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About the Panelists
Rabbi Emrita Melanie Aron | Panelist
Rabbi Emrita Melanie Aron was ordained at the Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion in 1981. She served for 40 years as a congregational rabbi, thirty years of which were at Congregation Shir Hadash in Los Gatos, California where she became Rabbi Emerita in 2021. Currently Rabbi Aron serves on the boards of the National Association of Retired Reform Rabbis (NAORRR) and Jews and Muslims and Allies Acting Together (JAMAAT), and is the co-chair of the Jewish Earth Alliance, which focuses on federal legislation and agencies. She also teaches as an adjunct professor at the George Washington University in the Department of Religion.
The Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush | Moderator
The Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush is passionate about building bridges across diverse communities and fostering meaningful relationships. As Program Director for Religious Leaders, she oversees ICJS programming for clergy, chaplains, and spiritual caregivers. Under her leadership, ICJS launched its chaplain outreach initiative following a statewide survey—conducted in partnership with the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab—that identified chaplains as an underserved sector. She also leads Common Ground: Clergy | Conversation | Connections, a statewide program that brings together religiously diverse clergy to build lasting relationships through quarterly conversations over the span of a year.
Maha Elgenaidi | Panelist
Maha Elgenaidi is the Founder and Executive Director of Intercultural Networks Group (ING). With a passion for fostering understanding and cultural competency, she has authored training handbooks on outreach for Muslim Americans and developed training programs for organizations and institutions on cultural literacy and bridging diverse religious and ethnic communities. Elgenaidi holds an M.A. in Religious Studies from Stanford University and a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from the American University in Cairo. She has a rich background in education and advocacy, having taught classes and delivered presentations on topics such as Islamophobia, and Islam in the modern world.