I had a pleasure to interview Michal Cotler-Wunsh

😊 Who is Michal?

Michal Cotler-Wunsh is Israel’s Special Envoy for Combatting Antisemitism.

In this role she engages local and global partners around the shared responsibility to comprehensively identify and address the rise and mainstreaming of ever-mutating antisemitic hate.

Michal is a former MK (Member of Israel’s Parliament), where she served as Chair of the Subcommittee on Israel-Diaspora Relations, and as an active member of several other committees, such as the Women’s Status Committees.

Recognizing the inherent connection between online hate and real-world violence, Michal co-founded the Interparliamentary Task Force to Combat Online Antisemitism, together with multi-partisan elected officials from Canada, Australia, the US, and the UK.

She received her LL.B. from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and her LL.M. from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Her PhD research focused on freedom of speech on university campuses

Michal was born in Israel and grew up in Canada, and today she lives in Israel with her husband and their four children.

🎙️ What did we talk about?

- How has her personal life and professional mission changed after October 7th?

- How has antisemitism evolved since October 7th? What are the most alarming trends?

- As co-founder of the Inter-Parliamentary Task Force to Combat Online Antisemitism, what are the policies or tools that can effectively counter hate speech online?

- As former Chair of the Subcommittee on Israel-Diaspora Relations, what are the biggest challenges in uniting global Jewry today?

- As a former MK and envoy, how does she navigate these male-dominated spaces? What unique strengths does she think women bring to leadership, especially in security and diplomacy?

- Why are women’s voices critical in combating hate and shaping policy?

- How did her multicultural upbringing shape her Jewish identity and career path?

- What advice does she have for young Jewish women aspiring to leadership in law, politics, or activism?

In this special International Women’s Day episode, Dr. Aliza Lavie—former Knesset member, author, and social entrepreneur—joins us to discuss the power of feminine leadership, the role of Jewish women throughout history, and the urgent need for unity in times of crisis. She shares insights from her latest book, Iconic Jewish Women, and reflects on the challenges facing women today, from political representation to the ongoing conflict in Israel.

What We Will Talk About:

1. Women’s Leadership in Times of Crisis – How Jewish women have historically stepped up in times of war and hardship.
2. The Role of Women in Israeli Politics – Insights from Aliza’s time in the Knesset and the current state of women’s political representation in Israel.
3. The Power of Sisterhood & Collaboration – Why women must work together for lasting change, especially in today’s divided world.
4. Honoring Jewish Women in History – The inspiration behind Iconic Jewish Women and the importance of female role models for future generations.
5. International Women’s Day & the Ongoing War – A reflection on why this year’s celebration feels incomplete and a call to action for women worldwide.
6. A Vision for 2025 – Aliza’s hope for the future of Jewish women and their impact on society.

Who is Aliza?

Aliza is a former Member of Knesset (Israeli Parliament), an author and a social entrepreneur, She is one of the most active public advocates for the advancement of women in Israel today.

As a former Member of Israeli Parliament, Aliza served as chairperson of the Committee on the Status of Women and Gender Equality and on the Committee to Combat Women Trafficking and Prostitution.

Aliza is the author of five books. Her latest book is "Iconic Jewish Women: Fifty-Nine Inspiring, Courageous, Revolutionary Role Models for Young Girls".

In this episode of The Jewish Women Entrepreneurs and Leaders Podcast, we welcome Sonja Woolff, a Brand Consultant & Strategist and co-host of The Hotline Podcast, and Rachel Honeyman, Founder & CEO of honeybebold, a branding and web design agency for mission-driven female entrepreneurs.

Sonja, based in South Africa, and Rachel, from New York, met through a global networking meetup and quickly discovered their shared vision for branding and female entrepreneurship. Instead of seeing each other as competitors, they embraced collaboration over competition, forming a strategic partnership that led to the co-creation of a brand workshop.

Together, they discuss:

• The power of networking and how meaningful business relationships are built beyond the first introduction.
• Why setting up virtual coffee chats and creating space for collaboration leads to new opportunities.
• How female entrepreneurs can shift from a scarcity mindset to one of partnership and abundance.
• The importance of brand strategy, identifying unique value, and aligning business with personal strengths.

Here is more on our Guests:

- Sonja Woolff is a Brand Consultant & Strategist who started HER agency with the mission is to make brands more human and the co-host of the Hotline Podcast

- Rachel Honeyman is the Founder & CEO of honeybebold which is a branding and web design agency focused on building bold and impactful brands and websites for mission-driven female entrepreneurs

What will we talk about?

Sonja who is from South Africa & Rachel who is from New York, both met in one of our Global Meetup, connected and decided to become strategic partners and to put their expertise together. In this episode, we will talk about the behind the scene of this partnership, and we will discover the challenges and rewards of choosing collaboration over competition