Speakers

Dr. Ramona Tenorio

Dr. Ramona Tenorio co-founded Tiyuv (“improvement” in Hebrew), a Jewish nonprofit dedicated to Jews of Color (JOC)-led, culturally responsive evaluation for racial and social justice programs within Jewish communities. By centering on the voices of JOCs and women, Tiyuv supports organizations in uncovering and addressing biases and practices that create barriers to equity and belonging, with the aim of fostering more inclusive environments.

Ramona is a Jewish Latina (Jewtina) of Mexican Indigenous and Dutch heritage, committed to anti-racism, gender equity, combating antisemitism, and advancing diversity. Her work with Tiyuv has brought her to national and international Jewish initiatives, including serving on the leadership team of MOED, the Global Jewish Partnership for Racial Justice. MOED is a global alliance working to support Jews of Ethiopian descent, Jews of Color, and those identified as non-white Jews, advocating for their full inclusion in Jewish life.

Ramona also serves on the board of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation’s Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), where she co-chairs the Latino Jewish Alliance, building bridges between Jewish and Latino communities to address antisemitism and anti-Latino bias. She serves on the board and is the past president of Congregation Sinai in Fox Point, Wisconsin. In 2019, she founded Broader Impact, LLC, her research and evaluation consulting firm. Ramona holds a PhD in Anthropology with a minor in Latin American History, a master’s degree in Geography, and a bachelor’s degree in Geography, all from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.

Tal Hochman

Tal Hochman is the Executive Director of the Israel Women’s Network (IWN), committed to creating social, economic and legal conditions for women to prosper across all sectors of Israeli society.

IWN is promoting feminist policy through legal tools, parliamentary work and government engagement; creating power multipliers in the feminist field; influencing public discourse to advance women’s interests; and working to include women’s voices in national security decision-making processes. Over the past decade, Tal has been active in promoting women’s rights and raising awareness of women’s issues, and previously headed IWN’s government relations department.

Tal has a master’s degree in International Social and Public Policy at the London School of Economics, focusing her dissertation on Israel’s recent legislation decriminalizing women in prostitution and working as a parliamentary advisor. She has a bachelor’s degree in Social Work, and worked as a social worker in a shelter for youth in prostitution.

Shelly Blatt Zak

Shelly Blatt Zak is the CEO of the Rackman Center situated at Bar Ilan University, which promotes the status of women in matters of family law. The Rackman Center provides legal counseling, represents women in family law cases, provides emotional support to women in separation processes, in addition to working closely with governmental agencies and organizations to promote policy and pave the way for legislative change.

Shelly ensures that Israeli women receive pro-bono legal representation before the civil and religious courts, legal consultation and emotional help. She is primarily active in setting strategy and representing the needs of women in family law in the Knesset and before decision makers.

Prior to joining the Rackman Center, Shelly had a 20-year career in corporate and securities law, and served as a senior partner at Shibolet, one of Israel’s largest and most reputable law firms, where she established and headed the Impact and Social Responsibility department. She holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) degree from Tel Aviv University and a Master of Laws (LL.M) degree in Law (Mediation, Negotiation and Dispute Resolution) from Bar-Ilan University.

Yael Hasson

Yael Hasson is the Executive Director of the Adva Center, a leading research institute promoting equality and social justice in Israel through research, policy advocacy, and community engagement, with a focus on advancing the rights and well-being of women, girls, and marginalized communities. She assumed this role in 2025, after serving as Director of Gender Equality for four years and over two decades as a researcher, lecturer, and gender budgeting expert.

Yael served as advisor to multiple government ministries and local and regional municipalities on integrating gender perspectives into budgets and policies, as well as training local women’s groups on social economics and mainstreaming gender perspectives. She has published dozens of research and position papers, with a primary focus on the gender implications of economic policies.

