On April 17, 2015, the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust, on behalf of the State of Georgia, is hosting the annual State Official Observance “Days of Remembrance” in memory of the victims of the Holocaust and to honor survivors and liberators. The observance begins at 11:00 pm in the North Wing of the State Capitol. The observance begins at 11:00 pm in the North Wing of the State Capitol. The 2015 Chairman’s Lifetime Achievement Award will be present to Consul General of Israel to the Southeast U.S. Opher Aviran.

Opher Aviran was appointed in August 2010 to serve as the Consul General of Israel to the Southeastern United States.

Aviran joined Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1983, having since served at the Embassy in Rangoon, Burma, the Embassy of Israel in The Hague in the Netherlands, and the Embassy in Canberra, Australia. In October 2014, Aviran was promoted to the rank of Ambassador.

In his postings abroad, Aviran works to strengthen local relationships with the State of Israel in the fields of economics, academics, media, culture and politics.

Between international postings, Aviran worked in Israel in a number of high level national security positions, including as Director of the Jordanian, Syrian and Lebanese Affairs Department in Jerusalem and the Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to the Israel Defense Forces Planning Branch in Tel Aviv. Additionally, Aviran served as Director of the Cadet Course within the Foreign Ministry’s Personnel Training Department, as well as Head of the Bureau for Personnel Training and Development.

During his tenure in the Southeast U.S., Aviran has developed professional and personal relationships with elected officials and key business, academic, cultural, and community leaders across the region. Fields of particular interest for increased cooperation between Israel and the Southeast include defense, HLS, cyber security, renewable energies, HIT, emergency preparedness, water and agro-business, and logistics.

In February 2012, the Georgia General Assembly honored Aviran for his “tireless efforts in strengthening the bond between Israel and the Southeast in the fields of economics, academics, culture and politics.”

Aviran holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in International Relations from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and a Masters Degree in Political Science with a specialty in National Security Studies from the University of Haifa and National Defense College.

Ambassador Aviran is joined in Atlanta by his wife, Talyah, and daughters, Adi and Noa. The Aviran’s eldest daughter, Reut, is a professional dancer in the Netherlands.