Amal Leadership Joins Bronfman Prize 20th Anniversary Celebration

Last week, Karen Tal, Director General of the Amal Educational Network, and Yael Nathanel, Head of Development, attended the 20th-anniversary celebration of the Charles Bronfman Prize in New York. The prize, awarded annually since 2003, honors humanitarians under the age of 50 whose innovative work, driven by Jewish values, has significantly impacted the world. Karen Tal, a 2011 laureate, was recognized for transforming a struggling school for immigrant children in South Tel Aviv into a successful model of tailored education.

The Charles Bronfman Prize was founded by Ellen Bronfman Hauptman, Stephen Bronfman, and their spouses to celebrate their father’s 70th birthday. Over the past two decades, it has created a fellowship of laureates committed to solving global challenges with dedication, innovation, and passion. During the four-day anniversary event, the 20 laureates, representing communities all across the world, including the US, England, Brazil and Israel, reflected on their achievements and the lasting impact of their work.

At the closing reception, Karen Tal delivered a heartfelt toast, sharing her vision for rebuilding Israeli society through education in the wake of the current war. She recounted how the Bronfman Prize allowed her to expand her work to 40 schools across Israel’s periphery and spoke about the urgent need for civic education during this difficult time. She also highlighted the losses within the Amal community—40 members killed, several wounded, and two alumni held hostage—and called for hope and unity, stressing that Amal’s diverse community has the potential to be a driving force in rebuilding Israel.

Tal’s vision for Amal is to transform it into Israel’s first state-democratic educational network, embedding civic values into scientific-technological education and fostering connections among students from different backgrounds. She concluded with a call to action, inviting those in attendance to join her mission to reshape Israeli education, rebuild society, and secure the future through a renewed commitment to democratic values and social cohesion.

The people who attended the closing event and the entire 4 days anniversary program were: the prize founders: Ellen Bronfman Hauptman, Andrew Hauptman, Stephen Bronfman, Claudine Blondin Bronfman, The prize judges: honorable Rosalie Silberman Abella, the honorable Stuart E. Eizenstat, the honorable Dan Meridor, Professor Amitai Ziv M.D, the Prize Executive Director: Paulette Light, and the prize recipients: Yotam Polizer, CEO “Isra-Aid”, Nik Kafka, Founder of “Teach a Man to Fish”, Drs. Jessica Beckerman and Ari Johnson, Co-founders, “Muso”, David Hertz, President of “Gastromotiva”, Amy Bach, President, “Measures for Justice”, David Lubell, Founding Director, “Welcoming International”, Etgar Keret, Author and Storyteller, Rebecca Heller, Co-Founder, “International Refugee Assistance Project”, Sam Goldman, President, “d.light”, Eric Rosenthal, Founder, “Disability Rights International”, Jared Genser, Founder, “Freedom Now”, Sasha Chanoff, Founder, RefugePoint, Mike Feinberg + Dave Levin, Co-Founders, Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP), Rachel Andres, Founder, “The Solar Cooker Project”, Prof. Amitai Ziv, Founder, “MSR: Israel Center for Medical Simulation”, Alon Tal Founder, “Adam Teva V’Din” and “Arava Institute” and Jay Feinberg, Founder, “Gift of Life Marrow Registry”.