Michelle Nasser
Lifetime Achievement Award
Born in Geneva, Switzerland to a Moroccan mother and an Egyptian father, Michelle Nasser was raised in a Sephardic household deeply devoted to Israel and its people. Her father Victor spent his career at ORT, securing educational opportunities for Jewish students, and her mother Anita was a successful haute couture fashion designer and retailer. Her family’s support for ISEF goes back to its founding in 1977.
Michelle attended college in Boston and later married Jacques Nasser, a son of Syrian Jewish immigrants to Brazil. Upon relocating to São Paulo, Michelle quickly mastered Portuguese and immersed herself in Brazilian culture and society. Sensing an opportunity, she established and operated successful retail franchises of luxury European fashion houses. She sold her business in 2009 and relocated back to Europe.
Today Michelle divides her time between her beloved homes in Jaffa, Europe and the U.S., and serves on the international board of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. She is the proud and devoted mother of two children and two granddaughters. Her daughter Sabina today serves on ISEF’s board of directors.