Liora Norwich
Leon A Jick Chair, The Hornstein Program
Degrees
- Brandeis University, M.B.A.
- The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Ph.D.
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The London School of Economics and Political Science, MSc
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University of Toronto, BA
Profile
With two decades of non-profit experience, Dr. Liora Norwich is the new Director of the Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program at Brandeis. Previously she spent almost 5 years as the Executive Director of the Network for Social Justice, a nonprofit based in Winchester Massachusetts. A Canadian by birth, Liora is also an Israeli citizen, having spent over a decade in Israel working with both local partners and international human rights organizations to advance integrated community development and social justice initiatives among Jewish, Palestinian, and Bedouin organizations. While receiving her PhD in Political Science at the Hebrew University, Liora launched the first academic Master’s program in community development studies, the Glocal Program, at the Hebrew University in 2011.
After a fellowship at the Azrieli Centre of Israel Studies in Montreal, Liora moved to Boston in 2014 for a two-year teaching fellowship at the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University, and at the same time undertook an MBA in Nonprofit Management at the Heller School. Her research focused primarily on social mobilization using Israel as a case study, comparing the mobilization of ethnic minorities, and analyzing the ways in which different collectives make their voices heard and impact social policy. Liora has worked with–and consulted for–a diverse subset of mission-driven organizations in the areas of health equity, immigrant justice, and college access and readiness. Her diverse experience drives her passion for developing equitable, inclusive, intergenerational, and accessible community learning and engagement programming, alongside working to empower students at different stages of their academic and professional careers as leaders and changemakers. As the Executive Director of the Network for Social Justice Liora spearheaded a town-wide equity and inclusion initiative called the Lived Experience Survey, alongside a series of dialogue and facilitation workshops that reached hundreds of participants. Liora also held the role as adjunct lecturer at Regis College where she taught a Master’s class on grant writing and project management.