Zoe Booth is a cultural commentator, writer, and Content Director at Quillette, an Australian magazine known for long-form analysis, cultural commentary, and heterodox ideas grounded in reason and humanism. She hosts the Quillette Cetera podcast, where she has interviewed leading thinkers, academics, journalists, and public intellectuals from around the world. Zoe has written for The Australian and The Australian Financial Review, and has appeared on Sky News to discuss free speech, culture, and contemporary politics. She holds double degrees in Arts (Politics and French) and Law from the University of Newcastle and is based in Sydney.

Zoe Booth is a cultural commentator, writer, and Content Director at Quillette, an Australian magazine known for long-form analysis, cultural commentary, and heterodox ideas grounded in reason and humanism. She hosts the Quillette Cetera&nbsp;podcast, where she has interviewed leading thinkers, academics, journalists, and public intellectuals from around the world. Zoe has written for The Australian&nbsp;and The Australian Financial Review, and has appeared on Sky News to discuss free speech, culture, and contemporary politics. She holds double degrees in Arts (Politics and French) and Law from the University of Newcastle and is based in Sydney.

The B'nai B'rith Armchair Society is an engaging, thought provoking and passionate discussion group of current affairs.

Run by B’nai B’rith volunteer Ron James, who, in his inimitable style, brings to the table a series of interesting topics for discussion. With an open forum, Ron encourages you to share your views and feelings about current issues and news items facing us. Held fortnightly throughout the year, these sessions are a great way to keep abreast of what’s going on in our world and the opportunity to talk part in lively, healthy discussions.

The B'nai B'rith Armchair Society is an engaging, thought provoking and passionate discussion group of current affairs.
Run by B’nai B’rith volunteer Ron James, who, in his inimitable style, brings to the table a series of interesting topics for discussion. With an open forum, Ron encourages you to share your views and feelings about current issues and news items facing us. Held fortnightly throughout the year, these sessions are a great way to keep abreast of what’s going on in our world and the opportunity to talk part in lively, healthy discussions.

B'nai B'rith Armchair Society Series

Zoe Booth

Guests: Mike Zervos OAM & Sabrina (Sabi) Chakman 

Mike Zervos has served as the inaugural CEO of Courage To Care Victoria, a B'nai B'rith organisation focused on preventing prejudice, racism and bullying programs. In 2021 Mike was honoured for leading Courage To Care to inspire cross-cultural understanding in schools across Victoria. 
Sabrina Chakman has been appointed as the new B'nai B'rith Chair of Courage to Care Victoria Inc. 

Guests: Mike Zervos OAM &amp; Sabrina (Sabi) Chakman Mike Zervos has served as the inaugural CEO of Courage To Care Victoria, a B'nai B'rith organisation focused on preventing prejudice, racism and bullying programs. In 2021 Mike was honoured for leading Courage To Care to inspire cross-cultural understanding in schools across Victoria. Sabrina Chakman has been appointed as the new B'nai B'rith Chair of Courage to Care Victoria Inc.&nbsp;

Courage To Care

Topic: 'What are the key sources of Antisemitism in Australian Universities, and how should anti-racist advocates respond!'

 
Philip Mendes has been an outspoken commentator on antisemitism in Australia, analysing its historical roots, modern manifestations, and how it impacts Jewish identity and security. He has argued for strong educational, political and interfaith responses to combat antisemitism, and often situates these issues within the broader fight against racism and bigotry.

Topic:&nbsp;'What are the key sources of Antisemitism in Australian Universities, and how should anti-racist advocates respond!'
&nbsp; Philip Mendes has been an outspoken commentator on antisemitism in Australia, analysing its historical roots, modern manifestations, and how it impacts Jewish identity and security. He has argued for strong educational, political and interfaith responses to combat antisemitism, and often situates these issues within the broader fight against racism and bigotry.

Professor Philip Mendes

Deborah Glass was the Victorian Ombudsman, appointed to a 10-year term in 2014, responsible for investigations into Victorian government departments, local councils and statutory bodies. These included individual complaints and systemic issues, as well as referrals from Parliament, including the ‘Red Shirts’ case and the alleged politicisation of Victoria’s public sector. The Ombudsman is also Victoria’s human rights investigator, in which capacity she investigated the hard lockdown of Melbourne’s public housing towers in 2020 and the closure of the State’s borders in 2021. 

Deborah was raised in Melbourne where she practised law briefly before leaving Australia, then working for a US investment bank in Switzerland. From there she moved into a career in financial services regulation, first with the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission. Moving to London in 1998 she was appointed CEO of the UK’s Investment Management Regulatory Organisation.   
Changing course to police oversight she was appointed a Member of the UK’s Police Complaints Authority and then a Commissioner of the Independent Police Complaints Commission, the first agency with the powers to independently investigate the police in England and Wales. 

She  headed up numerous criminal and misconduct investigations into police involving fatal police shootings, deaths in custody and police corruption, as well as the landmark investigation into the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster. She was appointed IPCC Deputy Chair in 2009 and in 2012, was awarded an OBE for her service.   She returned to Australia in 2014 to become the fifth Victorian Ombudsman and first woman in the role.

Deborah Glass was the Victorian Ombudsman, appointed to a 10-year term in 2014, responsible for investigations into Victorian government departments, local councils and statutory bodies. These included individual complaints and systemic issues, as well as referrals from Parliament, including the &lsquo;Red Shirts&rsquo; case and the alleged politicisation of Victoria&rsquo;s public sector. The Ombudsman is also Victoria&rsquo;s human rights investigator, in which capacity she investigated the hard lockdown of Melbourne&rsquo;s public housing towers in 2020 and the closure of the State&rsquo;s borders in 2021.&nbsp;
Deborah was raised in Melbourne where she practised law briefly before leaving Australia, then working for a US investment bank in Switzerland. From there she moved into a career in financial services regulation, first with the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission. Moving to London in 1998 she was appointed CEO of the UK&rsquo;s Investment Management Regulatory Organisation. &nbsp; Changing course to police oversight she was appointed a Member of the UK&rsquo;s Police Complaints Authority and then a Commissioner of the Independent Police Complaints Commission, the first agency with the powers to independently investigate the police in England and Wales.&nbsp;
She&nbsp; headed up numerous criminal and misconduct investigations into police involving fatal police shootings, deaths in custody and police corruption, as well as the landmark investigation into the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster. She was appointed IPCC Deputy Chair in 2009 and in 2012, was awarded an OBE for her service. &nbsp; She returned to Australia in 2014 to become the fifth Victorian Ombudsman and first woman in the role.

Zoe Booth

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