THE 28th ANNUAL JACOBY-LUNIN HUMANITARIAN LECTURE IN AFFILIATION WITH THE CARL AND DOROTHY BENNETT CENTER FOR JUDAIC STUDIES

Stav Shaffir is a social entrepreneur, former Member of the Israeli Parliament, and one of Israel’s most prominent leaders for democracy. At 27, she became the youngest woman ever elected to the Knesset after leading Israel’s largest social movement for social justice. In Parliament, she transformed political culture by introducing new standards of transparency, public participation, and oversight into a rigid system. As chair of the Transparency Committee, she exposed corruption and reformed budget practices, later serving as head of the OECD’s global parliamentary committee on transparency and anti-corruption. A relentless advocate for democracy and peace, Stav played a pivotal role in uniting pro-democracy forces during Israel’s political crisis, pushing for cross-partisan collaboration to safeguard democracy.

Currently, Stav is a Yale World Fellow, continuing her work on the future of democracy, governance, and political imagination. She leads the Ministry of the Better Future, a civic initiative that promotes visionary policy ideas and bold storytelling on what the future could look like. She is also the founder of Shira Academy, an innovative academic program for young adults with autism and special needs, and a fellow at Reichman University where she focuses on democracy and the budget.

Her leadership has been recognized globally: she has been named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, selected among Apolitical’s most promising future political leaders, and featured in Forbes 30 Under 30. A frequent political commentator and speaker, she writes and lectures on democracy, security, and the future of peace in the Middle East. She also hosts the podcast It Could Be, where she explores politics, society, and innovation with leading global thinkers.

Co-Sponsored by Jewish Federation of Greater Fairfield County and the Bennett Center for Judaic Studies