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OUR TEAM

AFUH

Keith Babich

Vice President of Development
kbabich@afuh.org
New Jersey

Laura Berke Hausman

Vice President, Marketing & Communications
lhausman@afuh.org
Charlotte, NC

Scott Brockman

Vice President of Development
sbrockman@afuh.org
San Francisco, CA

Igor Goldenberg

Managing Director
IGoldenberg@afuh.org
New York, NY

Derrek Shulman

National Director of Philanthropy
dshulman@afuh.org
Boston, MA

Kate Shalvoy

Director of Development
kshalvoy@afuh.org
Philadelphia, PA

Kiva Hack

Operations Specialist
New York, NY

AFUH Board of Directors​

Warren Gleicher

American Friends of University of Haifa Board Chair, Executive Committee Chair; Gift Committee Chair; Audit Committee Member
New York, NY

Sid Banon

American Friends of University of Haifa Treasurer; Audit Committee Chair
New York, NY

Bradley M. Bloom

Boston, MA

Dr. Romana Strochlitz-Primus

Waterford, CT

Ambassador Peter Rosenblatt

Washington, DC

Michael S. Rosen

Chicago, IL

Aliza Herzberg

New York, NY

Jeffrey Robbins

Boston, MA

Rafi Musher

New York, NY

Tomas Levy

San Diego, CA

US Board of Governors

Bradley M. Bloom

Chair of Board of Governors
Boston, MA

Warren Gleicher

American Friends of University of Haifa Board Chair
New York, NY

Tzili Charney

Vice Chair of Board of Governors
New York, NY

Jacob Frenkel

Honorary Life Member
New York, NY

Alfred Tauber

Immediate Past-Chair/Honorary Life Member
Boston, MA & Jerusalem, Israel

Herta Amir

Los Angeles, CA

Sidney Banon

New York, NY

Lorne Buchman

Los Angeles, CA

Eli Feinstein

New Orleans, LA

Stanley Gold

Los Angeles, CA

Geoffrey Lewis

Boston, MA

Rabbi Brian Lurie

San Francisco, CA

David Lubarsky

Los Angeles, CA

Sharon S. Nazarian, PhD

Los Angeles, CA

Ambassador Peter Rosenblatt

Washington, DC

Jay Ruderman

Boston, MA

Richard Sandler

Los Angeles, CA

Barry Shrage

Boston, MA

Edward Schneider

Berkeley, CA

Michael Traison

Chicago, IL

Mark Yudof

Jupiter, FL

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The Herta & Paul Amir Medical School

Pioneer the future of healthcare at Israel’s first medical school of the north.

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Home Again Campaign

Ensure “Home Again” is a reality for Nothern Israel.

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giving opportunities

View all

Scholarships

Fuel our students’ tomorrows, today through meaningful scholarships.
Learn More

The Herta & Paul Amir Medical School

Pioneer the future of healthcare at Israel’s first medical school of the north.

Learn More

Home Again Campaign

Ensure “Home Again” is a reality for Nothern Israel.
Learn More

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Keith Babich

Vice President of Development
kbabich@afuh.org
New Jersey

Prior to joining American Friends of University of Haifa, Keith Babich was the Senior Development Officer at the Jewish Home Foundation in New Jersey, where he worked extensively on endowments, capital campaigns, and special events and programs.

Keith especially focuses on building meaningful relationships with stakeholders, blending their philanthropic goals with organizational needs, thus maximizing the impact for both organization and donor.

Previous to his work at the Foundation, Keith had over 20 years of experience in the private and non-profit educational finance sector and has a long history of helping ensure students have access to educational opportunities. Keith is excited to join American Friends of University of Haifa and continue his career improving access to higher education for students, while also becoming more deeply involved in Israel and pro-Israel communities.
Raised in Brooklyn, New York, Keith now lives in central New Jersey with his family and enjoys travel, hiking, and camping with his son.

Laura Berke Hausman

Vice President, Marketing & Communications
lhausman@afuh.org
Charlotte, NC

Innovative. Dynamic. Driven. Laura is a creative ideator who has 15 years of experience in both the agency world and nonprofit sector.

She is a forward thinker and relationship builder who is deeply fascinated by the human spirit and believes passionately in the transformative power that storytelling can have on both an individual and our society.

Before coming to American Friends of University of Haifa, Laura worked for the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) as the Director, Creative Strategy and Operations. Here, she served as a creative and marketing strategist for a fast-paced, internal agency, producing content for all major JFNA events and initiatives as well as campaigns for 146 local chapters in North America – collectively responsible for raising $3 billion annually. In this role, as well as in previous roles, Laura oversaw and executed the full creative process for all deliverables, ensuring a cohesive and consistent branded experience.