Between 2005 and 2012, Yael led the Israeli Women’s Budget Forum, a coalition of 30 Jewish and Arab feminist organizations. Since 2019 she has also served as a Teaching Fellow at Ben-Gurion University’s Gender Studies Program. She holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Haifa. She completed her M.A. in Organizational Sociology from Bar-Ilan University (magna cum laude) and her B.A. in Behavioral Sciences from Ben-Gurion University.

Ronie Nof Malc

Ronie Nof Malc is the Executive Director of Women and Their Bodies (WTB), an Israeli nonprofit which works to improve the health of women and girls in Israel and to elevate their interests in the healthcare system in which there is a gender gap in care, research, and outcomes.

Believing that all women and girls are entitled to high-quality healthcare and the ability to make informed choices about their bodies, health and sexuality, WTB creates spaces for women and girls to gain knowledge and perspective on their bodies and health, and to learn about their healthcare rights and how to access and utilize existing health services. At the same time, WTB works to elevate and amplify women’s voices in the healthcare system to close existing gender gaps.

Ronie is an advocate for gender equality and women’s rights as well as an attorney with extensive experience in public service. Prior to becoming the Executive Director of WTB, she was the Director of the Knowledge and Action Center of the organization. She has actively engaged in assisting women in the cycle of prostitution. She holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Political Science, and a master’s degree in Women’s and Gender Studies from Tel Aviv University.

Shana Aaronson

Shana Aaronson is the Executive Director of Magen for Jewish Communities, a crisis support and advocacy center dedicated to ensuring safer Jewish communities in Israel and around the world. It develops and implements programs that prioritize victims of sexual abuse, hold predators accountable, and eliminates the stigma surrounding sexual abuse. Magen envisions Jewish communities where survivors are never alone in their journey toward healing and justice.

Shana has built an organization that not only responds to individual cases of abuse but also works to empower communities to prevent abuse, and toward law and policy reforms that benefit all sexual abuse survivors in Israel. Her leadership has made Magen a trusted resource that empowers survivors to speak, communities to listen, and systems to change.

Shana formerly served as Assistant Director at Tzofiah, a residential, therapeutic home for adolescent girls, as the Social Services Coordinator for Magen Child Protective Services, and as COO of US-based Jewish Community Watch. She holds a degree in psychology, certification in educational guidance counseling, and training in abuse prevention and various therapeutic modalities.

Meredith Jacobs

Meredith Jacobs is the CEO of Jewish Women International (JWI), a 125-year-old nonprofit dedicated to ending violence against women and girls. Since assuming the role of CEO in 2020, she has launched key initiatives addressing domestic violence, financial abuse, women’s leadership, and gun violence prevention, including the global “I Believe Israeli Women” movement, which fights denial of the sexual atrocities committed by Hamas.

An award-winning journalist, former editor-in-chief of Washington Jewish Week, and author of several books—including the bestselling Just Between Us series—Jacobs was named one of The Jerusalem Post’s “50 Most Influential Jews of 2020.” She serves on Maryland’s Women’s Economic Empowerment Council and holds B.A. in English from Haverford College and a Masters of Science in Business from Johns Hopkins University.

Rena Paul

Naomi Ackerman

Naomi Ackerman is the Founder and Executive Director of Advot, a California-based nonprofit that uses theatre and the arts to teach communication skills, healthy relationships, and self-advocacy. Working primarily with incarcerated and system-impacted youth, Advot empowers participants to find their voice and use it to shape their own lives and communities, imagining a world where everyone knows they matter; where young people, especially those who have been marginalized, are met with dignity, invited into possibility, and trusted to shape their own paths. Through Home Shalom, a program of Advot, Naomi also engages Jewish teens in exploring healthy relationships through a Jewish lens, blending creativity, values, and real-world learning.

