Who we are?
Community Mentors in academy

Dr. Hadas Shaharabani Sidon – Co-Founder and Co-Director

Prof. Nurit Yirmiya – Co-Founder and Co-Director
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Prof. Orya Tishby
Academic Chairperson of the "Community Mentors" Program
Prof. Orya Tishby is a licensed clinical psychologist and certified supervisor. She is a faculty member in the Department of Psychology and the School of Social Work and Social Welfare at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Previously, she served as Director of The Student Counseling Services at the Hebrew University. Her research focuses on mechanisms of change in short- and long-term dynamic psychotherapy, with a particular emphasis on the therapeutic relationship. In parallel, Prof. Tishby is involved in research on dyadic patterns in supervision within field training in social work.
She trains field professionals in short-term dynamic therapy and, in recent years, has co-led a course on supervision from an integrative perspective, together with Dr. Esther Bamberger, as part of the "Mifrasim" Institute.
Prof. Tishby is one of the founding members of the Israeli Psychotherapy Research Group, which she led for four years. She currently serves as President of the European Chapter of the International Society for Psychotherapy Research.

Dr. Li Mor Tzabar
Lecturer of Applied Course
Dr. Li Mor Sabar is a social worker with expertise in the field of health. She currently serves as the Campus Coordinator at Mount Scopus in the Equal Opportunities Unit at the Hebrew University.
Before her current role, she worked for many years at Hadassah Medical Center, Mount Scopus, as an evaluator of developmental delay and autism, and as a social worker in intensive care units. In her work, she worked with teams, patients, and families dealing with a wide range of social, emotional, and mental difficulties.
Her doctoral research focused on patients' desire to receive information during the "informed consent" process, in light of the Patients' Rights Law.
Li Mor particularly enjoys the privilege of teaching students the use of communication skills in a way that enables them to create meaningful and supportive connections with individuals in need of assistance.

Dr. Ayala Wohl
Lecturer – theoretical course
Ayala Wohl is the CEO of the Shefer Association, a community social worker, and an organizational consultant. She is a doctoral candidate at the University of Haifa focusing on the theory of attachment to location and community. She lectures at the Hebrew University and at the College of Management in the fields of leadership and community.
“Never doubt that a small group of concerned citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” (Margaret Mead)

Maayan Levy
Academic Coordinator
Psychologist and a doctoral candidate supervised by Prof. Orya Tashby. She studies ruptures and repairs in the therapeutic alliance, the emotions of the therapist, and the therapist's attunement to the patient. In her role in the program, she is responsible for placing students in internship positions in Jerusalem, providing ongoing support to students and field coordinators, and ensuring a continuous connection between local activities and the national program in the community. In her free time, she practices yoga, mindfulness, and yoga therapy – and enjoys spending time with her daughter, Alma.
Sapir College
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Dr. Leah Shalef
Academic Chairperson of the Community Mentors
Dr. Leah Shalef is a clinical social worker and specialist in the field of mental health (License #41). In her current role, she serves as Dean of the School of Social Work at Sapir Academic College, and works as a research consultant and therapist in the IDF's Combat Reaction Unit.
Dr. Shalef served in the IDF until 2018, completing 20 years of service as a psychology officer. In her final position, she served as Head of the Psychology Branch in the Air Force.
Dr. Shalef's research interests include suicidal behavior, post-traumatic stress disorder and their associations, primarily among soldiers, reservists and former combatants.

Mr. Nati Biton
Theoretical and Applied Course Lecturer
Nati Biton is a social worker, lecturer and researcher at the School of Social Work at Sapir College and Ben-Gurion University. Nati works in individual and group therapy in the field of mental health and in the LGBTQ+ field.

Or Brenner
Academic Coordinator
Social worker with experience working with teenagers and young adults. In recent years, she has been involved in accompanying and guiding young populations, and currently coordinates the Community Mentors project at Sapir College. She enjoys sports and spending time with her dog.
Tel Hai Academic College

Prof. Meirav Hen
Academic Chairperson of the Community Mentors Program
Prof. Meirav Hen is a practicing clinical psychologist, an associate professor and the dean of social sciences and humanities faculty in Tel-Hai University on the Rise in Northern Israel. She has been associated with Tel-Hai for the last 25 years and served as the head of the education department, psychology department, and master’s program in educational psychology. She integrates practice, research, and teaching and specializes in the fields of child psychopathology, life-domain procrastination, hospital schools, and social-emotional health in different academic and social settings. She publishes her studies in well-known international journals, presents at international psychology conferences, and is devoted to developing the knowledge and the practice of hospital pedagogues worldwide.

Dr. Shiral Bakbani-Elkayam
Coordinator and Lecturer for Theoretical and Applied Course
Dr. Bakbani-Elkayam holds a Ph.D. in Research Psychology, specializing in the study of depression and motivational mechanisms. She graduated from the direct doctoral track at the University of Haifa, and was a recipient of the Azrieli Fellows Scholarship for 2020 – a prestigious scholarship awarded based on academic excellence and exceptional personal achievements. Shiral lectures in the Psychology and Human Services departments at Tel-Hai University, and volunteers as a researcher at "Bri'ah Fund" – an organization working to advance women's rights and welfare in Israel's health system. Alongside her academic work, she manages a private clinic for couples counseling. Involved in various social initiatives, Shiral works on developing programs to advance diverse populations and increase community resilience. She performs and writes in women's theater, and serves as chairwoman of the steering team for Tzachar-Palm Beach within the Jewish Agency's "Partnership Together" framework. "I believe that interdisciplinary thinking and continuous dialogue between theory and practice are what lead to connections and the creation of meaningful knowledge."