Meet The Team
Managing Editor
Mr. Sako Abou Bakr is a recent MA graduate in Conflict Resolution and Global Studies from the Interdisciplinary Centre (IDC) Herzliya in Israel with a BA in Government, specializing in Counter Terrorism and International Affairs. Sako is also the co-founder of the African Student Organization as well as the Organization for African Communities in Israel.
Editor In Chief
Shaya Gedzelman recently graduated from IDC Herzliya/Reichman University with a bachelor's degree in Government and a specialization in Global Affairs and Conflict Resolution. Shaya is originally from New Jersey but moved with his family to Israel about five years ago. He enjoys reading, playing sports, writing, making music, and spending time with friends. Aside from founding Platform Mag, he is also working on a new social network platform called DebateIt.
Senior Editor
Ilan Hulkower is the editor and a writer for The Platform Mag. Ilan has previously interned at the Academic Desk of the Abba Eban Institute for International Diplomacy where he helped research, edit, and write pieces for their academic magazine. He earned a BA from Northeastern Illinois University in Political Science with a focus in international relations and comparative politics and an Associate of Arts from Oakton Community College in Liberal Arts. He recently earned his Masters in Diplomacy and Conflict Studies from IDC Herzliya in Israel.
Lead Web Developer
Jordan Hlebechuk is an independent web developer and designer in charge of implementing features and redesigns for the Platform website. Jordan is originally from Oregon but moved to Israel and is currently maintaining the Platform website and practicing freelance web design for small businesses in Israel and the United States.
Copy Editor
Elianna James is a recent Olah who was raised in NYC and lived in a number of other US states. She has work experience in UX Design with a focus on improving corporate accessibility for people with disabilities. Her areas of interest in International Relations include developments related to the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.
Content Editor
Henry Choisser recently graduated from Northeastern University in Boston Massachusetts with an BA in International Affairs and Minors in Mechanical Engineering, International Security, and Russian Language. Henry grew up in Richmond Virginia, but has spent 6 months living both in Den Haag Netherlands, and Tel Aviv Israel for Co-op work experiences abroad. He worked respectively for the Foundation for Responsible Robotics, and the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism during his Co-op program. His interests include outer space and geopolitical security issues, strategic games, camping and outdoor sports, as well as informed socio-political discourse with old and new friends alike.
Chief Operating Officer
Benjamin Vos is an undergraduate Business Administration student specializing in Digital Innovation at Reichman University. Benjamin is originally from the Netherlands and came to Israel to pursue his studies at age 18. He is interested in intercultural communication, foreign languages, culture, international business and affairs, politics, economics, neuroscience and philosophy. Benjamin has experience in management and leadership through side jobs in high school and is dedicated to pursuing his ambitions.
Video Editor
Brandon Amaltov is our video editor. With a bachelor’s degree in communications and over 10 years of video editing experience, Brandon has worked on all sorts of different creative projects. Originally from New Jersey, Brandon moved on his own to Israel at age 19. Among his regular military duties, he also edited videos for the Air Force on the side, when they learned of his video editing prowess. In his free time, he dabbles in mixology, acting and cooking, keeping his creative muscles at work.