Galia Sabar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Galia Sabar
|
|
|---|---|
| גליה צבר | |
 |
|
| Born | 1963 |
| Occupation | President |
| Organization | The Academic College of Tel Aviv Yaffo |
Galia Sabar (born in 1963 in Israel) is an Israeli professor and the President of the Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yafo. She is a respected researcher who studies the history of the Middle East and Africa at Tel Aviv University.
Besides her work at the university, Professor Sabar is known for being a social activist. This means she works to help people and solve problems in society. She has spent a lot of time helping immigrants from Ethiopia and other African countries who have come to Israel.
For her work that combines serious academic research with helping others, she received a special award in 2009. The award was called the Unsung Heroes of Compassion and was presented to her by the 14th Dalai Lama, a famous spiritual leader.
Contents
Education and Early Career
Galia Sabar earned her first degree in Middle Eastern and African History from Tel Aviv University in 1985. As a student, she traveled to Ethiopia to help with a secret mission called Operation Moses. This mission helped bring Ethiopian Jews to Israel. Between 1982 and 1984, she visited Ethiopia more than 20 times. Her experiences there shaped her life and career.
She later earned a master's degree in African Studies from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. For her doctorate, she moved with her family to Kenya for three years. There, she studied the relationship between the government, churches, and the people of Kenya.
Social Activism and Awards
Professor Sabar is deeply involved in helping others. She has worked with many groups that assist African migrants and people seeking safety, known as asylum seekers, in Israel.
In May 2009, her hard work was recognized when she received the Unsung Heroes of Compassion award. This award is given to people around the world who do amazing things to help others but are not always famous for it. She was one of the first Israelis to ever receive this prize.
Leadership at Academic Colleges
From 2016 to 2021, Professor Sabar was the president of the Ruppin Academic Center. Since October 2024, she has been the President of the Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yafo. This college is known for giving students from all backgrounds a chance to get a great education. It offers degrees in subjects like computer science, nursing, and economics.
Research Work
Professor Sabar's research has focused on several important topics related to Africa.
Christianity in Kenya
For about ten years, Sabar studied how churches in Kenya influenced society and politics. She spent four years in Nairobi, Kenya's capital, for her research. She read thousands of documents and interviewed hundreds of people.
In 2002, she published a book about her findings. The book showed how churches in Kenya played a big role in fighting for human rights and democracy. It also pointed out some of the problems within the churches.
The AIDS Epidemic in Africa
From 1995 to 1999, Sabar led a team of experts to study the AIDS epidemic in Africa. AIDS is a serious illness, and her team looked at why it spread in certain areas. They studied how culture and society affected the disease's spread. They also looked at how churches became important in the fight against AIDS by teaching people how to prevent it.
African Migrants in Israel
Starting in 1998, Sabar began a major research project on African workers who had moved to Israel. She spent eight years getting to know them by joining their church services, sports teams, and classes. Her research helped to understand their lives and challenges.
She wrote a book called We’re Not Here to Stay, which followed the full journey of these migrants: from leaving their homes in Africa, to building new lives in Israel, and then returning to Africa.
Personal Life
Galia Sabar and her partner, Ofer Shechter, have five children.
Social Involvement
Professor Sabar volunteers for several organizations. These groups work on important issues like preventing diseases in Africa and helping migrants in Israel. She has also helped create courses to teach both Israelis and migrants about health and human rights.
Selected Publications
Professor Sabar has written many books and articles. Here are a few of them:
- Church, State and Society in Kenya – From Mediation to Opposition, 1963–1993 (2002)
- We're Not Here to Stay: African Migrant Workers in Israel and Back in Africa (2008, in Hebrew)
- Modern Kenyan History: From a White Man’s Colony to an Independent Country (1997, co-authored with Mordechai Tamarkin)
- AIDS Education Prevention in Multi-Cultural Societies (1996, co-edited with others)