For more than three decades, Naomi has used art as a tool for peacebuilding, education, and social transformation. Her workshops and performances grounded in empathy, humor, and honesty invite people from all walks of life to connect, reflect, and act. An actress, educator, and facilitator, Naomi wrote, directed, and performs the acclaimed one-woman show Flowers Aren’t Enough, which has been presented more than 2,500 times worldwide, including at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. The play has been translated into four languages and continues to spark dialogue around gender-based violence and empowerment.

Naomi has been recognized with numerous honors, including the KCET & Union Bank Local Heroes Award, AJWS Global Justice Fellowship, International Women Achievers Award for Community Leadership, Lincoln City Fellowship, and the Covenant Award for Excellence in Jewish Education. She has a BA in Theater and Education from Hebrew University.

Meredith Polsky

Meredith Polsky is Founder and Executive Director of Matan, which empowers Jewish community leaders and educators through training, coaching, and consultations to provide purposeful, enriching, and inclusive opportunities for people with disabilities and their families. Matan envisions a world in which all Jewish communities are stronger and more vibrant because people with and without disabilities share meaningful, inclusive experiences throughout every life stage.

Meredith is a nationally sought-after speaker on Jewish disability inclusion and is often called upon as an expert voice in the field. A 2017 Covenant Award winner, Meredith is co-author of the award-winning I Have a Question children’s book series, helping children with disabilities (and all children!) grapple with difficult topics.

Meredith holds masters degrees in social work and early childhood special education and teaches courses in Jewish special education at Gratz College and early childhood special education in the masters program at American Jewish University.

Judith Rosenbaum

Judith Rosenbaum is the CEO of the Jewish Women’s Archive, a pioneering digital public history organization that documents Jewish women’s stories, elevates their voices, and inspires them to be agents of change. JWA envisions a world that values the diversity and complexity of Jewish women and gender-expansive people, past and present, learning from their stories and inspiring future generations.

Under Judith’s leadership, JWA has expanded its reach to 15 million people around the world each year, launching new programs including the New York Times-recommended podcast Can We Talk? as well as a new, expanded edition of the Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women and the new Pomegranate Writing Fellowship for Jewish Women of Color.

Judith has devoted her career to creating a more inclusive, feminist Jewish story and harnessing history as a tool for social change. An educator, historian, and writer, Judith earned a PhD in American Studies from Brown University, with a focus on women, gender, and social movements. As a Fulbright Fellow, she studied women’s collective communities in Israel. Judith teaches and lectures widely on Jewish studies and women’s studies. She has served on the faculty of the Bronfman Fellowship and is a Schusterman Senior Fellow. In 2025, she received Hebrew College’s Esther Award for Courageous Women’s Leadership.

Lani Santo

Lani Santo is the CEO of Footsteps, which provides comprehensive individual support to people who have chosen to leave the insular communities of ultra-Orthodox Judaism. It also aims to shift culture and increase thought leadership, educating the greater Jewish and broader public about the experiences of this population in order to make space and community for them.

Under her leadership, Footsteps has brought its issues into the mainstream dialogue of the Jewish community and beyond. Highlights include Footsteps’ participation  in a Peabody-nominated New York Times investigative piece on ultra-Orthodox yeshivas, and the Netflix documentary, One of Us.

Prior to joining Footsteps, Lani served as a Senior Program Officer at American Jewish World Service. She is an alumna of the Wexner Field Fellowship and has served as a board member or advisor for Avodah, Unchained at Last and Upstart, among other organizations. She graduated from Barnard College and holds a MPA degree in Public and Nonprofit Management from NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service.

Leah Kabran Eden 

Leah Kabran Eden is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Equity Advocates, an organization dedicated to tackling the root causes of food inequity in New York through policy change and grassroots power building. The organization leverages policy development, coalition building and empowerment of grassroots food justice leaders to drive meaningful and sustainable change.

With a background as an organizer, anthropologist and policy analyst, Leah has spent her career at the intersection of food, economic and social justice. She previously served as a Policy Specialist at the United Way of New York City and addressed food security, asset building, and educational equity issues. As the Director of Food Policy for New York City Council Member Ben Kallos, she developed and advanced a progressive food policy agenda including increased access to healthy food, school meals, and obesity prevention programs.

