Former Mossad agent Avner Avraham spoke at Shady Side Academy Senior School assembly on Friday, Oct. 19. Mossad is Israel's national intelligence agency; it conducts covert operations worldwide and is akin to the CIA. His visit to SSA was made possible by Classrooms Without Borders.

Avraham was a Mossad agent for 28 years, achieving the rank of lieutenant colonel. He spent 10 years serving in 40 countries and 18 years working in Israel. He was an intelligence advisor to a succession of Israeli prime ministers, from Yitzchak Rabin to Benjamin Netanyahu. Prior to retiring from the Mossad, Avraham studied at Tel Aviv University, earning a certificate in museum curation. He then created and managed more than 25 espionage exhibits for the Mossad – only three of which were originally open to the public. The biggest, most well-known exhibit is Operation Finale: The Capture and Trial of Adolph Eichmann, which has since made its way to the United States. Today, Avraham is the world's premier expert in operations for spy museums and serves as a consultant for spy movies. His most recent work is as the chief consultant for the movie, Operation Finale, which is in theaters now.

Avraham spoke to the students about his career, sharing some "insider tips" about spy life and movie consulting. He also shared slides of some of the artifacts he collected, and how they were used to make the movie as accurate as possible.