Brigadier General (Res.) Shalom Ben Moshe – Chairman and Executive Committee Member. Brigadier General (Res.) and former Mayor of Rosh HaAyin. During his 29 years of service in the IDF, he held a series of senior command positions. From 1989 to 1991, he served as the Chief Military Police Officer, and from 1991 to 1995, as the Chief Education Officer. Ben Moshe served in the Golani Brigade in various command roles, including commanding the 51st Battalion, serving as Deputy Brigade Commander on the northern border, and commanding the brigade in the Mount Hermon-Har Dov sector. During the First Lebanon War (1982), he served as Chief of Staff of the Northern Command and was Deputy Commander of IDF forces in Lebanon. He participated in the Six-Day War, the War of Attrition, the Yom Kippur War, and various operations between wars, including Operation Entebbe. Ben Moshe immigrated from Yemen, grew up, and was educated in Rosh HaAyin. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Tel Aviv University and a master’s degree in social sciences from the University of Haifa, along with a teaching certificate. He has held senior positions in the Ministry of Labor and Welfare, the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Labor, the Ministry of Transportation, and the Ministry of Economy. He served as the Mayor of Rosh HaAyin from 2013 to 2024. In recognition of his contributions, Shalom Ben Moshe was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the Open University of Israel.
Photo by Assaf Shilo
Major General (Res.) Amos Yadlin – Board Member. After 40 years of service in the IDF, Major General (Res.) Yadlin served as the Head of Military Intelligence (Aman) from 2006 to 2010. He also served as Deputy Commander of the Israeli Air Force and headed the Air Force’s Planning Directorate. As a fighter pilot, he participated in the Yom Kippur War, Operation Peace for Galilee, and Operation Opera, the mission to destroy Iraq’s nuclear reactor. From 2011 to 2022, he served as the Head of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS). Major General Yadlin holds a bachelor’s degree with honors in Economics and Business Administration from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University.
Dr. Hezi Yosef – Board Member. Director of Educational Institutions, Member of the Board at Achva Academic College, and Researcher in the Field of Youth Behavior. An expert in Cognitive-Behavioral Psychotherapy and a lecturer at educational institutions and organizations in Israel and worldwide.
Mr. Aharon Ratner – Treasurer of the Association and Board Member. Former CFO of Israeli and international technology companies. Served as a member and chairman of technology company boards. Lecturer and senior faculty member in academia.
Mr. Prof. Jack Habib – Board Member. Served for many years as the CEO of the Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute in Israel and retired after approximately 40 years of service.
Mr. Eliad Katz – Board Member. Manager and entrepreneur in diverse industrial fields in Israel and abroad. In addition, serves on the boards of directors of several companies
Photography: Avi Mualem
Mr. Abay Zewude– Board Member. A community leader and former member of the Rehovot Municipality Council. The founder of Beni Yitzhalal’s football team. He serves as chairman of municipal committees and promotes sports and Ethiopian mobilization in Israel.
Ms. Shuli Wandam – Board Member. With extensive human resources experience, she currently serves as the HR Manager at Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).
Founders of the Fidel Association
Dr. Negist Mengesha, along with Ariel Landau (z” l) and other veteran Israelis, founded the Fidel Association in 1997 to promote the successful integration of the Ethiopian community in Israel. Ariel z” l volunteered to serve as Chairman of the Board and held this position for 10 years, while Negist served as CEO of Fidel for its first 7 years.
Mr. Ariel Landau (z”l) – 1942-2013.
Ariel served as Chairman of the Board of “Yashir Investment House,” Deputy President of Elbit and Elscint, CEO of Discount Ilanot, and director of companies in the “Yashir Insurance” group, “Leumi & Co.” and various startups. Starting in 1992, Ariel became actively involved in the absorption of Ethiopian Jews in Israel, particularly in education and training. Ariel was one of the pillars of the organization from its inception, working daily to advance Israeli society as a whole and the Ethiopian community in particular.