Judith Yovel Recanati (born 1948), often referred to as Yudi Yovel Recanati, is an Israeli social entrepreneur and philanthropist. She is the founder of NATAL â The Israel Trauma and Resiliency Center, and the chairperson of the . Recanati is recognized for her work in developing social resilience and trauma treatment models in Israel, for which she received ÃÂhe President's Volunteer Award.
Judith Recanati was born into the Recanati family, a dynasty central to Israel's financial history. She is the granddaughter of Leon Yehuda Recanati (1890âÂÂ1945), a Zionist leader and philanthropist who founded the Israel Discount Bank in 1935. While her family is synonymous with the leadership of the IDB Holding Corporation, Recanati chose to focus on the philanthropic and social sectors.
Recanati was married to Israel Yovel, an Israeli gynecologist and businessman, until his passing in 2004. She has three daughters, Gili, Noa, and Daria, who are active partners in the family's philanthropic activities.
In 1998, Recanati co-founded NATAL together with Dr. Yossi Hadar. The organization provides multidisciplinary support for those affected by war-related trauma and terror. NATAL's model has been adopted internationally, including partnerships in the United States to assist veterans.
Through the Gandyr Foundation, established in 2004, Recanati promotes civic engagement among Israeli young adults. Recanati has been a significant supporter of the Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yafo, funding the establishment of the Master's program in Youth Studies and providing graduate scholarships.