Meet the 2012 PresenTense Fellows!

Click on a city or region below to sort the fellows. If you'd like to learn more about a fellow and his/her project, click on the profile to enlarge it.

Aaron Wolff

Washington DC ConnectGens

Gather the Jews

Aaron loves to Gather, but also has a “real job” as an engineer with the US Army. Aaron...   See full bio

Addie Lewis Klein

Tribe12 Philadelphia

My Chosen One

I have devoted my career to the Jewish community. At my core, I am a community builder. I have...   See full bio

Adina Davies

Boston CJP

All Aboard

For six years Adina developed and delivered a wide variety of programming to Jewish communities in...   See full bio

Aladin Jaber

Yazamim Jerusalem Foundation

Renaissance School

Aladin taught Civics for many years in Abu Gosh, an Arab neighborhood just outside Jerusalem. He...   See full bio

Alan Jaschkowitz

WCJCC

Alan Jaschkowitz is 37 years old, born in Guatemala, and moved to Mexico 3 years ago with his wife...   See full bio

Alex Weisberg

Threshold

Nachlaot Community Farmer's Market

Emunah and Alex are a married couple that has been living in Nachlaot for two years. They have been...   See full bio

Alma Gadot-Perez

Boston CJP

Working Insight

Gadot-Perez, a "super-trailing spouse," lived in Montreal, Belgium, LA and Boston over...   See full bio

Amit Bob

Tribe12 Philadelphia

Israel At Home

There are many things that go into the equation of who I am. I am a Jew, born in Jerusalem, and a...   See full bio

Amy Fechter

NYC

Strategic Hebrew, Inc.

Amy is the founder of Strategic Hebrew, Inc., which offers children's programming, curriculum...   See full bio

Ari Eitan

Yazamim Jerusalem Foundation

Ilan

Ari Eitan is a graduate of the well known ultra-Orthodox Mir Yeshiva and holds a law degree as a...   See full bio

Arik Bornstein

Yazamim Jerusalem Foundation

ing Jerusalem

Arik Borenstein is a seasoned professional in the field of marketing and communications. He...   See full bio

Arkady Baranovsky

Kaet Moscow

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Baruch Shapiro

Threshold

The Israel Herb School

Baruch Shapiro is a husband, father, herbalist, and director of Israel Herb School in the Emek...   See full bio

Becky Adelberg

JCC PresenTense Chicago

Community! Connect

I am a community builder. From an early age I was exposed to various sides of Judaism— my...   See full bio

Ben Block

Washington DC ConnectGens

ecoetti

Ben is a Baltimore-raised, young professional who has lived between Washington, DC and the Peruvian...   See full bio

Ben Vainer

Boston CJP

Good Question Ink

As a native to the Boston area, Ben loves being back in the city after spending four years...   See full bio

Chaim Davids

Threshold

Moshav Messorah

Chaim is from Baltimore, Maryland where he was raised in a Jewish religious family in a lower-...   See full bio

Chana Rothman

Tribe12 Philadelphia

EcoTroubadour Summer Tour

Tinges of reggae, worldbeat, folk, and hip-hop infuse Chana Rothman's Hebrew-English tunes with...   See full bio

Charles Dabah

JCC PresenTense Chicago

Hidden Artists Collective

I currently work as a career specialist at Inspiration Corporation where I assist clients in...   See full bio

Chaya Lester

Threshold

The Shalev Center

R'Hillel and Chaya Lester are co-founders of the Shalev Center. They live in Nachlaot with...   See full bio

Cheryl Pruce

Washington DC ConnectGens

The Minyan of Thinkers

Cheryl Pruce works as an education policy researcher at the American Institutes for Research in...   See full bio

Courtney Sharpe

JCC PresenTense Chicago

Grandma's Kitchen

Raised in League City, Texas, Courtney D. Sharpe went on to study at Northwestern University where...   See full bio

Daniel Buonaiuto

JCC PresenTense Chicago

Indoor Aquaponic Farming

My name is Dan Buonaiuto and I've recently landed in the Chicago by way of Boston and Colorado...   See full bio

Daniel Cohen

JCC PresenTense Chicago

Chess Buddies

Daniel Cohen is a recent graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he...   See full bio

Daniel Kron

NYC

Camp Mifgash

Daniel Kron was born in Israel and moved to Canada as a young child. He is both bilingual in...   See full bio

