Guest Speakers and CHW Project Information
Made in Israel
November 9 - 13, 2025
GUEST SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES
Ashley Waxman Bakshi – DAY 1
Canadian Activist, Entrepreneur, & Author
An entrepreneur, content creator, and Zionist activist with over 850,000 followers online. As Israel’s first mainstream YouTube vlogger, she uses her platform to combat disinformation about Israel. With a master’s degree in counterterrorism and experience in the Israeli Air Force and Ministry of Defense, Ashley acts with passion to fight anti-Israel narratives.
Since October 7, following the kidnapping of her cousin, Agam Berger, by Hamas, Ashley has led global efforts to secure the release of Israeli hostages, amplifying their voices and advocating for justice on the world stage.
Rolene Marks – DAY 2
JOURNALIST, ADVOCATE, WIZO CHAIRPERSON of HASBARA DIVISION
Rolene Marks is a passionate advocate for Israel and appears on radio, television and in print. She is a member of the Media Team Israel an advocacy body that fights media bias as well as Truth be Told. She is the Chairperson of WIZO’s Hasbara Division.
Adeena Sussman – Day 3
Cookbook Author & Chef
Adeena Sussman is the author of the instant New York Times bestselling cookbook Shabbat: Recipes and Rituals From My Table To Yours. The book celebrates weekend meals both traditional and modern and is at once a practical guide to Shabbat cooking and Adeena’s personal exploration of the meaning of Shabbat in modern times.
Shabbat is the follow up to Sababa: Fresh, Sunny Flavors From My Israeli Kitchen, which was named a Best Fall 2019 cookbook by The New York Times, Bon Appetit, and Food & Wine.
The co-author of 15 cookbooks, Adeena’s three most recent collaborations with Chrissy Teigen, were New York Times Best-sellers.
She also authors xoxo Adeena, a weekly Substack newsletter.
A lifelong visitor to Israel who has been writing about that country’s food culture for almost 20 years, Adeena cooks and writes in Tel Aviv, where she lives in the shadow of that city’s Carmel Market with her husband, Jay Shofet.
Iris Stern Levi – Day 3
Director and Co-Founder of her academy
Gender, Feminism and women’s empowerment lecturer, group facilitator in diverse feminist subjects such as sexual assault, gender identity and gender, self-awareness groups for homosexual men and groups for feminist empowerment. Board director of Coalition of women for Peace.
Iris worked for over 16 years in the Tel Aviv rape crisis center, coordinating over 200 volunteers, alongside other fields of activism.
In 2010 she co-founded “turning the tables”, a fashion design vocational training program for women exiting the cycle of prostitution co-managed the truth tribunals for women who were sexually abused.
Iris was active in Bat Shalom and Women Crossing Borders, a group of women from Tel Aviv and Jenin. She has also worked with refugees and asylum seekers in south Tel Aviv, where she established a voluntary basis art studio for over 5 years.
Tal Hamoui – Day 3
Co-Founder of her academy
Tal is a feminist activist and journalist who worked as a researcher on the television show “London and Kirshenbaum”, “The source” and “on Friday” with Shelach and Druker on the educational television channel; wrote columns and editorial articles.
Tal graduated her MA in women’s and gender studies with honors from Tel Aviv University.
She lectures to youths, kibbutzim, the Mendel leadership program and more about various subjects such as: gender and media, gender and language and about issues concerning prostitution. Tal has a vast experience in activism for marginalized groups and works to end violence against women. She volunteered for many years in the Tel Aviv rape crisis center and a shelter for battered women, as well as at “Turning the Tables”.
Prof. Yoram Weiss – Day 4
Director General, Hadassah Medical Organization
Previously he held the positions of Director of the Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Ein Kerem Campus; Chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology (2009-2014); and Director of the Center for Surgical Critical Care Medicine (2006-2009).
Professor Weiss received his MD from the Israel Institute of Technology – Technion, Haifa, Israel in 1990. Prof. Weiss trained in Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine at Hadassah and the University of Pennsylvania.
