THE ALUMNI NETWORK

How does a small college change the face of a nation? One graduate at a time.

Shalem graduates bring shared values and commitments to their areas of influence, strengthening the foundations of Israeli society and shaping a better future for all its citizens.

From a learning community to a network of engaged professionals, our alumni occupy key positions in sectors with the potential to determine the contours and character of the Jewish state. Together, they bring about strategic change: in the Knesset, in the classroom, in culture, and in public discourse.

Greater than the Sum of its Parts

Our alumni advance ideas, establish nonprofits, advise on policy, and educate the next generation, and their collective efforts result in exponential impact.

Diplomacy

A political advisor to the Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations, a senior advisor to Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, and a senior press officer at the Israeli embassy in London: These are just some of the positions Shalem graduates occupy on the world stage, and through which they help craft the policies and shape the narratives that advance Israel’s security, bilateral relations, and international standing.

PAUL ZARFATI ’19 is political advisor at the Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations, where he monitors resolutions in the Security Council regarding the Middle East.

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Economics

Advancing policy reforms in the unionization of workers and building a grassroots network of young professionals committed to governmental transparency: Shalem graduates work every angle in their efforts to promote policies that will ensure the productivity and prosperity of the Jewish state.

SAPIR BLUZER ’18, selected as one of Globes‘ “30 Leading Women in Israel” of 2018, is CEO of the National Student Union and co-founder of Israel 2050, a movement of young activists who seek to eliminate special interests and ensure a fair and flourishing economy for all Israel’s citizens.

Academia

Whatever their fields of scholarship and research, Shalem graduates who have chosen to pursue advanced degrees seek to build bridges between academia and society, informing public debate and offering knowledge and insight in ways that can make a difference—to their state, their people, and their world at large.

J.J. KIMCHE ’19 is a doctoral student at Harvard University, where he specializes in modern European philosophy and modern Jewish intellectual history.

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Government

One graduate was an advisor and speechwriter for the Speaker of the Knesset, while another leads the Ministry of Education’s efforts to devise a civics curriculum for Arab students in East Jerusalem. Together, they and other Shalem graduates who have chosen a career in public service are involved in decision-making processes at the highest level, and their input can be felt in every area of public life.

FEKADE ABEBE ’18 was a member of the Regulations Division of the Prime Minister’s Office, where he advised government ministries on the optimal solutions to the legal challenges they faced.

Social Entrepreneurship

The advancement of free-market economic reforms, expanding the options in matters of religion and state, and making Jerusalem a more livable and united city: Shalem graduates promote their positions and advance their ideals by establishing nonprofits, launching socially minded initiatives, and starting conversations between stakeholders about ways to improve Israeli society. 

RIVKA ARBIV ’18 is COO of Hashgacha Pratit, an NGO that expands the scope of options for religious services in Israel, and founder of its Chuppot program, which offers an alternative to wedding ceremonies conducted by the Chief Rabbinate.

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Media

Shalem graduates write books and articles that reshape the scholarly discourse—and produce news items that analyze current affairs. United by a commitment to the public interest and to open-minded inquiry and debate, they recognize the role of a robust media in society and the need to shape a new, ideas-driven national conversation.

ORI ISAAC ’17 is a content editor and news anchor at the Israel Television News Company, whose flagship evening news bulletin is the most widely watched daily show in the country.

Culture

An editor of an intellectual journal of ideas for the ultra-Orthodox sector, the editor in chief of a publishing house, and an exhibition curator for Jerusalem’s Tower of David museum: Shalem graduates are shaping a culture that encourages thoughtful engagement with the issues that affect our identities as citizens of a Jewish and democratic state.

DVIR SCHWARTZ ’17 is editor in chief of Sella Meir, a boutique publishing house that publishes best-selling—and often counter-culture—works of political thought, history, economics, and more.

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Education

Whether by founding and directing elite pre-army preparatory academies, teaching students in the country’s socio-economic periphery, or bringing secular and religious teens together for collaborative projects, Shalem alumni play leading roles in preparing a new generation of Israelis for lives of service and the creation of a cohesive society.

INBAR ZAYIT ’18 teaches Hebrew and Arabic as part of the prestigious “Hotam” (Teach First Israel) Program for schools in the state’s social and economic periphery.

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