Festival Director
Debbie Lee
In a publishing career spanning over 30 years, Debbie has worked in trade sales, and as a commissioning editor and publishing manager in the vocational, academic and professional sectors. More recently Debbie was a senior executive in a print-on-demand environment, assisting publishers large and small, from multinationals, to Australian-owned operators and independent authors, with their local and global distribution needs. She has witnessed the monumental shifts that have occurred with the advent of new technology and is excited by the democratisation this has created in the industry. In 2023 she launched ‘The Book Maven’ to cater to the small press and independent author community.
General Manager
Ruth Rosen
Ruth (Ramone) Rosen joined Melbourne Jewish Book Week in 2025, bringing extensive experience from roles in Australia and Israel. Educated at Monash and Tel Aviv Universities, she taught English and Comparative Literature and worked as a writer, editor, and translator in Israel. On returning to Australia, she held teaching, management, and executive positions in international education and then in two Australian Israeli medical not for profits. She brings to MJBW a lifelong love of books and a strong commitment to supporting activities that showcase the diversity and cultural richness of established and emerging Jewish writers.
Programming Manager
Janine Schloss
Programming Committee
Jessica Bellamy
Morry Frenkel
Julie Grossbard
Elise Hearst
Debbie Lee
Bram Presser
Shoshy Rockman
Ruth Rosen
Janine Schloss
Administration
Morry Frenkel
Development
Esther Kister
Facilities & Events
Julie Grossbard
Finance
Hannah Greenberg
Design
Studio Sometimes
Volunteer Coordinator
Ellen Frajman
General Volunteers
Andrea Bliss
Hannah Fagenblat
Margaret Fischer
Randi Grose
Yvonne Kay
Rita Kornhauser
Helen Raik
MJBW Board
Joe Reich AM (Chair)
Joe is an ophthalmologist whose professional roles have included Chairmanship of The Senior Medical Staff at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital and is a current board member of Vision Eye Institute. He has also been past president of the Australian Jewish Medical Federation and Australian Friends of the Israel Medical Association. Joe has published five works of fiction and two biographies. He has enjoyed being a supporter of past programs of MJBW and its predecessor and has been involved in comedy debates for various Jewish community groups over many years. In 2019 he was awarded an AM for services to ophthalmology.
Sharon Cohen
Sharon is a special counsel at law firm Clayton Utz. She specialises in intellectual property and technology law, with a particular focus on advertising and marketing matters. She is also a privacy law specialist. When Sharon is not working or spending time with her family, she enjoys settling down with a good book. She previously served on the Board of the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art. Sharon has the role of.
Karen Lissauer – Treasurer
Karen is a highly accomplished CPA with more than forty years’ experience in private Accounting practices, specialising in client business accounting and practice management. Her experience includes reviewing and monitoring financial information and financial planning processes within a professional practice. She has worked closely with business owners and decision-makers throughout her career and is committed to effectively supporting the Board’s financial responsibilities.
Andrea Morris
Andrea Morris is a seasoned nonprofit executive working in the human services sector, primarily in philanthropy and engagement roles. Currently the Executive Manager of the Emmy Monash Foundation, she is the former Head of Advancement at the Australian National University, College of Arts and Social Sciences. Before moving to Australia, Andrea was the CEO of two nonprofits, one a multi-service crisis centre and the other a homelessness/housing services organisation. Andrea holds a Master of Social Work and a Bachelor of Science.
Bram Presser
Bram is a multiple award-winning writer whose stories first appeared in Best Australia Stories, Award Winning Australian Writing, and Higher Arc. His debut novel, The Book of Dirt, won the 2018 Goldberg Prize for Debut Fiction in the US National Jewish Book Awards, and in Australia the same year, the Voss Literary prize and three awards in the 2018 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards: the Christina Stead Prize for Fiction, the UTS Glenda Adams Award for New Writing and The People’s Choice Award. He has appeared in major literary events and acts as the liaison between the board and the programming committee.
David Slucki
David Slucki is the Loti Smorgon Associate Professor of Contemporary Jewish Life and Culture at Monash University. He is, additionally, the Director of the Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation. A historian, he has written widely on Jewish life after the Holocaust, focusing particularly on survivors and their descendants, and on representations of the Holocaust. He is also a scholar of Jewish humour. His publications include Sing This at my Funeral: A Memoir of Fathers and Sons (2019) and The International Jewish Labor Bund after 1945: Toward a Global History (2012). He is also the coeditor of Laughter After: Humor and the Holocaust (2020) and In the Shadows of Memory: The Holocaust and the third-generation (2016).
Debbie Strauch
Debbie Strauch has vast experience working in the not-for-profit sector, both at a Board level and as a volunteer. She joined the Board of Melbourne Jewish Book Week after serving as General Manager during the 2024 Festival year. Originally from Sydney, Debbie ran a successful cooking school and was actively involved in volunteering. Following her move to Melbourne, she became involved in the Jewish not-for-profit sector as President of WIZO Chavera and later served on the Board of NCJWA-Vic as a general Board member, Secretary and Vice President. Debbie is a qualified teacher with a Diploma in Business (Governance).
Esther Kister (Founding Director and Founding Chair) – ex officio
Esther was the founder and inaugural Festival Director of Melbourne Jewish Writers Festival (2013-2015) and became the Emeritus Director of Melbourne Jewish Book Week which replaced MJWF in 2016. After a stint in social work where she couldn’t improve the world, she lists her career highlights as her work on significant government and NGO projects including a leading role in the introduction of the Victorian Seniors Card in 1991. She has been involved in a range of Jewish cultural and educational organisations and in the broader community, in welfare-related areas.