Prof. Weiss joined the Hadassah Central Administration in October 2013. At first, as the Medical Director, his principal responsibility was the reorganization of the Operating Rooms. In February 2014, he assumed the full responsibility of managing the entire Medical Center on the Ein Kerem campus. In June of this year, Prof. Yoram Weiss, MD, was officially named as the new director general of the Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO) in Jerusalem, the home of Hadassah’s two hospitals, Hadassah Ein Kerem and Hadassah Mount Scopus.
Lili Ben Ami – Day 4
Founder & CEO, Michal Sela Forum
Lili’s trailblazing initiatives and advocacy have changed the discourse around domestic violence from one of victimhood to one of solutions. Lili has received international attention and countless invitations to speak at high-level events with dignitaries and entrepreneurs.
Lili has been honoured with The Rappaport Prize for Groundbreaking Initiatives as well as a Medal of Distinction from The Peres Centre for Peace and innovation.
Lili holds a Master’s Degree in Education from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and is a graduate of the prestigious Revivim Program for Outstanding Jewish Educators. She is a former lecturer and advisor specializing on entrepreneurship and education with a gender focus, as well as curricula development.
Leslie Scanlon – Day 5
Canadian Ambassador to Israel
Leslie Scanlon presented her Credentials to the President of Israel on Monday, 21 April 2025.
Ms. Scanlon has previously served as High Commissioner of Canada to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan (2022-2025) and Canadian Ambassador to Poland (2018-2022) where the last part of her assignment was intensely focused on the Canadian response to the war in Ukraine.
Since joining then-External Affairs in 1990, Ms. Scanlon has served abroad in Japan (Trade Commissioner) and France (Minister-Counsellor, Political); in Canada she has served in trade promotion positions on both coasts, in Halifax, Nova Scotia at the International Trade Centre and in Vancouver, British Columbia at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
When back in Canada between assignments abroad she has also served as Director General in several branches of Global Affairs Canada, including most recently in Consular Operations and Mission Operations, where she was responsible for ensuring appropriate management of HR, Finance, Property, etc., in 178 Canadian missions overseas.
Ms. Scanlon graduated from the Carleton University School of Journalism, Ottawa, in 1986, after which she travelled to Japan to work in corporate communications in a Japanese firm. While a Canadian diplomat, she studied at the Harvard Kennedy School, with a focus on Leadership in Crisis, and while at Carleton University she took courses at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs.
She has traveled extensively in Southeast Asia, Europe and the United States and is an avid canoeist, cyclist, hiker and loves a good book. She has also studied cooking in both Japan and Italy.
Ms. Scanlon speaks Japanese, Spanish and French and loves nothing more than spending time with her two grown children.
CHW PROJECT INFORMATION
SOCIAL SPACE – DAY 1
Social Space TLV is one of CHW’s first Social Impact Investments. It is a social innovation and education hub that sparks discussion around human trafficking and gender-based violence. Established in 2019 on the former site of the Pussycat strip club, Social Space TLV now engages visitors on site through its educational programs. Social Space TLV continues to convert abandoned buildings across Israel into spaces that encourage discussion and numerous educational experiences.
EDEN ASSOCIATION – DAY 2
Founded in 1997, Eden Association is in the heart of the peripheral communities of the Gaza Strip and the Negev settlements with the mission to develop and establish innovative programs for the treatment of girls and women dealing with post-trauma and complex post-trauma. Since October 7, there has been an urgent need for therapeutic support for women.
Untreated trauma worsens over time, affecting mental and physical health, daily life, and relationships. For women, the impact extends to their families, communities, and Israel’s social resilience. With support from CHW, they are expanding their Trauma Therapy Center to prevent long-term suffering, restore hope, and build a healthier future.
Eden is CHW’s newest project.
CLICK HERE to read more.
HAGAL SHELI – DAY 3
For over a decade, HaGal Sheli has empowered and educated youth nationwide to conquer life’s challenges by harnessing the transformative power of surfing, fostering personal growth, resilience, and success.
In the aftermath of the attacks on October 7, HaGal Sheli’s unique surf therapy program was expanded to serve 2,200 trauma therapy participants, including displaced individuals from the Gaza Envelope and northern communities, released hostages, Nova Festival survivors, and soldiers affected by the attacks.