In 2016, Leah was recognized as one of Hunter College’s 40 Under 40: The Rising Stars in New York City Food Policy. Leah holds a master’s degree in Food Systems from New York University and a bachelor’s degree in Cultural Anthropology from Boston University.

Maryam Chishti

Maryam Chishti is the Co-Executive Director of The LUNAR Collective, which cultivates connection, belonging and visibility for Asian American Jews through intersectional programming, performance, digital storytelling and other media. The organization is the first and only organization to create communal spaces for Asian American Jews, and also project the rich diversity of the Jewish community to the wider society.

Maryam, the mixed-race daughter of an Indian father and a Jewish American mother, is a graduate of the Upstart Venture Accelerator Program, UJA’s Ruskay Institute of Jewish Professional Leadership and the Jews of Color Initiative’s Leadership Fellowship. She is also the founder of Moishe House Lower Manhattan.

Maryam has brought her community’s representation to the fore through positions in the Office of Senator Charles Schumer of New York, the New York City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, and the 2016 presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton. Outside of LUNAR, Maryam enjoys storytelling at venues like The Moth, and performing with her improv troupe. Maryam has a bachelor’s degree in American Studies from Brandeis University.

Maryam Chishti

Maryam Chishti is the Co-Executive Director of The LUNAR Collective, which cultivates connection, belonging and visibility for Asian American Jews through intersectional programming, performance, digital storytelling and other media. The organization is the first and only organization to create communal spaces for Asian American Jews, and also project the rich diversity of the Jewish community to the wider society.

Maryam, the mixed-race daughter of an Indian father and a Jewish American mother, is a graduate of the Upstart Venture Accelerator Program, UJA’s Ruskay Institute of Jewish Professional Leadership and the Jews of Color Initiative’s Leadership Fellowship. She is also the founder of Moishe House Lower Manhattan.

Maryam has brought her community’s representation to the fore through positions in the Office of Senator Charles Schumer of New York, the New York City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, and the 2016 presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton. Outside of LUNAR, Maryam enjoys storytelling at venues like The Moth, and performing with her improv troupe. Maryam has a bachelor’s degree in American Studies from Brandeis University.

Kai Gardner Mishlove

Kai Gardner Mishlove is the former Executive Director of Jewish Social Services of Madison. She is the first Jew of Color (JOC) to hold this position nationally and the first JOC to be hired at JSS. Kai was formerly the director of the Jewish Community Relations Council in Milwaukee. She is a firm believer in the African Proverb: “It Takes a Village” and she acts on her Black and Jewish identity and faith by doing mitzvahs (good deeds) and making sure that her life and work in the community is a meditation on G-d and reflects the Jewish concepts of Tzedakah, Chesed, and Tzedek.

Kai has a BA in Political Science from Boston University with graduate studies in Public Health from the University of Illinois. She is active in many communities and has served on the boards of Hillel Milwaukee, JCRC Milwaukee, the Friendship Circle WI, NCJW Milwaukee, SE Asian Literacy Project, Wisconsin African Community Association, Milwaukee Turners, Rotary Club, Hands and Voices and various disability rights groups. She is an alumnus of the Selah JOC Cohort 15 and the Jewish Women of Color Resilience Circle 2. Kai has a long history of advocating for vulnerable communities and expertise in developing programs that encourage and promote cross community collaboration.

Kai was awarded the Building Bridges award by NCJW Milwaukee and recognized as one of 12 Milwaukee Sheros in 2020 by the Milwaukee Repertory Theater. Kai was also featured as one of 100 Milwaukeeans interviewed regarding democracy and citizenship in the This Is Milwaukee Project. Recently Kai was awarded the 2021 Woman of Faith award by the Salvadoran Sisters of the Divine Savior in recognition of her Tables Across Borders Project, restaurant and community gathering pop ups highlighting the cuisine and cultures of diverse local refugees.

