I had a pleasure to interview Michal Cotler-Wunsh

😊 Who is Michal?

Michal Cotler-Wunsh is Israel’s Special Envoy for Combatting Antisemitism.

In this role she engages local and global partners around the shared responsibility to comprehensively identify and address the rise and mainstreaming of ever-mutating antisemitic hate.

Michal is a former MK (Member of Israel’s Parliament), where she served as Chair of the Subcommittee on Israel-Diaspora Relations, and as an active member of several other committees, such as the Women’s Status Committees.

Recognizing the inherent connection between online hate and real-world violence, Michal co-founded the Interparliamentary Task Force to Combat Online Antisemitism, together with multi-partisan elected officials from Canada, Australia, the US, and the UK.

She received her LL.B. from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and her LL.M. from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Her PhD research focused on freedom of speech on university campuses

Michal was born in Israel and grew up in Canada, and today she lives in Israel with her husband and their four children.

🎙️ What did we talk about?

- How has her personal life and professional mission changed after October 7th?

- How has antisemitism evolved since October 7th? What are the most alarming trends?

- As co-founder of the Inter-Parliamentary Task Force to Combat Online Antisemitism, what are the policies or tools that can effectively counter hate speech online?

- As former Chair of the Subcommittee on Israel-Diaspora Relations, what are the biggest challenges in uniting global Jewry today?

- As a former MK and envoy, how does she navigate these male-dominated spaces? What unique strengths does she think women bring to leadership, especially in security and diplomacy?

- Why are women’s voices critical in combating hate and shaping policy?

- How did her multicultural upbringing shape her Jewish identity and career path?

- What advice does she have for young Jewish women aspiring to leadership in law, politics, or activism?

In this special International Women’s Day episode, Dr. Aliza Lavie—former Knesset member, author, and social entrepreneur—joins us to discuss the power of feminine leadership, the role of Jewish women throughout history, and the urgent need for unity in times of crisis. She shares insights from her latest book, Iconic Jewish Women, and reflects on the challenges facing women today, from political representation to the ongoing conflict in Israel.

What We Will Talk About:

1. Women’s Leadership in Times of Crisis – How Jewish women have historically stepped up in times of war and hardship.
2. The Role of Women in Israeli Politics – Insights from Aliza’s time in the Knesset and the current state of women’s political representation in Israel.
3. The Power of Sisterhood & Collaboration – Why women must work together for lasting change, especially in today’s divided world.
4. Honoring Jewish Women in History – The inspiration behind Iconic Jewish Women and the importance of female role models for future generations.
5. International Women’s Day & the Ongoing War – A reflection on why this year’s celebration feels incomplete and a call to action for women worldwide.
6. A Vision for 2025 – Aliza’s hope for the future of Jewish women and their impact on society.

Who is Aliza?

Aliza is a former Member of Knesset (Israeli Parliament), an author and a social entrepreneur, She is one of the most active public advocates for the advancement of women in Israel today.

As a former Member of Israeli Parliament, Aliza served as chairperson of the Committee on the Status of Women and Gender Equality and on the Committee to Combat Women Trafficking and Prostitution.

Aliza is the author of five books. Her latest book is "Iconic Jewish Women: Fifty-Nine Inspiring, Courageous, Revolutionary Role Models for Young Girls".

In this episode of The Jewish Women Entrepreneurs and Leaders Podcast, we welcome Sonja Woolff, a Brand Consultant & Strategist and co-host of The Hotline Podcast, and Rachel Honeyman, Founder & CEO of honeybebold, a branding and web design agency for mission-driven female entrepreneurs.

Sonja, based in South Africa, and Rachel, from New York, met through a global networking meetup and quickly discovered their shared vision for branding and female entrepreneurship. Instead of seeing each other as competitors, they embraced collaboration over competition, forming a strategic partnership that led to the co-creation of a brand workshop.

Together, they discuss:

• The power of networking and how meaningful business relationships are built beyond the first introduction.
• Why setting up virtual coffee chats and creating space for collaboration leads to new opportunities.
• How female entrepreneurs can shift from a scarcity mindset to one of partnership and abundance.
• The importance of brand strategy, identifying unique value, and aligning business with personal strengths.

