AMIR MELZER Representative of Northern Israel, Headquarters, Metula

Although Metula is far from the center of Israel, that does not keep Amir from being a part and parcel of the developments in his country.  In fact, he most recently served as Head of Staff for the Minister of Culture, Science, and Sport in Jerusalem. 

This highly coveted position placed Amir as his Minister’s highest political advisor, allowing him to make key decisions that would affect Israel’s policies in those areas.

Amir’s education and sincere desire to effect positive change and help people began when he was very young.  He was raised in an environment which emphasized respect and fairness, for although both his parents are Holocaust Survivors, they never cast blame or shared bitterness at their lot.

Although both of Amir’s parents are from Eastern Europe, they raised their two children in a mostly Hebrew-speaking home.  From conversations with his Grandparents, however, Amir was able to communicate in Russian, as well as understand Yiddish and German.

Amir’s father worked for the Israeli phone company, Bezeq, for 38 years, rising in position, until he was at the helm of developing their highly sophisticated telephone networking system.  He then began his own private communications company, which currently consults for major international companies.  Amir was the chairman of this company for seven years.

As a child, although unbeknownst to them at the time, Amir suffered from Dysgraphia, a learning disability resulting from the difficulty in expressing thoughts in writing and graphing.  Gone undiagnosed for years, Amir was labeled as smart and talented, but “lazy” and “unable to focus on his schoolwork.”  This did not stop him from reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica from cover to cover, and retaining all the information he learned. 

When Amir entered the army, it proved to be a godsend, as he was properly diagnosed with Dysgraphia for the first time.  They gave him the opportunity to take all his exams orally, which was the perfect solution for his previous setbacks.  During the three years of his army service, Amir was in charge of a program which searched nationally for potential Army officer talent.

Amir’s case of Dysgraphia was one of the first officially recognized by the army, and as a result, today there is a special program for recruits suffering from this particular learning challenge.  Amir is a guest lecturer for the program each year, sharing his experiences with the new soldiers.

Another reason Amir resides in Metula, is because the College of Tel Chai, located in the area, was the only higher studies institute at the time willing to accommodate Amir’s need to be tested orally. 

Amir has been a practicing lawyer for over 12 years, and has dedicated himself to helping others.  Students from all over Israel, who have learning challenges which their schools and Universities are not willing to accommodate, have heard about Amir and come to him for help.  He does not charge for these services, requiring many hours of time and letter writing, official appeals, and even court hearings.  “If I can help a student who needs extra time to do an exam, but his school won’t let him, even taking his case to court if need be, I see it as my way of giving something of myself to others.”

“Of course, I want to see my country improve and become an even better place to raise my children,” says Amir.  “Today, we live in a global world, with the American economy being the strongest in the world.  Much of Israel’s market is based on the dollar; lawyer’s fees, buying or renting and apartment- most calculations are done in American currency.  So why not emulate the American economy in all other ways?”

According to Amir, that means beginning economic education in Israel in the first grade.  Today in Israel, schools do not teach children about economics and magagment.  As a society we are used to improvising and doing everything “on the spot.”  “Planning ahead is key,” says Amir.  “Here in Israel we always improvise, which is a side effect that can help, but one shouldn’t base a whole country on that concept.  We need to learn to incorporate planning for the long term, which although not in our nature as a country and as a nation right now, will help us improve economically.”

“I believe America Kan will be the answer, and will be the key to penetrating the Israeli economy, making the changes we need.”