Voluntarism and Philanthropy - Mandy (Amanda) Leighton-Bellichach

Her personal struggle with chronic pain led Mandy to begin volunteering in order to promote changes for people with disabilities in Israeli society. Mandy is on the Board of Trustees of Bizchut, the Israel Human Rights Center for People with Disabilities. In 2004, she set up the Society for Fighting Pain (SFP), the Israeli national association for chronic pain sufferers and their families, and today is its chairperson. Among the SFP's achievements are the development of a unique model of support groups for people coping with pain, as well as working on pain-related legislation. In January 2005, she was elected the first president of the European Pain Network, the European umbrella organization in the field of chronic pain.

Mandy has succeeded in turning her personal traumatic journey into service for the public by volunteering in the area of promoting the rights of people with disabilities, particularly in the health sphere. She not only focuses on treatment of the individual person in pain, but also takes a broad, systemic view on the issue, and has established an organizational system that targets additional large frameworks that address this topic. Her efforts succeeded in placing this critical issue on the public agenda. Mandy's work is visionary, diverse and aimed at a wide variety of circles. She is influential in different spheres: political, professional, academic, individual care and providing a response to a variety of needs in society.

Mandy has been consistently active in this field; while demonstrating forbearance and determination, she has succeeded in a slow, ongoing battle that is leading to breakthroughs.

Her inspiring efforts serve as a personal example in surmounting difficulties, while demonstrating leadership, initiative, innovation and creativity.

In recognition of these activities and achievements, the Committee has chosen to award Mandy (Amanda) Leighton-Bellichach the Zusman Prize for Voluntarism and Philanthropy.

Services for the Elderly - Michael (Mickey) Schindler

Michael (Mickey) Schindler holds a Bachelors degree in Social Work and a Masters degree in Law, and has completed ELKA's MASHMAUT-MASLUL course for non-profit executive directors.

Since 1999, Michael Schindler has been the director of Yad Riva, an organization that provides legal aid to the elderly.  Over the past decade, under Schindler’s leadership and in cooperation with Yad Sarah, JDC-ESHEL, social service and other organizations, Yad Riva has grown from a local Jerusalem association to an organization that is active all over the country, helping thousands of elderly Israelis each year learn about, and exercise, their legal rights.  Michael developed Yad Riva’s program to combat elder abuse, an innovative program providing legal assistance to seniors suffering from abuse or neglect – whether physical, emotional, or in the form of financial exploitation.  His work is based on a framework of joint, multidisciplinary endeavors with social workers, physicians and other professionals.

Michael has made a huge contribution in bringing the topic of "the rights of the elderly in Israel" to the forefront of the Israeli public agenda, the media and public discourse. His activities are diverse and touch upon many fronts – from the elderly individual to the authorities dealing with this issue. His legal training, along with his experience in social work, make his contributions unique, and are marked by a broad view of the subject that integrates individual care of the elderly on the one hand and institutional activity on the other.

Michael's work is characterized by intimate involvement and a hands-on approach to the events in the field, and therefore proposes focused, practical and applied solutions to these problems.

The combination of caring and personal involvement, academic skills and a broad range of activities, have greatly affected the entire elderly population in Israel.

In recognition of these activities and achievements, the Committee has chosen to award Michael Schindler the Zusman Prize for Services for the Elderly.

Immigrant Absorption - Uri Eshkol

Uri Eshkol immigrated to Israel with his family from Ethiopia in 1980.

After completing his three-year IDF service, Uri joined the Israel Prison Service, where he continues to serve today.

Uri has filled a number of volunteer positions, with a special interest in working on behalf of children and adolescents. He volunteered in a soccer group with children in his home neighborhood, providing a role model for Ethiopian youth.

Ever since then, Uri has been involved in various projects using football to empower Ethiopian youth at risk, and in 2003, he initiated a national children's tournament that is still held all over the country. In 2005, Uri was appointed General Coordinator of the IEFL (Israeli-Ethiopian Football League) national mini-soccer league and today serves as IEFL Chairman. In 2007, Uri founded the IESC (the Israeli-Ethiopian Sport Center) and in 2008 he established a soccer tournament for underprivileged children, held during the summer vacation in Kiryat Gat.

Uri believes that sports can be a means of improving scholastic performance and social integration, reducing violence, imparting positive values and addressing the issues faced by at-risk youth.

Uri's wide-ranged and successful volunteer activities have led to empowerment of Ethiopian youth while using the community's own inner strengths. 

He has used sport, which draws children into activity, in order to promote and encourage important values such as friendship, self-discipline, responsibility, aspiring to excellence, and as a catalyst to motivate children to complete their school assignments. His efforts connect participants to a framework of belonging and help inculcate life skills beyond involvement in sports.

Uri's work bridges integration into Israeli society with preservation of and connection to the heritage and values of the Ethiopian community.

In recognition of these activities and achievements, the Committee has chosen to award Uri Eshkol the Zusman Prize for Immigrant Absorption.