Kai lives in Milwaukee. She is a very proud stepmother and mother of four adult children and stand in “American mom” and “auntie” to several youth. Kai’s hobbies include motorcycles, bikes, cooking, gardening, music, and art.

Kai feels very strongly about the importance of building global bridges between cultures and the promotion of inclusive, diverse, and healthy communities.

Kai’s states that her vision for the JCRC is Jewish community engagement that reflects a collective purpose of working together to build stronger bridges that increase community awareness, promote peace and counter hate. She encourages action and engagement that is not shackled by fear due to old or present rivalries, disagreements, lack of awareness or misperceptions of each other.

Kai Gardner Mishlove

Kai Gardner Mishlove is the former Executive Director of Jewish Social Services of Madison. She is the first Jew of Color (JOC) to hold this position nationally and the first JOC to be hired at JSS. Kai was formerly the director of the Jewish Community Relations Council in Milwaukee. She is a firm believer in the African Proverb: “It Takes a Village” and she acts on her Black and Jewish identity and faith by doing mitzvahs (good deeds) and making sure that her life and work in the community is a meditation on G-d and reflects the Jewish concepts of Tzedakah, Chesed, and Tzedek.

Kai has a BA in Political Science from Boston University with graduate studies in Public Health from the University of Illinois. She is active in many communities and has served on the boards of Hillel Milwaukee, JCRC Milwaukee, the Friendship Circle WI, NCJW Milwaukee, SE Asian Literacy Project, Wisconsin African Community Association, Milwaukee Turners, Rotary Club, Hands and Voices and various disability rights groups. She is an alumnus of the Selah JOC Cohort 15 and the Jewish Women of Color Resilience Circle 2. Kai has a long history of advocating for vulnerable communities and expertise in developing programs that encourage and promote cross community collaboration.

Kai was awarded the Building Bridges award by NCJW Milwaukee and recognized as one of 12 Milwaukee Sheros in 2020 by the Milwaukee Repertory Theater. Kai was also featured as one of 100 Milwaukeeans interviewed regarding democracy and citizenship in the This Is Milwaukee Project. Recently Kai was awarded the 2021 Woman of Faith award by the Salvadoran Sisters of the Divine Savior in recognition of her Tables Across Borders Project, restaurant and community gathering pop ups highlighting the cuisine and cultures of diverse local refugees.

Kai lives in Milwaukee. She is a very proud stepmother and mother of four adult children and stand in “American mom” and “auntie” to several youth. Kai’s hobbies include motorcycles, bikes, cooking, gardening, music, and art.

Kai feels very strongly about the importance of building global bridges between cultures and the promotion of inclusive, diverse, and healthy communities.

Kai’s states that her vision for the JCRC is Jewish community engagement that reflects a collective purpose of working together to build stronger bridges that increase community awareness, promote peace and counter hate. She encourages action and engagement that is not shackled by fear due to old or present rivalries, disagreements, lack of awareness or misperceptions of each other.

SooJi Min-Maranda

SooJi Min-Maranda believes in the power of personal stories. Whether providing direct services, advocating for policy change, or fundraising for nonprofit organizations, Min-Maranda begins with personal narratives that illustrate the need for programs, policies, and resources that raise the voices of those underserved and underrepresented in mainstream society. A seasoned nonprofit executive with 18 years of senior management experience, Min-Maranda brings a social entrepreneurial mindset to the nonprofit arena. She advocates for strategic partnerships, racial justice and efficient, effective resource allocation.

