Congratulations to Limor Berman Harms, a Mandel School for Educational Leadership Fellow, on receiving the National Education Award for 2009-10. The award ceremony took place at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jersualem in the presence of President Shimon Peres, Minister of Education Gidon Sa'ar and the Director-General of the Ministry of Education, Dr. Shimshon Shoshani.

During the ceremony the Minister of Education said that "educators are the key to the success of the education system and to the success of the entire Israeli society." In addressing educators he added, "In your work you are making the difference. You are very lucky to practice a profession in which you are fulfilling a mission with the greatest impact on individuals as well as on the future of society".

The Ministry of Education presented awards and certificates of appreciation to 23 educational institutions for excellence in the field of education. Limor received the award for continuous improvement in academic achievement and the promotion of multicultural dialogue when she served as principal of the "Hashmonaim" School in Jaffa.

Prior to attending the Mandel School for Educational Leadership Limor Berman-Harms served as the principal of the elementary school in Kfar Shemaryahu, Hof Hasharon. Earlier, she was the principal of the "Hashmonaim" School in Jaffa, a school with a mixed population. She completed her M.A. cum laude in educational administration and policy and her B.A. in education and history at Tel Aviv University. Limor believes in the need to create a meaningful pluralistic space within educational settings that stimulates thinking and invites emotional experiences as a basis for empowering individuals there.

To read more about the ceremony (in Hebrew) click here