Additionally, Laura has worked for the Greensboro Jewish Federation, the American Hebrew Academy, CJ Affiliate, and a startup tech app.

Laura holds a BA in International Affairs and English with a focus on Creative Writing. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with her husband, two sweet boys and two loveable dogs.

Scott Brockman

Vice President of Development
sbrockman@afuh.org
San Francisco, CA

Scott has been a nonprofit Jewish community leader for more than 25 years.

In executive and development positions, Scott has led and been part of organizations that have strategically reimagined themselves and grown to expand their impact. He has served as Director of Campaign Outreach and Expansion at the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County and as Executive Director of the Hillel of Broward and Palm Beach in Florida. Scott served as Southern Regional Director for J Street before becoming Executive Director of the American Friends of Neve Shalom Wahat al-Salam, where he focused on shared society. Scott has also served as Executive Director of Temple Israel of Greater Miami, and just prior to joining the development team at American Friends of University of Haifa was Executive Director of a JCC without walls in Sonoma County, California. Scott resides in the Bay Area.

Igor Goldenberg

Managing Director
IGoldenberg@afuh.org
New York, NY

Before joining American Friends of University of Haifa, Igor Goldenberg was most recently at the Linden Trust for Conservation, serving as the Director of Finance and Administration, overseeing all finance, investments, board committees, strategic planning, and operations.

Igor has also served at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Americas Society/Council of the Americas, Bronxworks, and the Jewish Association for Servicing the Aging.

Igor has a long history of establishing new systems, policies, and processes from scratch for operations, and managing grants and gifts process requirements. Igor has managed budgets ranging from ~$7M to $100M+, and an endowment fund of ~$35M.

Igor joins American Friends of University of Haifa to refocus his career to be more deeply involved in Israel and pro-Israel communities.

Igor oversees the American Friends of University of Haifa Operations portfolio, including Finance and Business Administration, Human Resources, Legal and Compliance, and Technology Services.

Derrek Shulman

National Director of Philanthropy
dshulman@afuh.org
Boston, MA

Derrek Shulman in 2025 became National Director of Philanthropy for the American Friends of the University of Haifa (AFUH).

He leads a US team that raises revenue to provide students in Northern Israel with access to world-class education across many disciplines, groundbreaking research, and community-based activity at Israel’s most diverse campus community.

For 12 years prior to joining AFUH, Derrek served as Partner / Senior Philanthropic Advisor at New Profit, America’s leading venture philanthropy firm that provides grants and strategic support to scale organizations led by visionary entrepreneurs.

Derrek developed deep relationships with a wide range of investors, inspiring them to grow New Profit’s annual revenue from $19M to $73M. Derrek customized opportunities for scores of philanthropists to engage with New Profit in ways that were impactful, stimulating, and fun. Since its founding in 1998, New Profit has granted $350M to 250 organizations and unlocked $1.9B in US Government funding for social enterprise.

Derrek’s leadership at New Profit was an extension of his previous directorship with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a civil rights organization founded in 1913. As Regional Director for ADL New England, Derrek managed a team that counteracted antisemitism, built bridges of understanding between diverse peoples, and led anti-bias education programs to appeal to people’s better angels. ADL New England more-than-doubled its annual revenue during Derrek’s 5 years at the helm.

Prior to ADL, Derrek served as the first New England Political Director of AIPAC, America’s premier pro-Israel lobby, where he worked closely with members of Congress and key constituents to strengthen the US-Israel relationship. Derrek previously held senior positions in four gubernatorial administrations, including Chief of Staff in the MA Executive Office of Elder Affairs.

It was early in his career as a daily newspaper reporter and columnist that Derrek learned to invest in relationships, value different perspectives, and practice the art of getting deals done. These experiences have come into play for Derrek throughout his ongoing journey.

Derrek is blessed to have a loving wife and two collegiate children. In his free time, you probably can find him on a tennis court trying to perfect a cross-court backhand.

Kate Shalvoy

Director of Development
kshalvoy@afuh.org
Philadelphia, PA

Kate is a versatile nonprofit leader with 20 years of experience driving growth and advancing strategic priorities for organizations in the U.S., India, and Israel.

She brings expertise in building collaborative teams, leading transitions, and galvanizing diverse stakeholders to work constructively toward a shared vision. Her career has centered on the nexus of higher education, intercultural exchange, and Jewish leadership. Most recently, she served as Executive Director of Temple Beth El in Portland, Maine, where she created and implemented a comprehensive strategic plan, encompassing $2.5m in capital investments and a 50% growth in revenue. From 2008 – 2015, she worked for the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), focusing on faculty development, community engagement, and leading the establishment of CIEE’s first study center in Israel, based at University of Haifa.

