University of Haifa

Ayelet Gimpel Meshulam holds both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in social work from Haifa University. Works as a social worker at the Geriatric Evaluation Unit at Clalit Health Services, Haifa and Western Galilee District. As part of her work in the unit, she cares for the elderly and their family members, who cope with cognitive and functional changes that the patient is going through. She facilitates groups for primary caregivers of dementia patients. Her main areas of interest are: behavioral changes in dementia patients – consequences and effective coping methods; communication with dementia patients; and caregiver stress.

Holds a master’s degree in human resources , a mentor and facilitator. Co-founder of “Tovanot” Organization for spreading the way of listening circles in Israel and around the world. Additionally, she currently manages, develops and facilitates training programs for listening circles at the international Snapchat company. A member of the Center for the Study of Human Spirit (currently under construction).

A senior lecturer at the Faculty of Education at Haifa University, in the Department of Consultancy and Human Development and in the Department of Learning, Teaching and Instruction.
As a brain researcher, her study centers around the brain mechanisms involved in the practice of mediation, with an emphasis on a sense of self, as well as on these mechanisms link to education and psychotherapy.

Dr. Efrat Gil holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a Doctor of Medicine degree from the Technion. She interned in internal medicine at Bnai Zion Medical Center, and in geriatric medicine at Fliman Geriatric Hospital, Haifa. Previously she was the founder and director of the Geriatric Consultation Unit at Bnai Zion Medical Center, and currently works as district geriatrician at Clalit Health Services for Haifa and the Western Galilee District, as well as for Carmel Medical Center. She is highly involved in training medical and nursing students and interns. Her main areas of interest are hospital-acquired complications in the elderly, with a special emphasis on delirium, the therapeutic continuum and advanced dementia.

Studies motivation and emotional regulation. A staff member in the Department of Education at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, holding the rank of a lecturer. Interested in the processes through which individuals (children, parents and teachers) internalize goals and values and make them their own, as well as in the link between these internalization processes and emotional regulation processes. Won a grant from the Israeli Science Foundation (ISF) for his study that sought to examine the internalization processes of values in a classroom setting. A clinical psychologist who treats adolescents and adults in a private practice.

Dr. Topaz is a senior lecturer at the School of Nursing at Haifa University. He functions as the director of the laboratory for information technology in healthcare. Dr. Topaz has been involved as a consultant in healthcare policymaking processes (both on a national level and an international level), he functioned as chairperson of the workgroup by the International Medical Informatics Association, and participated in entrepreneurial projects in the field of healthcare. He has completed his master’s degree at Haifa University and his PhD at Pennsylvania University. In his current position, he focuses on the development of natural language processing solutions for large databases in the field of healthcare.

A scholar and lecturer in the fields of positive psychology, existential psychology, logotherapy and meaning in life, spirituality and spiritual growth, mental well-being, and processes of positive change and growth within the life cycles, in various academic institutes and organizations. A logotherapist and the head of the training program for logotherapists at Tel Aviv University, as well as the head of Matzpen Institute for the Search for and Application of Meaning in Life.
Dr. Russo-Netzer is an academic consultant and developer of academic intervention programs and training programs in various public and private organizations. Co-editor of the books “Meaning in Positive and Existential Psychology” and “Clinical Perspectives on Meaning: Positive and Existential Psychotherapy”, published by Springer NY.

A registered nurse with both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in nursing from Haifa University. A nurse in the internal medicine ward at Clalit Health Services’ Carmel Medical Center, Haifa.
Coordinator of studies on the impact of hospitalization on the elderly, and studies the influence of sleep medications on sleep, cognition and mental health during hospitalization.

Holds a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in group facilitation. Facilitates self-compassion groups and continuing education programs for teachers on self-compassion and the acknowledgement of good. A member of the Center for the Study of Human Spirit at Haifa University.

