Prof. Yecheskel Taler

Prof. Yecheskel Taler is the president of Zefat Academic College. An internationally recognized expert on social work and rehabilitation, he has lived in and worked to advance Israel’s Galilee for over four decades. Among the founders of the University of Haifa and the Carmel Academic Center, he is a professor emeritus at the University of Haifa’s School of Social Work, the former deputy chair of Israel’s Council for Higher Education, and the former president of Gordon College of Education. A member of the board of the Foundation for the Welfare of Holocaust Victims in Israel, he is also a consultant to government agencies that assist people with disabilities. The recipient of a doctorate in rehabilitation counseling from the University of Pittsburgh, Prof. Taler was awarded the Yakir Ha’ir (Honorary Citizen) from the City of Haifa, the highest municipal honor granted to residents for contribution to the community.

Education

• B.A., The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
• M.A., University of Kent
• Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh

   

Public Service

• Consultant to government and nonprofit organizations that assist Holocaust survivors and people with disabilities
• Former acting chair and current member of the board of the Foundation for the Welfare of Holocaust Victims in Israel

   

Committees and Honors

• Member of the Israel Prize judging committee for lifetime achievement/special contribution to society and the state (2005)
• Chair of the Israel Prize committee (2007)
• Chair of the Israel Prize committee in education research (2017)
• Awarded the 2013 “Yakir Ha’Ir Haifa” (Honorary Citizen of Haifa)