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Walworth Barbour American International School In Israel School Logo
Walworth Barbour American International School in Israel Logo
Walworth Barbour American International School in Israel Logo

Alumni around the world

"We found a home in this school because we found a home in each other... when we move on,  the core of AIS will remain. For we leave here knowing love, knowing home." fiona whalen 2015 Valedictorian

Alumni Gallery

Anim Swart, Champion Racer, Class of 1983

AIS was my home as a student from 1979 to 1981 (Class of ‘83) and in 1988-89 as an intern.

 AIS was not just a place of learning for me; it was a place where my foundation as an athlete and the love of sport took place. When I recently crossed the finish line racing in Antarctica and became the oldest person (male or female) to achieve this enormous undertaking, all I could think was; I had many coaches over the years but always having Elise Geras (former AIS Athletic Director) in my corner as my mentor was the key to my journey being what it was.

Elise got me into racing while I was in Israel, and from there my desire to compete at the highest levels in any sport was born. My racing quickly shifted to triathlon, where I went onto representing South Africa (my homeland), and Canada (my adoptive country), then to full distance Ironman races where I participated in 3x140.6 World Championships.  From Ironman the progression was to stage racing. In this sport I found a new family in the Racing the Planet family. Through them I went through another shift in my love for sports: racing in remote places and helping give back to the communities I get to live in when I race (Rural Mongolia, Swakopmund Namibia to name 2).

 About Antartica: I crossed the finish in Antarctica 2022; the final race of the 5 races I completed in 2022: 5 races 6 months 5 continents (Namibia, Georgia, Lapland, Chile and Antartica) 1250km in all throughout all these remote deserts) becoming the oldest person to complete this monumental task AND becoming a World Champion.  My perseverance was built from the foundation of this crazy woman Elise; never giving up on me and pushing me to excel.

So, before you leave your teachers at AIS and move on with your lives, please keep in mind that you never know which one will have that lifetime influence you will cherish with you for the rest of your adventures in this world we live in.

Final note: do not skip the reunions that they have for AIS alumni; you never know which old friends you will run into, and which new friends you will make. Case in point; I met my future husband in the 2010 1980’s reunion in Washington DC (Benji Mor class of ‘82) 😊

Dr. Matt Goodman, Psychologist, Class of 1979

I have been a psychologist based in New Bedford, Massachusetts for the past 25 plus years.   While my practice has been mainly with children and their families, with a particular soft spot for difficult teens, in recent years it has shifted to include more adults and elders as well.  I work with a broad spectrum of behavioral and emotional conditions, probably an artifact of a small community practice. Like many therapists these days I have become adept at balancing in-person and telehealth based therapy.  

After graduation from AIS and some flip flopping, I served in the Israeli army before I studied psychology at Tel Aviv University. I pursued my wife Jodi and graduate studies in Applied Child Development and Clinical Psychology in the Boston area.  Prior to becoming a licensed psychologist, I worked with children as a day-care, nursery and kindergarten teacher; a state child protective worker and provided cognitive evaluations for learning disabled students.

I attended AIS in Kfar Shmaryahu for my last three years of high school, from 1977-1979.  As a new immigrant to Israel from Los Angeles I was not thriving in the Israeli public schools and AIS was just what the doctor ordered.  Being able to study in English renewed my intellectual curiosity and love of learning. I had my neighborhood Israeli friends but now was exposed to a small International school melting pot of a very different sort, and made some life long friendships.  I recall those years at AIS as special in that relationships between adults and students were informal (respectful yet loose) and the school somewhat of a work in progress.  I gossiped with the highly personable secretaries, our AIS Eagle basketball team competed with Egged bus drivers and sailors from the USS Nimitz.  My seven foot coach was my ride home after practice.  You could hop the school fence on Saturdays for a solid pickup game in the gym with the locals.

But mostly, I remember the teachers.  Teachers that were fun, funny, creative and often with a flair for the dramatic.  There was a genuine sense of caring and interest.  They challenged and shaped and coaxed progress and change.  In turn, they inspired engagement and effort.  And in small and important ways those teacherly qualities have informed my own work as a therapist as well as my efforts as a father to three boys of my own.  

