Hannah Brady and Dana Segal have recently been appointed to the Board of Trustees of NIF. Our CEO, Adam Ognall has interviewed them about why they have got more deeply involved with NIF, what motivates them and what their aspirations are.

Please tell us about yourself?

• HB – I’ve lived in London for the past decade (hailing from Newcastle upon Tyne) and am currently the Head of North America, Pharma for Reuters Events. My history of delivering Jewish community events as a lay leader for NIF UK and Limmud – as well as advocating for increased accessibility and inclusion practice in community spaces for disabled people – has played a huge role in shaping my values as well as my career path, and it’s been incredible to grow as a young professional with the benefit of this voluntary experience. Outside of work, I’ve spent much of lockdown trying to let my inner creative out, getting into creative writing, playing guitar and (less artistically!) working on my weightlifting skills!
• DS – I was born in Ireland and at the age of seven, then moved to Israel for five years and then came to the UK and have been here ever since. I currently work as a fundraising and management consultant in the social good / non-profit sector and hold a number of executive roles at consultancy companies as well as other volunteer roles alongside my appointment to the NIF UK board. I’m a pacifist, humanitarian and intersectional feminist – so I felt like I had no other choice than to work in the third sector! In my spare time I’m passionate about travel, cooking, music and theatre.

What excites you most about joining the board?

• HB- I’m really looking forward to learning more about and helping to shape the opportunities NIF has going forward over the coming years. In the broadest context, we’re just starting to recover from the unprecedented disruption of 2020 as a society, and there are so many rulebooks across sectors that have just been thrown out the window. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel everywhere, but certainly we’ve all had to start thinking outside of the box; for me, joining the board is a fantastic chance to explore how we can empower people to engage with NIF causes in innovative ways, and empower them to regain agency lost during the pandemic through increased education, strengthened emotional connection to their values, and progressive charitable investments.
• DS – For me joining the NIF UK board is exciting both professionally and personally. I get to make an impactful and positive difference in a country I love, using the skills I’ve gained throughout my professional career so far. I love NIF UK’s ‘make it happen’ attitude, and I am looking forward to working with my fellow Trustees to make collaborative decisions that increase NIF UK’s impact going forwards. I also can’t wait to represent the organisation at events and meet all the amazing supporters that make NIF UK such a fantastic vehicle for social change.

Where would you like to see NIF make the biggest impact?

• HB- As a person living with multiple disabilities and illnesses – and as a professional working in the US pharmaceutical space – increased access to healthcare and accessibility provision for minorities would be my number one priority. COVID-19 has highlighted the role that socio-economic and racial disparities play in health outcomes on a global stage, and the challenges faced here are of course as prevalent in Israel as elsewhere, despite the many successes of their vaccination program.
• DS – I would love to see NIF UK continue to make an impact across culture, society and politics by commiting to a range of activities, organisations and campaigns that together move Israel towards a more just and equal place for all. An intersectional approach is essential if we want to create long lasting change. So I look forward to seeing us continue resourcing movements and people making a difference across human rights, democracy, shared society and economic and social justice.

What is the first word that comes into your head when you think about Israel? Why?

• HB- Having spent much of my time discussing Israel on antagonistic university campuses, this is quite a complex question! I’m incredibly grateful to have a relationship with such a unique country that holds so much meaning for so many cultural and religious groups ,despite sometimes associating Israel with a lot of discomfort that I’ve experienced in politicised spaces. What’s particularly wonderful for me is that my involvement in NIF is part of an ongoing journey to uncover what role I can play as a diasporist in supporting grassroots activists in Israel to achieve increased equality and improve quality of life for marginalised groups.
• DS- The first word that comes into my head when I think about Israel is “hope”. As a child I formed relationships and friends with people from across the full spectrum of beliefs, cultures and races. That experience has stayed with me as an aspiration for the way that society should be – inclusive, integrated, just and equal for all. Hope is the word I’ll carry with me as I continue on my journey and discovery of my continuing and evolving relationship with Israel, and that I will carry with me throughout my decision-making on the NIF UK board.

Hannah Brady

Dana Segal