Allegra Weeden is a Melbourne University student currently undertaking a Master of Public Policy and Management. Allegra is passionate about social justice, feminism, immigration policy and climate change.

During the Fellowship Allegra hopes to equip herself with new tools to further her career. She also is excited to engage with like-minded individuals and develop a project which will have a positive impact.

Allegra is currently undertaking an internship with Women for Election, an organisation that is aiming to help achieve gender parity within parliament. 

Charlotte Plashik is currently studying a double degree in Education (Secondary: Humanities and Social Sciences) and Arts, majoring in English at the University of Sydney. She is also completing a minor in Teaching English as a Second Language, which was inspired by her parents, who both had to complete this subject, as immigrants, when they first arrived in Australia. She is particularly interested in Aboriginal Education, specifically how Aboriginal voices and perspectives are represented in the Australian Curriculum. 

Whilst studying at University, Charlotte has gained a passion for tutoring English and Maths to students from Kindergarten, all the way up to Year 12. She was also an active volunteer for Youth HEAR, particularly in the Holocaust Commemoration Committee, where she helped orchestrate the annual 2021 Yom Hashoah event. 

Studying Education at University, she has learnt about ideas that build transformative education and has always wanted to learn practical strategies to achieve this and drive change. Through the Fellowship, Charlotte hopes to gain a range of skills that will help her make this tangible difference in not only the Education sector, but also, the broader community. 

Ethan Mileikowski is studying a Bachelor of Arts, double majoring in Politics and History, at the University of Melbourne. He is particularly passionate about mental health, community engagement, and wider social policy development, specifically in regards to the inherent inequalities currently at play. He finds himself constantly fascinated by new innovative public policy ideas.

During his experience with the Fellowship, Ethan hopes to advocate for and enact the change he so strongly desires. By working with like-minded, enthusiastic individuals within the community, Ethan is excited to expand his network, ensuring the voices of youth are heard and incorporated meaningfully into our future.

Ethan believes education is an ongoing process requiring constant critical thinking and an open mind. He encourages diversity in decision-making bodies to secure the best possible outcomes. Ethan is proud of the guiding principles he uses to respond to issues but acknowledges that he still has much to learn.

Currently Deputy Convenor of the Reason Australia Management Committee, Ethan has also been a Youth Ambassador for the Mental Health Foundation Australia. When he is not studying or passionately campaigning, Ethan can be found watching Seinfeld and playing bad golf.  

Hannah Weinberg is currently studying a Bachelor of Science Advanced Global Challenges (Honours) at Monash University. Through her degree, Hannah continues to learn the necessary skills to use scientific knowledge to influence the wider community including government, business, and the not-for-profit sector. Hannah is very passionate about several social justice issues including climate action and gender inequality. 

Hannah has a passion for community involvement and has worked and volunteered for several not-for-profit organisations in Melbourne. Through her previous work as the national program coordinator at Stand Up: Jewish Commitment to a Better World, Hannah was able to gain unique communication and stakeholder management skills. Currently, Hannah works for Elephant Ed delivering sex education workshops to young adults across Victoria. Through creating an inclusive and safe environment, Hannah is able to engage students and discuss relevant and challenging topics facing young Australians. 

Through this Fellowship, Hannah hopes to gain a deeper understanding of how political systems and stakeholders can ignite social impact to ensure a safe and secure future for Australia. Further, Hannah is excited by the opportunity to engage with like-minded individuals to create positive social initiatives in her community and broader society. 

Jarrad Sapsford is studying a Bachelor of Business, majoring in Economics and Marketing and a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies majoring in French, at the University of Technology Sydney. 

Jarrad has been heavily involved in the Zionist youth movement Hineni Youth & Welfare, running the NSW branch for two years. His passion for giving back to the community was one of the driving factors in his decision to apply for the fellowship.

Jarrad is currently a marketing and communications intern at Square Peg, a venture capital firm that invests in emerging technology companies across the internet economy. Prior to Square Peg, he worked as an intern at consultancy firm, Maximus International both in the marketing and consultancy departments.

With a chance to work alongside talented Fellows and gain experience from accomplished mentors, The Fellowship is an incredible opportunity for Jarrad as he looks to deepen his connection with the community and develop the necessary skills to enter the workforce full-time in 2023. 

Malli Rubinstein is in her second year of Medicine at Monash University.

Malli is passionate about social justice and advocacy, particularly relating to women empowerment, animal welfare, Indigenous affairs, and disability services. Over the last few years, Malli has volunteered at Flying Fox and The Friendship Circle, developing her understanding of the importance of the inclusion and support of vulnerable members of the community. For the duration of 2021, Malli volunteered for The Jam Project as a mentor to a middle-school aged girl, building on her values of women supporting women and building a culture of empowerment.

Through the fellowship, Malli hopes to gain the hands-on skills and experience needed for making an impact in the community. She looks forward to having the support of a passionate and knowledgeable mentor in her journey towards a future of effective change-making.

Nate Flacks studies Medicine at Monash University, and is currently undertaking an Honours research project centred around the epidemiology of infection presentations to hospitals across Victoria for the duration of 2022. He is passionate about mental health, particularly for men, as well as tackling generational issues including climate change and inequality in healthcare and education.

