The Ministry for Diaspora Affairs convened the first meeting of the Government of Israel – World Jewry Joint Initiative Steering Committee yesterday (September 20th) after successfully completing the internal bureaucratic government approval process.

In the coming weeks, the Committee will take part in the search for a Director General to lead the Initiative and spearhead efforts to launch at least three mega platforms out of the Initiative’s areas of focus within the coming months: Teen Trips to Israel, Jewish Summer Camps, College Campus Program, Jewish Digital Community Project, Global Service and Career Building.

The members of the Steering Committee are: Mike Leven, chairman and chief executive officer of the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta and the former President and COO of Las Vegas Sands Corporation.

Sara Greenberg who received a joint Master’s degree in public policy and business administration from the Harvard Kennedy School and the Harvard Business School in 2015. At Harvard, Ms. Greenberg founded and directed the platform InsideIL that sends MBA students to Israel for summer internships,

Mr. Gary Torgow, Chairman of Talmer Bank and Trust, a Regional Community bank located in Michigan and founder and Chairman of The Sterling Group, a real estate development, and investment company in Detroit.

Mrs. Irina Nevzlin who serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of Beit Hatfutsot-The Museum of the Jewish People, and is President of the Nadav Foundation.

In addition, an Advisory Board to the Initiative has been formed. It consists of: Mr. Yossi Beilin, minister in successive Israeli governments and innovator of Birthright; Mrs. Tova Dorfman, Israel Director at the Steinhardt Foundation; Mr. Gidi Mark, CEO of Taglit Birthright Israel; Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, former chief rabbi of the United Kingdom; Mr. David Shapiro, Executive Chairman of Giant Eagle Inc. and President of the David S. and Karen A. Shapira Foundation; Mr. Barry Shrage, President of Combined Jewish Philanthropies and others.