THE NIR SCHOOL OF THE HEART
Dr. Judith Richter
Founder and Chairwoman
In the summer of 1998, Dr. Judith Richter realized her vision when she founded the NIR School of the Heart.
Dr. Richter is an accomplished entrepreneur and among Israel’s most distinguished business leaders. In 1993, Dr. Richter co-founded Medinol, a global medical device company that acquired a significant international position in the interventional cardiology and stenting industry. She has served as the company’s Chief Executive Officer since the company’s founding.
Born in Carlsbad, Czechoslovakia, the eldest daughter of Holocaust survivors Anna and Zvi Spiegel, Dr. Richter and her family immigrated to Israel when she was two years old. Dr. Richter served as an officer in the Israeli Air Force attaining the rank of Major, where she established the unit for leadership learning and developed the selection systems for flight academy trainees.
Dr. Judith Richter’s extensive business experience was preceded by a career in the academia. She served as a faculty member at Tel Aviv University’s Graduate School of Business, where she specialized in organizational behavior and structure, team building and corporate strategy. During her academic career, Dr. Richter published numerous articles in scientific publications and was widely recognized for her work.
Dr. Richter served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem from 2009-2016, and today she serves as a member of the University’s Board of Trustees. In recognition for her exceptional contribution to Israel’s economic, industrial and technological development, Dr. Richter was awarded the Ramniceanu Prize in Economics by Tel-Aviv University in 2013. That year she was also the recipient of an Honorary Fellow distinction from the Hebrew University. She was also named an Honorary Fellow of the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya in 2018. Dr. Richter has served on the boards of several leading industrial Israeli companies, including Bezeq and Mobileye.
Dr. Judith Richter is also engaged in a variety of activities in the arts and humanities - among them: founding and sponsoring The Richter Quartet of the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra, sponsoring the Israeli Women’s National Volleyball Team, nurturing holocaust survivors living in Jerusalem and supporting the youth Israeli Scouts delegations to Auschwitz, for which she was an Honorary Scout.
A graduate of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Dr. Richter holds a PhD from Boston University.
She is married to Dr. Jacob (Kobi) Richter and a proud mother of three children.
Dr. Richter is an accomplished entrepreneur and among Israel’s most distinguished business leaders. In 1993, Dr. Richter co-founded Medinol, a global medical device company that acquired a significant international position in the interventional cardiology and stenting industry. She has served as the company’s Chief Executive Officer since the company’s founding.
Born in Carlsbad, Czechoslovakia, the eldest daughter of Holocaust survivors Anna and Zvi Spiegel, Dr. Richter and her family immigrated to Israel when she was two years old. Dr. Richter served as an officer in the Israeli Air Force attaining the rank of Major, where she established the unit for leadership learning and developed the selection systems for flight academy trainees.
Dr. Judith Richter’s extensive business experience was preceded by a career in the academia. She served as a faculty member at Tel Aviv University’s Graduate School of Business, where she specialized in organizational behavior and structure, team building and corporate strategy. During her academic career, Dr. Richter published numerous articles in scientific publications and was widely recognized for her work.
Dr. Richter served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem from 2009-2016, and today she serves as a member of the University’s Board of Trustees. In recognition for her exceptional contribution to Israel’s economic, industrial and technological development, Dr. Richter was awarded the Ramniceanu Prize in Economics by Tel-Aviv University in 2013. That year she was also the recipient of an Honorary Fellow distinction from the Hebrew University. She was also named an Honorary Fellow of the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya in 2018. Dr. Richter has served on the boards of several leading industrial Israeli companies, including Bezeq and Mobileye.
Dr. Judith Richter is also engaged in a variety of activities in the arts and humanities - among them: founding and sponsoring The Richter Quartet of the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra, sponsoring the Israeli Women’s National Volleyball Team, nurturing holocaust survivors living in Jerusalem and supporting the youth Israeli Scouts delegations to Auschwitz, for which she was an Honorary Scout.
A graduate of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Dr. Richter holds a PhD from Boston University.
She is married to Dr. Jacob (Kobi) Richter and a proud mother of three children.
Efi Haber-Naor
Director
Efi Haber Naor is leading Medinol’s human resources organization, as well as the company’s administration, logistics and procurement operations. She is also Director of the NIR School of the Heart, and heads the company’s community relations.
Prior to joining Medinol in 1999, Ms. Haber Naor worked at the Tel Aviv Municipality as Head of Community Services in the Northern District of Tel Aviv, where she was responsible for community projects in 13 Tel Aviv neighborhoods.
Ms. Haber-Naor holds a BA in Community and Clinical Social Work, with honors, from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and an Executive MBA from Bar Ilan University. Ms. Haber-Naor is also a graduate of the program for training directors and officers in corporations and has undergone professional training in mediation and conflict resolution.
Staff
Shir Chorev
Shir is a technological entrepreneur and is the co-founder and CTO of Deepchecks, a VC-backed startup in the field of AI. She was selected as a featured honoree in the Forbes 30 under 30 class of 2021. Shir has a B.Sc. in Physics from the Hebrew University, which she obtained as part of the IDF’s Talpiot excellence program, and a M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from Tel Aviv University. She loves hiking and sports, and has extensive experience mentoring and guiding youth and adults in a variety of settings. Shir is a member of the management team in the NIR School.
