Dr. Eyal Shenhav Named Chairman of Technoda Hadera Friends Association
Dr. Eyal Shenhav, chairman and head of the international and high-tech department at Goldfarb Gross Seligman & Co., has taken on the role of chairman of the Friends Association of Technoda Hadera. He aims to bridge social gaps and advance technological education.
Dr. Eyal Shenhav defines his career as a privilege: walking closely with the meteoric rise of Israeli high-tech, which has become the economic and reputational engine of the State of Israel. Alongside his business leadership and venture capital consulting, a deep drive for social involvement and public action has always resonated within him. Dr. Dr. Shenhav has stepped into his new role as chairman of the Friends Association of Technoda Hadera - the Israeli Museum of Medicine and Science - with immense energy and a strong sense of mission.
An International Academic and Legal Journey
The professional story of Dr. Shenhav, 62, is woven through the central stations of the tax and commercial law worlds in Israel and globally. Raised in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and the United States, he graduated from Alliance High School in Tel Aviv and served as an officer in the Artillery Corps. He completed his law studies with honors at Tel Aviv University, after which he continued to the US, completing a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in taxation at New York University (NYU) and later a doctorate (J.S.D.) in international taxation. During his stay in New York, he worked as a full-fledged attorney at the massive American firm Davis Polk. Upon completing his doctorate, he and his wife, Adv. Tal Danon-Shenhav, decided it was time to return to Israel. Before returning, he received a surprising offer from Prof. Uriel Reichman to join the faculty at Reichman University. In 1999, Sequoia Capital approached him to accompany them in their first steps in Israel, leading him to focus on law. In 2008, he founded the Shenhav & Co. boutique firm, which merged into Gross & Co. in 2018, and later into Goldfarb Gross Seligman & Co. in 2023, where he serves as chairman and head of the international and high-tech department.
Combining Scientific Education and Social Cohesion
Alongside long hours in the corporate world, social action has always accompanied Dr. Shenhav. He served for six years as a board member of the Alliance school in Tel Aviv, supports pro-bono organizations, and is active in Unistream. At Technoda Hadera, he sees an opportunity to combine three fields close to his heart: education, reducing social gaps, and excellence. Technoda, the Israeli Museum of Medicine and Science, is an experiential and innovative center leading the fields of medical, scientific, and technological education in Israel. Established about four decades ago, Technoda serves as a source of knowledge, inspiration, and curiosity for some 300,000 visitors annually.
"I connected to Technoda for two main reasons," explains Dr. Shenhav. "First, as is known, scientific and technological education in Israel has been on the decline in recent years. Second, the social activity at the place, which makes high-level science accessible to disadvantaged populations—the ultra-Orthodox, Arabs, new immigrants—is, in my eyes, a Zionist and social act of the first degree."
National Importance and Future Goals
The Friends Association of Technoda was established about 25 years ago, gathering prominent figures in Israeli society. Dr. Shenhav's central goal in his new role is to connect his extensive network in the high-tech and venture capital world to benefit the institution. Technoda Hadera and the Friends Association have already begun setting targets for the coming years: beyond strengthening existing fields in medicine, physics, and chemistry, they aspire to introduce innovative programs in artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced technology.
