New chair at Victoria’s Courage to Care

Sabrina Chakman has been appointed as the new B’nai B’rith Chair of Courage to Care Victoria Inc.

Chakman, known as Sabi, takes up the role this month, following the sad passing of the previous Chair, Judy Glick, who held the position from August 2022.

Courage to Care Victoria was founded in 1992 as an initiative of B’nai B’rith, the global Jewish service organisation. It is a registered not-for-profit organisation. The organisation provides social acceptance and upstander education programs aimed at empowering individuals to stand up against prejudice and discrimination in all forms.

Chakman joined Courage to Care in January 2019 and has since played a pivotal role in various areas, particularly leveraging her experience in education. She has experience working at four universities in Victoria. Chakman holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Monash University and a Diploma of Education from Rusden State College. She taught academic skills and creative writing at Swinburne TAFE for twenty years and contributed to programs designed for adults returning to study. She was a senior careers educator at Deakin University for 15 years.

She later completed a Master’s degree in Educational Studies, focusing on how values are embedded in curricula, and a Graduate Diploma in Careers Education, concluding her professional career as a Senior Careers Educator at Deakin University before retiring in 2018.

At Courage to Care, Chakman has facilitated school and adult programs, was a ‘Custodian Speaker’ sharing her father’s Holocaust story, chaired the Education Sub-Committee, and was a member of the Courage to Care Committee of Management.

Courage to Care said: “Her deep passion for education, inclusion, and human rights is shaped by personal experience and professional dedication.”

Chakman commented that her role as ‘Nanny’ to her grandchildren was her most beloved and said, “discovering Courage to Care has been the most fulfilling experience of her life.”

“Going into schools across metropolitan and rural Victoria enables me to talk to a diverse range of people. We learn from each other and explore together the damage that hate and discrimination cause.”

“It is so satisfying to witness the students’ deep attention when a Holocaust Survivor shares their Upstander story – stories of being rescued by ordinary people with the moral conviction, compassion, and courage to stand up in the most challenging of circumstances. It highlights the power each individual holds to make a difference.”

Courage to Care said, “We are confident she will continue Judy Glick’s legacy of compassionate leadership while bringing her own unique ideas, voice, and perspective to this vital role.”

Solicitor Kerryn Lowe will continue as Vice Chair and has also been appointed as a Director of Courage to Care Australia Ltd, representing Victoria at the national level.

 

 

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