The picture is from this summer in Hertzliya where I am surrounded by Ben, Jared and Ethan and their partners; my wife Jodi and my father Bob, a former AIS board member!  

Dr. Amani Jaber, CEO SOL Language School, Class of 2005

In her own words: "As a young female leader in the community, I enjoyed the active involvement in the social and educational aspects of youth lives in Israel. My rich multicultural experience has enabled me to see and understand the 'other side', a fact that enabled me to research and develop many sociolinguistic initiatives. My journey in our multicultural world started in Seeds of Peace Organization, followed by my high school education in the American International School in Kfar Shmaryahu Israel, where I was fortunate to an outstanding exposure to a diverse international community of students. Being immersed in a unique multicultural and multilingual community attracted me to the field of linguistics where I researched languages thoroughly. I gained my BA, MA, and PhD from Bar Ilan University. In my masters thesis I focused on Bilingualism and autobiographical memory among bilinguals. Whereas in my PhD thesis my focus was on the Sociolinguistic Reflexes of Modernization in an Israeli Palestinian Town: The Case of the Town of Taibeh. I have started my post graduate studies at Ben Gurion University of the Negev recently.


Being an English language coordinator and a teacher for 11 years, I strongly believe that through language we can build cultural and religious bridges. Therefore, I have started a local tourism initiative where I host foreign guests in my town to introduce them to the Arab culture and Islam religion through historical and cultural tours.


In addition to that, I have established my regional language school in my town where young Arab and Jewish learners can enjoy the learning of eight languages!"

Amani is the proud mother of 2 children, her daughter Zena and her son Abudi.

Britta Ellwanger, Graduate Student in the Ukraine, Class of 2009

Britta Ellwanger has been deeply involved in aiding Ukrainian refugees since the beginning of the war in Ukraine as a forPEACE Ukrainian Relief Project Manager. In this interview, Britta shares some of her AIS experiences, and then talks about her work in the Ukraine.

"AIS influenced me as a person even more than as a student.  My four years in high school at AIS were a formative time for me. I look back on my high school phase of life with fondness and gratitude… Re diversity, the bubble I lived in before moving to AIS certainly popped within months of being at AIS and I am grateful to my peers and teachers for that. I learned and became aware of the world and our place in it in a different and personally meaningful way because of the community at AIS. 

Friends from high school joke about how a majority of AIS graduates go into political science or international relations. I certainly reflected that trend. Originally I had a regional focus on the Middle East and worked for two prominent Middle East correspondents, Robin Wright and Rajiv Chandrasekaran. This is all because of the influence my four years at AIS had on me.  Switching to Eastern Europe in my junior year of undergrad and graduate school and beyond was the result of serving an ecclesiastical mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Ukraine. 

I had previously begun a regional studies Ukraine focused masters program in the United States and felt stuck by how separate I felt my program was from Ukrainians and Ukraine. So I decided to move and study in Ukraine to fix that. I wanted to study amongst Ukrainian academics and practitioners. I wanted to be better integrated within a Ukrainian based network of activists and analysts. 

I was/am a masters student at the National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy in their Anti-Corruption Studies Program. Since February 24 when Russia escalated its eight year war in Ukraine, my university program was indefinitely paused. 

We asked Britta: What message would you like to offer the AIS community regarding the crisis in Ukraine for us to better understand the reality of the situation and how best to help?

I only have a question. What does Never Again mean? 

In Israel, a great place to begin is the Israeli Friends of Ukraine. They offer both a way to support humanitarian relief as well as create a local community of mobilized activists engaging with politicians and working to influence Israeli-Ukrainian policies. Ukrainians do need a lot of humanitarian aid right now. There are shortages everywhere. But Ukrainians don't just need loving helpers. They need allies. Advocate within your local political sphere for policies that aid Ukraine alongside collecting whatever humanitarian aid you desire or donating to whatever organization you believe in.

Bayan Joonam, Executive Producer in L.A., Class of 2006

LinkedIn says about Bayan that he is “an award-winning producer highly regarded for aligning with mission-driven start-ups, brands, celebrities, and nonprofits to generate unique, engaging programming.”  He was in profiled in Ha’aretz in 2021 after his celebrated 3 part series QAnon: The Search for Q was shown on VICE Media.

