Lynda Ben-Menashe unveils her vision as new NCJWA president
Lynda Ben-Menashe has recently been elected as the National President of the National Council of Jewish Women Australia.
Lynda Ben-Menashe
At the organization’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), Ben-Menashe expressed both her excitement and humility in stepping into this critical role. With a career rich in community engagement and advocacy, she is eager to channel her experience into advancing NCJWA’s mission.
As the peak advocacy body for Jewish women in Australia, NCJWA is committed to addressing issues of social justice, welfare, and the human rights of women within both the Jewish community and the broader society. In her inaugural statement, Ben-Menashe highlighted the unique challenges the organization faces, particularly in light of the global changes that have impacted Jewish communities since October 7.
Ben-Menashe acknowledged, “We are operating from a starting point of significant trauma and are very much searching for ways to address both that trauma and change the world around us in meaningful, impactful ways.” She noted that while there is a lot of activity in response to these challenges, there is a need for more strategic coordination among Jewish organizations. “There’s also a lot of activity, but not necessarily a lot of coordination with group bodies and other experienced organizations who have been in the space of looking after Jewish communities for a long time,” she added.
Ben-Menashe’s commitment to collaboration aligns seamlessly with NCJWA’s ethos. “I’m a person whose focus has always been on collaborative work. I’m a consultative person. I’m somebody who wants to amplify good work, complement work where things need to be done, but there isn’t capacity.” This approach will be critical as NCJWA seeks to navigate the current crisis facing the Jewish community, as well as broader issues affecting women in Australia.
During her 12-year tenure with the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, Ben-Menashe notably developed various programs including the ‘We Are All Sydney’ leadership program and the BJE’s Israel Program for Year 10 students. For the last two years she has been consulting to a variety of ethnic organisations.
Ben-Menashe outlined the dual mandate of NCJWA: advocating on behalf of Australian Jewish women and addressing the broader “Jewish condition,” particularly in times of crisis. She underscored the persistent global challenges women face, such as domestic violence, misogyny, and the underrepresentation of women in leadership roles. “All of those issues are still there and still to be addressed. The sexual exploitation of women, the sexual trafficking of women, the rape culture. Those things have worsened in the last decade rather than gotten better,” she pointed out.
In addition to these challenges, Ben-Menashe is deeply committed to recognizing and amplifying the work Jewish individuals and organizations have done in the realm of human rights and reconciliation. She shared an example of her recent pro bono work on a website that documents Jewish contributions to reconciliation in Australia. “That’s the sort of thing that National Council can amplify even further, and that’s work for all Australians,” she noted.
Addressing the involvement of younger generations in NCJWA, Ben-Menashe expressed optimism. “The kind of work that we do is very attractive to them… I have been literally inundated by phone calls from people wanting to get involved with the National Council, young women wanting to get involved,” she shared. Ben-Menashe is confident that the organization, now in its 101st year, will continue to attract and engage young people, making it one of the “youngest spirited organizations” in the Jewish community.
Ben-Menashe expressed delight in her new Board which represents a wide range of ages and experience. “I really think it’s ironic that one of the oldest organizations in Australia, in the Jewish community, 101 years old, is going to both feel like and be one of the youngest spirited organizations that we see in the next few years. “
Members of the newly appointed Board are:
Moran Dvir – Vice President, Jo Silver – Treasurer, Annette Cohen, Andrea Cooper, Tanna Klevansky, Judy Hacker, Nikki Marczak, Anita Marton, Liora Miller, Iara Morris, Barbara Shotland.
As Ben-Menashe begins this new chapter, she is resolute in building on NCJWA’s strong foundation while adapting to the evolving needs of a changing world. Quoting Hillel, she posed the question, “If not now, when?”—a reminder of the urgency and responsibility that comes with leadership.
