Our Team
Romy Prins
Romy is on the committee of Unchain My Heart, to be able to assist those unable to receive a gett, one of the biggest halachic challenges of the current generation. Romy is modern orthodox, with a strong yearning to create a seat for women at the table of modern orthodoxy.
Romy is no stranger to active participation in the Melbourne Jewish community. Romy's other community involvement includes being on the board and overseeing the finances of Emunah Australia, a grassroots organisation in Israel that changes lives through children’s homes, counselling centres and childcare centres, and other community related services. Romy is Company Secretary and a Board Member of Emunah Australia. Romy is also on the finance sub-committee of NCJWA (Vic).
In Romy's day job, she helps develop financial capability in vulnerable adults, children and communities as a Financial Capability worker at Good Shepherd and undertakes research on building financial capability at schools.
Yael Hersham
Yael, Chair of Unchain My Heart, is a dedicated volunteer actively engaged in multiple organisations. As a Court Networker, she provides support, information, and referrals to court users, ensuring they feel informed and supported throughout the legal process. She also serves as an advisor with Jewish Care’s Community Education and Participation team, where she contributes to the design, delivery, and evaluation of culturally safe community education programs, with a strong focus on family violence, gender equity, and the Orthodox community.
Yael is a committee member of Emunah Australia and passionate in her advocacy for Israel and world Jewry.
Yael is an UMH case manager and attends the MBD at Gittin hearings.
Deborah Weiner
Debbie is a barrister and writer with a long-standing passion for human rights and in particular the rights of women. She was Chair of the Jewish Taskforce Against Family Violence and was also on the committee of To Be Loved, an NFP advocating for children’s voices to be heard in family law disputes.
Shosh Landau
Shosh is a strategist and communicator with a background in marketing, social impact, and Jewish communal work. She is passionate about driving meaningful change and amplifying underrepresented voices through thoughtful campaigns and grassroots engagement.
As a board member of Unchain My Heart, Shosh is committed to raising awareness around the plight of agunot in Australia and advocating for a more just and compassionate future.
Esther Althaus
Esther is a passionate advocate for women facing challenging personal circumstances, particularly within the Jewish community. She is a committee member of Unchain My Heart, a coalition of Jewish women’s organizations dedicated to supporting victims of Gett refusal. Leveraging her strong relationships with the Melbourne Beth Din and communal leaders, Esther has played a vital role in resolving complex and sensitive cases, helping women regain their freedom and dignity.
Beyond her advocacy, Esther brings her expertise as a financial adviser and founder of Perspective Financial Services, where she helps women navigate financial independence after divorce, widowhood, or inheritance. With her collaborative approach and deep understanding of the emotional and financial challenges women face, she empowers her clients to make informed decisions. Esther’s leadership, combined with her warm and insightful approach, has made her a trusted ally and an inspirational figure in both her professional and communal roles.
Ann Wollner
Ann works to promote social justice, gender equality, child rights and mental health.
She is an experienced Family Lawyer, Child and Adolescent Psychologist, researcher, advocate and educator, who specialises in family violence, trauma and International Parental Child Abduction.
Ann has worked at universities and not for profits and has sat on many boards and committees. Each organisation that she been associated with has promoted equality, wellbeing and education.
These organisations include the Monash University, Mount Scopus College, National Council of Jewish Women Australia, United Jewish Education Board, Unchain My Heart and Maoz.
To change Australian and Victorian law, Ann co-authored submissions to the Royal Commission on Family Violence and the Australia Law Reform Commission on Family Law, Family Violence and Jewish Divorce. These submissions were endorsed by the peak Jewish organisations throughout Australia, including the Rabbinical Council of Victoria. As a result of the submission to the Royal Commission, the refusal to give a Jewish Divorce (Gett) was recognised as an example of emotional family violence.
As an advocate, Ann was very involved in the first case in Australia (Moorabbin Magistrates Court, Victoria), in which Gett refusal was used as the basis of a family violence intervention order under the Family Violence Protection Act 2008 (Vic).