Julia Zaher
Zaher in 2014
Occupations
  • Businessperson
  • philanthropist
  • schoolteacher
Known forAl Arz Tahini
Children2

Julia Zaher (Arabic: جوليا زهر, Hebrew: ג'וליה זהר) is an Israeli Arab businessperson, philanthropist, and former schoolteacher. She is owner and CEO of Al Arz Tahini, a tahini manufacturing company. She is known for her philanthropic actions to benefit women's rights, people with disabilities, and LGBT health.

Career

Zaher's family background is Arab Christian. She was a schoolteacher for decades before taking over Al Arz Tahini, her husband's tahini company, in 2003.[1] Upon taking over the company, which was established in 1992,[2] Zaher paid off its debts and upgraded the manufacturing process.[1] Al Arz's two factories produce 20 to 25 tons of tahini a day from sesame seeds imported from Ethiopia.[1] The products are sold in Israel and exported to 18 countries.[1] Zaher is the only Arab female factory owner in Israel. She is an advocate for diversity and women in the workplace. Her company employs a large number of Arab women in addition to Jewish, Muslim, and Christian residents from Jezreel Valley.[3][4]

Zaher is recognized for her philanthropy. She has donated towards women's rights and people with disabilities. In 2020, she donated to The Aguda – Israel's LGBT Task Force to establish a crisis hotline for LGBT Arabic-speaking Israelis.[1][5][6] Zaher was lauded by several politicians and LGBT rights activists, while more conservative Arab-Israelis criticized for the donation, claiming it may lead to "normalization" of an LGBT lifestyle. The donation sparked a boycott of her company among social conservatives.[1] In response, Israeli diplomats bought over 600 pounds of tahini from Al Arz.[6]

As of 2021, the company had experienced a 30% sales increased in the past three years.[2]

In 2022, Zaher was given Tel Aviv University's Hugo Ramniceanu Prize for Economics in honor of her entrepreneurship and community leadership.[7] Zaher donated her prize money back to the university, to fund a nursing studies scholarship for Arab-Israeli students.[7] That same year, Zaher received an honorary doctorate from Bar-Ilan University.[8]

Personal life

Zaher is from Nazareth and has two children. Her husband died from a heart attack in 2003.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Rasgon, Adam (2020-07-15). "The Tahini War: The Food at the Center of an Arab Gay Rights Battle". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-07-27.
  2. 1 2 Sudilovsky, Judith (2021-11-11). "Tahini: The gathering point of food, politics and culture". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  3. ↑ Schneider, Alma (January 2017). "Arab Philanthropy in Israel: Insights into Strategic Giving" (PDF). Inter-Agency Task Force on Israeli Arab Issues. p. 17. Retrieved 2020-07-27.
  4. ↑ Abu Toameh, Khaled (2021-03-04). "Meet the Arab-Israeli, Palestinian women making an impact on society". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  5. ↑ "LGBTQ rights: Arab Israelis call for tahini-maker boycott". BBC News. 2020-07-10. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  6. 1 2 Oster, Marcy (2020-07-23). "Israeli diplomats buy 600 pounds of tahini to back Arab-Israeli businesswoman hit by boycott". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  7. 1 2 "BOG 2022: From Making Tahini to Advocating Rights – Tel Aviv University Canada". cftau.ca. May 29, 2022. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  8. ↑ "Honorary Doctorates for 8 Women". www.biu.ac.il. 2022-05-16. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
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