LIMMUD FSU Recharge Presenters 2016

Ambassador Colette Avital is a board member at Mitvim Institute. Avital immigrated to Israel from Romania. She began her career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs holding a variety of positions. At the Ministry, she was Deputy Director for Information, Desk Officer for Scandinavian Affairs, Director of the Training Division, Deputy Director-General for Public Affairs, and finally Deputy Director-General for European Affairs. She also held various diplomatic postings around the world, including Montreal (Chancellor) Brussels (Press and Cultural Attache), Boston (Consul and Acting Consul General), Paris (Minister-Counselor) Lisbon Portugal (Ambassador) and New York (Consul General with the rank of Ambassador). In 1999 she turned to politics and, joining the Labor Party, served as an MK in the 15th-17th parliaments. During this time she was was a member of the Education, Law and Constitution, and Defense and Foreign Affairs committees. She headed the Absorption and Diaspora Affairs committee and was elected Deputy Speaker of the House. M.K. Avital also formed an Inquiry Committee for the Location and Restitution of assets in Israel of Holocaust victims. The Committee published its report in 2005, and subsequently, a law was passed creating a State company for the restitution of these assets. Amb. Avital serves in a multitude of public foundations and institutes and has received a number of awards, including from the President of France (Officier de la Legion d'Honneur) and the President of Italy (Cavaliere del'Ordine della Republica). Amb. Avital holds a BA degree from the Hebrew University, an MA degree from Harvard. She was awarded Honorary Doctorates by the College of New Rochelle and Wheaton College.