Meet The Team

Omri Barkin, from Modi'in, Israel. Resided in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (1999-2003) and now lives in Tel Aviv. 
Served as a soldier and commander in the Maglan Combat Unit (2013-2016). After his service, Omri spent time up in Montana and discovered the healing power of nature. Worked as an AE for the EMEA and APAC regions in an Israeli start-up and has a  B.Sc in Industrial Engineering and Management from "Afeka" Academic College of Engineering. 

Roei Friedberg, from Karmei Yosef, Israel. Resided in the UK, (2000-2002) and now lives in Manhattan, NY. 
Served as a soldier and company commander (Major in reserve) in the paratroopers in the 890th brigade (2010-2016). Following his military career, Roei studied international relations and diplomacy at “Reichman” University and graduated with excellence from the “Argov” leadership program.
In parallel to his professional career in leadership positions in the high-tech industry, Roei continues serving the country through active reserve duty.

Rabbi Nir Barkin, a sixth-generation Jerusalemite, is YOZMA’s Senior Rabbi and Executive Director.
He serves in a variety of capacities as an educator for children, youth, and adults; as a spiritual leader for a thousand families congregation; as an initiator of social justice and communal endeavors. He runs a $4,000,000 NGO.

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The Wallis Family owns and runs an outfitting business and are wilderness experts. They grew up in Cuba, Missouri, and currently live in St. Louis Missouri. 
They spent the past 22 years in the mountains of Montana and for the past 10 years, they have been managing the K Bar L Ranch. They guide guests through the Bob Marshall Wilderness and Lewis and Clark National Forest from June through November of every year.
​The Wallis Family is committed to community involvement through utilizing the K Bar L Ranch to support veterans and active duty members of the IDF and US Military.  They are true supporters of Israel and the IDF.

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Tamar Sacerdoti was born and raised in Michigan and has been living in Israel since the age of 17, currently residing in Tel Aviv. She served as an International Liaison Officer in the IDF (2011-2015).
Following her military service Tamar graduated with excellence from the “Argov” leadership program, holding an LL.B and a B.A. in Political Science from Reichman University. 

She is a corporate lawyer by trade, holds a diverse background in business development, and currently serves as Chief of Staff at Darrow a legal-tech startup of 100+ employees, leveraging AI to build a justice intelligence platform that discovers legal violations with public data.

Oren Eliyasov, originally from Or Yehuda, lives in Tel Aviv, Israel. 

Oren served as a soldier and company commander in the Paratroopers 890th brigade (2014-2020), and is currently a major in the reserves. 

Following his military career, Oren studied Education and Asian Studies at Haifa University and graduated with honors. Speaking both English and Japanese, Oren leads the Asian market in a global tech company.
Aside from his professional career in the tech industry, Oren continues his military service through active reserve duty.

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Dr. Roi Sar-el (MD, PhD) is a psychiatrist and neuroscientist passionate about using cutting-edge techniques to improve mental well-being. Currently, he is a research fellow at Harvard Medical School in Boston, USA, focusing on advanced neuromodulation methods for psychiatric illnesses.

Dr. Sar-el graduated from the prestigious Tel-Aviv University’s dual MD/PhD physician-scientists program, followed by a residency in adult psychiatry at the Tel-Aviv Medical Center (Ichilov). Prior to his move to the US, he served as an attending physician, consultation-liaison psychiatrist, and head of the psych-ER, demonstrating a deep commitment to patient care across all major psychiatric diagnoses.

Prof. Lazarov received his M.A. (2008) and Ph.D. (2014) in clinical psychology from Tel-Aviv University, studying obsessive-compulsive disorder under the supervision of Prof. Ruvi Dar. He then completed his first post-doctoral training at Tel-Aviv University with Prof. Yair Bar-Haim, studying threat monitoring via attention allocation processes in social anxiety disorder (SAD). Next, he completed a second post-doctoral training at Columbia University Medical Center with Prof. Yuval Neria, expanding his research to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Amit joined the School of Psychological Sciences at Tel Aviv University as a faculty member in 2018.
 

