2024 Amazing Speakers
Anne Hansen
Anne Hansen is currently the Executive Director of Ignatians West in Los Angeles.
Ignatians West seeks to transform lives by supporting nonprofit agencies that
assist people who are poor or marginalized through the service and companionship
of mature adults 50+ who are available to share their experience and talent in
meaningful part-time volunteer positions and reflect on their encounters in the Ignatian tradition.
Anne writes reflections on the Sunday readings for the Ignatians West newsletter and is working on a book with her sister, an Episcopal priest, on their shared experience with faith, ministry and family. When time permits she serves as a spiritual director.
Prior to this position, Anne was involved with a number of ministries in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and for 20+ years wrote a column, Family Time, for the former Los Angeles Catholic newspaper, The Tidings.
She has facilitated numerous workshops and retreats as well as teaching classes on topics related to ministry and spirituality.
Anne has a BA in Psychology from Immaculate Heart College, an M.Ed. in Educational Psychology from California State University, Northridge and an MA in Pastoral Theology from Loyola Marymount University.
A native of Los Angeles, Anne lives in Camarillo, California with her husband where they enjoy the graces and adventures of their five children and 9 grandchildren.
Rabbi Rebeccah Yussman
Rabbi Rebeccah Yussman is the Director of Jewish Learning and Living at Temple Menorah
in Redondo Beach. Rabbi Rebeccah has worked in different capacities in the Jewish community
for over twenty years. After graduating from Berkeley with a degree in religious studies, Rabbi
Rebeccah took a fellowship with Hillel, the organization for Jewish students on college campuses,
at California State University, Northridge. During her time at CSUN, Rabbi Rebeccah organized
her first interfaith seder as well as helped coordinate an interfaith vigil in response to 9/11. From
that time, Rabbi Rebeccah continued working with other faith groups for holiday events and as
a guest speaker.
In 2004, Rabbi Rebeccah earned a master’s degree in Jewish Education from American Jewish University. For the next several years, she pursued rabbinic ordination while working at various synagogue religious schools and Jewish camps, across all age groups and denominations. During her career, Rabbi Rebeccah has trained at least three hundred young people for Bar/Bat Mitzvah, developed curricula in areas such as Jewish history, social action, and the arts, and directed religious schools and Jewish camps.
In 2017, Rabbi Rebeccah helped found the Interfaith Women’s Group with the South Coast Interfaith Council. With her interfaith colleagues, Rabbi Rebeccah put together the first Interfaith Women’s Freedom Seder, which drew over fifty Christian, Jewish, and Muslim women to study and celebrate together. This year, she is working to establish a Jewish-Muslim Youth Coalition to further bolster interfaith relationships and understanding. Rabbi Rebeccah was ordained as a rabbi by the Academy for Jewish Religion, Los Angeles, in 2017. Since then, she has continued her work at Temple Menorah, directing the religious school and assisting with community and holiday programs as well as pulpit and pastoral work.
When not at work, Rabbi Rebeccah enjoys spending time with her husband, Chad, and her children Matan and Miriam, going to the beach, and rooting for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
