Leah Bleich
Leah Bleich is an LA-based director, producer, writer, and former development executive. Her debut feature film “The Moon and Back” starred Isabel May, Missi Pyle, and Nat Faxon, and was released on Paramount+ in 2024. She’s currently preparing to shoot a two-episode docu-series for Roadtrip Nation and PBS, and loves telling stories that make people laugh and cry at the same time.
Kelly Woyan
Kelly Woyan is a writer and producer who has collaborated on several projects with notable artists, including Academy Award-nominated actor Jeremy Renner and Tony Award-winning actress Joanna Gleason. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Professional Writing/Screenwriting from the University of Southern California, where she studied under the late Syd Field. Kelly has also attended additional writing programs at Roadmap Writers, Yale University, and the Paris American Academy, and has a journalism degree from Columbia College.
Uri Rosenrauch
Uri Rosenrauch is a two-time Emmy Award nominee and New York City based writer and producer whose work spans television, film, streaming, and short fiction. From live action and animated comedies to psychological thrillers, scripted content for NBA live shows to a cooking series, he’s written and produced a wide range of projects.
Sarah Afkami
Sarah Afkami is a Persian-Texan Jewish comedy writer known for her cultural humor and compelling storytelling, with credits including series on Showtime, FX, TBS, and Comedy Central. She’s passionate about creating stories that authentically represent diverse Jewish communities, blending emotional depth with comedic insight. Sarah currently splits her time performing stand-up and developing original series in Los Angeles, Austin, and New York.
Malka Wallick
Malka Wallick (she/they) is an award winning actor, writer, and filmmaker based in NYC. Their feature film Our Bodies & Other Shames is currently in post production and was the recipient of the 2025 ScreenCraft film fund, the CineStories Underrepresented Stories scholarship, and was a finalist for the Sundance Development Lab. Malka has developed their work as a 2024 Theatremacher Fellow with the Alliance for Jewish Theatre and is an active member of the She-Collective writer’s cohort. Her short play — in verse — Women of Valor, was a finalist with Red Bull’s short play competition. malkawallick.com
Camille Shooshani and Aaron Shooshani
Camille Shooshani is an Iranian-Jewish writer and filmmaker based in Los Angeles. Her debut documentary feature, “Léa & I” premiered on Netflix in 2019. She was awarded the USC Presidents’ Sustainability Award in 2024 for “The Concrete River,” a film documenting a 51-mile trek along the Los Angeles River. In 2020, she received her MFA in creative nonfiction writing from Columbia University. She received her BA from the USC School of Cinematic Arts in 2017.
Aaron Shoooshani (he/him) is a writer and producer based in Los Angeles. Before writing, Aaron worked in political strategy for Economic Justice Initiatives like the Fight For $15, that aimed to raise the minimum wage. He has worked as a writer’s assistant to Showrunner Chris Romano (Blue Mountain State, Kill the Orange-Faced Bear) and produced and written a number of independent shorts. Raised in Los Angeles to Iranian Jewish immigrants, Aaron attended Columbia University where he received a B.A. in History and Economics.
Jacob Seidman
Jacob is an LA based writer, actor, and producer. Selected previous projects include:”Fall to Fame” streaming on Dekkoo (winner best dramatic actor Micheaux Film Festival) and “Searching for Josh Brolin” on SeekaTV.
Chelsea London Lloyd
Chelsea London Lloyd is an actor and comedian who appears as Emma Foster on Shifting Gears (ABC) as Tim Allen + Kat Denning’s grief counselor. TV credits include Ballard (MGM,) (HBO, Dir. Bill Hader) and Schooled (ABC) as well as national commercials with Mekanism, KC5, PrettyBird, etc., most notably in her 3-part Wayfair campaign with Kelly Clarkson. When she is not performing, you will find her volunteering as a grief counselor, DJ’ing Bat Mitzvahs and hosting her comedic grief podcast, Dying of Laughter. Because #YODO, you only die once. Lloyd holds a BA in Theatre from the University of Southern California.
Shmuel Hoffman
Born and raised in East Berlin, Shmuel began his career as a violist, performing with European orchestras and touring with Yo-Yo Ma after winning the Jeunesses Musicales International competition, before transitioning to film while exploring Jewish observance. He founded a production company and has created award-winning commercial and Oscar© qualifying documentary films for institutions such as the United States Holocaust Museum, Museum of Tolerance, Harvard University, Lexus, and MTV. A frequent speaker at the United Nations on Jewish identity and interfaith dialogue, he also serves on the Israeli President’s Voice of the People global council.
Ryan Turkienicz
Ryan Turkienicz has over a decade of experience in entrepreneurial businesses, as well as a diverse background in the arts as both a professional musician and a freelance writer. After October 7th he along with this brother Eric Turkienicz – a Canadian Comedy Award nominated sketch comedian and satirist – cofounded The Daily Brine, a satire news page with the goal of fighting antisemitism on social media using comedy.