“For my children and their generation, to whom we are committed to do all we can to build an exemplary society in which they would want to live and of which they would be proud.”

Mordechai Cohen was born and educated in Hatzor HaGlilit, where he studied at the Hatzor Yeshiva High School founded by the religious Mizrahi Tami movement. He completed his high school studies at the Bezeq boarding school in Jerusalem, after which he enlisted to the IDF’s Nahal Brigade and served as a combat medic. Mordechai holds BA and MA degrees in Political Science from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, as well as an MBA from the University of Manchester.

His social activities began with a program for public activists at the Hebrew University and in the Social Justice Student Cell. In parallel to his studies, Mordechai was a counselor at the Mesilla Institute – a secure care institution for young women at-risk.

In 1999 he enrolled at the Mandel Institute for Leadership in Jerusalem, focusing on an in-depth study of models for decentralization and creating regional education administrations in Israel and around the world. After graduating from the Institute he joined the Tipul Nekudati (Direct Focus) initiative managed by the Prime Minister’s Office. The initiative focused on formulating and implementing comprehensive master plans for several local authorities in the geographical and social periphery. Mordechai coordinated the project’s activities at local authorities in the north.

Shortly afterwards Mordechai joined the Rashi Foundation, serving for nine years as director of the Northern Region and then Vice President of the Foundation. In this role he headed an extensive array of solutions for the benefit of local authorities in the north, especially after the crisis they experienced following the Second Lebanon War. This crisis was the result of severe underperformance on their part and the part of various government bodies. Mordechai headed the plan to reinforce the north in partnership with the government and the third sector, and as a result youth centers, early childhood centers, and warm homes for girls at risk were established, as well as the new Tel-Hai campus, Merom Galil campus, and libraries at Jordan Valley and Tel-Hai Colleges. Programs have also been implemented to streamline and improve local authority management in routine and emergency situations, students were awarded scholarships, and research laboratory centers were developed for students. In 2012, after completing his term at the Rashi Foundation, he was appointed Director of Local Government Administration at the Ministry of the Interior.

At the Rashi Foundation Mordechai spearheaded a series of groundbreaking steps, including establishing and expanding an administrative reserve for local government – local government cadets; establishing regional clusters together with JDC – Elka; transitioning from uniform to differential regulation; and integrating programs for economic development and for enriching the existing human capital in local authorities.

After his appointment as Director-General of the Ministry of the Interior in 2017 Mordechai led a comprehensive organizational change within the Ministry. As a result, the Ministry led the reform of the geographical committees, continued to establish the clusters, and headed the transition from economic recovery programs to financial success. He also reduced the number of local authorities acting through an appointed committee and significantly increased the Ministry of Interior’s budget for weakened authorities.

In parallel, in 2020 and 2021 Mordechai served as Chair of the National Planning and Building Council and Chair of the National Infrastructure Committee. In these roles, too, he sought a careful balance between conserving natural resources and the need to develop infrastructure with an emphasis on a regional view and reducing the gaps between the periphery and the center.

Mordechai has been appointed Chair of a task force to promote the reform promoting regionalism and decentralization of powers to local government. Among the members of the team were the late Dr. Yossi Bachar, who served on the team in his role as Chair of the JDC – Elka Advisory Committee, and other experts in the fields of academia, law, and economics.

Mordechai Cohen was born and educated in Hatzor HaGlilit, where he studied at the Hatzor Yeshiva High School founded by the religious Mizrahi Tami movement. He completed his high school studies at the Bezeq boarding school in Jerusalem, after which he enlisted to the IDF’s Nahal Brigade and served as a combat medic. Mordechai holds BA and MA degrees in Political Science from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, as well as an MBA from the University of Manchester.

His social activities began with a program for public activists at the Hebrew University and in the Social Justice Student Cell. In parallel to his studies, Mordechai was a counselor at the Mesilla Institute – a secure care institution for young women at-risk.

In 1999 he enrolled at the Mandel Institute for Leadership in Jerusalem, focusing on an in-depth study of models for decentralization and creating regional education administrations in Israel and around the world. After graduating from the Institute he joined the Tipul Nekudati (Direct Focus) initiative managed by the Prime Minister’s Office. The initiative focused on formulating and implementing comprehensive master plans for several local authorities in the geographical and social periphery. Mordechai coordinated the project’s activities at local authorities in the north.

Shortly afterwards Mordechai joined the Rashi Foundation, serving for nine years as director of the Northern Region and then Vice President of the Foundation. In this role he headed an extensive array of solutions for the benefit of local authorities in the north, especially after the crisis they experienced following the Second Lebanon War. This crisis was the result of severe underperformance on their part and the part of various government bodies. Mordechai headed the plan to reinforce the north in partnership with the government and the third sector, and as a result youth centers, early childhood centers, and warm homes for girls at risk were established, as well as the new Tel-Hai campus, Merom Galil campus, and libraries at Jordan Valley and Tel-Hai Colleges. Programs have also been implemented to streamline and improve local authority management in routine and emergency situations, students were awarded scholarships, and research laboratory centers were developed for students. In 2012, after completing his term at the Rashi Foundation, he was appointed Director of Local Government Administration at the Ministry of the Interior.

At the Rashi Foundation Mordechai spearheaded a series of groundbreaking steps, including establishing and expanding an administrative reserve for local government – local government cadets; establishing regional clusters together with JDC – Elka; transitioning from uniform to differential regulation; and integrating programs for economic development and for enriching the existing human capital in local authorities.

After his appointment as Director-General of the Ministry of the Interior in 2017 Mordechai led a comprehensive organizational change within the Ministry. As a result, the Ministry led the reform of the geographical committees, continued to establish the clusters, and headed the transition from economic recovery programs to financial success. He also reduced the number of local authorities acting through an appointed committee and significantly increased the Ministry of Interior’s budget for weakened authorities.

In parallel, in 2020 and 2021 Mordechai served as Chair of the National Planning and Building Council and Chair of the National Infrastructure Committee. In these roles, too, he sought a careful balance between conserving natural resources and the need to develop infrastructure with an emphasis on a regional view and reducing the gaps between the periphery and the center.

Mordechai has been appointed Chair of a task force to promote the reform promoting regionalism and decentralization of powers to local government. Among the members of the team were the late Dr. Yossi Bachar, who served on the team in his role as Chair of the JDC – Elka Advisory Committee, and other experts in the fields of academia, law, and economics.