Min-Maranda is the Executive Director of B’nai Jeshurun Congregation in Pepper Pike, OH. She was formerly is the Executive Director of ALEPH:  Alliance for Jewish Renewal. A national nonprofit, ALEPH brings spiritual vitality and passion into the daily lives of Jews through programs that train clergy, empower leadership, build communities, and generate powerful experiences and practical resources. Previously, she was the executive director of Temple Beth Emeth, a 600+ member reform Jewish synagogue in Ann Arbor, MI; the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health (ICAH), a nonprofit policy and advocacy organization that focuses on adolescent sexual health and parenting; and Korean American Community Services, a comprehensive social service agency in Chicago. The Asian Health Coalition of Illinois presented her with its Outstanding Community Health Advocate Award in 2008.

She was in Cohort 3 of Leading Edge’s CEO Onboarding Program for high-level organizational leaders in the American Jewish community. Min-Maranda served on Governor Quinn’s Illinois Human Services Commission from 2010-2012 and is a member of the Selah Leadership Program’s National Executive Cohort 9. She was a 2010 Chicago Community Trust Fellow and a 2010 Chicago Foundation for Women Impact Awardee.

She is a 2007 Illinois Women’s Institute for Leadership Delegate and a 2006 Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow. A graduate of Barnard College, Min-Maranda holds master’s degrees from Northwestern University and The University of Chicago.

Daniella Seltzer

Daniella Seltzer is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Jerusalem Food Rescuers, an organization working to build a more just, sustainable, and less wasteful urban food system in one of the world’s most complex cities. Through food rescue, education, civic engagement, and urban food policy, the organization aims to reshape how cities approach food, community, and sustainability—developing replicable models that are informing efforts in other municipalities across Israel.

Since 2019, Daniella has led cross-sector collaborations with municipalities, the wholesale market and food businesses, and grassroots networks to redistribute surplus food through decentralized community markets. Her work challenges traditional models of charity and positions food as a tool for social change, shared leadership, and structural transformation.

Rooted in the Jewish principle of Bal Tashchit (the prohibition against needless waste), she sees food as a powerful entry point into broader systems change. Daniella has been recognized for her leadership in social innovation by both Globes magazine’s “40 Under 40” and the Hebrew University Alumni Association. She holds a B.A. in Equity Studies and Community Engagement with a focus on Food Security from the University of Toronto, and an M.A. in Cultural Studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Tali Ehrenthal

Tali Ehrenthal is the Executive Director of ASSAF – Aid Organization for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Israel, a human rights organization advancing the dignity, rights, and wellbeing of refugees and asylum seekers in Israel. ASSAF provides psychosocial and humanitarian support, engages in policy advocacy, and works toward systemic change and a more just, inclusive Israeli society.

Tali has led ASSAF since 2019, following six years as Director of the organization’s Psychosocial Department, where she developed and oversaw critical programs addressing trauma, mental health, and resilience among displaced populations. Since 2025, she has also been a lecturer at the Hebrew University School of Social Work.

Tali holds a BSW in Community Social Work, an MSW with a specialization in trauma, and an MA in Criminology – all from the Hebrew University. As a graduate of multiple leadership and therapeutic training programs, Tali brings expertise in nonprofit leadership, as well as in individual, group, and community-based social work interventions. Since 2005, Tali has worked and volunteered in Israel’s social sector, leading initiatives to support at-risk youth and young adults, trauma survivors, and marginalized communities. She is deeply committed to refugee rights, social inclusion, and the pursuit of justice for excluded communities.

Dyonna Ginsburg

Dyonna Ginsburg is the CEO of OLAM, empowering and equipping Jewish individuals and organizations committed to global service, international development and humanitarian aid. OLAM convenes and mobilizes Jewish leaders, organizations, practitioners, and others to take meaningful action in support of the world’s most vulnerable people, and amplifies their work and impact.

Dedicated to the Jewish community’s embrace of tikkun olam, Dyonna has served as Director of Education and Service Learning at The Jewish Agency; Executive Director of Bema’aglei Tzedek, an Israeli social change NGO; and co-founder of Siach, a global network of Jewish social justice and environmental professionals.

