Born and raised in Paris, France, Hana Barouk received her PhD in Languages, Literatures and Civilizations from University of Lille III, France. From 2004 to 2008 she was vice-principal of BMC Teachers’ College in Ste Agathe, Quebec where she was instrumental in opening a dialogue between various Chassidic communities and their French neighbors. As a result, she was nominated as Woman of the Year by Elle Magazine in Quebec in February of 2008.