Social Disaster as an Opportunity

Julia Mirsky holds a Ph.D. from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She is a Psychologist and Senior Lecturer with the Department of Social Work at the Ben-Gurion University in Israel. Dr. Mirsky has published extensively on the psychological aspects of migration and, among other activities, served as a consultant to the JDC's Welfare Program in the former Soviet Union. She headed the JDC-BGU project on which this book is based. Roni Kaufman holds a Ph.D. from the Tel-Aviv University. He is a Social Worker and a Lecturer with the Department of Social Work at the Ben-Gurion University. In addition to his academic work, Dr. Kaufman has published extensively on community mobilization, social problems, and volunteer organizations. He was a senior member of the project that gave rise to this book. Amos Avgar holds a Ph.D. from Cornell University. He is the Chief Program Officer of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and is active in the spheres of welfare and community building in Jewish communities around the world. In his previous position as head to the JDC's Welfare Programs in the former Soviet Union, he was the architect of the Hesed Model and the initiator and founder of the Hesed movement.