Dr. Yizhar Hess

Ex Officio Member, senior representative of MERCAZ Olami at WZO. Vice-chair at WZO

Following his military service, Yizhar earned a BA in Political Science and Hebrew Literature at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. A member of the Israeli Bar, his law degree is from the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya. He holds an MA in Jewish Studies from the Schechter Institute in Jerusalem and his Ph.D. in Sociology and Education from Sussex University in Brighton, England.  Yizhar has a broad range of experience in Jewish communal service. After holding the Deputy Director position at the Shorashim Centre for Jewish Studies, Yizhar served as the Jewish Agency’s community shaliach to Tucson. On his return to Israel, he worked for the Jewish Agency as Director of Partnerships. Yizhar has professional experience in advertising and journalism. He is a regular contributor to the Israeli press on religion and state and is the co-editor of the book, Questions About God, published by Ma’ariv. Between 2007-2020 Yizhar served as the Executive Director of the Masorti Movement in Israel - part of the worldwide Conservative/Masorti Movement dedicated to a traditional, egalitarian, and pluralistic vision of Israel and Judaism. Yizhar represented the Masorti Movement in the negotiations with the Israeli government regarding egalitarian prayer at the Kotel. He is one of the leading voices in Israel promoting Jewish pluralism. Yizhar Hess is a 10th-generation Jerusalemite. Today, he lives in Modi'in with his wife Yael, a former colonel in the IDF, and their two children, Achiad and Mica.