No. 41: Haim Taib, Robert Zinger, Ranan Hartman: Shaping the Jewish world of tomorrow

Haim Taib and Robert Zinger run organizations dedicated to Israel’s welfare and the security of Jewish communities across the globe.

 
 Haim Taib, Ranan Hartman, Robert Zinger. (photo credit: Anil Abeykoon, Courtesy, Wikimedia Commons)
Haim Taib, Ranan Hartman, Robert Zinger.
(photo credit: Anil Abeykoon, Courtesy, Wikimedia Commons)

Haim Taib

Haim Taib’s business and philanthropy focuses on long-term value and economic growth that leads to social impact. Taib’s companies – Mitrelli Group, JETA Holding, and Menomadin Foundation – operate across three continents in the fields of national infrastructure, real estate, water and food security, energy, education, healthcare, and technology.

Taib started his path in Angola, directing his efforts towards food security by establishing rural settlements across the country similar to Israeli kibbutzim, where agricultural products harvested by residents were used to support the local community and encourage regional development.

In 2010, Taib established Mitrelli Group. Today, Mitrelli employs over 2,500 people, operating in three continents and nine countries. Under Taib’s leadership, Mitrelli has executed approximately 80 large-scale infrastructure development projects and social initiatives in Angola, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Mozambique, and beyond.

Among his most notable projects is one of the largest-scale affordable housing initiatives in Africa, which has provided homes for over 120,000 individuals.

In 2019, Taib established the Menomadin Foundation, an international impact fund that leverages the experience, resources, and capabilities he accumulated in his near 30 years of work in Africa. Menomadin leads strategic philanthropic initiatives in education, welfare, and municipal development and invests in impact-driven startups. The foundation operates in Angola through its cultural center, Fundação Arte e Cultura. Menomadin, which specializes in formulating national roadmaps, initiated the National Welfare Plan adopted by the Israeli government in 2022.

Taib is president of Save a Child’s Heart in Africa, an NGO that provides quality cardiac care to children with heart disease. In cooperation with the Côte d’Ivoire government, his group launched a program at the Abidjan Cardiology Institute to train local doctors in pediatric heart care. In June of 2024, Taib received the Unity Award from President Isaac Herzog for his contributions to Israeli resilience.

Robert Zinger

Robert Zinger has a robust background in global Jewish affairs, Jewish education, and diplomacy. As the former CEO of the World Jewish Congress, he made significant contributions to the international Jewish community. Before that, he served as CEO and later chairman of World ORT, focusing on advancing educational initiatives worldwide.

Currently, Zinger chairs both the Center for Jewish Impact and Alumot Or. He is also the president of SASA Setton. He is dedicated to leading initiatives that empower vulnerable populations in Israel, particularly children with special educational needs and hospitalized youth.

Robert co-founded the Technion’s Anières program, which creates pathways for young Jewish individuals from challenging economic backgrounds to become leading engineers. His role as a governing board member of the Combat Antisemitism Movement has been vital in safeguarding Jewish communities globally.

In response to the outbreak of war, Robert led the Embrace Campaign, mobilizing resources and coordinating emergency relief for Israeli society. This initiative includes rehabilitating 35 early childhood excellence centers in the western Negev over three years through a continuous support process, which involves implementing a tailor-made pedagogical model, designing enriching learning environments, and emphasizing emotional well-being.

The campaign also connects the diplomatic community with local  Israeli society, supports public diplomacy efforts, assists the Barzilay Mental Trauma Center for children, helps injured IDF soldiers pursue Paralympic dreams, aids displaced families, provides scholarships for students from the Gaza envelope, and offers crucial support for Supernova music festival survivors, among many other activities.

Robert’s unwavering dedication to Israel’s welfare and resilience exemplifies the leadership needed in times of crisis.

Ranan Hartman - CEO & Founder, Ono Academic College

Ranan Hartman is the CEO of Ono Academic College, which he founded in 1995 at 26. Today, OAC is the largest college in Israel, with over 23,000 students studying at its three campuses (Kiryat Ono, Haifa, and Jerusalem). In 2024, OAC, which includes four faculties (Law, Business Administration, Health, and Humanities), was named the most recommended academic college by Globes.

Hartman, the youngest son of Barbara Hartman and the late Rabbi Prof. David Hartman, founder of the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, was born in Canada. Hartman served as an officer in the IDF Armored Corps and later received a law degree from Bar-Ilan University.

Hartman, as head of OAC, has been leading the successful integration of students from underprivileged backgrounds, of which 40% are first-generation students in academia. Parallel with its academic programs, OAC, a significant research center for multicultural education, has established numerous social educational enterprises, ranging from integrating young people with autism into IDF intelligence units to providing rehabilitation and counseling for trauma victims.

During the Israel-Hamas War, 24 OAC students and alumni of the college were killed, dozens were injured, and hundreds served for months in military reserve service while receiving significant academic and financial support from the college. The students and academic staff volunteered to help evacuated families, providing 350 people with temporary housing solutions in the student dormitories. Dozens of lecturers provided trauma therapy treatment in hospitals and IDF bases. Indeed, the entire OAC multicultural community – Jews, Arabs, Christians, and others – stepped in to help each other out.