Kate holds a BA in Psychology, and she studied Peace and Conflict Management and Hebrew language at University of Haifa’s International School. Her time in Haifa was pivotal to her development as a professional and as a human being, and she is passionate about generating awareness and support for University of Haifa’s mission and impact in Israel and around the globe.

Kiva Hack

Operations Specialist
New York, NY

Prior to working with American Friends of University of Haifa, Kiva worked in health care consulting and in real estate for a luxury real estate development company where she obtained her New York Real Estate License.

Kiva holds a BA in Communication with a minor in Human Resource Development from James Madison University. She lives in New York City and enjoys seeing Broadway shows, exploring new restaurants, and spending time with friends and family.

Warren Gleicher

American Friends of University of Haifa Board Chair, Executive Committee Chair; Gift Committee Chair; Audit Committee Member
New York, NY

Derrek Shulman in 2025 became National Director of Philanthropy for the American Friends of the University of Haifa (AFUH).

He leads a US team that raises revenue to provide students in Northern Israel with access to world-class education across many disciplines, groundbreaking research, and community-based activity at Israel’s most diverse campus community.

For 12 years prior to joining AFUH, Derrek served as Partner / Senior Philanthropic Advisor at New Profit, America’s leading venture philanthropy firm that provides grants and strategic support to scale organizations led by visionary entrepreneurs.

Derrek developed deep relationships with a wide range of investors, inspiring them to grow New Profit’s annual revenue from $19M to $73M. Derrek customized opportunities for scores of philanthropists to engage with New Profit in ways that were impactful, stimulating, and fun. Since its founding in 1998, New Profit has granted $350M to 250 organizations and unlocked $1.9B in US Government funding for social enterprise.

Derrek’s leadership at New Profit was an extension of his previous directorship with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a civil rights organization founded in 1913. As Regional Director for ADL New England, Derrek managed a team that counteracted antisemitism, built bridges of understanding between diverse peoples, and led anti-bias education programs to appeal to people’s better angels. ADL New England more-than-doubled its annual revenue during Derrek’s 5 years at the helm.

Prior to ADL, Derrek served as the first New England Political Director of AIPAC, America’s premier pro-Israel lobby, where he worked closely with members of Congress and key constituents to strengthen the US-Israel relationship. Derrek previously held senior positions in four gubernatorial administrations, including Chief of Staff in the MA Executive Office of Elder Affairs.

It was early in his career as a daily newspaper reporter and columnist that Derrek learned to invest in relationships, value different perspectives, and practice the art of getting deals done. These experiences have come into play for Derrek throughout his ongoing journey.

Derrek is blessed to have a loving wife and two collegiate children. In his free time, you probably can find him on a tennis court trying to perfect a cross-court backhand.

Sid Banon

American Friends of University of Haifa Treasurer; Audit Committee Chair
New York, NY

American Friends of University of Haifa Treasurer and Chair of its Audit Committee since 2019, Sidney Banon is also a member of the University of Haifa’s Board of Governors.

Sid is Managing Director of Chazen Capital Partners LLC, a private investment partnership providing equity capital for growth opportunities with a concentration in consumer product-oriented businesses. Sid also serves as chief executive of U.S. operations for Tel Aviv-based Tigapo, a cloud-based arcade management and monetization system for vending and coin-operated machines. He was previously a co-founder of The Good Stuff Company, as well as an active and passive investor in a variety of commercial real-estate ventures.

Married to Louise (Chazen) Banon, Sid is President Emeritus of New York JNF (Jewish National Fund) and an officer of the Banon Family Foundation.

Bradley M. Bloom

Boston, MA

A member of the American Friends of University of Haifa Board of Directors, Brad Bloom is also Chair of the University of Haifa’s Board of Governors.

Brad has invested in private companies since the late 1970s and in 1986 was one of five co-founders of Berkshire Partners LLC, a private equity firm with more than $13 billion in assets under management. Previously Managing Director, he is now a Senior Advisor and has also served on more than 20 corporate boards. Brad has an AB from Harvard College and an MBA from Harvard Business School, where he was a Baker Scholar.

