Efrat Machikawa

Efrat Machikawa is a global lecturer dedicated to promoting dialogue and cross-cultural collaboration. With over two decades of experience as a cultural trainer and academic educator, she has designed curricula and advised on initiatives in dialogue and coexistence, specializing in cross-cultural communication and leadership development. Her diplomatic career includes service as Culture, Science & Innovation Attaché at the Israeli Embassy in Japan, where she forged international cultural and scientific partnerships and promoted mutual understanding.

On October 7th, 2023, six members of her family were brutally kidnapped from their homes, among them her aunt Margalit Moses and her uncle Gadi Moses. Since October 7th, as a member of the Israeli Hostage Families, Efrat has directed her efforts toward the release of her family members and has assumed a prominent role in national civil-society efforts, building the diplomatic groundwork for the return of all hostages. She is an active member of the Hostage and Missing Families Forum’s international strategic leadership group and one of its most visible spokespersons, conducting media interviews in more than 45 countries. In addition, she leads and represents German-Israeli hostage families and works to strengthen German-Israeli solidarity in this critical period while reinforcing the shared values of freedom, human dignity, and responsibility.