מכון פרידברג לכלכלה

Economics, Growth and Prosperity | Spring Seminar

8.3.2026-12.3.2026, Sunday - Thursday

Location: Ramat Rachel Resort Hotel

All Expenses Paid

What is economic freedom? Why is it critical right now? And how is it the key to Israel’s future prosperity and growth?

In an era defined by historic shifts—from the rise of AI to the resurgence of global tariffs and trade wars—understanding the engines of stability is more than an academic exercise; it is a strategic necessity. As the Israeli and global economies navigate the dual pressures of regional conflict and radical technological disruption, we invite you to join a select cohort of 30 outstanding students. This prestigious, fully subsidized seminar offers an intellectual deep dive into how economic liberty can survive and thrive amidst algorithmic shifts and shifting borders, combining high-caliber scholarship with exclusive hospitality

Who Should Apply?

We are looking for students with a drive for leadership and impact, from all fields of study, who have completed at least one academic year (BA, MA, and PhD students) and possess genuine intellectual curiosity. Admission is subject to a short selection process. Space is strictly limited to 30 students. Note: High proficiency in English is required, as some sessions will be conducted in English.

What Awaits You at the Seminar?

Beyond the fascinating lectures and enriching discussions with policymakers and leading economists, the seminar offers an immersive experience:

  • Full Hospitality: Accommodation and meals at the pastoral Ramat Rachel Resort Hotel (fully subsidized).

  • Exclusive Experiences: A winery tour including a chef’s dinner.

  • Direct Access: Informal meetings and discussions with the speakers and staff.

  • Networking: The opportunity to build personal connections with outstanding students from across the country.

Alumni

Graduates of the seminar join the exclusive Alumni Network of the Friedberg Economics Institute. As an alumnus, you will enjoy direct access to high-quality networking events, exclusive meetings with economists and opinion leaders in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem throughout the year, and connections to key influencers in the Israeli economy.

Don’t wait until the last minute – Apply now.

Application Deadline: February 1, 2026, by 8 PM.

Download flyer

Sunday, March 8

15:00-17:30Registration/Hospitality/Hotel Check-in at Ramat Rachel Hotel
18:00Introduction Session
18:45Dinner
19:45Michael Eisenberg
Co-Founder and General Partner, Aleph VC
How to make Israel a Trillion Dollar Economy
21:00Ice Breaker Session



Monday, March 9

7:00Breakfast
8:30Niclas Berggren
Research Institute of Industrial Economics (Sweden) | Prague University of Economics and Business (Czech Republic)
Economic Freedom: Measurement and Consequences
10:00Break
10:30Noah Williams
Miami Herbert Business School, University of Miami (USA)
Simple Rules for a Complex World
12:00Lunch Break
14:00Omer Moav
Tiomkin School of Economics, Reichman University (Israel) | Department of Economics, University of Warwick (UK)
Economic Growth in Israel: Challenges and Policy
15:30Break
15:45Breakout Sessions, 4 groups, 4 topics
17:15Break
19:00Dinner
20:00Tal Luria
Founder, Teachers Leading Change
The Israeli Education System



Tuesday, March 10

7:00Breakfast
8:30Niclas Berggren
Research Institute of Industrial Economics (Sweden) | Prague University of Economics and Business (Czech Republic)
Institutions, rule of law, and constraints on political power
10:00Break
10:30Naomi Hausman
Hebrew University Business School, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel)
Why Good Intentions Aren’t Enough: The Economics of Urban Mismanagement
12:00Break
12:15Departure to Winery
Flam Winery - Lunch & Wine
Talk with Winery CEO
Student Talks
17:00Arrival back and Break
19:00Dinner
20:00Alumni Talks
Shiran Froyomovitch
Assistant Professor of Accounting, Binghamton University
Aharon Topper
Founder & Attorney-at-Law, Topper | Rosenfeld
Gili Almagor
Director of Energy Storage, Nofar Energy



