The executive committee
Gilad Gosher - founder, Boared member
Born in 1984, born and raised in Oranit. Graduated with a bachelor's degree in law and a master's degree in business administration from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
A social entrepreneur at heart: Graduated a year of pre-military civil service through the "scouts" in Migdal Ha'Emek. After finishing his military service, he moved to study in Jerusalem, and was active in various fields in the city - he was the director of the legal department in the "Breira" project, which operates assistance stations in the courts, was active in the "Hit'orerut" political movement, worked with Ethiopian youth in Talpiot, and more.
He founded "Ametz Saba" with Aya in his first year at the university, and for four years he managed the project and helped it grow. In 2020, he even initiated a joint program called "Golden Neighbors" to promote mutual social responcibility in shared buildings with the municipality of Tel-Aviv.
When he grows up he wants to be mayor. In the meantime, an attorney at the legal office of the Ministry of Finance.
Matan Feinberg, Social Worker - project manager
Born in 1992, in Jerusalem and raised in Beit Shemesh, now lives in Jerusalem.
Graduated Hebrew University with honores with a bachelor's degree in Social Work and a master's degree in business administration (Mandel program) from Ben Gurion Uneversity. Has been involved in leadership development and leading activism programs for young adults and social change for several years.
Uriel Ross - Boared member
Born in 1981. born and raised in Jerusalem and currently lives in Givatayim.
Has a bachelor's degree in psychology from CSUN in the USA and a master's degree in social work from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
A social activist, has managed the 'Adopt a Grandfather' program between 2014-2015, and in recent years has been a manager in various Non-Profit organizations. Currently an independent psychotherapist in Tel Aviv.
Gal Sofer -Boared member
Director of development laboratories at Intel in Eastern Europe and Israel.
47 years old, married to Hila and father to Yogev, Roni and Liane.
love to do crossfit training
Hani Rosa - Boared member
Head of the business development field at JDC Israel- Eschel, with over 30 years of experience in developing programs, projects, and communities.
Married to Mark, mother of Idan (28) and Lior (25), loves to read and started gardening during Corona.
Rebecca Rosenberg Bosham - Boared member
Born in Tel Aviv, studied at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and graduated in 1978 with a degree in political science and sociology.
Worked for the National Social Security Institute in the main office in Jerusalem, and for the last 12 years served as a senior director and deputy director of the nursing department
Mother to daughter - Neta lives in Jerusalem
Dafna Finkelstein Zloff - Boared member
Industrial and management engineer with many years of experience in management positions and consulting for senior management.
Owns a strategic planning and project management office.
Married to Ruby, mother of Omer (23) and Shira (21).
Originally from a kibbutz, then of Arad.
PhD student in the field of medical technology
The student volunteers in the project participate in trainings and are accompanied by a team of coordinators and social workers in the community.
In its 10 years of activity, over 1500 student and elderly couples participated in the project. The project has operated over the years in large cities in Israel, including Jerusalem, Beer Sheva, Haifa, Rehovot, Herzliya and Afula, and also in smaller communities.
The project is and has been supported by many entities including JDC Israel-Eschel and the Ted Arison Family Foundation. With their help and your help we will reach more and more elders in the community who yearn for a meaningful relationship.
The process of placing the participants is a complex process, which is carried out with the cooperation of both parties. We make great efforts to team up students and elders who live close, and have common interests, out of a desire to facilitate the parties as much as possible and bring maximum compatibility.
Creating the relationship itself is also a complex procedure. It's not easy to meet a stranger and develop a conversation or a close relationship, that's why we offer the parties different activities for the meeting:
Writing a life story - documenting the life story of the elderly is a basis for sharing which ultimately results in a meaningful product.
Improving computer skills - improving control and knowledge of computers can be an opening for social integration and increased communication with family members, friends and the community around the elder. This technology is also an effective tool for alleviating loneliness and receiving many services from the community and business providers. In cooperation with 'Machshava Tova', 'Adopt a Saba' volunteers receive a variety of tools to create a series of fun and educational meetings in which they will be able to access a variety of websites - TED, YouTube, Facebook, Skype, the National security site, shopping websites, banks, health insurance funds and more.
A walk outside, around the elder's home - many healthy elders need an escort every time they leave their home. This in itself causes isolation from the community. Going to a nearby garden, for a walk in the neighborhood or visiting acquaintances can be an excellent basis for a relationship.
"Adopt a Saba" is a social program whose goals are to bring together the student population and the elderly in Israel, to alleviate the unique problem of loneliness of the elderly in the community and to reduce the growing gap between the younger generation and the older generation.
Students participating in the project are assigned a grandfather or grandmother who lives near their place of residence. The duo meets once a week, at the grandfather's house or outside, for an hour and a half session. The content of the meeting varies according to the interests of the participants - writing a life story, learning computer skills, conversation, cooking, reading newspapers and literature, music, learning a language and anything that will open the connection between the two and create a good and meaningful relationship.
More examples of areas of interest around which a relationship was formed
We can do anything together! The project already had connections built around music, art, language, various games (chess, cards, etc.), cooking, and more.
You really don't have to choose! You can vary and try something different every time.
During the year we hold a variety of events and offer a variety of vouchers and free activities for project participants.
So go ahead, join 'Adopt a Saba' today and expand the family
**Participation in the project is completely voluntary and is not in exchange for any scholarship.
About volunteering
We, at 'Adopt Saba', have set ourselves the goal of reducing intergenerational gaps through personal connections between students and elders in the community, which take place once a week at the elderlie's home. In order to create an optimal connection, we place maximum emphasis on the selection of participants in the program and the matching of pairs.