Graduates of nine leadership programs of the Mandel Foundation–Israel gathered at the Jerusalem Theatre in early November to mark the conclusion of their studies. The moving ceremony was held in the presence of Steve Hoffman, chairman of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation; Professor Jehuda Reinharz, president and CEO of the Foundation; Moshe Vigdor, director general of the Mandel Foundation–Israel; Benny Biton, mayor of Dimona; and Brigadier General Samuel Boumendil, chief education officer of the IDF, who is himself a graduate of the Mandel IDF Educational Leadership program.

In his opening remarks, Moshe Vigdor highlighted the Foundation’s swift mobilization at the start of the war, supporting trauma victims, community rehabilitation, nonformal education activities, and more. Mandel graduates throughout Israel also responded to meet immediate and emerging needs and received assistance from the Mandel Graduate Unit in their endeavors. He expressed confidence that this year’s graduates will play significant leadership roles in Israeli society in the future as well.

Professor Jehuda Reinharz echoed this sentiment, noting that the world has undergone profound change since the graduates started their programs. In the aftermath of recent events, he emphasized the critical need for new forms of leadership and expressed optimism about the transformative impact these graduates will have on Israeli society.

At the heart of the ceremony was a panel in which six Mandel graduates spoke about initiatives they launched during the war. These included a support center for families searching for their loved ones at the morgue at the Shura army base following the October 7th massacre; psychological support for ZAKA volunteers and Haredi youth suffering from anxiety; a program that offers psychological first aid to members of the Bedouin community; an IDF educational center that serves as a “home” in which commanders can engage in dialogue about issues that arise during the war; a system that helps residents of the Gaza border communities to know their rights and access government services; and a national service program that enables retirees to volunteer for a year in southern communities impacted by October 7.​

Speaking on behalf of the new graduates was Michael Eshetu Temesgen, a graduate of the Mandel Program for Social Leadership in the North, who was born in Ethiopia and made the arduous journey to the land of Israel as a child. The director of a municipal department for at-risk youth in the town of Kiryat Shmona on Israel’s northern border, Michael spoke about exile and homelessness in his life. After fully integrating into Israeli life, Michael was evacuated from his home in the wake of the October 7 attacks, and once again became a refugee, this time in his own country. He stressed that during this period of instability, the Mandel community was a source of emotional, social, and personal support that gave him a sense of belonging.

Michael emphasized the power of leadership and the responsibility for societal repair after the shattering experience that began on October 7, 2023. "Today, I stand here as part of a broad family of Mandel graduates,” he said. “We undertake to do everything in our power to be part of the healing and rebuilding of our existence here.”