Yifat Alon holds a bachelor’s degree in social work and a master’s degree in gerontology from Haifa University.
A graduate of the Israeli program for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
Head of the social work service in the District Geriatrics Unit of Clalit Health Services, Haifa and Western Galilee District.
Cares for the elderly and their family members, develops and facilitates groups for the family members of elderly people who suffer from dementia.
Highly involved in the instruction and communication of knowledge to staff: physicians, interns, social workers and nurses.
Areas of interest: the stress experienced by the primary caregiver of a family member suffering from dementia; non-pharmacological tools for coping with the behavioral changes of dementia patients; raising awareness to violence against the elderly and their neglect; therapeutic continuum between organizations that care for the elderly.

A scholar of spirituality from within and without, co-editor of two books on the link between education and investigation and philosophical-spiritual searching. Wrote a book titled “Whirlwinds” on teacher-student relations in the path of spirituality. A doctoral student at the Faculty of Education at Haifa University, where he conducts research and writes his doctoral dissertation on the subject of “Enlightened Life: Interview-Based Study of Spiritual Exemplars”.

Prof. Anna Zisberg, from the Department of Nursing at Haifa University, holds both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in nursing from Tel Aviv University, and a PhD in gerontology and nursing from Washing University, Seattle, USA. Has extensive experience caring for the elderly in a hospital setting in both internal medicine and geriatrics wards. Over the last few years, she has been studying the impact of acute and chronic morbidity on the elderly’s health and quality of life. Through her studies, she seeks to improve the quality of care provided to the elderly throughout the public healthcare system at all care points on the therapeutic continuum, from the community to geriatric establishments, with a special emphasis on short-term hospitalization.

Head of the program for the development of education systems at the Department of Learning, Teaching and Instruction.
President of the International Council of Philosophical Inquiry with Children (ICPIC). His studies are concerned with the philosophy of education, philosophical inquiry with children, study of textbooks and curricula, and studying group narratives. Headed the German-Israeli Committee for the Study of Textbooks (2010-2015) and published three books and dozens of articles in his field of study.

Has been teaching critical thinking for over 40 years, mainly at Haifa University, where he is employed as a member of the Department of Philosophy.

Education:

PhD, Philosophy, UCLA, 1983
ABA, Philosophy and Mathematics, UC, Berkley, 1976

Areas of specialty:

Critical thinking
The philosophy of language
Philosophical logic

Books:

Applied Logics: A Guide to the Principals of Argument. Jerusalem: Branco Weiss Institute and the Ministry of Education, 1998.

Direct Belief: An Essay on the Semantics, Pragmatics, and Metaphysics of Belief.
Mouton Series in Pragmatics, 13. Berlin and Boston: De Gruyter Mouton, 2012.

A professor of developmental psychology at the Faculty of Education at Haifa University. Served as dean of the faculty between 2006 and 2012, and as chairperson of the pedagogic secretariat at the Ministry of Education between 2012 and 2013. A certified clinical psychologist. Head of the Center for the Study of Human Spirit (currently under construction).
Her field of expertise is the study of parent-child relations, with a special emphasis on the Israeli context of passage from adolescence to adulthood. Simultaneously, she also studied the motivational system of caring treatments as it comes into play in different contexts, and published a book on this subject, The Caring Motivation. Over the last few years she has been focusing on contemplation and study of issues related to the spiritual aspect of human development, and along with her colleagues organized academic conferences on spirituality, such as: the conference for the study of contemporary spirituality, perceptive pedagogy, and gates to spirituality in psychotherapy and counseling.

Shai Linn is a professor (emeritus) at Haifa University.
A scholar of public health, an epidemiologist, a physician, with a master’s degree in public health and a master’s degree in medical administration. Holds an MD degree from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, an MPH (Master of Public Health) degree and a DrPH (Doctor of Public Health) degree from Harvard University in Boston, USA.
I served as deputy director of Rambam Health Care Campus, and as part of my position I was in charge of medical information at the Campus and at the Faculty of Medicine at the Technion, within different settings. I previously served as member of the Technion’s Academic Computing Committee and as head of the Clinical Epidemiology Unit at Rambam Health Care Campus.

