e-mail: AlanH@jafi.org

Alan Hoffmann was named Director-General of the Jewish Agency in March, 2010. Born and raised in South Africa, he made Aliyah to Israel in 1967 with HaBonim and is the first Oleh to hold this esteemed position.

As Director General of the Jewish Agency, Alan is responsible for implementing the policies of the Board and Executive, all operations and administration, the multi-year strategy and operating plan, interdepartmental coordination and supervising the senior management staff.

Formerly, Alan served as the Director-General of the Department of Education of the Jewish Agency where he developed groundbreaking initiatives as MASA Israel Journey and MAKOM.  MASA, a joint program of the Jewish Agency and the Government of Israel, brings young people from around the world to Israel on long-term programs that include study and volunteerism.  MAKOM generates content and drives educational processes that re-imagine the place of Israel in Jewish life.  Alan was also responsible for numerous educational initiatives in Jewish communities worldwide, including summer and winter camps in the FSU; training Israeli counselors to work in camps in North America; professional training initiatives for Jewish educators; sending Israeli educators ("Shlichim") to communities and institutions around the world (including "Campus Fellows" engaged in advocacy efforts at universities); Hebrew language Ulpanim, and more.

Alan's professional life has been dedicated to promoting Jewish Education, initially as the director of The Young Judea Year Course. After three years of doctoral study in educational policy at the Harvard School of Education, he spent 13 years at the Melton Centre for Jewish Education at the Hebrew University, including six years as its director.  Subsequently, he served as the Executive Director of the Council for Initiatives in Jewish Education (CIJE) in New York and in 1997 was named the head of the Mandel Center for Jewish Continuity at the Hebrew University.  He founded the "Revivim" program at Hebrew University, which trains Israeli educators in Jewish content for Israeli public schools. In February 2000, Alan became the Director General of the Education Department of the Jewish Agency.

Alan Hoffmann lives in Jerusalem with his wife, Nadia.  They have four children.