HaGal Sheli plans to open over 96 new trauma groups while maintaining existing ones, enabling them to provide critical support for over 5,500 participants.
Certified surf instructors lead each weekly session throughout the program, supported by trauma specialists, clinical psychologists, educators, and mentors.
CLICK HERE to read more.
HER ACADEMY – DAY 3
Her Academy is a revolutionary non-profit organization, working holistically to support highly vulnerable women escaping prostitution and violence in Israel through the provision of vocational training, job placement services, and more. Their success rate is remarkable: 85% of students graduate and over 70% of those eligible for work find stable employment.
Her Academy starts by addressing the endemic challenges, including lack of formal education, social stigmas, debt bondage, trauma, low self-esteem, and isolation. They empower their students to find and use their own voice. They restore independence and control by providing access to education, skill building and a judgment-free learning environment.
CLICK HERE to read more.
HYDROTHERAPY POOLS – HADASSAH HOSPITAL – DAY 4
Hydrotherapy is a water-based physical therapy effective in easing pain and promoting strength and movement throughout the rehabilitation process. Water embraces and supports patients with a soothing, low-impact environment for exercise.
Temperature-controlled treatment in the hydrotherapy pools target an array of patients healing from traumatic injuries and suffering from chronic pains, helping to improve motor skills, strength, and agility. Studies have found that hydrotherapy can be a good supplement to physical therapy in the recovery from an injury or surgery. It is a medication-free and non-invasive option for alleviating symptoms such as muscle pain and joint stiffness.
CLICK HERE to read more.
GANDEL REHABILITATION CENTER – HADASSAH HOSPITAL – DAY 4
To meet the growing demand for advanced rehabilitative services, Hadassah Hospital built the state-of-the-art Gandel Rehabilitation Center (GRC) at Mount Scopus. The rehabilitation center will care for 10,000 patients annually – a 250% increase – offering a host of new, specialized treatments.
CLICK HERE to read more.
MICHAL SELA FORUM – DAY 4
Michal Sela Forum offers innovative programs for the protection and prevention of intimate partner violence represent just 1.14% of the monthly cost of a shelter and have a significant impact and positive impact on women’s healing. MSF Protection Packages represent a revolution in the field of IPV, turning a woman’s home into her shelter rather than making a woman leave her home.
The Michal Sela Canines program provides women under high-risk threat of intimate partner violence with life-saving protection dogs. The dog is given to the woman for life, and he lives with her as a family member 24/7. The dog is a life-saving gift that gives the woman quality of life, and physical and emotional security. This is an innovative project and the first of its kind in Israel. This is a highly impactful program that saves lives and costs a fraction of what it would cost to keep a woman at a domestic abuse shelter for several months.
Michal’s Watch: Provides free “armor” for women under threat of IPV. Essentially turning her home into her shelter, the package includes 24/7 security services, self-defence lessons, and a cease-and-desist letter from a law firm to the threatening party.
CLICK HERE to read more.
CHW HADASSIM CHILDREN AND YOUTH VILLAGE – DAY 5
CHW Hadassim Children and Youth Village was established in 1947 by CHW, to provide a home to orphaned children following World War II. Over the years, CHW Hadassim has grown and evolved into a safe haven for children in need. Today, there are over 1,700 students at CHW Hadassim, with more than 300 children living in dormitories and family units. CHW Hadassim provides emotional, academic, social, and behavioural support for these children, providing them with shelter, food, clothing, and access to social workers, counselors, and therapists. With each passing year, more and more children, the future citizens of the State of Israel, need the life-saving services at CHW Hadassim.
CLICK HERE to read more.
CHW NETANYA TECHNOLOGICAL HIGH SCHOOL – DAY 5
CHW Netanya Technological High School offers a second chance to at-risk youth who have fallen through the cracks of traditional educational frameworks. The school offers hands-on vocational training in several tracks, including Hair and Beauty and Hospitality. The flagship Patisserie Program provides students with the emotional support and professional skills to succeed in Israel’s vibrant culinary industry.
CLICK HERE to read more.
