Executive Board
The Executive Board was established to manage The Center’s affairs. At least half of its members must be residents of Israel.
Members of the Board are authorised to prepare the annual budget and various financial statements; arrange the employment agreements; appoint members of the Board of Trustees and choose the CEO.
Professor Uzi Rabi - Chairman of the Executive Board
Three cornerstones carry my vision as Chairman of the Center and are intertwined as a single chain of past, present and future:
1. Nurturing the next generation and expanding the circles of affiliation:
Recruiting and empowering the next generation - the sons and daughters of the second and third generations of Babylonian immigrants - as active partners in preserving and passing on the heritage.
The State of Israel is in the midst of a generational change, and the task of ensuring cultural and communal continuity is more critical than ever.
Through education, creativity, media and community programs, the Center will strive to bring the story of the Babylonian Jewry to the broad public avenues, and to place its legacy as a living and inspiring element in the renewed Israeli identity. Building on Babylon's intellectual, ethical and faith-based tradition, the Center will work to strengthen the sense of Jewish-Israeli belonging by means of a mutual reinforcement between past and future.
2. Establishing the Center's status as a leading research and teaching body:
The Center will deepen its activities as a research, educational, and academic body with national and international standing.
The research will initiate studies, conferences, and publications in the fields of history, literature, philosophy, poetry, customs, and thought of Iraqi Jewry, promote collaborations with universities and research institutes in Israel and around the world, and work to integrate the story of the Babylonian Exile into the curricula of the education system at all levels.
In this way, the Center will serve as a scientific and heritage pillar in understanding Babylon's contribution to the world of Judaism and the history of the Jewish people.
3. Building the community and strengthening the connection with the diaspora:
The Center will work to deepen the connection between the communities of Babylonian immigrants in Israel and the diaspora – in London, Los Angeles, Montreal, Sydney, Melbourne, and wherever memory is preserved.
It will be an open house of culture and identity, a meeting point, exhibitions, cultural events and festivals that will present the life of the community to its generations.
Through collaborations with cultural institutions, embassies and Jewish communities around the world, the center will strive to honor the universal contribution of Babylonian Jewry – its spiritual understanding, its cultural openness, and its belief in the power of the individual and the community.
Thus, the Babylonian Jewry Heritage Center, under my leadership, will seek to serve as a living bridge between the past and the future – to preserve the memory of generations, to inspire the younger generation, and to be a beacon of identity, culture and values for the Jewish people and its Diaspora.
Eli Amir
Amir immigrated as a youth to Israel in 1950. He grew up and was educated at Kibbutz Mishmar HaEmek. Later he worked in the Prime Minister’s Office and served amongst other things as head assistant to the prime minister’s advisor on Arab affairs and consultant on East Jerusalem. Amir also held the positions of deputy director general and director general of the Aliyah Office. As the manager of the Sephardic Federation in the United States, he established a bureau for yordim (ex-pats). He was chosen as the director general of the Youth Aliya Department of the Jewish Agency and was responsible for the absorption of Ethiopian and Russian Jews. Amir is the author of books that deal with the crisis of absorption and culture between east and west. Several of his books have been translated into many languages and received awards in Israel, and abroad. Two of his books, The Dove Flyer (in English: Farewell Baghdad) and Scapegoat were made into movies. Eli was awarded the Yakir Yerushalayim Prize, the Yigal Alon Award for outstanding service to society. He has been a guest lecturer at universities and was radio columnist with Geula Cohen. An activist for peace and improvement in society, he is the recipient of honorary doctorates from the Weizmann Institute, Ben Gurion University, and Tel Aviv University.
Eli Amir
Amir immigrated as a youth to Israel in 1950. He grew up and was educated at Kibbutz Mishmar HaEmek. Later he worked in the Prime Minister’s Office and served amongst other things as head assistant to the prime minister’s advisor on Arab affairs and consultant on East Jerusalem. Amir also held the positions of deputy director general and director general of the Aliyah Office. As the manager of the Sephardic Federation in the United States, he established a bureau for yordim (ex-pats). He was chosen as the director general of the Youth Aliya Department of the Jewish Agency and was responsible for the absorption of Ethiopian and Russian Jews. Amir is the author of books that deal with the crisis of absorption and culture between east and west. Several of his books have been translated into many languages and received awards in Israel, and abroad. Two of his books, The Dove Flyer (in English: Farewell Baghdad) and Scapegoat were made into movies. Eli was awarded the Yakir Yerushalayim Prize, the Yigal Alon Award for outstanding service to society. He has been a guest lecturer at universities and was radio columnist with Geula Cohen. An activist for peace and improvement in society, he is the recipient of honorary doctorates from the Weizmann Institute, Ben Gurion University, and Tel Aviv University.
Itzhak Barzilay
I was born in Baghdad – Iraq in June 1939
I am married to Neta and have three children
I immigrated March 51 to Israel. I grew up and was educated in Kibutz Givat Hashlosha.
I have joined the army and served in the famous unit 8200.
I served 38 years in the P.M office of which I spent 18 years in Europe as well Middle Eastern countries.
I became a head of 3 departments. The last one, was the head of the Foreign Relations Department in a rank equivalent to that of Major General.
Having retired, I became a consultant to the Defense Minister for 7 years.
I have a B.A degree for Middle Eastern studies. As well as graduee of the National Defense College.
