NEWSLETTER April 2011 No

WESTERN GALILEE COLLEGE NEWSLETTER April 2011 No. 18 Our New Director FROM THE EDITORS’ DESK Mr. Rani Falk is the experience as our new CEO, who will take Congratulations to our new CEO Mr. Rani newly appointed charge of the growing momentum of the Falk who assumed his position at the end of CEO of the Western College’s activities within the community, January, and farewell and best success to Galilee College. of our expanded range of new majors, our outgoing CEO, Mr. Yehuda Brock. Born in Afula, and of the building of our new School of Israel, in 1953, Management. Rani graduated from Yad Natan Engineering School in Western Galilee College is strongly committed 1972, which at that time was located only to strengthening the already firm bond of a few meters away from Western Galilee cooperation with the surrounding population, College. Rani completed his B.A. degree at to intensifying scholarly and social activities Auburn University Montgomery, Alabama, with the different sectors of the community in USA and his Masters degree in Public Policy northern Israel, and to attracting committed and Administration at the University of Haifa. and dedicated students from the center of Rani served as a fighter pilot in the Israeli the country through expanding our range of Air Force for 33 years and retired 6 years unique and attractive courses and majors. Mr. Yehuda Brock and Mr. Rani Falk ago as a Brigadier General, after serving As the newsletter goes to print, there is still as the Israeli Air Force Attaché at the Israeli We look forward to continuing the College’s no positive news regarding Gilad Shalit, now Embassy in Washington, DC. Following his tradition of academic excellence, combined over 1750 days in Hamas captivity in Gaza. military service, Rani served as Director with a resolute commitment to our students We share the Shalit’s family’s despair and General of the Ministry of Public Security and to the region, under the direction and frustration and anxiously await his speedy for three-and-a-half years. management of Prof. Gideon Fishman, release. College President, and the new CEO, We are privileged to welcome a man of such Mr. Rani Falk. vast strategic, administrative and managerial David Coren Hundreds of people paid respect to former of his favorite songs was held in his honor th Knesset Member David Coren, who at the College on March 13 . WGC students during the 5-minute passed away on January 13th at the age national demonstration calling for Gilad’s freedom of 93. David’s vision and mission was the With best wishes for a happy Passover and development of the Western Galilee and he Easter, spent a lifetime fulfilling this dream. David held many prominent positions during the Linda Futterman and Chava Kochavi, Newsletter Editors course of his long public career, and was [email protected] one of the founders of Western Galilee (Regional) College, serving as its chairman (l to r): Asher Coren and Tamar Shani (2 of David Coren’s You are invited to view our website: from 1985-2003. A commemorative evening children), Prof. Gideon Fishman, Mr. Eival Gilady www.wgalil.ac.il NEW AT THE COLLEGE Department of Theater As expressed by Dr. Vered Vaknin, Head of establishment of the State of Israel and the the Division, “The acquisition of basic learning fight for its security. Prominent on the campus Studies abilities is essential for the individual to succeed of Western Galilee College, the beautiful in education and to take part in day-to-day building is vibrant with activities, and serves Western Galilee College has received approval activities as a citizen in a modern state”. as a locus of academic and diploma studies, from the Council of Higher Education to open events, awards and conferences. a new Department of Theater Studies, offering two study tracks. Dance Theater, the first track, offers academic studies combined with the enhancement of artistic and creative skills, COLLEGE NEWS while Educational-Community Theater, the second track, offers academic studies along Building Strategy with the cultivation of acting and dramatic writing skills, with a focus on directing in schools Ms. Ofra Strauss, Chairperson of the Strauss and the community. The curriculum includes Group’s Management Board, met with the work alongside the professional dance troupe, 60 students in the Cherie Blair Foundation the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company, for Women’s Academic Program for Women th as well as working with local artists in the fields on February 24 . Ms. Strauss, recently th of dance and community theater. ranked 16 among leading business women Ms. Yehudit Yakkov, Prof. Gideon Fishman, Mr. Miki Pluznik worldwide, spoke about vision and strategy The new program, headed by Prof. Dan Urian, building, using as an example the Israel- currently Associate Professor in the Theater based Strauss enterprises and their ability Launching the Second Faculty at Tel Aviv University, will