As most of you already know, the previous CC for Israel, Yuval, was promoted to the RC position earlier this month. While he would still live and work in Israel, the scope of his new role means that it would be best if another judge takes a leading position in the local community.

Thus, we present Israel’s new Country Coordinator… URI!

Uri Hershkovitz

Uri started playing Magic during Onslaught block and his first deck was a TIMMY Gruul beasts deck featuring Krosan Warchief. He certified as a judge in 2016 and advanced to L2 in 2017. Having lived in several countries as a child, he returned to the USA during 2018 and enjoyed seeing another Magic community and trying his hand at judging on another continent. Now he looks forward to doing the same in many more places! Uri has worked on several projects, including Player Surveys, Study groups and advancement for Judge candidates and L1 judges, and helps regularly with the New Set Digests. He loves mentoring up-and-coming judges and is very involved in creating a social scene for judges wherever possible. In addition to judging, Uri has a BA in education and political science, and loves working with and around people and organizations that try and improve the world around them. His favorite color combination is Temur, and his favorite card is Riku of Two Reflections (because you get to do everything TWICE!). He also enjoys video and board games, hiking all over the world, and ice cream.

We asked our new RC for a few words about his successor, and this is what he had to say:

[cets_callout_box style=’gray’ align=’full’ title=”] Uri has been a driving force within the Israeli community long before he became a judge. He introduced Magic to his LGS and acted as a guide for new players. Certifying Uri was easy, as he’s been acting unofficially as a judge for a long time. Uri pushed for new initiatives by taking part in mentoring judge candidates and increasing the social aspects of the Israeli judge community. I think Uri’s enthusiasm and great social skills will help push Israel judges forward, and his inclusion in the regional leadership will do wonders for the betterment of the region.[/cets_callout_box]

We wish Uri all the best in his new position, and we hope to have a long and productive collaboration! 😀