At Harvard he served on the Corporation’s Committee on Finance and on planning committees for the Allston campus. He was previously President of the Milton Academy Board of Trustees. A respected leader in the Boston Jewish community, he is co-founder of the Boston-Haifa Connection, a former Chairman of the Board of the Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP), and a Board member of Harvard Hillel. At the University of Haifa he recently launched the Bloom School of Graduate Studies, promoting interdisciplinary research and collaboration across faculties, and the Bloom Fellows Program.

Dr. Romana Strochlitz-Primus

Waterford, CT

Member of the American Friends of University of Haifa Board of Directors since 1988 and member of its Gifts Committee, Dr. Strochlitz Primus is a retired physician actively involved in Jewish activities in eastern Connecticut.

She served as President of the Jewish Federation of Eastern Connecticut for 12 years, until 2021. She was born in the Bergen-Belsen Displaced Persons Camp to Holocaust survivors, Sigmund and Rose Strochlitz. Her father, a close friend and collaborator of Elie Wiesel, established the Strochlitz Institute of Holocaust Studies/Strochlitz Institute for Holocaust Research at the University of Haifa in 1978. Dr. Strochlitz Primus is President of the Shlomo Zalman and Shoshana Strochlitz Foundation, Inc., which supports Holocaust commemoration and education, including scholarships in the International Master’s Program at the Strochlitz Institute. She serves on the Executive Committee of the World Jewish Restitution Organization, where she represents the American Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors.

Ambassador Peter Rosenblatt

Washington, DC

Peter R. Rosenblatt is serving on the Board of Governors of the University of Haifa for a second term. He has practiced law in New York and Washington, DC since his graduation from Yale College and Yale Law School.

In 1966 he became a member of President Lyndon Johnson’s White House staff, coordinating U.S. non-military and counterinsurgency activities in Vietnam. From 1977 to 1981 he served as President Carter’s personal representative and Ambassador to the Negotiations on the Future Political Status of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

An advisor on foreign policy to several presidential campaigns, he has served on numerous official Democratic party foreign policy committees. For the American Jewish Committee (AJC) he has served as a vice president, president of its Washington, DC chapter, and chairman of its Koppelman Institute on American Jewish Israeli Relations. He founded AJC’s Strategic Policy Group and is a member of its Board of Governors.

He is married to Haifa-born Naomi Harris Rosenblatt, who has had a career as a psychotherapist, author, and leader of Bible study groups. They have three children and seven grandchildren.

 

Michael S. Rosen

Chicago, IL

Michael is Managing Director of the Innovation and Research Park and Helix 51 Incubator for the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in North Chicago.

Michael also owns his own company, Rosen Bioscience Strategies LLC, a life science economic development consultancy focused on the development of science parks, incubators, and eco-systems centered around research-based universities. He was previously Senior Vice President, New Business Development for the Science + Technology Group at Forest City Realty Trust, a Fortune 500 U.S. real estate development company. He spent many years in the life science industry in Latin America, Europe, and Asia, and has been an adjunct professor of biotechnology at Northwestern University and professor of International Management at Lake Forest Graduate School of Management in Chicago.

Holder of a BA from Beloit College and an MBA in International Business from the University of Miami, he pursued graduate and post-graduate studies at universities in Tokyo, Japan and Santiago, Chile. For 12 years he served the America-Israel Chamber of Commerce Chicago as Advisory Board Member, Board Member, and Senior VP of Life Science Practice Group, enhancing commercial activity between Israel and Illinois and the entire Midwest. Michael is married to attorney Vivian Manasse and they have four children.

Aliza Herzberg

New York, NY

Aliza is Managing Member of the Herzberg Law Group, which she founded in 2017.

She advises companies on a broad range of employment issues, including compliance with employment laws, negotiation of employment and severance agreements, succession planning, reductions in force, and due diligence associated with mergers and acquisitions. She conducts anti-harassment and DEI training as well as workplace investigations, and she assists companies in crisis management.

Aliza is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and the Fordham University School of Law. She has been named to the New York Super Lawyers list since 2010 and has also been named one of the Top Women Attorneys in the New York Metro Area and one of the Best Lawyers in America in the field of employment law. She is also an Executive Board Member of The Jewish Center in Manhattan, a Modern Orthodox Center for Jewish Life and Learning. She lives in Manhattan with her husband and is the proud mother of two daughters and a stepson.

Jeffrey Robbins

Boston, MA

Jeff Robbins handles high-stakes litigation for companies and individuals who are entangled in corporate, shareholder, employment, and a variety of other disputes, defending against or bringing defamation claims, or under corporate or congressional investigation.