We reached out to Bayan to find out more about his journey from WBAIS (when he was at the Bahai Center in Haifa with his family) to his remarkable achievement in the world of media today.  Below are excerpts from the interview with Bayan Joonam::

'I was at WBAIS from around 5th - 10th grade so I got to experience the Elementary, Middle, and High School program. I credit the Art Department, specifically the darkroom of WBAIS to my falling in love with photography. I also participated in after school programs like basketball, baseball, Model United Nations, and others…

[Among other special memories I have from the school], when I reflect on the incredible tradition of the hockey marathon -- most people don’t believe me. I think it’s such a great detail that serves as a reflection of how incredible WBAIS is. 

This is a micro-example of a macro fact which took me longer to appreciate. We were exposed to so many different cultures, customs, and traditions which was equally as educational as what we learned in the classroom. Compounded on that baseline WERE the teachers and curriculum which I think helped to create more multifaceted, globally minded people.”

When asked how and why he became a documentary filmmaker, he said:

After my bus stop [in Israel] was attacked by a suicide bomber, it galvanized my commitment to pursuing work that addresses ideological divides.

“I think when you’re starting out in a business that is as unstructured as the film industry, it’s important to be relentless in pursuing every opportunity that you’re passionate about. The faster you can get over the idea that there is some silver bullet or short cut to get around doing the work -- the faster you’ll start becoming good at it. It’s kind of like skateboarding (which I did a lot when I was in Israel). You may try a trick 100 times before you land it, but you have to take every opportunity to do it over and over before being successful at it. A lot of my peers felt they wanted to go straight into feature films or something like that. I did a whole lot of short form (under 10m) before even trying to make longer stuff. 

After college I spent a few years freelancing until eventually I partnered with Rainn Wilson (who played Dwight Schrute on the office) to build SoulPancake on Youtube. As a Partner and Head of Production for SoulPancake between 2011 - 2018, I led the development, production, and programming of 50 original series which led to over a billion views online, award-winning television franchises, and an acquisition by Participant Media

In 2018, I developed a slate of TV and Film projects for Scheme Engine (a division of Jay-Z’s Roc Nation), including Producing MTV's "16 & Recovering" series. Following that, I became the Creator and Host of QAnon: The Search for Q on ViceTV which examines the who, what, and why behind Q. “

He said that he hopes to revisit Israel and has stayed in touch with many people from WBAIS.  "They are some of the most meaningful relationships I continue to have as we grow older with families, careers, and all that."  

Finally, his advice for students who are graduating today:

  • "1. Don't be scared to ask questions. Curiosity is at the heart of all great innovation. 
  • 2. Spend as much time offline as you do online.
  • 3. Not everything you think is worth tweeting.
  • 4. Nothing great comes from staying in your comfort zone."
Dr. Agata Zielinska, Historian in London, Class of 2012

Agata is a historian of the middle ages, with a particular interest in religious institutions and the ways in which they interacted with their lay counterparts, as explored in her doctoral thesis on the relationship between the Papacy and Poland. Her goals as a historian are to encourage students and readers to question the historical narratives that are often taken for granted. History is a powerful tool that easily taps into people’s emotions and can be used to shape and reshape memory, identity, ideology, politics. Often, the assumption is that historians learn the dates, events, and protagonists of the past, and thus uncover ‘history’ – a linear chain of events leading to the present. This is simply not true. The histories we read are products of time, place, and individual circumstances – whether for better or worse. In her teaching practice, Agata foregrounds the need to critically engage with the sources, secondary literature, and contemporary societal attitudes to evaluate how and why histories are written and presented. This way, students and readers learn to actively think about the significance of the evidence and argumentation used, and conscious of the authors’ goals. At a time when increasing weight is given to the role that AI and Big Data can play in our lives, and with vast amounts of information instantaneously available, the ability to critically evaluate what we are presented with and its significance and use is crucial in ensuring a transparent and functional society.