Wendesday, March 11

7:00Breakfast
8:30Noah Williams
Miami Herbert Business School, University of Miami (USA)
Learning and Forgetting: Inflation and Government Finance
10:00Break
10:30Naomi Hausman
Hebrew University Business School, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel)
Cities, agglomeration, and skills: when governments can and can't help
12:00Lunch Break
14:00Omer Moav
Tiomkin School of Economics, Reichman University (Israel) | Department of Economics, University of Warwick (UK)
Refuting Economic Theories Influencing Policy
15:30Break
15:45Dror Strum
CEO, The Israeli Institute for Economic Planning. Former head of Israeli Antitrust Agency
How to reduce the Israeli Cost of Living
17:15Break
19:00Dinner
20:00Lecture TBA
Topic TBA



Thursday, March 12

7:00Breakfast
8:30Wrap-up and Evaluation
10:00Adjourn & Checkout



Omer Moav

pic3

Omer Moav is a professor of economics at the Reichman University and at the University of Warwick. He received his PhD in economics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and spent a year at MIT as a post-doc fellow. Moav was awarded in 2012 the Landau prize from the Israeli mifal hapais for his achievements in research in macroeconomics, he was awarded the Rector’s prize from the Hebrew University in 2006 for his research and teaching, and served as the head of the advisory board to the Israeli minister of finance in 2009. Moav’s research focuses on economic growth and development and is published in the leading journals of economics. He often comments in the Israeli and international media on the Israeli economy.

Michael Eisenberg

pic3

Michael Eisenberg is a General Partner and co-founder of Aleph, a venture capital fund with $850M under management focused on scaling Israeli entrepreneurs into global brands. A veteran of the “Start-Up Nation” ecosystem, Michael has led early investments in industry-defining companies including Wix, Lemonade, and WeWork. He is a frequent contributor to TheMarker and Calcalist, and the author of The Tree of Life and Prosperity, where he explores the intersection of 21st-century business and biblical principles.

Dror Strum

pic3

Dror Strum is an Israeli attorney and competition-policy expert, best known for serving as Director General of Israel’s Antitrust Authority (today: the Israel Competition Authority) from 2001–2005, after previously holding senior roles there including Chief Legal Counsel and Head of the Legal Department.

He is the CEO of the Israeli Institute for Economic Planning (IEP) and advises on competition, regulation, and market-opening reforms—particularly around monopolies, cartels, and concentrated sectors, including the financial system. Strum holds an LL.B. (with honors) from Tel Aviv University and has also worked in private practice on complex commercial and competition-related matters.

Noah Williams

pic3

Noah Williams is a professor of economics at the Miami Herbert Business School at the University of Miami. Before joining Miami, he was on the faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Princeton University. He is also an adjunct fellow at the Manhattan Institute.

Williams’s research focuses on macroeconomics—particularly monetary policy, social insurance programs, and financial markets—as well as state economies, and has co-authored several papers with Nobel Prize recipients Lars Peter Hansen and Thomas Sargent.

In addition to his academic work, he regularly comments on economic policy for broader audiences.

Williams regularly consults and advises businesses and community groups, politicians, and policy organizations on macroeconomics and tax policy. He earned his Ph.D. and B.A. in economics from the University of Chicago.

Naomi Hausman

pic3

Naomi Hausman is a Senior Lecturer in the Strategy Department at the Hebrew University Business School.

Her fields of study include Urban Economics, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Labor Economics, and Public Economics. Her research has been published in The Review of Economics and Statistics, American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, and Innovation Policy and the Economy.

She has been awarded a number of academic grants, including the Alrov Institute Research Grant, the Israel Science Foundation Grant, the US-Israel Bi-national Science Foundation (BSF) Grant, the German-Israel Foundation (GIF) Grant, the Eshkol Research Grant, the NBER Digitization and Copyright Research Grant, the Falk Institute Research Grant, and the Upjohn Institute Early Career Research Grant. Additionally, she has received several dissertation awards and fellowships, including from the American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association and from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

Dr. Hausman earned her B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University.

Dr. Hausman serves as an academic consultant to the Bank of Israel Research Department. In addition to her academic experience, Dr. Hausman has done work for several consulting firms, including Charles River Associates, Cornerstone Research, and Lexidale, Inc. She has taught courses in Urban Economics, Labor Economics, and Econometrics.

