Noam Ash
Noam Ash first gained recognition as the creator of the hit web series My Gay Roommate and subsequent TV pilot Boy•Friends from Keshet Studios, which garnered over 11 million views and received critical acclaim from Vanity Fair and The New York Times. He appeared in HBO MAX’s The Other Two as well as starred in and executive produced The Influencers on Amazon Prime. Noam recently wrapped his debut feature, BOOKENDS, which he wrote as part of JWI and starred opposite Academy Award® Winner F. Murray Abraham and SAG Award® Winner Caroline Aaron. He is repped by Sweeney Entertainment and HJTH Law.
Rachel McKay Steele
Rachel McKay Steele is a writer and comedian from Charleston, SC, who recently left bagels and Brooklyn for sunny Los Angeles. She has studied comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater and has performed improv and stand-up around the country. Her solo show, Shiva for Anne Frank, premiered at the 2019 Hollywood Fringe Festival to rave reviews and won a Producer’s Encore Award. She has worked on numerous award-winning independent films, from Gayby to creative development for the Oscar-nominated What Happened Miss Simone? She is thrilled and humbled to be a part of the inaugural Jewish Writers’ Initiative, even though she never spells Initiative correctly on the first try. Rachel loves breakfast sandwiches, yoga, and her two rescue cats, Roxy and Esther.
Iris Bahr
The Guilt Trip is a dramedy about two sisters, Maya and Abby, who are sent to Poland by their ailing grandmother, Chana, to trace her journey from the Warsaw Ghetto to the camps. Chana hopes this trip will heal the girls’ strained relationship, and perhaps her own wounds as well. Armed with a briefcase and […]
Brett Melnick
Brett Melnick is an award-winning comedy writer, director and producer, currently on the support staff of Hulu/FOX’s King of the Hill reboot.
He began his career in the writers’ room of TBS’s The Last O.G., writing digital shorts for the TBS platform while serving as the show’s writer’s assistant. His additional support staff credits include the first two seasons of FX’s Dave.
Brett’s writing credits include ABC’s 2021 reimagining of The Wonder Years, where he penned the critically acclaimed episode “The Valentine’s Day Dance” in its Peabody Award-winning first season. His feature comedy script Yom Kippur was an official selection of The Black List in 2020.
In the digital space, Brett wrote and created the vertical news desk series What’s Up North with Trevor Tordjman, in partnership with Buzzfeed & Instagram. Most recently, he co-wrote and co-directed the sci-fi audio drama Faraway, starring Xochitl Gomez and Melonie Diaz. The series debuted at #4 on Apple Podcasts’ Sci-Fi charts and earned two 2025 Ambie nominations, including Podcast of the Year.
A graduate of Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, Brett now teaches specialized TV writing courses at his alma mater part-time.
Roni Geva & Margaret Katch
Roni Geva and Margaret Katch are an award-winning writing team with a focus on bold, female-driven storytelling. Since partnering in 2015, they’ve written four pilots, four features, two short films, and the Emmy-nominated short-form series ctrl alt delete, a workplace comedy set in an abortion clinic.
Their work has been selected by 17 film festivals, earned five awards, and led to a development deal at CBS Studios. As actors, their credits span film, television, and stage, including Ovation and Joseph Jefferson Award nominations for their theatrical work.
Their greatest desire is to change the world through funny, thoughtful TV and film.
Danielle Dardashti
Danielle Dardashti returns to her roots with this project – revisiting her family’s story and getting back to broadcasting. She’s a former TV/radio reporter and Emmy-winning documentary writer/producer. Danielle now leads storytelling workshops and advises companies on story strategy. She’s a Moth StorySLAM champ and co-founder of Storyboom, a live storytelling show. Danielle and her husband are co-authors of the Jewish Family Fun Book series.
Vi “SnappyDragon”
V (she/her) of the YouTube channel SnappyDragon, is a dressmaker, public historian, and videographer who explores the social realities of the past and present through fashion history. Her videos use everything from sewing techniques to TikTok trends and popular media to break down historical misconceptions and discuss topics such as representation, Jewish history, and disability justice.
Josh Burstein
Josh Burstein is a standup comedian and journalist. A digital strategist who produced content for the Obama Administration and Biden campaigns, Josh works at the intersection of impact, education, and entertainment.
Kate Mishkin
Kate Mishkin is a podcast producer and writer whose reporting has taken her from from the Allegheny Mountains in West Virginia, to the beaches in San Onofre, California. Her work has appeared in ProPublica, The Guardian, and the LA Times.
Chari Pere
Chari Pere has worked as a creative director and illustrator/storyboard artist on projects for Red Bull, Jockey, Disney, Comedy Central, and Bud Light. She has created content for The Washington Post’s The Lily and Mad Magazine, and has collaborated with NYT bestselling author Gretchen Rubin and actress Mayim Bialik. Chari launched the “Unspoken” Cartoon series as part of the 2024 Jewish Writers’ Initiative Digital Storytellers Lab Fellowship and was named the 2024 JewCE Artist of the Year.