Efrat Rakfat Weinstein and Gil Hanan from Haifa won the "Sharoni Foundation" prize for the promotion of the Arabic language this week

In an exciting ceremony held yesterday (11.12.24) at Bar Ilan University, awards were given on behalf of the "Sharoni Foundation" to people who contributed to strengthening activities in the field of the Arabic language in the social, educational and security systems. Among the winners of this year's awards, two Haifaites: Gil Hanan וEfrat Rakfat Weinstein And with them also the teacher Hylin Zarir from Teli school in Hod Hasharon (who spoke on behalf of the winners), Sigal Shovel, a resident of Shlomi who teaches Arabic in Nahariya, as well as two representatives of the security establishment - Col Avichai Adrei, the IDF spokesman in the field of Arabic and Cpl Profit container, the headquarters of the Arabic studio of the Israel Police. A certificate of appreciation was also awarded to Dr Shlomo Alon For a lifetime's work in the field of fostering Arabic teaching for the Jewish sector in the Ministry of Education and for the study of dictionaries. The blessing of the IDF spokesman, Brigadier General Daniel Hagari, brought Brigadier Dr Ephraim Lapid.

Sharoni Foundation

The "Sharoni Fund" for the promotion of the Arabic language in Israeli society and for the security of the state was established in 2019 in memory of Col. Abraham (amusement) Sharoni Zal, one of the founders of Unit 8200, who worked for years to establish training systems in the field of Arabic and compiled an Arabic-Hebrew dictionary based on the knowledge studied in Israeli intelligence.

Avraham Sharoni, born in Baghdad, Iraq (1918), immigrated to Israel in 1934 and worked for a living laying infrastructure lines and building roads. Later he began teaching Arabic in Kiryat Motzkin, Tiberias and Jordan Valley kibbutzim. With the outbreak of the events in 1936, he joined the "Hagana" organization and performed tasks within it.

In 1942, Sharoni was recruited to the Syrian department of the Palmach by Yigal Alon who headed it. During his missions in Damascus he was caught and imprisoned on suspicion of espionage but was released after the intervention of the British. He studied Arabic language and literature at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. At the end of his studies he taught Arabic at the "Harieli" school in Haifa, at Motzkin High School and in Jerusalem.   

At the same time, Sharoni was appointed in charge of the wireless unit in the Jerusalem district on behalf of the "Hagana" organization and then as the commander of the listening unit in Haifa. During the War of Liberation, following the Hagana's takeover of the Arab communications station in Haifa and the seizure of listening equipment, Sharoni succeeded in deciphering encrypted broadcasts of the Jordanian army.

Sharoni was one of the founders of the listening unit of the Intelligence Corps, among other things he founded the training system of the Sigint unit and engaged in training teachers and instructors and writing textbooks. On Saturday 1963, the Israel Prize was awarded to the team he headed. In 1971 he retired from permanent service and continued to serve in the reserves in his unit.

In 1976, following the appeal of Brigadier General Dr. Ephraim Lapid, Avraham Sharoni began working on what became his life's work - the comprehensive Arabic-Hebrew dictionary that was published by the Ministry of Defense in 1987 and over the years continued to be updated in its online version as well. In August 2012, at the age of 94, Roni passed away.

Winner of the "Sharoni Foundation" award 2024 - Efrat Rakfat Weinstein from Haifa

Ms. Efrat Rakfat Weinstein is the only Arabic-speaking Jewish guide in the Haifa museums, a role she fulfills with dedication and a sense of mission. Ms. Weinstein's appeal to the Arab audience in her language is often received with surprise and appreciation, and contributes to creating a brave and important connection with the Arab community, leading to a rapprochement of hearts. Ms. Weinstein's work directly helps to expand the museum's accessibility to an Arabic-speaking audience through tutorials, workshops and translation of materials, thereby encouraging the creation of a unique learning space that allows for an open and in-depth discourse on culture, language and art. Ms. Weinstein's work contributes significantly and uniquely to the preservation and cultivation of the Arabic language in the cultural and artistic context, and promotes understanding and mutual appreciation between communities in Israeli society. In this challenging time, its activity is an important bridge between communities and cultures.
For all these, the Sharoni Award Committee decided to award the award to Ms. Efrat Rakfat Weinstein.

Winner of the "Sharoni Foundation" award from Haifa - Gil Hanan

Mr. Gil Hanan is a graduate of the Reali Hebrew School in Haifa majoring in Orientalism and teaches "The Arab World and Islam" there. After military service in the Intelligence Corps and graduating with honors at the University of Haifa, he continued on a direct path to a doctorate, which was cut short due to his wife's illness. Mr. Hanan has been teaching at the Reali School for almost forty years, and considers teaching the profession his life's mission, especially given the location of the State of Israel in the Arab and Muslim region. During these years, Mr. Hanan was very active among the teachers of the "Arab World and Islam" subject, he participates in professional committees and helps the subject teachers a lot, especially new teachers. Mr. Hanan made many presentations on historical and current issues that he disseminated in the education system.
For all these, the Sharoni Award Committee decided to award the award to Mr. Gil Hanan.