Ariel Roman-Harris, Director of Cultural Affairs, Consulate General of Israel in Miami, is dedicated to public service and to the concept of “tikkun olam” to repair the world, whether professionally at the Consulate General of Israel in Miami or personally in local community organizations and charities.
Responsibilities at the consulate range from overseeing media and cultural affairs to much of the public relations outreach including the LGBTQ, sports, fashion and culinary realms. The Consulate’s jurisdiction spans from Alabama, Mississippi and Florida to Puerto Rico. He manages the news, policy briefings, op-eds and interviews between government representatives and international, national and local media. Miami being a major Hispanic media hub for US and Latin American markets carries great weight in their engagement efforts.
Under the cultural affairs cape, he collaborates with cultural institutions to present Israeli cultural programming ranging from concerts, dance, theatre, films, exhibitions, literary and more. The consulate serves as a conduit between Israeli artists and the community. Through these partnerships, they celebrate Israeli culture, encourage cultural dialogue, and foster a multifaceted understanding of contemporary Israeli society.
Beyond media and culture, he engages the community through sports, partnering with the Miami Dolphin’s Football Unites program, or participating in LGBTQ events such as Miami Beach Gay Pride. There are countless ways he builds relations between Israel and the US.
Ariel believes his calling is to build bridges, to maximize his diverse ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds to connect people, to open dialogue. The son of American and Colombian parents, of Jewish-Christian descent, his drive is sincere and uplifting. He has presided and is an active board member of the children’s non-for-profit, Sharing For Kids, where they dedicate most of their fundraising to help the Children’s Hospital “La Casa del Niño” in his birthplace – Cartagena, Colombia.
Ariel graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in International Relations from Florida International University where he completed the Honors Study Abroad Program at Charles University in the Czech Republic. Ariel also received a Certificate of Latin American and Caribbean Studies at FIU.
Ariel speaks English and Spanish and has a developing command of French and Portuguese. Selected to participate in 2019 Summer Socrates Seminar.