Current AVF Grantees

2024 Grantees:

Maor Albeck (Amitei Bronfman ‘06): Agunot Prevention Document
Mavoi Satum is the leading organization in Israel fighting against get abuse and in support of agunot. (A get is a document that must be signed by a husband for divorce. Agunot are Jewish women who are separated from their husbands but are unable to obtain a legal Jewish divorce.) The current war brings with it the danger of Agunot if a husband is missing but there is no explicit confirmation of his death. This project, led by Maor, seeks to prevent such a situation by having spouses sign a document prior to military service that will circumvent the problem. Maor will conduct a campaign to share the document among the relevant audience. The campaign will be conducted in cooperation between Mavoi Satum and other organizations working to solve the Aginut problem.

Roni Anaki (Amitei Bronfman ‘13): A website for The Lab for Cultural Preservation.
The goal of The Lab for Cultural Preservation NGO, founded by Roni, is to serve as a center for knowledge of the preservation of material culture in Israel.  The organization will offer preservation consultation to archives, libraries, museums and the general public. The AVF grant will go towards building a website for the organization to make its services and knowledge accessible and to reach as many institutions and people as possible who need help in preserving their cultural assets.

Hagar Ashtar (Amitei Bronfman ‘15): A Blue Tunnel
A Blue Tunnel is an evening of songs and stories created by Hagar Ashtar, which seeks to glorify the treasures of Hebrew poetry. The main emphasis of the show is exposing new audiences to this unique world of classic Hebrew poetry. The AVF grant is aimed at a marketing campaign on social media that will attract a young audience that is not yet connected to the genre. (See image on left.)

Omri Biton (Amitei Bronfman ‘14): Personal Magic – for Gaza Envelope Children
This project seeks to help children from the Gaza Envelope. A series of magic workshops will help the children build up their self-confidence, communication skills, personal resilience, and sense of success. The series will be led by Omri Biton, an experienced magician and educator, and will encourage the children to put on a final show for the community.

Abby Fisher ‘18: Leave if No Response
The play Leave if No Response, based on Abby’s own experiences, deals with coming of age with two identities, Jewish and queer, and seeks to present a wide spectrum of dynamic identity combinations. A production of the play will be held this summer in NYC. The AVF grant aims to promote the play and strengthen its creative community.

Yonatan Harari (Amitei Bronfman ‘13): Knew Blue – Tromblau & Friends 
The Knew Blue album is a musical project composed of original tunes echoing Jewish nigunim and philosophical traditions. The album was created by various musicians in Israel and the U.S., whose collaboration have established a unique framework for musical discourse for people from diverse backgrounds. 

Shiri Klayman (Amitei Bronfman ‘17): “I Will Always Be: A Home for IDF  Paramedics” 
This project seeks to support the military paramedics community by offering psychological assistance, commemorating those who died in the line of service, and leading communal gatherings. The project is led by Shiri, a  paramedic herself, and her friends who serve as military paramedics. The grant will be used to create a website for the  project.

Alma Klemes (Amitei Bronfman ‘16): “My Piece is Tied in a Thread: Between Home and War” 
Alma’s final project in Visual Communication Studies at the Bezalel Art Academy, Alma collected and designed a book that includes diverse expressions of the feelings and experiences she and many other women had and continue to have since the outbreak of the war. The book is based on eight conversations with different women, and interweaves testimonies, images, and other texts. Alma’s work will be presented at Bezalel’s graduate exhibition this August in Jerusalem. 

Poli Sharonov (Amitei Bronfman ‘03): Ceramic Matryoshkas
Poli is an artist and designer. In this project, she will design and create matryoshkas (wooden nesting dolls) made of china and porcelain. By using these materials, instead of the wood from which they are usually made, she seeks to express the fragile status of women, mothers, and wives in the reality of crisis and war. (See image on right.)

Kyra Siegel ‘20: Untitled Film on Diaspora and Care
Kyra will direct, shoot, and edit a documentary film that will express the different ways in which three characters relate to Israel, Diaspora, identity, and memory. The three characters are Kyra; Alma, an Israeli opera singer who lives in Berlin; and Nina, Alma’s 7-year-old daughter.