Friends of Shamir Association

Society of Friends of the Shamir Medical Center (Asaf Harofeh)

The Association of Friends of the Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh) brings together industry, economic and high-tech leaders in Israel and the world, and helps the hospital by raising public support and donations for life-saving medical equipment, scholarships for interns, laboratories and buildings.

Today, the association focuses on its most challenging task since the establishment of the Shamir Medical Center: its accelerated growth and transformation into the largest medical center in Israel.

Good health is not taken for granted and we all want a strong health system that will enable excellent medicine. Breakthrough human medicine exists when the conditions exist that include physical infrastructure, excellent human capital and innovative technologies.

The Friends Association and the Shamir Medical Center are raising public support and donations from the country and the world, and we thank our partners in the Israeli philanthropic leadership and call on other leaders to join and leverage their business success for the sake of saving lives, social contribution and strengthening Israeli society, thus being an integral part of a historic, exciting and challenging process.

Shamir Medical Center – get to know us a little more

The Friends of Shamir Association is an integral part of the Shamir Medical Center, which has its foundations in the Ottoman Hospital in the military camp in Sarafand (founded in 1912) and is currently the fourth largest medical center in the government health system.

The center is affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine at Tel Aviv University, and three academic campuses operate there: Physiotherapy, affiliated with Tel Aviv University, Nursing, affiliated with the Hebrew University, and Radiology and Imaging, affiliated with Bar Ilan University.

Hundreds of basic and clinical studies are conducted at the center at any given moment, some of them as part of international studies. It employs 4,200 faculty members, over 650 doctors. Dozens of departments – including emergency medicine departments (emergency) – clinics, institutes and centers of excellence at the international level provide a response to over a million residents of the area.

In the coming years, following the expected massive growth of the population in the region and the national decision to add 160 dunams to the hospital area, we are about to become the largest medical center in the State of Israel. The expanded center will bring together hospitals and other facilities under its responsibility, and new areas of activity will be developed within its scope, including buildings and departments that will be added at the same time as the training of new medical teams.

Chairman of the association

Yair Shamir

Yair Shamir, son of the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, is an entrepreneur and businessman in the high-tech fields.

Yair, who holds a degree in electronic engineering from the Technion, served 25 years as a pilot and engineer in the Air Force, commanded selected technological units and retired with the rank of colonel.

Today, Yair serves as the chairman and managing partner of Catalyst Funds, and serves as the head of the National Road Safety Authority, the chairman of the board of directors of the “Shelem” academic center, the chairman of the general assembly of Ohalo College in Katsrin and a member of the board of directors of the “Gabehim” association that helps new immigrants.

Yair served as chairman of four government companies – El-Al Israel Airlines, Israel Aviation Industry, Israel Routes and Urban Transport Routes (NATA) – and served as chairman and CEO of many private and public companies in Israel and around the world, including Elite, Saitex Israel, Vicon Telecommunication Ltd. and more. He also serves as a board member in a number of companies traded on NASDAQ and serves as a director in a number of private companies in the high-tech sector.

He served as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in the 33rd Israeli government and as a member of the 19th Knesset and won the Israel Security Award in 1989.

הצג עוד
CEO of the association

Sigal Adar

Expert in philanthropy, public leadership development and infrastructure building and organizational growth. In September 2018, she was appointed to the position of CEO of the Association of Friends of the Shamir Medical Center. As part of her role, she is responsible for managing the external relations system and developing the hospital’s resources in Israel and internationally.

Prior to joining the hospital, she served as the CEO of the Friends Association between 2005-2018 at Tel Aviv University and at the same time led the establishment of the super organization of Tel Aviv University graduates, which numbers approximately 180,000 graduates.

Between the years 2000-2005, she re-established and managed the unit for social engagement in the Student Dean’s Office of Tel Aviv University. During her term of office, she initiated and operated, in cooperation with organizations and business companies in the community, approximately 50 social projects, within which approximately 900 students were involved in social activities for children, youth and adults in the community.

Has a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in social work, both from Tel Aviv University.

Her master’s thesis dealt with the dialogue of women and power. Has an additional master’s degree in political communication for managers, in the department of political science at Tel Aviv University.