be launched in to assess potential world markets. Barbara Leventhal- October 2011 at the beginning of the upcoming Stern Art Competition academic year. The aim of the Cherie Blair program, which is supported by the Pratt Foundation, is to The Second Art Competition in memory of encourage and empower Jewish and Arab Management of Barbara Leventhal-Stern was launched on women studying Business Administration February 22nd. Educational Systems and Management. During the semester, WGC students will work The Division, established as a second major on projects addressing the theme of “No within the Department of Education, was to Drugs and Alcohol” within the different founded in recognition of the fact that while artistic mediums they are studying, and will more and more people in the educational create a variety of publicity materials relating system (formal and informal) currently occupy to the topic. managerial roles with different levels of authority and responsibility, their professional The project, which is part of the curriculum education has not included training for this of the “Copywriting and Advertising” course aspect of their work. in WGC’s Graphic Design track, is run in cooperation with the College’s coordinators According to Division Head, Dr. Ari Neuman, Mr. Eival Gilady and Ms. Ofra Strauss of the Israel Anti Drug Authority’s project, “Our goal is to offer graduates of the Division under the supervision of course instructor, for Management in Educational Systems . an opportunity to acquire skills crucial for Commemorating Inge Mr. Borris Zeidman management and leadership, along with L. Mezger broad knowledge in the field of education.” The memorial service for Inga Mezger took Literacy Education place in the Inge L. Mezger Ecology Center on December 9th, and included the reading of poetry and recital of Kaddish. Opened by The Division for Literacy Education aims Prof. Gideon Fishman, WGC President, at providing students with knowledge and the ceremony was concluded by understanding of basic learning skills and the Mr. Miki variables that affect their development. The Pluznik, Head of the European desk of the Division’s program distinguishes between the United Israel Appeal in Germany. acquisition of basic learning skills (such as language, reading, mathematical concepts The Inge L. Mezger Ecology Center was and the use of digital information) on the constructed with a generous donation one hand, and content learning (such as from Mr. Alex Tatar in commemoration of knowledge of history, geography, art and his beloved wife and in expression of the science) on the other. family’s identification with the Zionist idea, the VISITS TO THE COLLEGE Discussing Literacy The USC Shoah Foundation the opening address of the program on February 9th, focusing on the College’s unique Prof. Joseph Shimron, Head of WGC’s Dr. Stephen Smith, Executive Director of B.A. program in Conservation Studies and its Department of Education, and Dr. Vered the University of Southern California’s Shoah importance in preserving Israel’s heritage. Vaknin, Head of the Division for Literacy Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education, hosted guests from Paterson Education, visited WGC on December 15th. Ms. Shelly Ann-Peled, Director of the IAA University, New Jersey, on February 22nd. Mr. Smith met with Dr. Boaz Cohen, Head International Conservation Center in Akko, Visiting WGC were , Dr. Dorothy Feola of the College’s Holocaust Studies Program, noted that “the connection of the Saving the Associate Dean of Paterson’s College of with the aim of exploring avenues for future Stones program with the College is an example Education, and Dr. Rochelle Goldberg cooperation between the Shoah Foundation of the on-going collaboration between IAA Kaplan, Co-Director of the M.Ed. Program and WGC in the field of academic activities of Paterson’s Department of Educational and the College. and practical training”. Leadership and Professional Studies. During the visit, cross-cultural research collaboration According to Dr. Cohen, “This has been a very between the faculty members of Paterson exciting visit. Western Galilee College has University, University of Haifa, and the WGC, been in dialogue with the Shoah Foundation was proposed, focusing on elementary for a number of years, and Dr. Smith’s visit CONFERENCES teacher effectiveness in the areas of reading, provided an additional opportunity to discuss language, arts and mathematics. a collaborative agenda.” Parental Participation in Education Prof. Rollande Deslendes, a leading researcher from the Université de Québec à Trois-Rivières, and MK Anat Wilfe, Chair of the Knesset Lobby for the Status of the Teacher, were the guest speakers at the conference initiated by Dr. Bruria Schedel of the WGC’S Department of Education. The (l to r): College students: Ms. Tamar Friedman and conference, held on March 2nd, focused on the Mr. Eyal Shkedi; Dr. Boaz Cohen and Dr.

Load more