Yevgen Bruckman: Hannover, Germany

Yevgen, or Yeffi as his friends call him recently started studying Social Sciences at the Leibniz University in Hannover. He volunteers at his Congregation Etz Chaim as a Madrich for the youth Centre and also help out with the security. A big passion for him is working and organizing reform Machanot (Camps) in Germany to give Jewish kids and teens a better connection to their Judaism and their community.

Learn more about Yevgen’s Klal Yisrael project >

 

Blake Dickler: Reisterstown, MD, USA

Blake is from Baltimore, Maryland and is currently a senior at Boston University, studying business with a minor in religion. He is an employee at the Elie Wiesel Center for Jewish Studies at Boston University where he helps with marketing and outreach for various events. Blake is a NFTY-MAR and URJ Kutz camp alum.

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Naomi Henkel Guembel: Tel Aviv, Israel

Naomi grew up in Germany, where she was engaged in various Jewish frameworks. She has been a camper and a counselor at UPJ Netzer Germany’s camps and was part of Tamar Germany. After high school, she spent a year in Israel at Bina – The Secular Yeshiva’s mechina program. Shortly after, Naomi made Aliyah and began her B.A. in psychology, which was followed by a job at a startup. She left the start-up to get more involved in Jewish initiatives and to go back to study. Naomi is now a member of Tlamim (the young adults movement at the IMPJ) and thrilled to be working with the great team. She recently finished her M.A. in government and is currently in the final year of her Jewish studies M.A.,planning to continue to rabbinical school.

Learn more about Naomi’s Klal Yisrael project >

 

Elena Izmailova: Odessa, Ukraine

Elena came to the reform community when she was 13 years old. She grew up in the community and this in many ways formed and strengthened her personality. She started working as a volunteer, teaching at a Sunday school and taking an active part in the life of the community. Then she went through a series of educational seminars and leadership courses and became a madrich of the Netzer movement. Now, for the sixth year already, she is the coordinator of Netzer and the educational programs in the community of Odessa.

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Fleur Jendroska: Kiel, Germany

Fleur is a Madricha of Netzer Germany, the Reform Jewish Youth Movement. She has been leading and organizing camps since 2014. Besides that, she is in her fourth year of studies of human medicine.

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Gabi Levenfeld: Jerusalem, Israel

Gabi is currently studying Law and PPE (political science, philosophy and economics) at Hebrew University. In addition, Gabi is working for the Reform movement building programs and organizing activities for the young adult Jerusalem community.

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Leah Palestrant: Jacksonville, FL, USA

Leah is a former teacher turned nonprofit leader by day, Jewish youth professional & roller derby skater by night. Currently working as the Learning & Development Director with City Year Jacksonville, Leah is passionate about making sure that all students in her beloved community receive an inspiring education through the leadership development of young people to serve as tutors and mentors in some of Northeast Florida’s most at-risk schools. She has worked with youth in a Jewish capacity at the Temple Institute of Religion at Congregation Ahavath Chesed for three years now, serves as the Madrachim Coordinator there, and well as leading youth as an advisor for Chalutzim at The Jacksonville Jewish Center. Leah’s other two passion projects include OneVoice, an initiative to steward a younger generation by amplifying their voices on social, cultural, and political issues, and being the VP of Tikkun Olam for the her temple’s young professionals group, The Temple 20’s and 30’s, also known as T3.

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Sedona Rosenberg: Gahanna, OH, USA

Sedona is a junior at George Washington University in Washington, DC studying Public Health with a minor in English. She is a volunteer EMT and a junior youth group advisor for a local Reform temple. Sedona grew up spending her summers at Goldman Union Camp Institute (GUCI) first as a camper and then for two years on staff. This past summer she led the camp NFTY in Israel trip. Sedona I also a proud alum of NFTY-OV.

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Hernan Rustein: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Hernán is Chazzan and Executive Director at Templo Libertad, Argentina’s first jewish congregation. He is a rabbinical student at the Iberoamerican Institute of Reform Rabbinical Studies and has previously studied at Seminario Rabinico Latinoamericano and the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem. He also has a degree in political science.

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Josh Satok: New York, NY, USA

Josh Satok currently works as the Senior Assistant Director for URJ Kutz Camp, the Reform movement’s teen leadership camp in Warwick, New York. A proud Canadian, Josh grew up in Toronto before attending Yale University, where he majored in religious studies. Josh is also a graduate of the Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program at Brandeis University, where he earned an MBA in non-profit management and a Master’s in Jewish professional leadership.

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Yiftach Shavit: Mevasseret Zion, Israel

Yiftach is a 26 year old Israeli starting his third (and last!) year as a student for history and international relations at Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He grew up in a Reform family in Mevasseret Zion and has been a member of the Israeli Reform youth movement (Noar Telem), first as a chanich, than as a madrich and member of the Mechina in Jaffa and finally as the current youth coordinator at Kol HaNeshama congregation in Jerusalem . Currently, he is also a member of Tlamim, the young-adult Reform community in Jerusalem.

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Omri Stark: Jerusalem, Israel

Omri grew up in the rural Galilee village of Har Halutz, which was established in 1985 with the support of the Israel Reform Movement. He is a graduate of the Hadassah Academic College in Jerusalem with a BA in business administration. As a student activist he founded the student council and was its chair for 3 years. Prior to his academic studies he was both a participant and later a staff member of the Reform Mechinah (pre-army leadership program) in Jaffa. For the past 4 years he has been active in the Reform Movement’s young adult group, Tlamim, and was one of its founder leaders. In parallel he served for 3 years as a member of the Israel Reform Movement’s executive committee. Today Omri works for the World Union for Progressive Judaism’s Beit Shmuel facility in the Culture Department. In his spare time his an independent event planner and producer.

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Dominika Zakrzewska-Oledzka: Warsaw, Poland

Dominika Zakrzewska-Olędzka is an educator on Jewish heritage in Poland, coordinating international academic and social projects for Polish and Israeli students and teachers. Graduated in psychology and education, she works at the UNESCO Janusz Korczak Chair at the Pedagogical University in Warsaw, where she is finishing her doctorate. She is also a Program director for Union of Progressive Jewish Communities in Poland.

Learn more about Dominika’s Klal Yisrael project >