About
Atchalta/ Astarta is a non-partisan Zionist organization that combines thought, action and innovation established with the goal of strengthening national resilience and security, as well as social cohesion in Israel and the Jewish world. We address critical challenges including geo-strategic issues, social polarization, Israel's international standing and combating antisemitism. We are engage mainly in 3 types of activities: Providing thought leadership and strategy; empowering other organizations in the ecosystem; create technological solutions.
Atchalta was founded by Eran Shayshon in 2023, based on the understanding that Israel and the Jewish world are at a historical turning point where multiple existential challenges converge. Meanwhile, largely, Israeli and Jewish leadership is characterized by short-term tactical thinking, conceptual poverty, and a lack of vision, all against a backdrop of deep social polarization that prevents broad agreements even on the most basic foundational issues.
Eran Shayshon
Founder
OUR TEAM
Eran Shayshon is the founder and content manager of Atchalta.
Eran served as the CEO of the Reut Group, an impact and leadership group. He also worked at APCO Worldwide, a global business diplomacy firm, advising clients on issue management, political risk analysis, global communication strategy, and government relations. Eran initiated APCO Innovate – a unique model to help governments create an innovation ecosystem.
Eran serves as a board member for non-profit organizations and companies in Israel. He is an alumnus of the U.S. State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program on 'International Security Issues.'
Anecdotes: Eran is a marathon runner, a home-brew beer maker, and the leading star in a documentary that followed his personal search for lost relatives from the Holocaust.
Dr. Jael Eskenazi-Zilcha is a researcher in disaster management, specializing in social capital, community resilience, and civil society. She focuses on developing strategies to strengthen communities in times of crisis, leveraging social networks and grassroots initiatives to enhance recovery and preparedness. Her work combines academic research with practical applications to foster resilience in the face of disasters.
Dor Lasker Esq. is an influential leader in social activism with a rich background in nonprofit management, policy advocacy, government relations, law, education, and multi-stakeholder process leadership. Dor aims to shape the future of Israeli society through his work.
Dor has managed significant social campaigns in Israel, including a notable role as Deputy CEO and field manager at 'Mereshem', the Israeli medical interns' organization. Dor served as the Director of Public Policy Department at the Israeli Religious Action Center (IRAC), where he led multiple advocacy campaigns in the field of religion and state in Israel.
Dor holds a certificate in Education from George Washington University and the iCenter, focusing on Jewish and Israel education for the Jewish diaspora and in Israel.
Dor Lasker
Deputy CEO
Dr. Jael Eskenazi-Zilcha
Director of Research and Strategic Development
Dr. Carmit Padan
Head of Research and Strategic Development
OUR Board
Dr. Carmit Padan is a researcher and consultant specializing in leadership, social resilience, national security, and civil-military relations. Dr. Padan has led collaborative initiatives addressing complex societal challenges in Israel and served on a steering committee within a multidisciplinary group working to develop a consensus-based social charter to strengthen social solidarity. Previously, she was a Senior Research Fellow at the Samuel Neaman Institute for National Policy Research and the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS).
Ofer Kotler
Abed Assli
Rabbi Leor Sinai
Yael Brendel
Roi Mekler
Daphna Kaufman
AGLAB
Atchalta's Global Leadership Advisory Board
Ronni Benatoff
Undisclosed Special Advisor
Nevet Basker
Mark Mandell
Ronald G. Weiner
La Suace Secrète:
Our Methodology
Our added value stems from our methodologies and working practices. These systematically place us at the forefront of the issues we address. Our structured work process involves the use of technologies such as knowledge maps (mind mapping) and generative AI language models.
Our knowledge development methodology is based on the theory of fundamental surprise by Dr. Zvi Lanir, allowing us to uncover blind spots and misperceptions that could surprise Israeli and Jewish leadership around the world.
Fundamental surprise is a disruptive and unexpected event stemming from a distorted perception (relevancy gap). It typically does not point to a knowledge gap but to a misjudgment of existing knowledge. Blind spots are often noted but are dismissed because they don't align with our perception of reality (latent knowledge). The methodology we use is effective at uncovering this latent knowledge and framing it.
We always look at the big picture and looking for a systemic comprehensive change in the entire field. Our ecosystem approach integrates various methodologies for driving changes in behavior, policy, and social or community processes.