ABOUT Kesher Shalom Projects
Kesher Shalom Projects was founded in the aftermath of October 7th by trauma therapists seeking to address an urgent gap: professionals needed a deeper understanding of the psychological impact of antisemitism and the complexity of Jewish identity, trauma, and resilience.
What began as a response to a moment of crisis has grown into a broader educational initiative at the intersection of psychology, Jewish identity, antisemitism, resilience, and the forces that shape how people think, belong, and respond under threat.
Kesher Shalom provides psychologically informed training, professional education, and practical frameworks for clinicians, educators, attorneys, organizational leaders, parents, and Jewish communities. Our work goes beyond understanding antisemitism as a social problem. We examine its psychological impact and provide concrete tools to strengthen resilience, build cultural humility, navigate difficult conversations, recognize manipulation and polarization, and repair ruptures across relationships and communities.
The initiative began with a simple request in a WhatsApp group from Jewish therapists struggling with the weight of the aftermath of October 7th. A Zoom training was organized to meet that need. None of the original presenters or participants could have imagined what would grow from that conversation.
MEET THE TEAM
THE LEADERSHIP
Malka Shaw, LCSW,
Founder and Director of Kesher Shalom Projects
Malka Shaw, LCSW, is a licensed clinical psychotherapist, trauma specialist, educator, and public speaker with more than 25 years of experience in the mental health field. Her work sits at the intersection of trauma, Jewish identity, antisemitism, resilience, cultural humility, and the psychology of propaganda and indoctrination.
Malka is the founder of Kesher Shalom Projects and the creator of several psychologically informed frameworks designed to translate complex clinical concepts into practical tools. These include the GUARD System, which supports resilience and functioning during ongoing threat and trauma; BRIDGE, a structured approach to navigating indoctrination, ideological rigidity, and difficult conversations; and ORAH, a parenting framework designed to strengthen Jewish identity, resilience, belonging, and critical thinking.
She provides continuing education, professional training, consultation, and speaking for clinicians, educators, attorneys, healthcare professionals, organizational leaders, parents, and Jewish communities. Her work focuses on the psychological impact of antisemitism, Jewish cultural competency and humility, collective trauma and resilience, identity under threat, psychological safety, and the mechanisms that contribute to propaganda, polarization, and radicalization.
Malka's background combines extensive clinical training with formal Jewish study. She studied Judaic Studies at She'arim College in Jerusalem and completed postgraduate training in psychotherapy and marriage and family counseling at the Neve Yerushalayim Family Institute.
Her professional foundation includes work with immigrants and survivors of domestic violence at NYANA and crisis response with the American Red Cross and FEMA following the September 11th attacks.
Robyn Sheiniuk, LCSW
Robyn Sheiniuk, LCSW has been in practice for over 25 years. Her career has been focused on working with people dealing with trauma, from children and families in foster care and residential settings to Veterans to executives struggling with childhood trauma that is still getting in their way. In addition to trauma, Robyn specializes in working with grief and loss and women dealing with cancer, especially gynecological cancers, and caregivers/loved ones of those patients. Robyn has worked in urban inner cities as well as in private practice.
She also conducts evaluations for immigration and the Public Defender’s office. She has trained other clinicians as a supervisor and Clinical Director of several programs throughout her career. Her training includes a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Southern California and a certificate in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy from LAIPS. She has been trained in multiple trauma treatments, including TF-CBT, and is a Certified EMDR therapist. She is currently in private practice in CA and FL.
Lisa Mustard, LMFT
Lisa Mustard, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Life Coach, Host of The Therapy Show with Lisa Mustard. Lisa has over 15 years in the field. She specializes in helping women, 35 plus, who desire more meaningful work, happier relationships, or optimal and vibrant health transform their lives.
Julie Riga, MBA
Julie Riga is a certified ICF coach, trainer, speaker, and author with over 20 years of experience in the Pharma Industry. Julie’s education is vast with studies that include business, communications, training, and executive coaching.
She specializes in the fields of leadership, team dynamics, and organizational development. She has deep expertise working with matrix organizations in highly regulated industries.
Julie is valued for authentic connections with people and orchestrating diverse resources into coherent, high-functioning teams that consistently deliver breakthrough results on time and under budget. She is an enthusiastic lifelong learner and Novartis TEDx Speaker.
Other areas of expertise include executive development, strategy, and stakeholder management. Julie’s diversified leadership background provides deep experience and insights into building critical stakeholder relationships, team culture, and communication.
Jodi Taub, LCSW
Jodi is a psychotherapist with a private practice in New York. She has more than 27 years of direct care experience with children, adolescents, and adults.
She practices individual, couples, family, and group therapy. Her specialty area is chronic illness and rare disease. Jodi is also an expert lecturer, published writer, and active mental health contributor for the Immune Deficiency Foundation.
Additionally, she has volunteered with the National Association of Social Workers, Jewish Special Interest Group, supporting Jewish individuals and communities in combating antisemitism, providing support, promoting education, and assisting in coping strategies post-October 7th.