Holds an MBA in business administration and finance. A lecturer, consultant and mentor for managers. Co-founder of “Tovanot” Organization for spreading the way of listening circles in Israel and around the world. An expert in facilitating circles and working with teaching staff and students. A member of the Center for the Study of Human Spirit (currently under construction).

A lecturer in the Department of Nursing at Haifa University. Holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Tel Aviv University, and a PhD in geriatrics and nursing from the University of Washington, Seattle, USA. Through her work in internal medicine wards, she gained work experience in caring for the elderly in hospitalization. Over the last few years she has been studying the health consequences of acute and chronic diseases in the elderly and these diseases’ impact on their quality of life. Her studies seek to improve the quality of treatment that the elderly receive in the general healthcare system, from community-based medicine to medical establishments, with an emphasis on short term hospitalization in hospitals.

Holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a PhD in medicine from the Technion. Specializes in internal medicine at Bnai Zion Medical Center and in geriatrics at Fliman Geriatric Hospital in Haifa. Was the founder and director of the Geriatrics Consultancy Unit at Bnai Zion Medical Center and is currently the head of geriatrics in Haifa and the Western Galilee district at Clalit Supplementary Healthcare Services. Also works in teaching medical and nursing students, trainees and interns. Is particularly interested in complications during hospitalization among the elderly, especially in all that pertains to delirium, clinical processes and progressive dementia.

A lecturer at Haifa University (since 2010) and at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (since 2019) in the Department of Arabic Language and Literature. Studied at Haifa University in the Department of Philosophy and the Department of Arabic Language and Literature, and received a certificate of excellence on her doctoral studies. Mostly specializes in critical Western theories, Arabic and Muslim philosophy and modern Arabic literature.

Her translation to Arabic of Prof. Jonathan Berg’s book (originally published in Hebrew), “Applied Logic: A Guide to the Principles of Argument”, will soon (in 2020) be published by the Arabic Language Association (Nazareth).

To view her publications, you may view her personal website in the link below:

https://haifa.academia.edu
/ClaraSroujiShajrawi
/Analytics/activity/overview‎

A graduate of the University of Pavia in Italy, specializing in internal medicine at Rambam Health Care Campus. Completed his specialization program in geriatrics at Fliman Geriatric Hospital in Haifa. Works as a consultant physician on geriatrics at Clalit Supplementary Healthcare Services in Haifa and the Western Galilee, where he diagnoses and treats delirium and especially Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety and depression, and several other diseases related to old age. Dr. Maher is also the director of two large geriatric centers and has received an award of excellence from the Ministry of Health for raising the medical standards in both, in terms of quality of treatment.

Holds a PhD in nursing from Haifa University and a master’s degree (with honors) from the Department of Public Health and Healthcare Administration. Her doctoral dissertation studied the factors related to unique cultural properties and to medical treatment activities during transfer from treatment in a hospital setting to treatment with a general physician, how these factors influence the duration it takes the patient to be ready to be transferred from the hospital, and later how these factors will influence the patient’s return to the hospital within 30 days from discharge. Dr. Rayan-Gharra received a prestigious annual grant from the Council for Higher Education for outstanding doctoral students from the Arab sector. Published several articles, the most important of which was recently published in the prestigious journal BMJ Quality & Safety, where it was ordered by the journal’s editor, in order for the recommendations of her research to be implemented by American health organizations. Has also participated in several conferences, some local and some international. Currently employed as a lecturer and a scholar in the Department of Nursing at Haifa University.

A registered nurse, holder of a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and master’s degree (with honors) in public healthcare and health organization management (MHA – Master of Healthcare Administration) from Haifa University. Since 2008, Mr. Ziyad has been the head nurse in the Department of Internal Medicine at Carmel Medical Center, which is affiliated with Clalit Supplementary Healthcare Services, and has been working as a nurse in the Department of Internal Medicine for 31 years, mostly in the field of geriatrics and gerontology. In 1996 Ziyad won an outstanding employee’s award for his work as a nurse, and under his management the Department of Internal Medicine won first place in the award for best department in Israel twice over the last five years.