Danna Kazir

Tel Aviv Mazeh 9

Nearby

Danna was born and raised in Tel Aviv. She studied at the School for Nature, holds a BA in...   See full bio

David Bratslavsky

NYC

The BestKindofLife.com

David Bratslavsky graduated from The George Washington University, where he was president of Phi...   See full bio

David Franklin

Cleveland

Jews, Rock and Roll: Jewish America told through Music

Downtown Arts Development, in collaboration with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, is...   See full bio

David Micley

Boston CJP

Cousins of Faith Series

David Micley is just starting his first year as the Director of Recruitment and Admissions at...   See full bio

Dov Singal

WCJCC

Dov Jeffrey Singal is 28 and Lives in Jerusalem, Israel.  Born and raised in the United States...   See full bio

Elad Azoulay

Yazamim Jerusalem Foundation

Vision Fulfills a Dream

Elad is currently a student of Communications and Accounting in Jerusalem’s Hebrew University...   See full bio

Elana Averbach

Cleveland

KickStartLove

Dating Coach and Founder of KickStartLove, Elana is passionate about helping singles form exciting...   See full bio

Elisa Heisman

Tribe12 Philadelphia

Shul Solutions

Elisa Heisman has worked as the Program Director at Congregation Beth Or in Maple Glen, PA since...   See full bio

Elizabeth Weber Handwerker

Washington DC ConnectGens

MoEd: A Jewish Afterschool Community

Elizabeth Weber Handwerker holds a PhD in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley and...   See full bio

Emunah Weisberg

Threshold

Nachlaot Community Farmer's Market

Emunah and Alex are a married couple that has been living in Nachlaot for two years. They have been...   See full bio

Erica Fajge

Tribe12 Philadelphia

JToday

I am pleased to be a participant in the Philly Tribe 12 Social Entrepreneur Fellowship for 2012. I...   See full bio

Ezequiel Hajnal

WCJCC

Ezequiel Hajnal is from Lamroth Hakol JCC in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is 27 years old, and has...   See full bio

Fivel Yedidya Glasser

Threshold

P'tach Libi

P'tach Libi's founder and director, Rabbi Fivel Yedidya Glasser has studied in the top ivy-...   See full bio

Fraidy Reiss

NYC

Unchained

Fraidy was 19 when her family arranged for her to marry a man she barely knew. She was 20 when she...   See full bio

Gal Friedman

Tel Aviv Mazeh 9

ShabbaTLV

Gal has lived in Tel Aviv and San Francisco, and and is a social technology entrepreneur. He has a...   See full bio

Georgi Vogel Rosen

Boston CJP

Jewish-Muslim Interfaith Network

Georgi Vogel Rosen has been volunteering on issues related to civil rights advocacy, improving...   See full bio

Hadar Mamrud

Tel Aviv Mazeh 9

CookOut

Hadar lives in Tel Aviv and is an industrial designer by profession. She is a member of a...   See full bio

Hadas BenYacov

NYC

Helpthisjew.com

Hadas BenYacov grew up in a somewhat insular Orthodox home and began to interact with the...   See full bio

Haneen Majadalah

Yazamim Jerusalem Foundation

Ata Center

Haneen is a social activist and a doctoral student in social work at The Hebrew University. She...   See full bio

Hillel Lester

Threshold

The Shalev Center

R'Hillel and Chaya Lester are co-founders of the Shalev Center. They live in Nachlaot with...   See full bio

Ilana Weltman

Washington DC ConnectGens

Service for Survivors

Ilana Weltman, a recent graduate of NYU's Dual MA program in Education and Jewish Studies, grew...   See full bio

Inessa Sinkevich

Kaet Moscow

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Irene Meisel

NYC

Project Sacred Space

Irene Meisel is the educational technology integrator at the Abraham Joshua Heschel School. She has...   See full bio

Ismat Abu Gosh

Yazamim Jerusalem Foundation

Renaissance School

Ismat was born in Jaffa and completed her BA in education and Hebrew literature and a master's...   See full bio

Itay Tayas Zamir

Tel Aviv Mazeh 9

Woosh Water Systems

Itay is an environmental and social entrepreneur and graduate of the Heschel Center...   See full bio

Jamie Ginsberg

Cleveland

Cleveland Connection using Social Media

Jamie Ginsberg is a video producer and partner at Cleveland Groove. He is a technology and...   See full bio

Jayson Littman

NYC

Out! for Israel

Jayson Littman is the founder of He'bro (www.myhebro.com), a nightlife and entertainment group...   See full bio