She received the Simon Rockower Award for Excellence in Jewish Journalism; the Schusterman Fellowship; and the World Council of Jewish Communal Service’s Ted Comet Exemplar Award for Outstanding Leadership in Strengthening the Jewish People. She has a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Columbia University and a master’s degree in Jewish Education from Hebrew University.

Dyonna Ginsburg is the CEO of OLAM, empowering and equipping Jewish individuals and organizations committed to global service, international development and humanitarian aid. OLAM convenes and mobilizes Jewish leaders, organizations, practitioners, and others to take meaningful action in support of the world’s most vulnerable people, and amplifies their work and impact.

Dedicated to the Jewish community’s embrace of tikkun olam, Dyonna has served as Director of Education and Service Learning at The Jewish Agency; Executive Director of Bema’aglei Tzedek, an Israeli social change NGO; and co-founder of Siach, a global network of Jewish social justice and environmental professionals.

She received the Simon Rockower Award for Excellence in Jewish Journalism; the Schusterman Fellowship; and the World Council of Jewish Communal Service’s Ted Comet Exemplar Award for Outstanding Leadership in Strengthening the Jewish People. She has a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Columbia University and a master’s degree in Jewish Education from Hebrew University.

Moria Rodal Silfen

Moria is the CEO of the ATZUM – Task Force on Human Trafficking and Prostitution, which advocates for women’s rights, gender equality, prevention of sexual violence against women, and the eradication of human trafficking and prostitution in Israel.

The organization engages the Knesset, Government officials, the legal community, enforcement agencies, and the media to pursue systemic change and ensure that victims of prostitution and trafficking have access to services and inclusion in Israeli society.

In the Knesset, Moria served as Spokesperson for the Committee for the Advancement of Women and Gender Equality as well as for a few Knesset members and ministers throughout the years, including the Chairman of the Labor, Welfare, and Health Committee. She has a master’s degree in Women’s and Gender Studies from Tel Aviv University and a bachelor’s degree in Communication Journalism and International Relations from the Hebrew University. She is a mother of three and lives in Jerusalem, all out of active choice.

Yael Boim-Fein

Yael Boim-Fein is the Founder and Executive Director of the Institute for Gender Equity in Education, the first organization in Israel dedicated to promoting gender equity in education through systemic, research-based change. Affiliated with SAE, the Institute partners with the Ministry of Education, municipalities, and academic institutions to develop innovative tools and programs that embed gender equity into everyday educational practice.

She is the Co-founder of the pioneering MA program in Gender and Jewish Education at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and serves on the Executive Board of the Gender and Education Association (GEA), an international research consortium. Her work bridges research, policy, and practice, advancing both scholarly knowledge and field-based impact. Recognized for her ability to transform strategic visions into sustainable initiatives, she is the recipient of the 2025 Minister of Social Equality Award for the Advancement of Women in Israel, and the author of Gender Equity in Education: From Theory to Practice (Ivrit Publishing, 2025).

Alongside her professional roles, she volunteered for fifteen years at the Jerusalem Rape Crisis Center, serving as an educational facilitator, hotline volunteer, and Chair of the Board. She is an alumna of the Mandel School for Educational Leadership, the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program, and the Schusterman Fellowship. A PhD candidate, she holds an MA in Education and Gender Studies, an MA in Media and Culture Studies, and a BA in International Relations and Communication, all from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Avra Gordis

Avra Gordis is a social worker, educator, and entrepreneur with a longstanding commitment to Jewish women’s leadership and community engagement. She previously served on the Board of the Jewish Women’s Foundation of New York — Elluminate’s predecessor organization — and her return reflects a deep and continued commitment to advancing opportunities for women and girls. Avra has remained actively engaged with Elluminate through its Visionary Circle Program and in strengthening connections across U.S. and Israeli communities.

Nancy K. Kaufman

Bio Coming Soon!