Ronni Kahn (;

née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...

Hellmann; born 1952) is a South African-born Australian

social entrepreneur Social entrepreneurship is an approach by individuals, groups, Startup company, start-up companies or entrepreneurs, in which they develop, fund and implement solutions to social, cultural, or environmental issues. This concept may be applied to ...

, best known for founding the food rescue charity OzHarvest. Kahn, who emigrated to Australia from

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

in 1988, was awarded the Local Hero Award in 2010, as part of the

Australian of the Year The Australian of the Year is a national award conferred on an Australian citizen by the National Australia Day Council, a not-for-profit Australian Government-owned social enterprise. Similar awards are also conferred at the state and territor ...

awards. In 2019, she was made an

Officer of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

(AO). As of 2024, her organisation had delivered over 250 million meals in Australia. In 2019, Kahn initiated a sister organisation, SA Harvest, in her native

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

Early life and education

Ronni Kahn was born and raised in

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

parents, Abe Hellmann and his wife, Sylvia Hellmann (née Papilsky).From a hair-do to a guru: the three events that changed Ronni Kahn’s life
''The Jewish Independent''. 8 October 2020 Her father was an architect and she attended King David School, a private

Jewish Day School A Jewish day school is a modern Jewish educational institution that is designed to provide children of Jews, Jewish parents with both a Jewish and a secular education in one school on a full-time basis. The term "day school" is used to differentiat ...

Linksfield Linksfield is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is a suburb lying north-east of the Johannesburg CBD and is surrounded southerly by Linksfield Ridge, easterly by Linksfield North and Bedford, St Andrews and Senderwood. Linksfield itself ...

.OzHarvest founder Ronni Kahn reflects on her life
''The Sydney Morning Herald''. 22 October 2014 Growing up, she lived next door to the activist Jules Browde and his wife, Selma, who were a source of inspiration for Kahn and later life-long friends of hers. Their children were also Kahn's playmates. She met her future husband when they both attended the socialist-Zionist youth movement,

Habonim Dror Habonim Dror (, "the builders–freedom") is a Jewish Labor Zionist youth movement formed in 1982 through the merger of two earlier movements: Habonim and Dror. Habonim (, "the builders") was established in 1929 in the United Kingdom and later e ...

. In 1970, during her undergraduate studies in South Africa, she was awarded a scholarship to study in

. She subsequently graduated with a BA in Fine Arts and English from the

University of Haifa The University of Haifa (, ) is a public research university located on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel. Founded in 1963 as a branch of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the University of Haifa received full academic accreditation as an inde ...

. She lived on a

kibbutz A kibbutz ( / , ; : kibbutzim / ) is an intentional community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. The first kibbutz, established in 1910, was Degania Alef, Degania. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economi ...

in the

Jezreel Valley The Jezreel Valley (from the ), or Marj Ibn Amir (), also known as the Valley of Megiddo, is a large fertile plain and inland valley in the Northern District (Israel), Northern District of Israel. It is bordered to the north by the highlands o ...

, where she was joined by her husband.

Career

Kahn immigrated to Australia in 1998, and started an event management business.

Inspiration

On a holiday to South Africa, she was galvanised into action by a friend who had helped to bring electricity into the township of

Soweto Soweto () is a Township (South Africa), township of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for ''South Western T ...

. Kahn recalls that was the moment her life of purpose began; she wanted to do something meaningful for other people. Building on her experience in corporate hospitality, she was shocked by the amount of

food waste The causes of food going uneaten are numerous and occur throughout the food system, during food production, production, food processing, processing, Food distribution, distribution, Grocery store, retail and food service sales, and Social clas ...

, although not initially aware of the relationship between

and environmental problems.

