Last month, ISEF alumna Dr. Adi Koll was awarded Israel’s distinguished Knesset Speaker’s Quality of Life Prize.  This national award was granted to just four Israelis for their groundbreaking work to bridge the gaps of inequality in Israeli society.

Adi is the founder and director of Access for All, a unique college preparatory program at Tel Aviv University that opens the doors of higher education for Israel’s most at-risk groups — battered women, ethnic minorities, and troubled youth — people who never imagined themselves going to college.

Dr. Adi Koll was profiled in The Jewish Week when she was an ISEF International Fellow studying for her Ph.D. at Columbia University Law School in 2005.

We are proud to have helped Dr. Koll, along with thousands of other bright young scholars, to overcome incredible odds and watch them grow into true leaders, making a real difference and building a better Israel!

Ashekelon’s youth embark on their “Bridge to College”

On Sunday, December 18th, at Ashkelon Comprehensive High School, a festive ceremony marked the beginning of an exciting new partnership with ISEF alumnus, entrepreneur and lifelong Ashkelon resident Eli Elezra.

Responding to the needs of this peripheral community in Israel’s southern region, recently under rocket attack from Gaza, The Elezra Foundation, in partnership with Perach, has helped to launch ISEF’s Bridge to College project for Ashkelon’s youth.

Thirty-four high school pupils were selected to take part in this project, which ISEF also runs in seven other underserved communities throughout Israel. Seventeen ISEF B.A. scholars will provide our young participants with intensive tutoring and mentoring support to help them do well on their high school matriculation exams and gain admission to a college or university.

In addition to academic enrichment, Bridge to College promotes social awareness through community service initiatives, and develops valuable leadership skills among these young pupils.

 Dr. Liav Orgad wins 2011 Gorney Prize in Public Law

Earlier in December, the Israeli Association of Public Law awarded the 2011 Gorney Prize for Outstanding Young Scholars in Public Law to ISEF alumnus Dr. Liav Orgad.

ISEF supported Liav throughout his advanced studies, during which he earned an LL.M. from Columbia University and an LL.D. from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Liav’s knowledge and expertise have already won him a seat on Israel’s Advisory Committee on Immigration Policy and the National Security Council.

Today, Liav is teaching law at the Radzyner School of Law, Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya.