Our team is dedicated to providing a safe space for people to explore and question beyond the only Jewish community they know
Our Board
David Zerman
President
David Zerman has been involved in community and social justice issues as long as he can remember. His professional career in the health, science, education, community and environment sectors both in Australia and internationally has included work in the media, public relations, and Not-For-Profit sectors.
He enjoys working with organisations that help people achieve the freedom and skills they wish to. He is honoured to work with staff and volunteers who make the journey of Pathfinders what they want it to be. Other details about David can be found on his LinkedIn profile.
Naomi Swart
Board Member
Naomi has spent years in the social work industry, working across various multidisciplinary teams advocating for families and social justice.
She continues to be involved in various philanthropic organisations and has a strong passion for creating opportunities for marginalised communities.
Naomi sees the benefits of working across both the front line and at board level. This approach coupled with her strong interpersonal skills creates opportunity to establish connections, collaborative relationships and make an impact.
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Naomi is also the Chair of the Fundraising Subcommittee
Dassi Erlich
Secretary
Dassi Erlich is a passionate advocate for child safety and empowerment. Drawing from her lived experience, she understands the challenges of transitioning from insular backgrounds.
At Pathways, Dassi develops programs to support families and youth navigating similar issues, believing in the right to a safe, supportive environment - something she wished for during her own journey.
As founder of the international campaign for justice against Malka Leifer (former principal of Adass Israel School), Dassi garnered global attention and engaged with leaders to advocate for child protection. Her media presence prompted many young people to reach out for guidance.
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Dassi is proud to contribute to a space where individuals can safely explore their paths and determine what is right for them.
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Dassi is also Pathways' Youth & Family Programs Manager
Pathways Melbourne Board Directors
Gummy New
Treasurer
Gummy has over 15 years experience as a finance leader across corporate and private enterprises, locally and abroad.
Possessing insightful commercial acumen as well as holding a CPA and MBA (Melb Uni), Gummy has an impressive track record of success in business growth and is proactive in strategy development and execution. He served as a combat soldier in the IDF and worked with UJEB, independent Jewish schools to enhance governance relating to operations and financial management in pursuit of their strategic endeavours.
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Gummy is also the Chair of the Finance Subcommittee
Leah Boulton
Founder
Educated at RMIT (Australia) and Harvard University (USA), Leah’s professional background is in advertising, marketing and PR.
With a secular upbringing, she has a deep respect for the ultra-Orthodox way of life.
It was a young Heredi woman who wanted to rollerblade, attend university and avoid re-marrying, who needed connection and therefore inspired Leah to create Pathways.
The support Leah gave that first woman led to the creation of Pathways Melbourne and has helped change lives, including her own.
Ilit Golshevsky nee Olenski
Board Member
Ilit is a social and empathic person who loves connecting with people. With a Bachelor of Arts/Law (Monash Uni) and a Masters in Entrepreneurship and Innovation (Swinburne Uni), Ilit worked as a family solicitor and has extensive experience in the for-purpose area.
A former CEO and advisory board member for Save a Child’s Heart Australia, Ilit also worked in the Zionist Council of Victoria and volunteered with Melbourne's Community Security Group and Global Citizen internationally. Ilit recently completed the Observership Yesod program.
Ilit is a mother to three children and enjoys exercise, swimming and conversations with friends.
Pathways Advisory Panel
David Burstyner
Vice President
David has been a lawyer for over 20 years. He conducts major litigation, including significant social justice, class action and commercial cases, at the firm Adley Burstyner Disputes Lawyers which he founded after working in law firms and legal businesses around the world.
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He lived and worked in the Hague for seven years, where he had responsibility for high level legal claims as well as a talented multi-disciplinary team.
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David values the critical and independent thinking and options which Pathways facilitates, supports diversity within and outside of the Jewish community and is committed to social justice and is a supporter of mentorship in its various forms.
Daniel Lazar
Board Advisory Member
In 2024, Daniel stepped down from Hatzolah Melbourne in the capacity of a volunteer Emergency Medical First Responder after 11 years.
Professionally, he keeps himself busy by working at Mercy Health supporting hospital and aged care operations through strategic procurement, agile supply chains solutions and rigorous contract management.
Daniel enjoys working with people to find solutions to the world’s problems.
Lani Castan
Board Advisory Member
Lani Castan is a Mental Health Social Worker who began her work with women and children escaping domestic/family violence.
Through working across Melbourne & then WA in refuges, she began focussing on helping children and eventually moved to private practice specialising in play therapy. She has since expanded her private practice in Melbourne and now works with children, adolescents, adults & families.
After completing a Masters in Narrative therapy and community work, Lani has maintained a strong belief in not only working with individuals but also contributing to building community.
Havi Rubenstein
Havi grew up in a Lubavitch family and attended Beth Rivkah her entire schooling. She had a standard insular lifestyle in the Chabad community, with small doses of exposure to the secular world.
An extended gap year in Israel studying in seminary led Havi to become even more fervently religious with the Beth HaTalmud congregation - more so than her family and friends.
After a brief stint with a failed marriage, Havi completed her Pharmacy studies and began her path towards independence and self-determination.
Following a 20 year journey of gradually dropping her religious identity, she has finally come out of the closet. Havi enjoys life with her husband and two young kids as a proudly secular Jew.
Dr Daniel Dorevitch
Dan is a proud member of both the LGBTQI and Melbourne Jewish communities, after growing up in Perth and having moved across in 2018.
He has an extensive Jewish youth movement background, and works as a Paediatric doctor at the Royal Children's Hospital where he is currently completing training.
From these experiences Daniel brings to Pathways skills in group facilitation and counselling, as well as work with vulnerable individuals and families often at some of the most challenging times in their lives.
Dassi Herszberg
Dassi, the 5th of 8 children, was born into a Ger Hasidic family in Melbourne’s Adass community. With her questioning, inquisitive, inquiring mind, she didn’t fit the mould and didn’t stay in that world.
Dassi is a qualified art therapist and counsellor, and mother to a delightful, questioning, inquisitive and inquiring young adult.
She is also the founder and facilitator of Miriam’s Voice, an adventure therapy group for women who have been sexually abused.
Although Dassi left the Adass community, she has developed a comfortable sense of belonging and Jewish identity.
“I know that everything at Pathways is help in full confidentiality and the needs of the participants is at the centre of the organisation".
Pathways Advisory Panel
Leah Boulton
Founder & CEO
Educated at RMIT (Australia) and Harvard University (USA), Leah’s professional background is in advertising, marketing and PR.
With a secular upbringing, she has a deep respect for the ultra-Orthodox way of life.
It was a young Heredi woman who wanted to rollerblade, attend university and avoid re-marrying, who needed connection and therefore inspired Leah to create Pathways.
The support Leah gave that first woman led to the creation of Pathways Melbourne and has helped change lives, including her own.
Jacqui Dubs
Marketing Manager
Jacqui is an energetic marketing and communicational specialist with broad experience across the legal, retail and non-profit sectors. She has a passion for social justice, human rights and creating positive impact.
Jacqui’s community focus drew her out of the legal profession to take up roles with local non-profits (Stand Up: Jewish Commitment to a Better World and Our Kitchen Table). She also loves her coffee and works in the specialty coffee industry (The Coffee Company).
Her professional qualifications include: Monash Uni Bachelor of Laws (Hons) with International Law & Legal Studies (Leiden Uni - Netherlands) and a Monash Uni Bachelor of Arts (Politics).
Ravit Tidhar
Operations Manager
Ravit completed her Architectural degree at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem and RMIT in Melbourne. She also completed further business and finance studies.
After immigrating to Australia in 1991 she worked as an Architect at the University of Melbourne and then with corporate and private architectural firms around Melbourne and Israel.
Ravit turned her focus to the Non-Profit world where her contribution combined volunteering with business and operations management. She incorporated her passion for equity, eye for detail and care for people and community with an endeavour to make a difference.
Our Staff Team
Naomi Kark
Programs &
Engagement Manager
After 20 years working as a marketing professional for large corporates and not for profits, plus many life-changing personal experiences, Naomi (Nonnie) realised her passion and skills were best suited to community work.
Naomi's 'light bulb moment' emerged after managing large teams of complex individuals and she was more drawn to personal connections and guidance, than assisting with day-to-day marketing.
She is currently studying Community Services and has a Bachelor of Arts (English), plus various Diplomas in Marketing and PR. Naomi brings genuine empathy and non-judgemental direction, recognising everyone is an individual.
Dassi Erlich
Youth & Family Programs Manager
Dassi Erlich is a passionate advocate for child safety and empowerment. Drawing from her lived experience, she understands the challenges of transitioning from insular backgrounds.
At Pathways, Dassi develops programs to support families and youth navigating similar issues, believing in the right to a safe, supportive environment - something she wished for during her own journey.
As founder of the international campaign for justice against Malka Leifer (former principal of Adass Israel School), Dassi garnered global attention and engaged with leaders to advocate for child protection. Her media presence prompted many young people to reach out for guidance.
​
Dassi is proud to contribute to a space where individuals can safely explore their paths and determine what is right for them.
​
Dassi is also Pathways' Board Secretary