New panel initiative launches at artsdepot next week

TED talks with a Jewish flavour are coming to ArtsDepot in Finchley next week with four talented speakers.

KEN Talks, a play on the Israeli word that means yes, stands for Knowledge, Education and Networking. Each of the talks is 18 minutes long, referencing the Hebrew letters for the Hebrew word Chai, meaning life.

Speaking at the launch event on Monday 11 May will be former MP Baroness Luciana Berger, TikTok and Meta executive Michal Oshamn, journalist Jonathan Harounoff and writer and sociologist Keith Kahn-Harris. Actress Louisa Clein will be in the moderator’s chair.

Ken Talks has been created by Londoner Marc Shelkin and Tel-Aviv born Amit Rachmian who now lives in London.

Marc, whose day job is working as the head of a marketing for a finance company, is also the founder of Joice Media Group, the most diverse Jewish media organisation in the world, that every month reaches out to 45 million people.

Amit is a former commander in the Israeli army who worked for the IDF’s international diplomacy unit. Three years ago, having finished her army service, Amit set up Shalom Speakers, a company to represent inspirational Israeli speakers and to share their knowledge across the world. Then October 7 happened, and Shalom Speakers had to take a back seat while Amit relisted in the army.

The subsequent events made Amit realise how vital it is for Jewish voices to be heard in the diaspora and, since leaving the army, she has devoted her time and energy to developing Shalom Speakers.

KEN Talks are on 11 May at Artsdepot in Finchley. artsdepot.co.uk