In her free time she helps promote social associations in general, and the promotion of women to management positions in particular, advises and lectures on social entrepreneurship, women and power, philanthropy and public leadership. Mother of three children, originally from Moshav Bnei Atarot, where she still lives today with her family.

הצג עוד
Members of the executive committee

Samdar Nimrodi Member of the Executive Committee

Member of the Board of Directors

Attorney Samdar Nimrodi is the Vice President of Projects and Enforcement at the Hashav Training Company and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Hashav Hotels under the “Rimonim Hotels” brand. In the past, she managed a chain of 12 hotels and led their renovation projects. Samdar founded the Hoteliers Forum under the Israel Hotel Association and leads Integration of women managers in the hotel industry.
As part of promoting the motto she believes in – ‘Believing in excellence with a lot of compassion for those who need it’ – Smeder combines social action and contribution to the community in her life as a member of the management of the Orna Forat Theater, the Posh association for promoting the education of children with learning difficulties and the Women’s Circle association.
Graduated from the School of Social Work at Bar Ilan University and has a law license.

Samdar Nimrodi

Member of the Board of Directors

Ehud Levkovic

Member of the Executive Committee

Ohad Lebkovitch is a partner in Excalibur, a multi-family office.
Major in the reserves, after active reserve service in the IDF.
Born 1972 Tel Aviv Israel, married and father of one.
Has a bachelor’s degree in economics and management and a master’s degree with honors in business administration from Tel Aviv University

Levkovic fan

Member of the Executive Committee

Moshiko Moore

Member of the Executive Committee

Moshik Mor, general partner in the Amon Fund since 2020. Founding partner of the Greylock Israel Fund (today 83North) in 2006-2020 and general partner in the Greylock Fund in California in the years 2001-2006. He was one of the founders and CEO of the software company SPL WorldGroup.
Moshik has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Center for Educational Technology since 2015 and has served as the chairman of Mindset – the foreign exchange accelerator since 2017. He is the chairman of the ‘Social Board of Directors’ initiative of the Alka Institute in Joint Israel since 2018 and between 2014 and 2019 He also served as chairman of the Gebehim Association.
Has a bachelor’s degree in economics and computer science from Tel Aviv University and a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard University, a sailor and skipper.

Moshik Moore

Member of the Executive Committee

Sharon Har Oz

Member of the Board of Directors

Sharon Har Oz, who has over 20 years of experience in data analysis, is the manager of the analytics and machine learning department at Amazon web services, a volunteer mentor, lectures and accompanies a variety of initiatives such as the Apple Association, the Pro-Women Association, AWS’s GetIT program and the Ministry of Education’s StartAlpha program.
Has a bachelor’s degree in computer science and economics (MBA) from Tel Aviv University.
Believes and advocates the saying of Jeff Bezos: “work hard, have fun, make history”.

Sharon Har Oz

Member of the Board of Directors

Uzi Yemin

Member of the Executive Committee

Uzi Yamin, entrepreneur, industrialist, academic with four degrees, Israeli-American philanthropist and founder of Delek US. Uzi has been serving for many years in various leadership positions, working with managements, elected officials, graduates, donors and the community – all for the advancement of the mission of the institutions in which he is involved. Uzi has rich experience in business finance and strategy. He served as chairman of the Akiva School in Nashville, as well as a board member of Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, and the Nashville Adventure Science Center.
Uzi is a passionate supporter of charity work in Israel, including partnerships with Or Shalom and the Weizmann Institute. He is the main driving force behind the various charitable activities of Delek USA (DK) and Delek Logistics (DKL) in which he served as chairman, and an active entrepreneur in community-based activities through the ‘Delek for Hope Fund’. He brought the energy, motivation and desire to conquer goals to his personal life as well and he is one of the few people who managed to travel to the North Pole.

