Our Team

The Wisam Khamees Scholarship Fund for Arabs and Jews is fully run by volunteers throughout the year. Generous volunteers who are dedicated to the values of the Fund give their time to fundraising, handling scholarship requests, and organizing activities and events. The Fund is a family-based organization – two of three of the Khamees sons are active in the Fund as well as Wisam Khamees' mother.

Lafi Khamees, Chairman of the Fund, is the father of the late Wisam Khamees and the driving force behind the Fund. When not busy with the Fund's activities, he is an independent contractor working primarily with public institutions. Known as "Khamees" to friends and colleagues, he strongly believes that providing equal opportunity in education to both Arabs and Jews is the only way to co-existence and is proud that the Fund is a model for equal rights and how to operate fairness.

The Fund is publicly recognized by notable figures including former President Ezer Weizman, MK Meir Sheetrit, the French Ambassador to Israel, Nissim Sewilli, representatives from higher learning academic institutions and many others who believe in the vision of the Fund.

Israeli Board
Phillip Solomon – International President
Yaakov Adari – President
Lafi Khamees – Chairman

Founding Members in Israel
Nissim Zvilli
Lafi Khamees
Hazna Khamees
Assam Khamees
Hussein Khamees
Mahmoud Khamees

International Founding Members
Pierre Besanino
Phillip Solomon
Morris Baderman
Korin Awanas
Jack Toledano
Michelle Rosenblatt