Yana Drozdovski Hazan
On living and working in Israel
Yana Drozdovski Hazan, MA/MBA’13
During her senior year of undergraduate studies at Ben Gurion University, Yana was invited to join a Birthright group of young adults from New York. After spending five days with them in Israel, she became passionate about the Jewish world outside of Israel.
Upon graduation, she spent a year abroad serving as the Israel fellow in Tanger Hillel at Brooklyn College, New York, on behalf of the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI). This was her first “real job” in the Jewish world, she says. And it was also a turning point.
“I fell in love with my work and realized that this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” she remembers. “I wanted to continue working in the Jewish world, fostering meaningful connections between the Jewish people and Israel, but I knew there was so much more for me to learn.”
Yana attended the Hornstein Program to begin to fill in the gaps in her education and skills. In 2013 she graduated with a Master of Arts in Jewish Professional Leadership and an Master of Business Administration in Nonprofit Management.
She recalls her Hornstein years and especially the Kraft Seminar in Israel: “As an Israeli… it was amazing to experience the Kraft Seminar together with my fellow Hornstein students who challenged me to see things from a completely different perspective and learn so much about my country and the place I call home.
"One of the most meaningful experiences for me was the visit to the YMCA Jerusalem and meeting with the CEO at the time, Forsan Hussein, a Brandeis alumnus from the class of 2000. Hearing him speak was absolutely inspiring and I remember leaving there filled with hope for peace and a better future for all human beings.”
Yana Drozdovski Hazan, MA/MBA’13 and family
Yana lives in Tel Aviv now and works for the Genesis Philanthropy Group (GPG) as a senior program manager. This private foundation is dedicated to developing and enhancing a sense of Jewish identity among Russian-speaking Jews worldwide.
She is pictured here with her husband, Tzachi, and their 3-year-old son, Eitan. They are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their second child, due any day now!
In Her Own Words: Q&A with Yana Drosdovski Hazan
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I was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia. In 1990 when I was 5, my family (mother, father and twin brother) made aliyah. I grew up on the Israeli coastal plain for the first two years in Bat Yam, and afterwards in Holon.
I attended Hornstein from 2011 to 2013.
After serving for two years in the IDF’s Intelligence forces, I attended Ben Gurion University in Beer Sheva where I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Management and Behavior Science. During my senior year, I was invited to join a Birthright group of young adults from New York, and after spending five days with them I became passionate about the Jewish world outside of Israel. Upon graduation, I decided to spend a year abroad serving, on behalf of JAFI, as the Israel Fellow in Tanger Hillel at Brooklyn College, New York. This was my first “real job” in the Jewish world. This was also the turning point for me. I fell in love with my work and realized that this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I wanted to continue working in the Jewish world, fostering meaningful connections between the Jewish people and Israel, but I knew there was so much more for me to learn. When I learned about the Hornstein Program, I could not believe there was such an amazing opportunity that fit exactly what I was looking for! I had no hesitations that Hornstein was the perfect fit for me!
I earned my Master of Business Administration in Nonprofit Management and Master of Arts in Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership in 2013. After graduation I joined the Brandeis-Genesis Institute for Russian Jewry (BGI) at Brandeis University as the program manager, responsible for global program design and management of the institute’s educational initiatives. Upon returning to Israel from the United States in 2015, I managed a number of educational projects and initiatives supporting the Russian-Jewish community worldwide.
In November 2016, I joined Genesis Philanthropy Group (GPG) as a senior program manager. This private foundation is dedicated to developing and enhancing a sense of Jewish identity among Russian-speaking Jews worldwide. As part of my role, I support the execution of grants under my management, provide content input and support for grants and grantees, and build and maintain partnerships, ensuring synergies and coordination among grantees.
As an Israeli, it was very inspiring to learn about the breadth and diversity of the work that is being done here. But above all, it was amazing to experience the Kraft Seminar together with my fellow Hornstein students who challenged me to see things from a completely different perspective and learn so much about my country and the place I call home.
One of the most meaningful experiences for me was the visit to the YMCA Jerusalem and meeting with the CEO at the time, Forsan Hussein, a Brandeis alumnus from the class of 2000. Hearing him speak was absolutely inspiring and I remember leaving there filled with hope for peace and a better future for all human beings.
Israel needs young, talented and energetic people to join its realms. There are plenty of opportunities, especially for native English speakers, and it is easy to get lost and confused. My recommendation would be to first understand what is it that YOU want to do professionally and where you’d like to live, and then invest time in researching and fostering the right connections to help meet your goals. Israel is a small country with lots of good people but it is up to you to form the relationships and create a strong network that will provide you the support needed for the beginning of your time here.
The most common (and quite obvious) challenge is resource development. The nonprofit sector in Israel is overly saturated and the competition for resourses is immense. The second challenge, I believe, is effective and efficient management. In many cases the organizations are very mission-driven but lack the knowledge and skills needed to improve efficiency and impact. This is where the Heller MBA skills can come into play.
Coursework is important but do not let yourself drown in it so that you don’t notice the opportunities around you. Before you know it, your time at Hornstein will be over. Try to use the time you have to open yourself up to new opportunities, create meaningful connections and learn as much as possible, especially in areas which you consider to be your weakest. This is the time to acquire new skills and knowledge and not only cultivate your strengths.
This interview with Yana was published in the Hornstein Program's Impact Newsletter, March 2018. If you would like to quote any part of this conversation, please attribute content to the Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program at Brandeis University and link to this page. All rights reserved.