Tzofim

Background

Tzofim was founded in 1995 under the name “Friends of Israel Scouts, Inc.” and was established as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 1997 with an address in New York City. Generally, the organization offers programs to Jewish teenagers in the United States to facilitate their involvement in affiliated Israeli scouting programs and activities, which according to the organization’s website promote things such as Jewish identity, Israeli identity, Zionism, friendship, leadership, democracy, and “a deep connection to Israel.” ¹

Activities

Programs maintained by Tzofim include Tzofim Tzabar, a chapter-based program that offers weekly activities to Hebrew-speaking youth in the United States and encourages their participation in Israeli educational, civic, and military programs; Garin Tzabar, a program that assists individuals seeking to permanently move to Israel and serve in the Israel Defense Forces; Shnat Sherut and Mechinot, a variety of either educational or volunteering-focused gap year programs for high school graduates, including programs that place participants in Israeli Pre-Army leadership academies; summer programs for children and teenagers consisting of camping trips or excursions, some of which take place in Israel; and a “friendship caravan,” a program in which groups of fluent, English-speaking Israeli scouts perform for and visit with North American participants.  ^{3 2 4 5 6}

Partners

Tzofim’s partner organizations include the Tzofim of Israel, Tzofim Tzabar Olami (Tzofim’s international organization), Mosaic United, Jewish Agency for Israel, RootOne, Adelson Family Foundation, Israeli American Council, Jewish National Fund, Masa Israel Journey, Alexander Muss High School in Israel, United Jewish Appeal Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York (also known as UJA Federation New York), NJY Camps, Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, Areivim Philanthropic Group, and Greater Miami Jewish Federation. It also partners with Israeli government agencies, including the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration and the Ministry of Defense. ⁷

Leadership

As of 2025, Yaniv Biran was the CEO of Tzofim and a representative for the Tzofim in Israel and the Jewish Agency for Israel. Previously, Biran worked in various roles with the Tzofim in Israel, including that of chief of staff. ⁸

As of 2025, Ronald Urman was the president of Tzofim’s board of directors as well as the founder and CEO of Urman Investments, a commercial real estate firm. Originally, Urman became involved with the organization after founding Tzofim’s Arizona chapter, Shevet Shemesh, at the urging of the organization’s honorary board president and Adelson Family Foundation co-founder and trustee Miriam Adelson. ^{9 10 11}

As of 2025, Yael Atzmon was serving as the director of Tzofim’s Garin Tzabar program. Previously, she was a clerk in the Israeli Ministry of Justice. ¹²

As of 2025, Eran Tzivon was the director of Tzofim’s friendship caravan and summer delegation. Previously, he worked for Israel Channel 1 and as a Hebrew and Israeli history teacher in New York City. ¹³