Eden’s Management Team
Ronit Shoval | Chief Executive Officer
Ronit has served as CEO of Eden Association since 2017, following her roles as the Association’s Deputy CEO and Director of Eden Therapeutic Boarding School. She specializes in the treatment of complex post-traumatic stress and in issues related to both the normative and traumatic aspects of the lives of girls and women.
Previously, Ronit worked as a youth social worker and managed the Israel Anti-Drug Authority’s activities in Beersheba. She developed and founded the Eden Model for the treatment of girls and women, and as part of her role, she trains and teaches professional teams and care professionals.
In 2024, her book, The Eden Model: A Practical Guide to Treatment in a Trauma-Informed Setting, was published.
Ronit holds an MSW, a BSW, and a BA in Behavioral Sciences and Education from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
Ronits@eden.org.il
Avital Ben Porat | Director of Eden Therapeutic Boarding School
Avital has directed Eden Therapeutic Boarding School since 2017. In 2021, she received a commendation from El HaLev Association for her dedicated and outstanding work supporting and protecting girls affected by risk and violence.
Previously, she served as a residential unit coordinator and boarding school coordinator at Eden. Before joining Eden, she managed Or Shalom’s community home in Eilat.
Avital holds a BA in Management and Public Policy and is a graduate of Tel Aviv University’s Residential Care Directors Program. She has also completed professional training in hydrotherapy and interior design at the School of Practical Engineering at Sapir College.
avitalb@eden.org.il
Karo Ran-Cohen | Director of Programs
Karo has served as Director of Programs since February 2026. Prior to this role, she directed Eden School for students at Eden Therapeutic Boarding School.
She has extensive experience in senior positions in the fields of informal education, social services, and welfare. Her previous roles include CEO of Ashkelon’s network of community centers, Vice President of Product and Training at an international organization, director of a center for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and district supervisor and director of early childhood settings.
Karo holds a BA in Social Sciences, specializing in Criminology and Psychology, and an MSW in Community and Organizational Management, specializing in Community Social Work, from Bar-Ilan University.
caror@eden.org.il
Irit Spozhnikov | Director of Eden School
Irit has directed Eden School since February 2026, after previously serving as the school’s Director of Education.
She holds a BA in Social Sciences, specializing in Criminology and Sociology, a teaching certificate, and an MEd in the Management and Organization of Educational Settings. She brings extensive experience in both formal and informal education, as well as a background in managing educational and therapeutic settings.
Previously, she worked as an educational supervisor and instructor in early childhood settings in Israel’s Southern District.
irits@eden.org.il
Batel Yiftach | Director of Eden for Life Preparatory School
Batel has directed Eden for Life Preparatory School since its fourth cohort. She has a therapeutic and management background in rehabilitation and care, including work in residential settings for people coping with mental health conditions through Israel’s Rehabilitation Basket program, as well as with various nonprofit organizations supporting at-risk children and adolescents with diverse needs. She also serves as a mental health officer in the IDF reserves.
Batel holds a BA in Social Sciences, specializing in Criminology and Psychology, and a BSW from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. She also holds a research-based MA in Clinical Criminology from Ariel University. Her thesis examined how various personality factors affect the development of mental health challenges among rescue and emergency personnel.
batelif@eden.org.il
Yulia Goldring | Director of Eden Trauma Therapy Center
Yulia has directed Eden Trauma Therapy Center since December 2025.
She is a clinical social worker (MSW) specializing in the treatment of acute stress and trauma, complex trauma, and mental health conditions. Her therapeutic approaches include CBT, ACT, mindfulness-based psychotherapy, and EMDR.
YuliaG@eden.org.il
Anna Kharkin | Director of Operations
Anna has worked at Eden Association since 2022 and has led its operations team since 2025, overseeing human resources, finance, procurement, and administration. Previously, she managed the Association’s human resources department.
In her current role, Anna leads in-depth organizational processes and develops the infrastructure needed to support the Association’s growth and continued professional development.
Anna holds a BA in Management and Social Sciences and an MBA specializing in Organizational Behavior, both from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
annak@eden.org.il
Adi Weiss | Director of Content | Lead of the Women Tell War Initiative
Adi has worked at Eden Association since 2022. She directs the Association’s content activities, develops and leads projects and initiatives, and delivers lectures and workshops for diverse audiences.
Following October 7, 2023, she developed and led the Women Tell War initiative. As part of the project, she interviewed more than 80 women from the home front and the front lines and led the production of exhibitions presented in Israel and around the world.
Adi is a qualified speech-language pathologist. She holds a BA in Communication Disorders from Tel Aviv University and an MA from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Schwartz Program in Early Childhood Studies, specializing in Mental Health.
adiw@eden.org.il
Gal Ram | Director of Resource Development and External Relations
Gal has served as Director of Resource Development and External Relations since 2023. She joined Eden with diverse experience leading projects that promote employment opportunities for populations facing barriers in Israel and abroad, as well as managing human resources and organizational operations.
Gal also guides people through meaningful processes of personal change and development in various areas of life using the LTT method.
She holds an MA in Social and Occupational Psychology, an MBA specializing in Information Systems Management, and a BA in Psychology and Business Administration from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
galr@eden.org.il
Dr. Shira Kramer Sharon | Director of Research and Evaluation
Shira has worked at Eden Association since 2025 and leads research and evaluation across all of the Association’s programs and projects, combining quantitative and qualitative applied research. She also leads research on trauma among girls and women, with a particular focus on complex post-traumatic stress disorder.
Shira has research experience in collective trauma and the psychological effects of intergroup violence.
She holds a PhD and an MA in Social Psychology from the University of Haifa, specializing in collective trauma and political psychology, as well as a BA in Psychology and Political Science from Tel Aviv University.
shirak@eden.org.il
Board of Directors
Liora Sela David | Chair of the Board of Directors
Director of External Relations and Partnership Development at Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council. Former CEO of the Shikma-Besor Tourism Association.
Sharon Gilran | Member of the Board of Directors
CEO and director in the fields of entrepreneurship, technology, and finance.
Liat Agai | Member of the Board of Directors
Vice President of Human Resources at a high-tech company and an organizational and strategic consultant to startup companies.
Nirit Yaron | Member of the Board of Directors
Director, screenwriter, and content editor, and owner of Rabel Productions.
Tal Hefling | Member of the Board of Directors
Attorney specializing in capital markets and financial regulation, with expertise in Israel’s pension system and innovative financial products.