Executive Director – Michael Chaitow
Michael is an experienced organiser and campaigner with deep experience in politics and Jewish community life. Prior to joining NIF Australia he was based in the US where he was director of digital strategy in NIF’s New York office and prior to that, led J Street’s campus engagement team, J Street U. Michael has worked as media adviser to the Hon. Linda Burney MP, and as a climate organiser for GetUp.
He holds a Master of Public Policy from the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin, and a Master of International Law and Bachelor of Economics from the University of Sydney. He graduated high school from Masada College, Sydney.
In the media:
- Feb 2024: What did Penny Wong say about a Palestinian state? (Guardian)
- Feb 2024: Australian Government delivers rebuke to Israel (Guardian)
- Feb 2024: Businesses touched by support (SBS)
- Feb 2024: Concern over visas (the Jewish news)
- Jan 2024: ’Whoever saves one life’ applies to Palestinians too (the Jewish Independent)
- Oct 2023: Australia can be a model for the world – a safe place for protest and grieving for all (Guardian)
- July 2023: Interviewed on ABC The World about the 'Reasonableness Doctrine'
- May 2023: Interviewed on ABC The World about violence in Gaza
Grants and Events Manager – Amy Grossbard
Amy has spent the past 2 decades, in Australia and abroad, helping inspirational nonprofit organisations achieve their objectives through best practice marketing and communications. Until recently she was based in Tel Aviv where she was the Israel Marketing and Communications Manager for trilateral environmental peacebuilding organisation EcoPeace Middle East. Amy holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Public Policy and Management degree from the University of Melbourne.
Communal Engagement Manager – Rotem Nusem
Rotem has a background in both policy and strategic communications, bringing extensive Australian Public Service experience to the NIF. Rotem has worked as a speech writer for Mr Rob Mitchell MP, and has publications in several foreign affairs journals from her time as research assistant at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. Rotem holds a Master of National Security Policy (Advanced), a Bachelor of International Relations and a Diploma of Languages from the Australian National University.
