Ariel Schwartz

Ariel is a graduate of the LL.B. in Law and B.A. in Social Work from Bar Ilan University, and a social activist who serves, among other things, as the coordinator of the Jerusalem Food Security Forum. The Forum was founded by Ariel during his studies at the university and he describes it as the fruit of cross-religion and cross-sectoral cooperation: "In the Forum we took it upon ourselves to be the voice for hundreds of thousands of people who have difficulty providing nutritious food for themselves and their families. We met with Members of Knesset, participated in the establishment of a food security lobby, spoke in debates and conferences before Members of Knesset and government ministers, and initiated interviews with members of the Forum in Israel's leading media outlets. Our struggle, along with other organizations, bore fruit. In the latest budget, for the first time, the State of Israel anchored the food security budget within the budget and recognized that they need to take responsibility for the matter. In my view, it was a historic moment."

In addition to the Jerusalem Food Security Forum, Ariel is a serial social activist, involved on a number of fronts. He coordinated the fight against accidents in the construction industry within the framework of the "Maagalei Tzadek" organization; served as coordinator for the "Simcha LaYeled" organization which helps children living with chronic and genetic diseases; was an instructor in the "Masa Yisraeli" project; and worked as a program coordinator in the social youth leadership program "Kav HaZinuk", supported by the Rothschild Foundation.  During his studies, Ariel also volunteered to accompany children who had suffered sexual assault during their court cases, within the framework of the National Council for the Child.

Studies:

According to Ariel, academic studies in the fields of law and community social work provided him with the tools to believe in the ability of people from the weaker sectors to work together to fight for social  and status equality, as well as faith in his ability to influence and shape the space around him in order to make it more just and equal. The unique aspect of the study program was, in his opinion, the blend of high-level academic studies with practical experience in the field: "It gave my studies a chance to be relevant to me and for my actions to become more grounded and precise".