Niclas Berggren

pic3

Niclas Berggren is a researcher at IFN and program director for the research program Institutions, Markets and Enterprise. He got his PhD and the title of docent (Associate Professor) from the Department of Economics, Stockholm School of Economics; he also got the title of docent from Prague University of Economics and Business. He works part-time in the Department of Managerial Economics at the Prague University of Economics and Business.

Tal Luria

pic3

Tal Luria is an Israeli educator and education-policy entrepreneur. He founded Teachers Leading Change and is the author of Until the Children (Ad HaYeladim, Sela Meir), which examines structural challenges in Israel’s education system and outlines reform proposals. Luria has taught mathematics and civics and completed teacher training at Herzog College. His work focuses on transparency, performance-oriented incentives, strengthening school leadership autonomy, and expanding flexibility and choice within public education.

Shiran Froymovitch

pic3

Shiran Froymovich, Ph.D., is an alumna of the Friedberg Economics Institute (FEI) and an Assistant Professor of Accounting at Binghamton University’s School of Management. Her research sits at the intersection of financial accounting, taxation, macro-accounting, and ESG, with a focus on how accounting information shapes real economic outcomes and policy. Her recent work examines ESG rating competition, the effects of tariffs on U.S. firms, and how tax-related disclosures can help forecast GDP growth, with publications including the Journal of Accounting Research and presentations at leading conferences such as the FARS Midyear Meeting, the UNC Tax Symposium, and the Hawaii Accounting Research Conference.

Before joining Binghamton, she earned her Ph.D. in Business Administration (Accounting) from Duke University, where her dissertation studied deferred tax asset valuation allowances and macroeconomic growth. She also holds an M.A. in Economics from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and a B.A. in Economics and Management from the Open University of Israel (summa cum laude), and previously worked in research roles at the Israel Tax Authority and economic policy think tanks. An award-winning educator, she has taught financial and managerial accounting, cost accounting, economics, and finance, and received Binghamton’s Patty Bloomer SOM Faculty Award for innovative use of AI in teaching.

Aharon Topper

pic3

Adv. Aharon Topper is an alum of the Friedberg Economics Institute (FEI) and the establisher and Attorney-at-Law of Topper | Rosenfeld. He previously served (2021–2024) as a senior law clerk to the President of the Supreme Court of Israel, the Honorable Justice Esther Hayut, and earlier worked as an attorney in the litigation department of one of Israel’s largest leading law firms. His experience also includes serving as a legal assistant in complex commercial arbitrations and representing clients before disciplinary tribunals.

Aharon graduated with honors with an LL.B. from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. During his studies he served as editor-in-chief of Hukim (the faculty journal on legislation), worked as a research assistant in Jewish law, and authored an award-winning article in tort law. Alongside his legal work, he is active in social initiatives, with a particular focus on education and coexistence.

Gili Almagor

pic3

Gili Almagor is an alumna of the Friedberg Economics Institute (FEI) and Director of Energy Storage at Nofar Energy, where she leads contracting and development across a global energy storage portfolio. In her role, she oversees EPC contracting, drives the project development process, and optimizes Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) projects to align with evolving market conditions—supporting the energy transition through high-quality, bankable infrastructure.

Previously, Gili worked as a Strategy and Financial Consultant at TASC, specializing in the energy sector, where she built financial models and delivered long-term strategic plans and business-development recommendations to C-level stakeholders. She is an M.A. graduate in Economics (magna cum laude) and holds a B.A. in Economics and Political Science (summa cum laude) from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, with research focused on how labor-force participation influences working hours and productivity.

  • If non-applicable, fill in "n/a"
  • If non-applicable, fill in "n/a"
  • If non-applicable, fill in "n/a"
  • If non-applicable, fill in "n/a"
  • If you are a MA or PHD student, please enter that instead
  • If you are an MA or PHD student, please enter the most relevant average. If you are currently completing the first year of your BA, please attach your latest average
  • If non-applicable, fill in "n/a"
  • If non-applicable, fill in "n/a"
  • If non-applicable, fill in "n/a"
  • Drop files here or
    Accepted file types: jpg, git, png, pdf, doc, wpd, wp, wp7, tei, pages, xml, docx, Max. file size: 5 MB, Max. files: 10.