Diala Dahdal
Diala, a 24yo curly haired Jerusalemite who graduated with a medical doctor's degree from UMF in Timişoara, Romania. She has also received credit on several published medical articles. She's a team sports enthusiast with multiple local awards, and is always up for outdoor activities. She has additional love towards traveling, music, cute animals, and most importantly, food. Her Nir School journey started as a student, she continued volunteering throughout the years as a graduate until she became in charge of the academic program as a staff member.
Andrew Abado
Andrew (or Drew) is a licensed tour guide, working mainly in the city of Akko. He has a B.A. in Archaeology & Geography & Environmental Studies from Haifa University, and he's a licensed yoga teacher. Other than that, Drew is a guitarist, does martial arts & other kinds of sports, and he's in love with Japan, its culture, and its language! While not a graduate of the NIR School, he somehow managed to become a staff member (in 2013) and a member of the program's management team.
Haggai Borkow
General Manager
Haggai is annoying his beloved family 24/7. They got used to it and humor him with pity. Other than that, he tries to make the lives of those around him happier and fuller. And constantly fails… Following his numerous failures, Haggai finds comfort in love, music, literature, science and the Simpsons. He also obsessively ponders this conundrum: “I’m here to help others. But what are the others here for?”
Haggai, graduated with honors from TAU’s Interdisciplinary Program for Outstanding Students with a Masters degree. His mom was furious when he left the PhD program in order to establish… drum-roll… the NIR School. He thinks that she has forgiven him by now. Oh, Haggai loves people! Especially medium-rare.
Uri Yogev
Uri is a Nir School alumnus, graduating in 2019 and joining the school's staff as its youngest team member in 2023. Following his graduation, he completed paramedic training and served as a paramedic in the Israel Defense Forces. Currently, Uri is pursuing a B.Sc in Biology at the University of Haifa.
Beyond his professional and academic pursuits, Uri is passionate about philosophy, enjoys culinary experiences, and values time spent with his girlfriend. He is an accomplished pianist with a deep appreciation for music.
Beyond his professional and academic pursuits, Uri is passionate about philosophy, enjoys culinary experiences, and values time spent with his girlfriend. He is an accomplished pianist with a deep appreciation for music.
Gal Rubin
Gal is a master’s student at the University of Oxford, studying Women’s and Reproductive health, and is generally trying to figure out how to make pregnancy safer and make fetuses less of an annoyance to their mothers.
Other than staring at code on her computer she tries to actually spend time with patients and help improve their lives through the art (and science) of medicine.
She graduated the NIR school in 2016, which led her to attend a super weird undergraduate program where she studied biology while traveling to five different countries around the world. She had a great time traveling, eating great food, and seeing beautiful places. All that hard work paid off because, in 2022, she got the Rhodes scholarship, which granted her full tuition to study at the University of Oxford for two whole years and attend a lot of strange ceremonies conducted in Latin.
However, her real dream came true when she became a NIR school staff member in 2023.
Other than staring at code on her computer she tries to actually spend time with patients and help improve their lives through the art (and science) of medicine.
She graduated the NIR school in 2016, which led her to attend a super weird undergraduate program where she studied biology while traveling to five different countries around the world. She had a great time traveling, eating great food, and seeing beautiful places. All that hard work paid off because, in 2022, she got the Rhodes scholarship, which granted her full tuition to study at the University of Oxford for two whole years and attend a lot of strange ceremonies conducted in Latin.
However, her real dream came true when she became a NIR school staff member in 2023.
Siwar Awad
Siwar is a licensed social worker at Assuta Hospital while pursuing advanced certification in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Her commitment to professional development is reflected in her current studies, as she completes her second year of CBT specialization.
Beyond her clinical work, Siwar is an entrepreneurial spirit who runs her own jewelry-making business. She embodies a growth mindset, constantly seeking new learning opportunities and experiences. Despite being a novice, she maintains her enthusiasm for surfing, demonstrating her determination to embrace new challenges.
Beyond her clinical work, Siwar is an entrepreneurial spirit who runs her own jewelry-making business. She embodies a growth mindset, constantly seeking new learning opportunities and experiences. Despite being a novice, she maintains her enthusiasm for surfing, demonstrating her determination to embrace new challenges.
Keren Luzon Abadi
Keren Luzon Abadi is responsible for student recruitment and logistics at the NIR School Project. With over 18 years of experience as a Welfare Coordinator in the Human Resources Department at Medinol, she brings extensive expertise in organizational management and community engagement.
Ms. Luzon Abadi holds a Bachelor's degree in Arabic Language and Literature, complemented by a specialized focus on Middle Eastern History, from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Her profound background in social services and academic training provides a unique perspective to her role in student recruitment and project logistics.
Married and a mother of three children, Keren is guided by her life philosophy: "I just want to live while I'm alive"
Ms. Luzon Abadi holds a Bachelor's degree in Arabic Language and Literature, complemented by a specialized focus on Middle Eastern History, from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Her profound background in social services and academic training provides a unique perspective to her role in student recruitment and project logistics.
Married and a mother of three children, Keren is guided by her life philosophy: "I just want to live while I'm alive"