Here is more on our Guests:

- Sonja Woolff is a Brand Consultant & Strategist who started HER agency with the mission is to make brands more human and the co-host of the Hotline Podcast

- Rachel Honeyman is the Founder & CEO of honeybebold which is a branding and web design agency focused on building bold and impactful brands and websites for mission-driven female entrepreneurs

What will we talk about?

Sonja who is from South Africa & Rachel who is from New York, both met in one of our Global Meetup, connected and decided to become strategic partners and to put their expertise together. In this episode, we will talk about the behind the scene of this partnership, and we will discover the challenges and rewards of choosing collaboration over competition

In this episode of the Jewish Women Entrepreneurs and Leaders Podcast, Nathalie Garson speaks with Ella Ringel, co-founder and CEO of Q4 Israel, Israel’s largest grassroots movement. They discuss the power of citizen-led initiatives, the need for unity in a divided society, and how Israelis from all backgrounds are coming together to build a shared future.

Key Takeaways:

1. Origins of Q4 Israel – Founded in 2022 in response to Israel's internal divisions, the movement seeks to unite citizens across the political spectrum.
2. The Power of Grassroots Action – Q4 mobilizes 168,000 activists and 10,000+ super-activists through town halls, community-led discussions, and volunteer projects.
3. Citizen Responsibility – Instead of relying on politicians, Q4 empowers individuals to shape Israel’s future by defining shared goals and policies.
4. Navigating Diversity – The movement includes voices from all sectors of society, including secular, religious, Arab, and ultra-Orthodox communities, promoting dialogue over polarization.
5. The Role of Feminine Leadership – Ella and her team lead with a collaborative, inclusive approach, ensuring all voices are heard in the movement’s decision-making.
6. Global Jewish Connection – Q4 is expanding its reach to engage Jews worldwide in shaping Israel’s evolving story.
7. Future Vision – By 2025, Q4 aims to have 250,000 activists and develop five major policy ideas with broad societal agreement.

Ella shares her personal journey of leaving a stable career to launch a movement she believes is crucial for Israel’s future. With a vision of a united and thriving nation, Q4 is redefining civic engagement, proving that real change starts with the people.

👉 Learn more and get involved: www.q4israel.org.il

👉 Who is Ella Ringel?
Ella is one of the four founders of the Fourth Quarter, which is Israel's largest grassroots movement which includes citizens from all sectors of Israel Society and across the political spectrum.
The Fourth Quarter focusses on what unites the citizens of Israel rather than what divides them, even when they have different opinions
The Fourth quarter was born in 2022 when Israel was facing an internal trust crisis that divided the society and weakened its ability to defend itself against external threats.
The 4 founders decided to start this movement to ensure that the state of Israel would prosper in the fourth quarter of its existence and reaches its 100th year, aligned with the vision of the declaration of independence - as a national home for the jewish people and a model State that is a light unto the nations of the world
Out of the 4 Founders, Ella became the CEO of Q4 Israel
She lives in Israel, in Ramat Gan, is married to Gilad and is the mother of Roni and Gali

Shana lives with her family in Mateh Yehuda in Israel, and she is the Executive Director of Magen which is a non-profit based in Israel dedicated to helping victims of sexual abuse in the Jewish Communities in Israel and around the world.

Through her work in Magen, Shana advocates for the legal rights of survivors of sexual abuse, raises awareness around this issue, and offers therapeutic and communal support to the victims.

Shana also volunteers as a Jewish marital law coach and birth assistant for women with histories of sexual and physical abuse.

What will we talk about with Shana?

- Helping victims of sexual abuse is such an important mission, can you tell us how you discovered that this was your calling?

- I am assuming that it is hard to keep track of numbers when victims are not speaking up, but can you give us an idea in numbers of how many women, children, and maybe even men, are abused sexually every year in our Jewish Communities?

