It is with great sadness that the Israel Democracy Institute bids farewell to its 'matriarch', Ms. Lorraine Gastwirt – a dear mentor and friend to hundreds of IDI employees. Ms. Gastwirt supervised IDI's growth over the course of 20 years, first in the capacity of Coordinator and later as Assistant Director. She joined IDI's staff just a year and a half after the Institute's establishment and played a key role in building IDI and formulating its policies and procedures, as it grew from 18 workers in 1993 to 130 today. At the time of her passing, Ms. Gastwirt served as IDI's Vice President of Administration.

After graduating from the Bronx High School of Science in 1960, Ms. Gastwirt received her B.A. from Barnard College in English Literature (1964) and her M.A. in Education with a major in College and University Administration from Columbia University's Teachers College in 1968. Before making Aliya to Israel in 1971, she worked for two years as an administrator in LTF, an educational youth program at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Once settled in Jerusalem, she began working in 1972 at the NCJW Research Institute for Innovation in Education at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Our thoughts are with her husband, Zvi, her children and grandchildren.