Dr. David Breakstone

Dr. David Breakstone is Vice-Chairman of the World Zionist Organization and founding director of its Herzl Museum and Educational Center, as well as a member of The Jewish Agency executive. An educator by training, he has also served as director of Hebrew University's Pedagogic Center for Jewish Education in the Diaspora, as Associate Dean and Director of Education at The Schechter Institute for Jewish Studies, and as director of Ramah Programs in Israel.

Dr. Breakstone has published numerous articles, books, and pedagogic materials on Jewish education, the teaching of Israel, Israel-Diaspora relations, Zionism, and Conservative Judaism – all topics on which he lectures extensively. His regular column which appeared in the weekend magazine of The Jerusalem Post and his frequent contributions to The Times of Israel tackles contemporary issues in Israeli society, particularly as they relate to the life of the Jewish community worldwide. A collection of his articles appears at http://keepdreaminginzion.wordpress.com/.

Dr. Breakstone earned his doctorate at Hebrew University in the Institute of Contemporary Jewry, specializing in the teaching of Israel. He made aliyah from the United States in 1974, and performed his army service in the Education Corps of the Israel Defense Forces. He lives in Jerusalem with his Chilean-born wife, and has 5 children and 7 grandchildren.