Dr. Shoshan Haran
Dr. Haran’s outstanding career in plant science and agriculture spans more than three decades. She is a leading seed expert and a Fulbright scholar. Drawing on her deep expertise, international collaborations, and Israel’s pioneering achievements in desert agriculture, Dr. Haran founded Fair Planet, a global NGO, whose mission is to help smallholder farmers in Africa grow more food and exit the cycle of hunger and poverty through access to improved climate-resilient seeds and better farming practices. These seeds triple farmers’ crop yields, increase profits and improve their families’ nutrition and livelihood. Over the past decade, these crops have nourished more than a million people in Ethiopia, Tanzania and Rwanda.
In addition to her humanitarian work, Dr. Haran’s life was shattered when Hamas terrorists attacked Kibbutz Be’eri—murdering her husband, Avshalom, and abducting her, along with her daughter, son-in-law, grandchildren, sister-in-law, and niece. They were all taken hostage and held in Gaza for 50 harrowing days, before being released. Her son-in-law, Tal Shoham, remained in captivity for an agonizing 505 days before his eventual release.
Since her release, Dr. Haran has become a dedicated advocate for the release of hostages and the prevention of civilian abductions as a new weapon of war. She has joined Hostage Aid Worldwide to work towards effective global measures that ensure the safe return of all hostages and put an end to this grave violation of human rights.
In the aftermath of the October 7 attack, she also co-founded ReHome, a non-profit organization providing innovative housing solutions and financial support to Israeli families most deeply affected by the tragedy.
Her book, “Mission in Captivity – One Woman’s Struggle to Survive and Save Her Family in Gaza”, was published in January 2026 and became a bestseller that very same month. Haran’s words echoed across the country; she was invited to the President’s Residence for a festive presentation of her book, and in May 2026, she spoke as a guest of honor at the International Writers Festival in Jerusalem. In June 2026, she was awarded the prestigious Bernstein Prize for Non-Fiction Literature.