OzHarvest

Kahn founded OzHarvest in 2004, initially with the support of people in the restaurant and catering industries in

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

. It is a non-denominational charity that rescues excess food which would otherwise be discarded and distributes it to charities supporting the vulnerable around Australia. After lobbying for changes to civil liability and health legislation that prevented food donors from supplying excess food, the legislation was changed in four Australian states, starting in

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

in 2005. Kahn says OzHarvest "delivers the equivalent of 25 million meals a year that would otherwise be dumped". Kahn was behind the creation of the Nest program – Nutrition, Education & Sustenance Training – which aims to educate vulnerable Australians about nutrition and healthy eating, providing valuable life skills to disadvantaged and marginalised communities. In her advocacy, Kahn highlights the broader global issues affecting

. In 2017 OzHarvest for the fifth year partnered with the

United Nations Environment Program The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is responsible for coordinating responses to environmental issues within the United Nations system. It was established by Maurice Strong, its first director, after the United Nations Conference on ...

(UNEP) on the "Think.Eat.Save" campaign. In December 2014 Ronni attended the Sustainable Innovation Forum in

Lima, Peru Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...

, as part of the Think.Eat.Save campaign, which was held at the margins of the

UNFCCC The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the UN process for negotiating an agreement to limit dangerous climate change. It is an international treaty among countries to combat "dangerous human interference with th ...

Climate Change Conference. The event served to remind delegates of the level that food waste contributes to dangerous greenhouse gases, which affect climate change, and the amount of resources squandered when food is wasted. In 2018, Kahn was looking for a location in Sydney to establish a refettorio in collaboration with Italian chef and restaurateur

Massimo Bottura Massimo Bottura (born 30 September 1962) is an Italian chef, gastronome and entrepreneur. Massimo Bottura is Chef and owner of Osteria Francescana (located in the historic center of his native Modena), which has earned three Michelin stars and ...

, whom she had met in 2016 and who established a series not-for-profit restaurants that aim “to empower communities to fight food waste through social inclusion”. The plan is for OzHarvest to look after the site, operations, volunteers and supply of rescued food as well as communicate with agencies that supply food to people in need. In 2020, the chosen site for the OzHarvest Refettorio was announced as 481

Crown Street, Sydney Crown Street is a street in the inner Sydney suburbs of Woolloomooloo, East Sydney, Darlinghurst and Surry Hills in New South Wales, Australia. The Surry Hills section is lined with restaurants and shops and includes the Crown Street Public S ...

. In 2018, A biographical documentary film about Kahn's crusade to reduce food waste, ''Food Fighter'', was released in 2018. It was produced and directed by Daniel Goldberg over two years and covers Kahn's efforts in Australia, the United Kingdom, South Africa and Thailand. Since 2019, Kahn has also been involved with SA Harvest, the sister organisation of OzHarvest, in her native

. Kahn sits on the board and appointed her childhood friend, Alan Bowde as CEO. In 2023, the organisation reached a milestone, having delivered over 50 million meals in the country. In 2022, OzHarvest served its 50 millionth donated meal. In the same year, Kahn was invited to address the National Press Club of Australia. In October 2024,

Queen Camilla Camilla (born Camilla Rosemary Shand, later Parker Bowles, 17 July 1947) is List of British royal consorts, Queen of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms as the wife of King Charles III. Camilla was raised in East ...

visited OzHarvest's restaurant in

Surry Hills Surry Hills is an Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), inner-east suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Surry Hills is immediately south-east of the Sydney central business district in the Local government in Australia, local gover ...

, with Kahn presenting the Queen with a small silver brooch with a crown. In November 2024, she was nominated by ''

Marie Claire ''Marie Claire'' (stylized in all lowercase; ) is a French international monthly magazine first published in France in 1937. Since then various editions are published in many countries and languages. The feature editions focus on women aro ...

'' (Australia) for "Icon of the Year" award with fellow nominees,

Nicole Kidman Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an Australian and American actress and producer. Known for Nicole Kidman on screen and stage, her work in film and television productions across many genres, she has consistently ranked among the world ...

and

Emma McKeon Emma Jennifer McKeon, (born 24 May 1994) is a retired Australian competitive swimmer. She is an eight-time world record holder, three current and five former, in relays. Her total career haul of 14 Olympic medals following the 2024 Olympic Gam ...