Tim Dalgleish is a clinical psychologist. He leads a research program at the University of Cambridge. His research focuses on understanding and developing psychological preventions and treatments for common mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress. He works with children and adults. His work adopts a translational approach, seeking to utilize insights from basic cognitive neuroscience to enhance clinical interventions for these conditions. His work employs a range of scientific methods from brain imaging through to the use of large-scale clinical trials. He works clinically for the UK National Health Service and as an expert witness in the criminal, family and civil courts.

Dr. Anna Bevan is a Clinical Psychologist and a mental health researcher at Cambridge University's Cognition and Brain Sciences unit. She studies interventions and the psychological mechanisms of different disorders, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety,

Dr. Bevan has many years of experience treating PTSD with evidence-based interventions and specializes in treatment-resistant affective disorders and complex trauma in working-age adults.



 

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Nimrod is a Ph.D. candidate at the Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at the University of Cambridge, UK, where he studies the cognitive underpinnings of evidence-based interventions for PTSD. Nimrod’s research is supported by the Gates Cambridge global leadership scholarship. Prior to his PhD, he completed a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology, and a B.Sc in Psychology & Biology with an Emphasis on Neuroscience, both at Tel Aviv University. Nimrod grew up in the Jerusalem area and served as a combat officer at the Nahal Brigade after completing a volunteer year (‘Shenat Sherut’) at HaShomer HaTzair youth movement. He later worked as a youth instructor for at-risk youth, a research assistant at Tel Aviv University and Sheba Medical Center, and practiced during his MA at Tel Aviv University’s Psychological Services and Schneider Children’s Medical Center. He published over 25 scientific papers on anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress, and mental health during COVID-19. He serves as a captain (res.) in the IDF’s MIA (Missing in Action) unit for locating missing soldiers and civilians.

Or Atar is a Psychologist based in Tel Aviv, balancing roles at Ichilov Hospital and a private clinic. In the private sector, Or is dedicated to providing expert care, while at Ichilov Hospital, he leads a team in the Dermatology and Genital and Hematology Clinic.

Or shares his expertise through lectures on psychology and statistics at academic institutions, covering courses in psychopathology, developmental psychology, introduction to psychology, and more. Currently a Ph.D. candidate at Haifa University, his research focuses on the prognostic and therapeutic role of the vagus nerve in hematological cancers, blending psychological and physiological interventions. furthermore, Or serves in the reserves as a psychologist for the 890 brigade (paratroopers) and Duvdevan, reflecting his commitment to both clinical practice and military service.

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Nevo Perez, a former Navy SEAL (Shayetet 13) soldier and commander embraced breathwork therapy for personal growth and therapy. Nevo recognized the parallels between individuals and organizations, both requiring continuous development to thrive. Nevo is the founder and CEO of Hacktivity, a boutique hackathon production company, and the founder of "Derech HaNeshima" The Breathing Way, both organizations combine Eastern wisdom with Western psychology to help individuals and organizations reach their full potential and boost mental health. To date, Nevo has assisted dozens of industrial, academic, and high-tech organizations in generating innovative processes while maximizing their employee's well-being.

Nevo (32) lives in Jerusalem with his wife Ravit and their child Or. Holds a BA in psychology and a BA in business management from Reichman University.

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Based in New York City, Sivan Ron is a PR and communications strategist currently serving as a Senior Account Supervisor at LoBello Communications, a boutique PR firm specializing in technology. Sivan previously led preparation programs for young American Jewish adults planning to make Aliyah, working with Garin Tzabar and Friends of Israel Scouts as a Garin Director and Hagshama Coordinator, connecting them to gap year programs in Israel.

Illor Sahor, born in Jerusalem and currently living in Tel Aviv, is an Israeli-Australian reporter, presenter, actress, and social media expert.
She served as an officer in the IDF between the years 2013-2017.
After her military service, Illor finished her LLB in law and has worked in Israeli media since.
Part of her resume consists of hosting two successful podcasts, managing social media accounts for leading industry organizations, and several positions in Israeli prime-time news channels.

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