Tsofen

Last updated
Tsofen-Tashbik
Formation2008;17 years ago (2008)
Founded atNazareth, Israel
PurposePromoting hi-tech in Israeli Arab society
HeadquartersNazareth, Israel; Kafr Qasim, Israel
Location
CEO
Maisam Jaljuli
Key people
Fadi Aboud, Alon Bar-Shany, Prof. Ziyad Hanna, David (Dadi) Perlmutter
Award(s)
  • Speaker of the Knesset Quality of Life prize for promoting mutual understanding between Jews and Arabs (2015)
  • Abraham Fund Initiatives Shared Society Award (2018)

Tsofen High Technology Centers Ltd, operating since 2024 as Tsofen-Tashbik, [1] is an Israeli-registered public benefit company based in Nazareth, northern Israel, and Kafr Qasim, in the centre, established as a joint Arab and Jewish nonprofit organization promoting hi-tech in Israeli Arab society, as a lever for economic development and the creation of a shared society in Israel, based on equal participation in a sustainable economy. Tsofen-Tashbik's mission is to integrate Arabs into Israel’s hi-tech sector and bring hi-tech centers to Arab cities.

Contents

History and leadership

Tsofen-Tashbik was formed in Nazareth in 2008 by Smadar Nehab, a hi-tech entrepreneur, Sami Saadi, an independent CPA, and Yossi Coten, a former Amdocs executive. Saadi remained one of two Co-CEOs until stepping down at the end of February 2022. [2] [3] From the start of 2023, Tsofen-Tashbik moved to a single-CEO model whilst remaining a Jewish-Arab prganisation in terms of board leadership and staff. The current CEO is Maisam Jaljuli (Hebrew), who replaced Saadi (as Co-CEO) in July 2022,. [4] Tsofen-Tashbik's board, which is half Jewish and half Arab, and whose members include professionals with backgrounds in hi-tech, academia, and business, is co-chaired by Fadi Aboud, an Intel fellow at Intel Corporation, and Alon Bar-Shany, who spent 25 years in a variety of roles including CFO, Corporate VP Finance and—for 16 years until his retirement in 2020—CEO, at HP Indigo Division. Tsofen-Tashbik established the Public Council for Promoting Hi-Tech in the Arab Society in Israel, to support and facilitate its mission; it is co-chaired by Professor Ziyad Hanna, VP of R&D at Cadence and visiting professor at Oxford University, and David (Dadi) Perlmutter, former executive vice president, Intel Corporation. [5]

When Tsofen-Tashbik was established, Arab engineers accounted for 0.5% of employees in Israeli hi-tech (about 350 people). [6] Today, they represent 3.7% (about 5,500 people), and Tsofen-Tashbik's stated goal is to increase that percentage to at least 10% by 2025. At a time when there is a shortage of over 15,000 hi-tech engineers in Israel, the Arab community is a key demographic group with the potential to help meet the shortage, with thousands of suitably qualified Arabs who, for various reasons, either do not seek employment in hi-tech or cannot find a way in. In addition, increasing numbers of Arabs are studying hi-tech related subjects at tertiary level: whereas there were only 1,600 Arab graduates in high-tech academic studies between 1985 and 2014, over 2,200 Arab students enrolled in high-tech academic studies in 2016 alone. [7]

Tsofen-Tashbik is a member of Co-Impact (formerly Collective Impact), the partnership for a Breakthrough in Arab Employment, which is a partner in ex-President Reuven Rivlin’s Israeli Hope initiative focusing on four aspects of Israeli society: Academia, Education, Sports and Employment. [8]

Tsofen-Tashbik's theory of change

By supporting the integration of Arab engineers in Israel’s hi-tech industry—especially at a time when it is in great need of qualified personnel—Tsofen-Tashbik aims to influence a deep institutional effect on the industry’s make-up and culture, towards a wider impact: (a) As the Arab community contributes a greater share to Israel’s economic growth it will also enjoy its benefits more equally, improving the socio-economic status of the Arab community and reducing disparities, and (b) Arabs and Jews live will develop a shared society, beginning in the technological work-space, where daily work interactions and relationships are developed that change prejudice, stereotypes and biases.

Tsofen-Tashbik's model

Key Tsofen-Tashbik accomplishments and impact 2008–2023

Awards

References

  1. "Tsofen website" . Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  2. "עושים כבוד לסאמי סעדי מארגון צופן". People&Computers (Hebrew). Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  3. "Tsofen LinkedIn". LinkedIn. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  4. "Tsofen Organization appoints Maisam Jaljuli as its new co-CEO". Calcalist Tech. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  5. "Tsofen website". Tsofen High Technology Centers. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  6. "Arab Citizens' Integration into Israeli High-Tech: Achievements and Emerging Issues" (PDF). Inter-Agency Task Force on Israeli Arab Issues. August 1, 2018. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  7. "Human Capital Survey Report 2018" (PDF). Israel Innovation Authority. Israel Innovation Authority/Start-Up Nation Central. December 16, 2018. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  8. "Co-Impact". co-impact.org.il. Archived from the original on 2020-08-04. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  9. "Israel's 100 Most Influential People This Jewish Year / The Full List". Haaretz. The Marker. September 16, 2012. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  10. "Knesset Speakers' Quality of Life Prize awarded to three NGOs; Edelstein: "You are the true leaders of Israeli society"". Knesset. Knesset Press Release. February 9, 2016. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  11. "Facebook announcement (Hebrew)". Facebook. Abraham Fund Initiatives. November 13, 2018. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  12. "ואלאא איברהים: משלבת מאות אקדמאים ערבים במשרות פיתוח". TheMarker. TheMarker Women. September 2, 2018. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  13. "100 המשפיעים". TheMarker. TheMarker. December 2019. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  14. "דבריו של המנכ״ל השותף בארגון צופן - סאמי סעדי בטקס הענקת התארים של מכללת אפקה (English subtitles)". Facebook. Tsofen. December 28, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  15. "הלאונג' (Hebrew)". Maariv. Maariv. December 27, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  16. "הייטק צפוני (Hebrew)". Walla!. Walla!. December 27, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2022.