The Jewish Agency for Israel partners with communities and institutions across North America on widening and deepening the engagement with Israel, in particular for young Jews. Our Shlichim or Israeli educators are at the center of our mission. Working in a wide variety of educational and communal settings, these shlichim provide a living bridge to Israel, engage thousands of young Jews with Israeli life and society and provide a critical resource for Israel education, engagement and advocacy. There are over 300 Shlichim in North America, working on University campuses, at Federations, in schools and Jewish Community Centers, in synagogues and with youth movements. To meet these Shlichim, to learn about their work, and to see which shlichim work near you, click on the North America Regions on the left.
Ilan Wagner is the Director of Market Engagement for North America in the Department of Education of the Jewish Agency for Israel, located in Kiryat Moria - Jerusalem.
Ilan was born in New Jersey and made Aliyah to Israel in 1986 after years of activity in the Young Judaea youth movement.
Upon arriving in Israel, he helped found the Keren Kolot Educational Seminar at Kibbutz Ketura, wrote a text book for teaching English at the high school level, and then went on to be the head of the Education Committee on Kibbutz Yotvata, and supervisor of Civics at the regional high school. In 1996, he worked as Shaliach for college students around North America and as the Educational Director of Tel Yehudah- a national senior leadership camp From 2002 until 2004 he directed the Department of Education's global student activities, before returning to the United Sates as the Jewish Agency’s representative to Hillel and Student Affairs in North America. Beginning in August, 2004 he served as the director of JAFI’s educational efforts in North America and directed MAKOM, the Israel Engagement Network in North America. He currently lives In Modiin with his wife Shoshi and two children, Amit and Adi.
Hasia Israeli is the Deputy Director General for Community Services in North America.
Hasia was born and raised in Haifa. After completing her army service, she moved to Kibbutz Shoval in the Negev, where she taught elementary and high school. She then became the headmaster of two schools in the Negev.
She subsequently served as Central Shlichah for the Kibbutz Movement and as an Aliyah Shlichah for the Jewish Agency for Israel in North America. After completing her shlichut in North America, she served as Senior Assistant to the Director of Jewish Zionist Education in the Jewish Agency offices in Israel, and as the representative of the Youth and Hechalutz Department of the Jewish Agency in the United Kingdom. Hasia returned to Israel to serve as Director the Melitz Institute and Deputy Director of the Department of Jewish Zionist Education of the Jewish Agency. Most recently, she served as the Director General of Beth Hatefusot, the Museum of the Jewish People, in Israel.
Hasia holds a teacher's certificate, a Bachelor's degree in behavioral sciences from Ben Gurion University, and an MBA from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She is married to Asher, a Jewish Agency Aliyah Shaliach, and has three daughters and four grandchildren who live in Israel.