- We hear of a lot of scandals of sexual abuse in the Jewish Community - is it because there is a rise in these incidents or because there is more awareness around this issue?

- What is specific to the sexual abuse in the Jewish Communities?

- How has your work changed since October 7th?

- Is there a light at the end of the tunnel for this abuse to stop in the Jewish Community?

#JewishWomenEntrepreneursLeadersPodcast

#SpecialSupportIsraelSeries

Join us for a special series of Interviews on the Jewish Women Entrepreneurs & Leaders Podcast to talk about the war in Israel and its impact on the Jewish People in Israel and around the world. Our next Guest is @Shana Aaronson

I was introduced to Olga by @Sharon Altshul when we invited her to speak at our Global Leadership Conference in January 2024.

Olga is the Vice President at NGO Monitor, a research institute that ensures that decision-makers and civil society operate according to the principles of accountability, transparency, and universal human rights.

These days, Olga is being invited to speak at the Israeli President Annual Conference, and she travels the world to speak about UNWRA and other UN agencies, explaining how humanitarian aid to Palestinians need to be conditioned after the war so it doesn't end up in terror, like on October 7th

Olga is also an Executive Member of the World Zionist Organization and the Director of Global Outreach for Kol Israel.
Olga graduated from the University of Belgrade and the University of Munich with degrees in banking, insurance, and finance, and has held senior positions in the private sector.

What will we talk about with Olga?

- What made you decide to leave the corporate world of finance and work for a Research Institute?

- Why did you choose to work for NGO Monitor ?

- How has your work changed since October 7th?

- What do you say about the fact that most people working at Jewish nonprofits are women, but most CEOs of the largest Jewish nonprofits are men?

- In your bio, you also say that you are a Business and life coach, can you tell us more about that?

#SpecialSupportIsraelSeries

Join us for a special series of Interviews on the Jewish Women Entrepreneurs & Leaders Podcast to talk about the war in Israel and its impact on the Jewish People in Israel and around the world. Our next Guest is @Olga Deutsch

This time I am not the one interviewing, I am the one being interviewed. I will be interviewed by Dalia Brunschwig.
We talked about Balance in life and at work, Community building, Leadership and many more topics that you will love.

👉 What will we talk about in this episode

• How was the Global Network born?
• How it started with monthly meetups and became a non profit organization
• Who is behind this initiative?
• What is the vision and the mission of the Global Network
• What is the Global Leadership Conference and who is it for?
• How do we find balance between the business, the non profit and life

#JewishWomenEntrepreneursAndLeadersPodcast

👉 More on the JWEL Podcast

The JWEL Podcast is a place where you will discover interesting Guests and have fascinating conversations around the topics of Leadership and Jewish Identity.

Our Guest today is Zoe Bermant.

👉 About Zoe

Zoe is the owner of ZoecialMedia which is an international team of highly creative, super organized, social media experts who live, eat, and breathe data-driven B2B tech social marketing.

She is passionate about being recognized as an entrepreneur, not just a Mumpreneur, and about startups and technology solutions.

Zoe has been very active on Social Networks since the war broke out in Israel and she has a very strong voice online to #StandAgainstHamas

👉 What is the initiative

Zoe has been very active on Social Networks since the war broke out in Israel and she has a very strong voice online to #StandAgainstHamas

👉 What will we talk about

- How to have an activist role on social media to defend Israel

- Who can do it

- What are the rules to follow

- how to protect ourselves from the emotional toll

- Is defending Israel and the Jews on Social Media a lost cause

- How to manage a professional presence and a social activism on social media when you are an entrepreneur

- How is this war "forcing" us to niche down our target market and how it is a good thing

#JewishWomenEntrepreneursAndLeadersPodcast

#SpecialSupportIsraelSeries

Join us for a series of Interviews on the Jewish Women Entrepreneurs & Leaders Podcast to talk about the war in Israel and its impact on the Jewish People in Israel and around the world

👉 More on the JWEL Podcast

The JWEL Podcast is a place where you will discover interesting Guests and have fascinating conversations around the topics of Leadership and Jewish Identity.