Rebecca Bardach worked with refugees from the former Yugoslavia, and other international migration, relief and development efforts for 17 years before joining Hand in Hand: the Centre for Jewish-Arab Education in Israel. She holds an MPA in Public Policy and International Development from NYU and lives in Jerusalem.
Lexi Kowal graduated from Bialik College in 2014 as the Chaim Nachman Bialik Award Winner, and is currently studying at Monash University. Upon graduating high school, Lexi found her passion in community engagement and advocacy, immediately joining the Australasian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS) leadership team. Now, as a former AUJS National Vice Chairperson, and winner of the 2018 Bnai Brith Changemaker award, Lexi volunteers for the National Council of Jewish Women (Vic) Board, AUJS Ltd. Board, Victorian Liberal Friends of Israel, Zionism Victoria Board, and is an Office Bearer of the Monash Student Association.
Naomi is the founder and one of the organisers of the She’ela festival. She spent five years in Mullumbimby where her three children grew up. Naomi and her young family attended many festivals that enriched their lives both personally and collectively as a family unit.
Naomi has been a Jewish Studies teacher for nearly three decades and is currently studying a Masters of Counselling at Monash University. She has also been the proud Bat Mitzvah teacher of Caulfield Hebrew Congregation for the past six years. She runs annual mother-daughter weekends with her own daughters as her co facilitators and more recently has been organising and facilitating women’s retreats, focusing on connection and empathy, qualities she believes are key to a happy life.