During his more than 35 years as a litigator and trial lawyer, Jeff has represented parties in high-profile First Amendment, corporate takeover, employment, breach of fiduciary duty and fraud-based cases, and has guided numerous companies, non-profits and individuals through matters involving intense media scrutiny. His notable cases include his successful defense of newspapers and other companies sued for defamation, resulting in two seminal defamation decisions issued by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court upholding summary judgment for prominent defendants.
Jeff was appointed Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, where he focused on civil fraud cases and money laundering investigations, as well as investigations involving hospitals, physicians, and pharmacies. There he was tapped to be the district’s first Chief of the Asset Forfeiture Division. In 1997 he was appointed Chief Counsel for the Minority of the US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and Deputy Chief Counsel for the Minority of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, where he represented Democratic senators in connection with an investigation into campaign fundraising practices during the 1996 presidential election. He was twice appointed as a Special Assistant Attorney General in Massachusetts, representing the Secretary of State of the Commonwealth in congressional redistricting and public records litigation. In 1999 and then again in 2000 he was appointed by President Clinton as a US Delegate to the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva, Switzerland.
Beyond his legal practice, Jeff is an ABC News Contributor, appearing regularly on ABC News Live to discuss a variety of legal topics. He also writes a nationally syndicated column for the Boston Herald about politics, foreign policy and national security issues. His columns have also appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the Boston Globe, the New York Observer, the Christian Science Monitor, and the Times of Israel. He has lectured widely throughout the United States and Canada on issues relating to the Mideast and is a Visiting Professor of the Practice of Political Science at Brown University, where he teaches courses on congressional investigations and political journalism.

Jeff is the former Chairman of the New England Board of the Anti-Defamation League, and the former President of the World Affairs Council of Boston.

Rafi Musher

New York, NY

Rafi Musher is the Founder and Chairman of the Board of Stax.

Since founding Stax in 1994 and starting the private equity practice in 1996, Musher has advised senior executives and private equity investors on a broad range of issues including corporate strategy, commercial due diligence, profit improvement and growth, data and analytics, major investments, and divestitures. Musher regularly counsels clients across key business sectors including agriculture, business services, consumer/retail, education, energy/environmental, financial services, healthcare, industrial, and technology.

In addition to his work with Stax, Musher is engaged in numerous philanthropic ventures and currently serves on the board of The Bronx Lab School, an innovative NYC public high school with a focused mission of preparing 100% of their students for college. He is founder and Chairman of itrek, a nonprofit which introduces tomorrow’s leaders in business, STEM, law, and policy to Israel, helping them experience Israel firsthand.

Musher is a popular speaker and thought leader on private equity, corporate innovation, venture philanthropy, and utilizing data to improve for-profits and nonprofits. His work has been published broadly within industry and general business publications.

Musher is frequently a guest lecturer and panelist discussing these topics, along with how emerging leaders can simultaneously develop their career and social impact.

Musher holds a B.S. in Communications and Advertising from Boston University.

Tomas Levy

San Diego, CA

Tom Levy is Distinguished Professor of the Graduate School, and the inaugural holder of the Norma Kershaw Chair in the Archaeology of Ancient Israel and Neighboring Lands at the University of California, San Diego.

Levy helped launch the Scripps Center of Marine Archaeology, emphasizing field work in Israel with University of Haifa and in Greece with the University of Patras to explore climate, environmental and social change in the eastern Mediterranean. Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and recipient of an honorary doctorate from Charles University in the Czech Republic, Levy is a widely published Levantine field archaeologist with interests in the role of technology, especially early mining, and metallurgy on the evolution of societies, especially in the eastern Mediterranean. Levy is the founder and Co-Director of the Center for Cyber-Archaeology and Sustainability at the Qualcomm Institute at UC San Diego. He is completing the third year of a $1.3 million Koret grant focused on marine archaeology along Israel’s Carmel coast with Professor Assaf Yasur-Landau, Director of the Recanati Institute of Maritime Studies at University of Haifa.

Bradley M. Bloom

Chair of Board of Governors
Boston, MA

Brad Bloom is the Chair of the University of Haifa Board of Governors. He has invested in private companies since the late 1970s and in 1986, was a Co-Founder of Berkshire Partners, a private equity firm with more than $13 billion in assets under management. He previously served as Managing Director of the firm and continues to serve as a Senior Advisor of Berkshire Partners, where he has been actively involved with consumer and retail portfolio companies.

Mr. Bloom has an AB from Harvard College and an MBA from Harvard Business School with highest distinction. He is a former Chairman of the Board of Directors of Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Boston and a former President of the Board of Trustees of Milton Academy. He is active in various roles at Harvard University, including serving on the Harvard Corporation’s Committee on Finance and planning committees for the Ivy League university’s Allston campus.

 

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