Mati Boulakia-Bortnick
Paris, FR
Dahlia Blossom Cohort 2025
About Mati
Mati (he/him) is a student rabbi at the École Rabbinique de Paris and the Educational Director and Peer Support Director of the Jewish Autism Network, where he leads educational programs and support groups for hundreds of autistic members of the Jewish community each month.
An autistic and multi-disabled activist, Mati works as an autism, neurodiversity and disability educator, peer-support coach, and advocate for the rights of all disabled people. Through his consulting work, Mati supports individuals and organizations in creating inclusive spaces and developing practical tools to empower disabled communities.
Mati is the spiritual director of La Shul, an intentionally disabled, neuro-affirming Neo-Hasidic community in the working-class suburbs of Paris. Dedicated to building progressive Jewish spaces that center those on the margins, Mati seeks to connect with others engaged in similar work throughout Europe, particularly in France, home to the third-largest Jewish community in the world.
Mati studied Jewish History and Jewish Thought at Indiana University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He serves on the Board of Directors of SVARA and is the co-editor of the forthcoming Neurodivergent Torah (Ben Yehuda Press, 2026). He lives in Paris with his spouse and their dog, where they balance radically inclusive community-building with collecting books and baking pizzas.