Other activities

She lived in

for 18 years and is a patron of the Australian branch of the

New Israel Fund The New Israel Fund (NIF; ; ) is a United States–based NGO established in 1979. It describes its objective as social justice and equality for all Israelis. The New Israel Fund says it has provided $300 million to over 900 Israeli civil society ...

.Our patrons
New Israel Fund Australia. Retrieved on 10 November 2024 In 2012, she and

Martin Indyk Martin Sean Indyk (July 1, 1951 – July 25, 2024) was an Australian-American diplomat and foreign relations analyst with expertise in the Middle East. Indyk was a distinguished fellow in International Diplomacy and later executive vice preside ...

became the inaugural patrons of branch. In February 2024, Kahn participated in a NIF discussion with Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins at Emanuel Synagogue in

. They spoke about current challenges amid the

October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel On October 7, 2023, Hamas and several other Palestinian militant groups launched coordinated armed incursions from the Gaza Strip into the Gaza envelope of southern Israel, the first invasion of Israeli territory since the 1948 Arab–Israeli ...

and the

Gaza war The Gaza war is an armed conflict in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel fought since 7 October 2023. A part of the unresolved Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Israeli–Palestinian and Gaza–Israel conflict, Gaza–Israel conflicts dating ...

Personal life

She married her first husband, Des Kahn, from South Africa's Jewish community, on a

in 1972. The couple had two sons together, Nadav (born 1974) and Ido (born 1978). Des served in the

Yom Kippur War The Yom Kippur War, also known as the Ramadan War, the October War, the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, or the Fourth Arab–Israeli War, was fought from 6 to 25 October 1973 between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states led by Egypt and S ...

in 1973, when she was

pregnant Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring gestation, gestates inside a woman's uterus. A multiple birth, multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins. Conception (biology), Conception usually occurs ...

with Nadav. The couple divorced amicably in 1999. In 2005, she married Irving Wallach, a Sydney

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include arguing cases in courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, jurisprud ...

. In 2023, Kahn was visiting family in

during the

. She condemned the attacks: “No political situation can justify this slaughter and torture and terrorism.”

Memoir

Kahn's memoir, titled ''A Repurposed Life'', was released in 2020.

Awards

Ronni Kahn has been acknowledged as a leader in the fields of entrepreneurship, social impact and innovation. Her contributions have been widely recognised through numerous awards including: * 2010 Australia's Local Hero,

Awards, in recognition of her work founding OzHarvest. * 2010 Enriched List, American Express * 2011 InStyle Woman of Style Award - Community /Charity category * 2012 Veuve Clicquot Award Business Woman Tribute Award for Innovation, Entrepreneurial Skill and Contribution to the Community * 2012 Ernst & Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year * 2017 BOSS magazine Top 21 True Leaders * 2017 Gourmet Traveller Outstanding Contribution to Hospitality * 2017 Griffith University Doctor of the University (honoris causa) * 2018 ''The Australian Financial Review'' 100 Women of Influence award for social enterprise and not-for-profit * 2019

(AO). For distinguished service to social welfare, particularly through the development and delivery of innovative programs.

References

External links

OzHarvest website

SA Harvest website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kahn, Ronni Living people 1952 births South African Jews Australian Jews South African people of Lithuanian-Jewish descent Australian people of Lithuanian-Jewish descent Israeli people of Lithuanian-Jewish descent Australian women activists Israeli women activists South African women activists 21st-century Australian businesswomen 21st-century Australian businesspeople Israeli Jews South African emigrants to Australia South African emigrants to Israel Israeli emigrants to Australia Officers of the Order of Australia University of Haifa alumni Alumni of King David Schools, Johannesburg