About The People Behind the Foundation

Shaul Goldstein

Mayor Gush Etzion Regional Council

As Mayor of Gush Etzion, Shaul Goldstein, 46, is spearheading the regions economic development. In the years since he took up office, the population of Gush Etzion has grown from 25,000 to 50,000. Four hundred houses are under construction, new schools have been built, and tourist attractions have been added. A technology park providing jobs, and new industries is now open.

Before becoming Mayor in May 1999, he ran his own construction company, building private homes all over Gush Etzion and beyond. He ran for mayor only after hundreds of his peers convinced him that the region needed the leadership, drive and vision for which he stands. He is now in the middle of his second term.

He has lived in Neve Daniel, one of 15 communities in Gush Etzion, for 18 years. He has a deep personal connection to the place: “My father fought in this region during the War of Independence,” he recalls. “He was the radio operator of the convoy that brought supplies to the besieged settlements of Gush Etzion of Gush Etzion in 1948. Many of his comrades were killed or wounded just a stone’s throw from where I live now.

Shaul grew up in Beersheva where he attended the prestigious Reali high school. Always a leader, he was the president of his school council and represented the entire Negev on the National Student Council. He studied engineering at Ben Gurion University before joining the Air Force, where he served in an elite technology unit which he went on to command. He left the Air Force with the rank of major at the age of 31.

Shaul is deeply committed to promoting understanding and tolerance between orthodox and non orthodox Israelis, both in Gush Etzion and throughout the country.

He himself became religious at the age of twenty- five, while his family and part of his siblings remain staunchly secular. “Having grown up in a totally irreligious environment,” he says “ I can truly understand the issues involved.

Although a newcomer to politics, the mayor has learned fast how to promote Gush Etzion, attracting investment from both government and private sources.

He has big plans for the area. “Within five years,” he says, “Gush Etzion will be home to 60,000 people, a hi-tech powerhouse and a center of educational excellence.

Truly the heartland of Israel.”!

Mayor Shaul Goldstein has transformed the region of Gush Etzion into a hotbed of industry and economic growth.   His aggressive and innovative campaign to cultivate business in all sectors such as hi-tech and environmental startups, tourism, education and small business has turned Gush Etzion into a profitable and prosperous zone. 

Mayor Shaul Goldstein is not affiliated with any political party yet he maintains a close, working relationship with many members of the Knesset, from all political branches, and has an excellent association with the media. 

Over the years, Mayor Goldstein has developed a very strong relationship with many United States senators and congressman.   The New York City Mayor’s office maintains an especially close relationship with him, which began under Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and continues today under Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

As a leader, Mayor Goldstein insists on being fair and open minded.  He is extremely tolerant and respectful of all political views, left or right, but will not lose sight of what he believes in.

Shani Abrams Simkowitz
Director

Shani Abrams Simkowitz is the Director of the Gush Etzion Foundation, a division of the Regional Council of Gush Etzion which is responsible for public relations and fundraising for the communities and residents of this area. 

Ms. Simkowitz has a long and distinguished career in communications, public relations, fundraising and education.  Her devotion to the State of Israel is the motivating force behind all of her efforts.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Shani moved to Israel at the age of sixteen.  After graduating high school, she enlisted in the Israel Defense Force, three weeks before the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War.

Following the completion of her army service, Shani studied at the Kibbutz Teacher’s College in Tel Aviv where she earned a degree in Early Childhood Education.  She then went on to receive a BA in Creative Theater from Empire State College and an MA from Touro College in Jewish Education with an emphasis on Holocaust studies for young children.

From 1979 to 1995 Shani was the Regional Supervisor of Early Childhood Education for the Regional Council of Gush Etzion.   She oversaw thirty five kindergartens, fifteen daycare centers and a teacher’s resource center.

In 1995, the Gush Etzion Foundation was established and Shani became its leader.  The Foundation was created to provide supplemental funding for health, education, social, cultural and security services for the residents of Gush Etzion.  Shani’s innovative and resourceful method of management is the reason for the Foundation’s success.

Shani Abrams Simkowitz, along with Mayor Shaul Goldstein, is an English speaking spokesperson for Gush Etzion.  Her tireless efforts to promote Gush Etzion have pioneered a public awareness worldwide.

Shani is the mother of five children and lives in the Gush Etzion community, Tekoa, where she has been a resident since 1981.