Speaker

Michal Avera Samuel

She/Her
Activist, Scholar, Storyteller

Columbus, Ohio

Michal Avera Samuel is a seasoned leader with 20 years’ experience pioneering and leading cross-cultural community-building and educational efforts in the Ethiopian Israeli community and the American Jewish community.  Experienced in diversity, equity, and inclusion work to meet the needs of modern Jewish communities. Proven track record in fundraising and organizational growth, budget management, team development, hiring and supervising, and working with lay boards.

Michal was born in Gondar, Ethiopia, and walked with her family to a refugee camp in Sudan at the age of 8, from which they were airlifted to Israel in the 1984 “Operation Moses” rescue. Prior to joining University of Wisconsin-Madison as Researcher and Coordinator of Shalom Curriculum Project, she was a senior community shlicha in Ohio.
In Israel, Michal served as the CEO of FIDEL Association, advocating for the successful integration of Ethiopian Israelis and serving on the prestigious national Round Table Panel on Social Issues and research assistant for the Israel Democracy Institute. Michal holds Bachelor’s and master’s degrees in counseling from Haifa University.

She sits on numerous boards and volunteers with organizations. Served as spokesperson and advisor to the Scholarship Fund for Ethiopian Jews. She is part of leadership fellowship as Jewish Women’s Foundation of NY Illuminate   – The Collective, Cohort 2, The Jewish Women of Color Resilience Circle – cohort 3, National Council of Jewish Women- Feminist Leaders Fellowship “Connection for Impact” and Training in Educational and social activist leadership.

Speaker’s Topics

  • Education
  • Ethiopian-Jewish Heritage, Sigd
  • Jewish identity
  • Self-esteem building with Jewish youth of color
  • Policing relationships
  • Telling our story in our voice
  • Identity Development and Storytelling Skills
  • Young Professional Jewish Communal Leadership Skills
  • Developing Communal Voice
  • Working on identifying purpose in connection to cultural roots
  • Developing pride around heritage
  • Grassroots Community Development
  • Developing parents in communal leadership roles in local Israeli and American schools
  • The heroes and leaders of the Beta Israel during 2500 years of journey to Jerusalem
  • The story of the exodus of Ethiopian Jews to Israel
  • Formulation of Ethiopian Activist Efforts
  • Personal Story: From a Jewish village in Ethiopia to a global village- Building my own identity becoming a community activist as a new Ethiopian Israeli; shift between my parent’s generation and my own generation’s activism (in education, policing relationships, policy shifts, telling our story in our voice)
  • Becoming an active feminist from a traditional Ethiopian patriarchal background- discussing conflicts around the shift of gender roles in family culture

Links of Interest

Speaker’s Topics

  • Education
  • Ethiopian-Jewish Heritage, Sigd
  • Jewish identity
  • Self-esteem building with Jewish youth of color
  • Policing relationships
  • Telling our story in our voice
  • Identity Development and Storytelling Skills
  • Young Professional Jewish Communal Leadership Skills
  • Developing Communal Voice
  • Working on identifying purpose in connection to cultural roots
  • Developing pride around heritage
  • Grassroots Community Development
  • Developing parents in communal leadership roles in local Israeli and American schools
  • The heroes and leaders of the Beta Israel during 2500 years of journey to Jerusalem
  • The story of the exodus of Ethiopian Jews to Israel
  • Formulation of Ethiopian Activist Efforts
  • Personal Story: From a Jewish village in Ethiopia to a global village- Building my own identity becoming a community activist as a new Ethiopian Israeli; shift between my parent’s generation and my own generation’s activism (in education, policing relationships, policy shifts, telling our story in our voice)
  • Becoming an active feminist from a traditional Ethiopian patriarchal background- discussing conflicts around the shift of gender roles in family culture