 

Michael Matias, Entrepeneur in Silicon Valley, Class of 2014

Michael Matias is an engineer and enthusiastic entrepreneur, deeply motivated by people and products that make a positive impact on the world. He is a Senior Associate at J-Ventures (early stage Venture Capital fund in Silicon Valley) and a Software Engineer at Hippo Insurance (unicorn) while studying Artificial Intelligence at Stanford University. He graduated first in class from the IDF Officers Course, and served as an engineer and an officer in the 8200 Cybersecurity Unit, where he developed novel technologies and was recognized with the 2019 Cyber Excellence Award. Michael is featured in Forbes `30 Under 30` and Forbes `18 Under 18`, TEDx speaker, Birthright Excel alumni, founder of Hacking Generation Y and AnyMeal and founding host of the `20 Minute Leaders` tech entrepreneurs series with over 300 episodes. He is the author of Age is Only an Int: Lessons I Learned as a Young Entrepreneur

 
Sonia Gerschenfeld, UX Research Designer in Montreal, Class of 2006

Sonia has two passions in life: design and music (though only one of these allows her to afford food and rent). As you may have guessed...it’s design!

For the past few years, she has been working as a User Experience Designer for WarnerMedia Latin America (designing apps & the brand digital experience). Prior to this she worked as an Art Director for Cartoon Network Latin America for six years. In both these positions she worked hard with the brands for LGBT and Diversity representation in media and to open conversations with kids in Latin American countries. In the future she hopes to get into the design of smart cities and applying technology to make urban design more sustainable.

In her free time she enjoys wandering around looking at the architecture, playing music, reading and most importantly, spending time with her loved ones and enjoying life.

Dr. Amani Jaber, CEO of SOL Language School, Class of 2005

In her own words: "As a young female leader in the community, I enjoyed the active involvement in the social and educational aspects of youth lives in Israel. My rich multicultural experience has enabled me to see and understand the 'other side', a fact that enabled me to research and develop many sociolinguistic initiatives. My journey in our multicultural world started in Seeds of Peace Organization, followed by my high school education in the American International School in Kfar Shmaryahu Israel, where I was fortunate to an outstanding exposure to a diverse international community of students. Being immersed in a unique multicultural and multilingual community attracted me to the field of linguistics where I researched languages thoroughly. I gained my BA, MA, and PhD from Bar Ilan University. In my masters thesis I focused on Bilingualism and autobiographical memory among bilinguals. Whereas in my PhD thesis my focus was on the Sociolinguistic Reflexes of Modernization in an Israeli Palestinian Town: The Case of the Town of Taibeh. I have started my post graduate studies at Ben Gurion University of the Negev recently.


Being an English language coordinator and a teacher for 11 years, I strongly believe that through language we can build cultural and religious bridges. Therefore, I have started a local tourism initiative where I host foreign guests in my town to introduce them to the Arab culture and Islam religion through historical and cultural tours.


In addition to that, I have established my regional language school in my town where young Arab and Jewish learners can enjoy the learning of eight languages!"

Amani is the proud mother of 2 children, her daughter Zena and her son Abudi.

Paulo Elias Moraes, Brazilian Diplomat in Geneva, Class of 1989

I stepped out of WBAIS campus just over 30 years ago. I can still remember and feel those that were close then, although by now we have gone our own ways. During my period at WBAIS my years of training to become a professional tennis player reached an end and I began a search for new meaning. I started my university studies at Columbia College/Columbia University but returned to Brazil where I obtained a degree in Law at Pontifícia Universidade Católica (Rio de Janeiro).  After my undergraduate studies, I entered the Brazilian diplomatic academy and joined the foreign service where I have specialized in international trade and finance policy. Diplomacy involves engaging with others in constant dialogue directed towards efficient, sustainable problem-solving.  The practice of diplomacy requires thinking about national interests and shaping them, in an inclusive and policy-making way, in the language of international law. Flexibility, intellectual suppleness and a sincere interest in others are common traits of diplomats.  A career in diplomacy has meant working overseas (London, Moscow, Tokyo and now Geneva) for significant periods. I met my wife in Moscow and we have three wonderful boys, ages 6, 3 and 1. Parenthood came somewhat late for me. Here is a moment we turn our focus to others...and discover ourselves. Reconnecting with WBAIS is an invitation to muse over the choices and directions of life and brings back warm memories of old friends and peers.