Through the Fellowship, Nate is hoping to pick up some of the tools and skills necessary for creating enduring positive change. He is also excited to meet and engage with other passionate young Jews, a community he doesn’t engage with often.

Originally from New Zealand, Nate has become involved in many of his university communities since arriving across the Ditch. Currently, he is the Secretary of the Monash NZ Students Association, and President of Friends4Fiji - a grassroots partnership between medical students in both Fiji and Australia. He has recently retired from his illustrious childhood field hockey career to instead pick up ultimate frisbee. Despite having been in Australia since 2018, people still regularly ask him to say “fish and chips”.

Oliver Silverton is studying a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of New South Wales. He holds interests in geopolitics, national security and anything to do with the Middle East. Oli is always up for a political debate and enjoys learning about other cultures and faiths.

 Through the fellowship, Oliver is looking to broaden his understanding of challenges facing modern Australia and engage in unique and meaningful opportunities with people from diverse backgrounds. Oliver recognises the importance of leadership and is looking to further develop these skills from the fellowship.

Outside of his studies, Oliver works part-time as an Intelligence Analyst. He has previously lived overseas in four different countries and has undergone training to obtain his pilot’s licence.

Romy Miller is a third year Bachelor of Science student at The University of Melbourne majoring in Neuroscience. 

Romy is passionate about health and gender equality in STEM. She loves to learn and is eager to understand the education experiences of people from a range of backgrounds. Romy has mentored high school students from rural communities focusing on science, striving to improve their skills and to demonstrate the importance of STEM in everyday life. 

In the healthcare space, Romy has facilitated the provision of COVID-19 vaccinations and testing, developing an understanding of the delivery of primary medical care and the associated challenges in accessing healthcare. Romy also has experience in clinical trial administration, gaining an understanding of current medical research and the bench-to-bedside process. 

During her time in the fellowship, Romy hopes to gain the skills necessary to produce a social impact initiative in the healthcare and education space. She is excited to broaden her political knowledge and learn from a variety of people and viewpoints along the way. 

Sam Lane is currently completing a double degree in Arts and Law majoring in Politics and International Relations at UNSW. During his studies, Sam has become interested in a variety of academic fields, from administrative law to art history. Sam enjoys using his university knowledge in practical settings. To this end, Sam has been involved in the UNSW Law Society’s mooting program as both competitor and competition coordinator. He also was a quarter-finalist in the 2021 national Administrative Appeals Tribunal Moot. Sam is also passionate about education, having taught debating at a number of schools since he graduated high school.

Through the fellowship, Sam hopes to develop change-making skills to supplement his formal education. In particular, Sam wants to improve the ways in which we communicate and educate others on political issues. In his spare time, Sam enjoys playing music and collecting vinyl.

Sophie Puterflam is currently studying a combined Bachelor of Arts and Law at the University of New South Wales. In her Arts degree, Sophie has minored in Mandarin, with her major being Criminology. 

Sophie is passionate about initiating meaningful change both within the legal sphere and general society. Sophie is particularly interested in criminal justice and law reform. Her interest in Mandarin has been inspired by her passion to bridge global communication and cultural awareness.

Outside of university, Sophie works as a barrister’s assistant and tutors children of all ages in both English and Mathematics. 

Through participating in the fellowship, Sophie hopes to develop skills and form a network which will allow her to enact positive change within and beyond the Jewish community.

Talia Horwitz is currently undertaking a Bachelor of Communications majoring in Creative Writing and Social and Political Science at the University of Technology, Sydney. She is an intersectional feminist who seeks the reformation of the toxic masculinities and cultures that subsist within Australian society.   

Talia has a particular interest in political history, geopolitics, religion and public policy, and explicitly, how these intersect with literature.

As of 2021, Talia is a published author and editor, having conceptualised, edited and publicised ‘Bloom’, the UTS Writers’ Anthology for 2021. Further, she is the current Marketing Officer for AUJS NSW as well as the Secretary for AUJS UTS and hopes to continue to cultivate Jewish unity and pride amongst university-aged students.

Talia longs to pen technicolour solutions to social justice issues and has sought out the fellowship to provide her with the necessary tools to do so. She is eager to foster connections, broaden her mind to new perspectives and socio-political ways of thinking, and learn how change can be meaningfully actualised. 

Zachary Beresh is a third-year Chemical Engineering student at Monash University. His interests lie not only in Science and Technology as a means to understand and navigate our world, but also in areas of philosophy, religion, and humanities. Zac takes a keen interest in others' experiences in self-improvement and exploration as a method for implementing positive change in his own life and the world around him.

Currently a Volunteer at CSG and Disability support worker, Zac continues to seek new environments to facilitate learning, growth, and resilience and hopes to further his efforts in self-development through the Susan Wakil Fellowship.

Zac has also been engaged in Jewish studies and community activity through Ohrsom Student Australia since participating in their 2019 Israel trip, where he found a community aiming to impact and connect Australian Jewish youth.

By engaging with a cohort of passionate and determined individuals, Zac anticipates a powerful year of social action and community involvement.