Uzi Yemin

Member of the Executive Committee

Maria Aharon

Member of the Executive Committee and Chairman of the Committee for International Relations of the Association

Maria Aharon, the chairman of the international relations committee of the association since 2011, is a well-known activist who strives to raise funds for Shamir Hospital and its various departments. Maria founded circles of friends in Mexico, Panama, Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, London and Paris. The significant donations she raised contributed to the building Medical departments, purchase of equipment and research. Maria organized prestigious events to raise funds in Israel, established collaborations between Assaf Harofeh and the General Hospital of Mexico. At the same time as producing many impressive events with the Mexican circle of friends, she organized doctor’s delegations to affected areas such as Wahahka, Chiapas, and served as Member of the Health Committee at the International Women’s Club and a member of the JJAC board (charity for Jews from Arab countries).

Maria Aharon

Member of the Executive Committee and Chairman of the Association’s International Relations Committee

Yoram Yahav

Member of the Executive Committee

Yoram Yahav, professional CEO of nine companies in the USA, Russia and Israel, and the head of the Yoya Group which supports countries, cities, companies, armies, banks, hospitals and leaders in over twenty countries. The company specializes in the production and implementation of future strategy, including backward scenario planning.
Yoram serves as the founding CEO and member of the Board of Directors of the Hi-Tech Commission, a member of the Board of Directors of the Red Cross in the past and a member of the Board of Directors of Kalo – the Israeli super organization of support for CEOs of non-profit associations.
Yoram founded TIM – an organization for the development of global management teams – which was announced by the Financial Times as one of the three most successful enterprises in the world in the field of management development.
A graduate of UCLA, USC and HARVARD universities and defines himself as someone who connects to giving and loving others, and giving as creating space and a place for acceptance.

Yoram Yahav

Member of the Executive Committee

Esi Schmelzer

Member of the Executive Committee

Esi Schmeltzer, chairman and board member of Shlomo Group, one of the leading investment groups in Israel that employs more than 5000 people in Israel, Romania and Germany. Under the umbrella group, Mr. Shmeltzer serves as chairman of Shlomo Holdings, which provides automobile and insurance services in Israel and abroad in the fields of Car rental, leasing services (private and operational), car sales, insurance and financing solutions.Holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Bournemouth University (UK) and a master’s degree in business administration from Richmond University (UK).

Esi Schmelzer

Member of the Executive Committee

Daniel Benaim

Member of the Executive Committee

Daniel Benaim, thanks to his connection and love for music, began his professional career as a sound technician and founded an independent company that provided services to many companies. This is how the way was paved in 1982 for the establishment of the Cometech Group, which initiates and produces events in Israel and around the world for over 35 years in sports, medicine and the business sector.Among the major events she produced: the Giro d’Italia bicycle race, the European Judo Championship, the EuroBasket Championship, the annual EY Journey Conference, Startup Nation, Sohn Conference and more.Married to Tami, father of three children and grandfather of one grandchild. He speaks Hebrew, English, Spanish and French.

Daniel Benaim

Member of the Executive Committee

Varda Burstein

Member of the Board of Directors

Varda Borstein, started her career as an education referent at the Economic Planning Authority in the Treasury, later as an investment consultant at the Discount Bank in Jerusalem and from there as a freelance journalist at the Stock Exchange.In 1985 she moved with her family to London where she first worked in finance – with a specialization in derivatives trading and later started her business in real estate, first in London and later in Berlin.The expansion and growth of the real estate business allowed her to turn to other fields at the same time. She travels a lot around the world with diverse study groups to broaden her horizons, she is an active investor in start-ups (Angelit), she believes in significant investments that create change.

Varda Burstein

Member of the Board of Directors

Association staff

Sigal Adar

CEO of the Friends Association

sigalad@shamir.gov.il

Rinat Malka

Donor relations manager

rinatma@shamir.gov.il

Inbal Sabri – Haddad

Manager of funds and community relations

inbalt@shamir.gov.il

Rose Asher

Administrative coordinator

asherv@shamir.gov.il

Association institutions

Audit Committee

  • CPA Yehuda Orbach, chairman of the audit committee
  • CPA Adv. Liat Neubirt
  • Ron Sagi

Accountant

  • CPA Miri Yuskovitz, KPMG Somech Chaikin
  • CPA Liora Ben David, KPMG Somech Chaikin

Legal advisor

  • Adv. Naama Zar Khod, Adv. Piron’s office

Internal auditor

  • CPA Sharit Berman Shapira