 2006, and lives in Israel with his wife and five children.

Yoni Zierler is the StandWithUs Director of Tourism and a leading field educator in Israel. Raised in
Cleveland, Ohio, Yoni immigrated to Israel for his last year of high school and then served in the IDF as an infantry squad commander.

Following his service and studies at the Otniel Yeshiva, he enrolled in the official Ministry of Tourism guide course to better understand his connection to Israel.

Since passing the Ministry exams, he has introduced visitors of all backgrounds to the land he calls home. A lover of music and the stage, Yoni infuses his tours with diverse talents and a fiery passion, creating an emotionally immersive experience for participants. His online tours on StandWithUs’ social media platforms have garnered hundreds of thousands of views, and in 2020, he created “Jerusalem LIVE”—private interactive tours broadcast live from the field, which brought Israel to educational institutions around the world.

Noah Shufutinsky is the Education and Outreach Manager as well as a Jewish educator, lecturer, and musician.
 

Noah is also known by his stage name, Westside Gravy. As a student at George Washington University, where he received his BA in Judaic Studies, he was heavily involved in Jewish life and Zionist activism. As an artist, he fuses his passion for Jewish culture and history with his lived experience of growing up Black and Jewish across the U.S. to write and produce hip- hop. He speaks about topics regarding Israeli and Jewish history, connection to the homeland, the intricacies of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and how it affects Jewish people around the world.