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The Hagar Association’s Steering Committee is made up of Arabs and Jews, all of whom are committed to shaping a new educational agenda in Beer-Sheva. The committee includes educators, social and community activists, and people who have dedicated their time in various ways to promoting Jewish-Arab democratic education in the South of Israel.

(For bios of our steering committee, please click on the name below.)

Anwar Alh'jooj, Co-Chair of Hagar
Anwar was born in the unrecognized Bedouin village Awjan in the Negev. He holds a law degree from Camereno University in Italy and is a volunteer human rights activist in a number of organizations. Until recently, he worked as the director of the southern branch of the Association for Peace and Social Justice.
Dr. Akiva Leibowitz, Co-Chair of Hagar
Akiva works as a physician in the Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care at Soroka University Hospital, Beer-Sheva. He grew up and completed his medical studies in Beer-Sheva. He also taught medical sciences in “Negishut,” a Ben-Gurion University academic program that promotes and facilitates access to higher education for underprivileged adolescents from various communities in the Negev. During his university years, Akiva was involved in several organizations promoting Jewish-Arab coexistence.
Dvorka Oreg
Dvorka was the founder and first executive director of the Negev branch of “Shatil.” Prior to this, she was the head of a Municipal Department of Education at Omer, which is a suburb of Beer-Sheva. Dvorka also worked for many years in the Ministry of Education in various capacities. Dvorka holds an MA in Contemporary Judaism and Hebrew Language from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a diploma in Organizational Consultancy and Human Resource Development from the University of California, Berkeley.
Yousef Al-Atawneh
Yousef served as a Co-Chair of the Hagar Association since its foundation until November 2008. For the last fourteen years, Yousef has been the director of the Department of Education in the Hora Local Council, a Bedouin town near Beer-Sheva. Previously he worked as a teacher in the Hora Elementary School and as an assistant director of the Department of Education at Shoket Local Council. Yousef holds an M.A. in Public Administration from Ben-Gurion University, is an active member of the “Together” Forum, and Chair of the Struggle Team of the Negev Arabs.
Sarah Zoar
Sarah holds an M.A. in Education Administration from Ben-Gurion Univerity, Beer-Sheva. Sarah has worked as a teacher, a principal, a primary and secondary school inspector, and a lecturer at Kay Academic College, Beer-Sheva. Between 1994-1998 Sarah led an innovative development program for the Arab education system in Tel-Sheva settlement in the South of Israel. Between 1999-2006 Sarah worked as the Director of the Kay College Association for Promoting Education, Culture and Sports.
Marwan Amer
Marwan is a group instructor at the Adam Institute’s “Education for Democracy” program. He also teaches civics, history and Hebrew at a school in Abu Tlul, an unrecognized Bedouin village. Marwan holds a B.A. in Philosophy and Political Science from Ben-Gurion University and an M.A. in Educational Administration from the University of Derby.
Alma Vardari-Kesler
Alma is the project manager of the Centre for the Study of European Politics and Society at Ben-Gurion University, where she also works as a teaching assistant. Born and raised in Albania, Alma immigrated to Israel in 1991 and settled in the Negev. Alma holds an M.A. in Political Sociology and is now a PhD candidate in Sociology at Tel-Aviv University. Alma has also been involved in educational, social and volunteer activities in various organizations, including Kav LaOved. In 2007, she volunteered as Hagar’s Development Director.
Dr. Erez Zfadia
Erez is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Public Administration and Policy in Sapir Academic College, Sderot. He holds a PhD from the Geography Department of Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva. He is also a board member of the “Bimkom” Association – Planners for Planning Rights.