Professional Staff

Yael Kakun, Executive Director: Yael holds an MA in Social Work from Tel Aviv University. She has over twenty years of experience working professionally with deaf and hard of hearing individuals, as well as personal experience from being raised by deaf parents. Yael was a pioneer in the training of Israeli Sign Language interpreters.

Elias Kabakov, Director of Program Development: Elias has over 20 years of experience working with individuals of all ages who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, blind, visually impaired, or a combination of the above. He is highly experienced in vocational counseling, job development techniques, rehabilitation skills and developing and supervising programs for the deaf, blind, and deaf-blind. An experienced sign language interpreter, he is fluent in both American and Israeli Sign Language. His formal education includes a M.S. in Rehabilitation Counseling from San Francisco State University, CA and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Maryland. In addition, he was trained at the Independent Living Skills Language Laboratory to work with Minimal Language Skill Deaf Adults, and at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, Rochester Institute of Technology in their Basic Interpreter Training Program.

Linoy Mazor, Mentoring Deaf Children at Risk Program & Learning Center Director: Linoy holds an MA in Educational Counseling from Bar Ilan University and has 5 years of experience in the field of mental health. Linoy has provided individual counseling and guidance to over 80 students who have worked with deaf children at risk. Linoy can identify with the program participants, as she is herself hard of hearing. She is also the co-author of “Our way: Identity and Transitions in the Life of Deaf and Hard of hearing Individuals”.

Gal Roknian, Deaf Mentor Programs Director: Gal holds a BA in Special Education from the Seminar Hakibbutzim. She can identify with the program participants, as she is deaf herself. Gal has provided extensive group guidance for deaf mentors who work with groups of deaf children. She co-authored the book “Our way: Identity and Transitions in the Life of Deaf and Hard of hearing Individuals”.

Linoy and Gal have been working in mixed hearing, hard of hearing and deaf work environments for the past seven years and have gained skills through experience related to the deaf or hard of hearing person in the working world.

Kobi Chai Yaakobi Editor, Sela Information site www.sela.org.il Kobi is hard of hearing and his education includes a course in computer programming as well as a BA and MA from Bar Ilan University in Political Studies and Communication. As part of his contribution to the Israeli deaf and hard of hearing community he volunteered in 2004 to edit the publication “Siman Kriah!”, which is jointly produced by the Institute and by Globes for this population. His relevant work experience includes being responsible, from 2003-5, for on-line courses of the Communication Department of Bar Ilan University. He has also helped teach in that department.

Nena Bar, Coordinator of Opening Doors to Higher Education Program

Ms. Rose Amar, Coordinator of the Negev Project

Orit Solberg, Coordinator of the Employment Initiative

Orna Ben Hur, Administrative Assistant

Chaim Malka, Coordinator, Sela Support Center

Ilana Saban, Coordinator, Storytelling In Sign

Dana Levi, Field Coordinator, Deaf Mentor Program

Galya Cohen, Book keeper