I am a member of the Israeli Artistic Society as a Painter.
Member of the administration board of Israel Intelligence Commemoration Center.
Mosheh Ben Atar
Born in Jerusalem, a son of Iraqi born parents.
My father Haim was born in Baghdad, my mother was from Nasiriya and a daughter of the Zilka family.
I am married to Orna, director of The National Lottery Cluster for Sciences in the Ministry of Education that engage in science teaching, and a father of three sons, high-tech engineers.
I was a general manager of the Zionist Council of Israel of the Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency; the director of the Johanna Jabotinsky Youth Village in Beer Yaakov; and the director of the Center for Education and Research in Beit Berl College.
I am a former advisor of few ministers, a publicist, an educator and a guide.
Behind me are dozens of ventures and factories established over the years, as well as membership of boards of various social bodies
My book Hamasa Le'Israel Ha'Acheret (the Journey to the other Israel) was recently published and contains a sociological and strategic analysis of the global and cultural social reality.
Tsionit Fattal-Kuperwasser
Tsionit Fattal-Kuperwasser was born in Israel (Petach Tikva) to Iraqi-born parents (originally from Baghdad). She served in various roles in the IDF's intelligence corps and was advisor on Palestinian affairs to the coordinator of the government activities, reaching the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Tsionit holds an MA in the History of the Middle East studies. She is a winner of the INS (Association to encourage the study of literature and art - founded by veterans of Iraq) award for her first novel "The Pictures on the Wall" which deals with the Jewish life in Iraq in the first half of the twentieth century. Her book, translated from Hebrew to Arabic, was the first novel written by an Israeli-born author that was published in Iraq. She maintains contact with Iraqi intellectuals and together with them promotes projects regarding literature and research.
Nora Haim-Huri
Haim grew up in Tel Aviv and studied at Alliance High School. She served in the IDF as an education NCO at Shmonim Camp (Nahal), and after being discharged, continued to work in education. Nora holds a BA in Sociology and Criminology and also has extensive knowledge in the fields of communications, journalism, public relations, and marketing. Today, she is married and the mother of four children, and manages a finance and real estate business. She holds an MA with honours in Hebrew Literature and authored a book published by HaKibbutz HaMeuchad.
Hanna Kazzaz-Dallal
Kazzaz-Dallal, born in Baghdad, studied at Kibbutz Kabri and completed her matriculation certificate in Tel Aviv. She studied at the Commercial College in England and holds a BA in History.
For 35 years, Kazzaz-Dallal was involved in public service and volunteering in several foundations, including: WIZO, and the Suzanne Dellal Center. She was also the chairperson of both the Student Foundation and the Prize Committee for Achievement.
Hanna worked for El Al and the American Air Force. She also managed a commercial enterprise and was a manager at Bank Hapoalim.
Today, Kazzaz-Dallal is the treasurer of the Foundation for the Elderly in Or-Yehuda and at the Babylonian Jewry Heritage Center.
Hezi Levy (Prof.)
Prof. Levy graduated from medical school in 1980 at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He specialized in general surgery and was for many years a combat physician and commander in the IDF Medical Corps.
During the First Lebanon War, he was a medical officer in a battalion that fought in Lebanon and suffered many casualties. Since then, he served 27 years in the army (the medical corps) in many positions and finally retired from the IDF with the rank of general, after serving as chief medical officer and commander of the medical corps, and gaining a great deal of medical and administrative experience.
Upon his retirement from the army, he joined the Ministry of Health as head of the medical division, and since 2012 he has been managing the Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon, which is located about 12 km north of Gaza and has been involved for many years in all the fighting against Gaza and preparing the hospital to function in emergency events and treat mass casualty incidents, as happened in 7 October and evacuation of hundreds of casualties.
Between 20-21, during the Corona epidemic, professor Levy was Director General of the Ministry of Health and was responsible for vaccinating the Israeli population, as the first in the world.
In 2024, professor Levy received a Lifetime Achievement Award and the Distinguished Civil Service Award. Professor Hezi Levy is a specialist in general surgery and holds a master's degree in health systems management and a master's degree in international relations and national security.
Vivien Rakib
Holds a B.Sc. degree in Mathematics and Computer Science.
Vivian worked in Israel and the United States as a software engineer, now as a businesswoman and entrepreneur.
The controlling owner and director of a public company engaged in development and marketing of health products.
Since the past year, Vivian helps the Babylonian Jewry Heritage Center to establish the "Lily garden" in its courtyard.
Iris Shimonov
Kobi Zalicha
Kobi Zalicha was born in 1965. He is married and has a son and two daughters. His father's family originated from Basra and his mother's family originated from Baghdad. Born and raised in Ramat Gan, where he also studied at "Ohel Shem" High School. In the army and in the reserve forces he served at Unit '8200' of the Intelligence forces.
He holds a bachelor's degree in accounting and economics from Bar-Ilan University and completed a degree as a CPA.
Kobi is one of the managing partners in the accounting firm "Lion Orlitzky & Co.", which is one of the ten largest accounting firms in Israel which is also the Israeli representative of the global accounting network 'MOORE GLOBAL'. Kobi specializes in consulting to tourism and industry companies and big non-profit organizations.
His hobbies are learning of Jewish history in general and the history of Iraqi Jews in particular.