Our Board Members

Who we are

Gila Rockman

Gila Rockman is a Jerusalem based social activist. She is currently the Head of the Service and Citizenship Department at Shalem College in Jerusalem. Gila is a pioneer in the field of experiential educational and has developed and implemented unique teaching methodologies that provide students and communities powerful and compelling Jewish experiences. At Shalem College, Gila designed and teaches a one your course on Challenges in Israel Society and is responsible for all extra-curricular College activities including missions, events, volunteering, conferences and student life . Previously, Rockman spent 8 years as the director of educational programs in Israel for Yeshiva University. Gila has been involved with Afikim for the past ten years and has played a central role in growing and developing the organization. Gila is the cofounder and organizer of “Run4Afikim”, an annual 370 km charity run from Jerusalem to Eilat, that has raised over $1,000,000 for Afikim centers which support hundreds of Israeli youth at risk in Development Towns in Israel. She is an Executive Board member of Mevoi Satum and and board member in her synagogue community in South Jerusalem. Gila is married to Justin who also plays an active part in Afikim and together they have 4 energetic kids who have started training for the run this year!

Jason Gardner

Jason Gardner is currently a senior manager at the Isrotel chain heading Sales and Marketing for Incoming Tourism. Jason, an avid ultra-marathonist and has been involved with Afikim for the past 8 years and has played a central role in growing and developing the organization. He co- founded the Run4Afikim annual relay run from Jerusalem to Eilat, heavily supporting the Afikim organization, now in its eighth year , that has raised over $1,000,000 for Afikim centers which support hundreds of Israeli youth at risk in Development Towns in Israel. Jason is also an active member in his community-in Jerusalem leading local projects which include building a new synagogue and in the time being has started and running an outside covid free “shul” which provides many people a place to come and connect. Jason is married to Chava and has four children who put up with all his initiatives.

Kobi Langleiv

Kobi was born in Beersheba and is currently a resident of Kochav Yair. He is married to Shlomit and has three sons. He is CEO and partner of BMBY Software Systems, a marketing technology company leading the development and implementation of unique and innovative software.

Kobi is a long distance runner who enjoys participating in marathons in Israel and abroad and particularly enjoys participating in the annual Run4Afikim. He serves as a board member to Afikim based on his personal belief that the best assistance one can provide to another person are the tools to help themselves.

Samuel Weinstein

Sam Weinstein is the Associate Director of Customer Success at Litify, a leading business technology company for the legal industry.

He became involved with Afikim while participating (and leading) Counterpoint service missions to Southern Israel at Yeshiva University during winter and summer breaks. After witnessing first-hand the the impact that Afikim has in its mission to break the cycle of poverty through education and family enrichment, and meeting the amazing children and families who benefit from the organization, he decided to become actively more involved and has continued to work on various initiatives to benefit the organization to this day.

Sam ran Run4Afikim for the first time in 2018 and is training hard for the next race this coming January.

Sam is an avid half-marathoner, a (soon-to-be) licensed skipper, an acoustic guitarist and a big time reader (who will never say no to a good self help/inspirational book).

Originally from New York, he moved to the Old North community in Tel Aviv in 2019 where he lives with his wife Stephanie and daughter Becca.

Daphna Hochman

Daphne has 28 years of experience in the real estate industry in senior positions in the field of marketing. Daphna also Holds three degrees from official universities in the State of Israel. She defines herself as a Zionist and loves the country and its people.

Daphna is Maya’s mother and granddaughter of the pioneers Moshe and Nehama Hochman (founders of the Yavniel community) and Avraham and Sara Biezer (members of the Etzel), who came with the third aliyah in 1921 from Russia to Yavniel and from Poland to the city of Ramat Gan.