(Left) Shalom Austin’s Senior Israel Educator Michal Ilai. Credit: Andrew Holmes (Right) Shalom Austin’s Public Affairs Director Emily Bourgeois. Credit: Andrew Holmes

By Rachel Stern  

Recently, Shalom Austin’s Bernard & Audre Rapoport Center for Jewish Culture and Education welcomed two new major positions to the already amazing team. Michal Ilai, senior Israel educator and Emily Bourgeois, public affairs director. Both Ilai and Bourgeois are launching new departments and initiatives for Shalom Austin, which are actualizations of key priorities of the Shalom Austin strategic plan.  

Senior Israel Educator Michal Ilai  

As senior Israel educator, Ilai plays a pivotal role in representing Shalom Austin within the Israel-related community. Ilai is involved by actively engaging with the community and is a key liaison between Shalom Austin and the wider Israel-related community. Ilai curates and creates experiences that will educate the community about Israel in ways that welcome a variety of beliefs and questions and encourage leaning into the tensions of exploring Israel as a Jewish community.  

Ilai is a Sabra (native Israeli) whose love for teaching was ignited during her time in the IDF. After completing her military service, in 1990 Michal moved to Austin, attended the University of Texas and facilitated the first Ulpan-style modern Hebrew class open to the entire community at Texas Hillel. She also taught Hebrew and Jewish Studies at Temple Beth Israel, while studying to earn her degree in Public Relations. Ilai’s ardent Zionism and interest in all things Israel led her to a career in Israel education where she developed programs, initiatives and partnerships focused on Jewish peoplehood. After over twenty years away from Texas, Ilai moved back to Austin to be close to family. She is ready to bring together Israeli and Jewish Americans to explore their Jewish identities and shared story. Ilai holds a Master’s degree in Jewish Professional Studies from Gratz College, and Gratz’s certificate of Hebrew Instruction with a particular interest in the field of error in second language acquisition. In her free time Ilai loves to cook with her three adult kids, entertain and snack on dry roasted nuts.  

Ilai has already enhanced Shalom Austin’s Israel engagement in countless ways and has recently launched two new programs, Israel Hour and IVRITime. Ilai can be reached at michal.ilai@shalomaustin.org.  

Public Affairs Director Emily Bourgeois  

As the public affairs director at Shalom Austin, Bourgeois encompasses strategic relationship-building, advocacy and community engagement to advance the interests of the Jewish community. Bourgeois serves as the primary liaison between Shalom Austin and key stakeholders. Bourgeois plays a vital role in identifying and implementing advocacy strategies aligned with Shalom Austin’s mission, promoting community engagement, solidarity and awareness.  

Bourgeois joins Shalom Austin from the Religious Action Center at the Union for Reform Judaism where she was the RAC-TX Organizer. There, she led RAC-TX to wins expanding health insurance coverage to postpartum women and organizing against school boards in Texas hiring unlicensed chaplains in place of guidance counselors. Her brainchild—the Texas Jewish Communities Coalition—is the first of its kind coalition of Jewish organizations from across the state committed to fighting for Jewish social justice together. Prior to that, she was at the Texas Legislature working on healthcare and education issues affecting Texas’ youngest children and their parents from prenatal to age five. Bourgeois has a deep knowledge of the Texas legislative ecosystem and brings with her relationships across the political spectrum. Bourgeois lives in Austin with her partner Elizabeth, dog Cal and cat Fran.  

Bourgeois has hit the ground running, fostering important relationships, and creating a strategy that will best serve the community. Bourgeois can be reached at emily.bourgeois@shalomaustin.org.