Jenny Spektor

WCJCC

Jenny (Batya) Spektor is from Odessa, Ukraine. She is 25 years old and has a Master's degree in...   See full bio

Jessica Fisher

JCC PresenTense Chicago

Dinners at the Table

Born and raised in Cincinnati, Jessica is proud of her Midwestern roots and excited to be in...   See full bio

Jill Yanofsky

Boston CJP

Smile and Dial

As a sales professional and volunteer fundraiser, Jill Yanofsky has developed cold-calling skills...   See full bio

Jill Zenoff

JCC PresenTense Chicago

L'Dor v'Dor

Jill is a Jewish environmental educator, farmer, and chef; a 2008 Adamah Summer Fellow at the...   See full bio

Julie Cooper

JCC PresenTense Chicago

Zionism Unplugged

Julie Cooper serves as Director of Public Relations for the Israel Government Tourist Office,...   See full bio

Julie Hochstadter

JCC PresenTense Chicago

The Chainlink

I'm a community organizer at heart. I value the strength of community and what people...   See full bio

Karen Berk

JCC PresenTense Chicago

I have been blessed with talents in music, writing, acting and singing that I have used all my life...   See full bio

Kira Belelubskaya

Kaet Moscow

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Ksenia Nalogina

Kaet Moscow

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Leehe Shulov

Yazamim Jerusalem Foundation

Cranes

Leehe Shulov is an accomplished artist who graduated from the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design....   See full bio

Leora Ezrachi-Vered

Threshold

Shonim

Leora was born in Jerusalem to an American mother and an Israeli father. She grew up in the Israeli...   See full bio

Lila Kagedan

Boston CJP

Sulam

Lila is a consultant, practitioner and educator in ethics, Jewish studies, religion and education...   See full bio

Lisa Gerton

Washington DC ConnectGens

Living Independently with Autism (LIA)

Lisa grew up in the Washington D.C. area, and some of the primary and most influential...   See full bio

Matan Pinkas

Yazamim Jerusalem Foundation

Kama Sukar

Matan Pinkas is currently finishing a degree in film at the Maale Film School. Prior to his studies...   See full bio

Matthew Mausner

Threshold

The New Jerusalem Talmud

Matthew is a historian and social entrepreneur based in Jerusalem. He is the founder of the New...   See full bio

Matti Kovler

Boston CJP

Jewish Music Theater Initiative

Matti Kovler is an Israeli composer whose music has been praised for its "emotive potency...   See full bio

Maxim Delchev

WCJCC

The word that can fully describe Maxim Delchev is 'almost'. He has almost graduated, is...   See full bio

Meggan Levene

Boston CJP

GVNGTogether

Meggan Levene is the Senior Manager of Business Development for City Year, where she builds...   See full bio

Meital Sharon

Tel Aviv Mazeh 9

12 Minutes

Meital Sharon is a writer, translator, woman of the Internet, a thinker and a key partner in the...   See full bio

Menachem Cohen

JCC PresenTense Chicago

Synagogue without Walls

Menachem Cohen is the founding Rabbi of the Mitziut Jewish Community in Chicago and of Congregation...   See full bio

Michael Alan Sara

Tribe12 Philadelphia

Tree of Life Yoga

I've had many great experiences that shaped how I see myself over the years. Six years in the...   See full bio

Michal Rusin

WCJCC

Michal Rusin, Adv. is the, Deputy Human Resources Director of Raanana Municipality. She sits on the...   See full bio

Michelle Cohen

Threshold

Shabbat of a Lifetime

Michelle and Natanel Cohen have been Jewish educators for nearly ten years. Michelle has taught in...   See full bio

Micol Pietra

Tel Aviv Mazeh 9

Streets Speak

Micol Pietra was born in Italy and immigrated to Israel in 1996. Micol studied anthropology and...   See full bio

Moti Ben Haim

Tel Aviv Mazeh 9

Haver Shel Niyar

Moti Ben-Haim lives in Tel Aviv and is connected to everything related to media and communication....   See full bio

Naftali Ejdelman

NYC

Yiddish Farm

Naftali Ejdelman has devoted his life to the preservation and development of Yiddish, his...   See full bio

Naomi Bright

Tribe12 Philadelphia

ILove

I hail from a rural area of West Virginia where the only Jewish family was mine. My parents drove...   See full bio

Natanel Cohen

Threshold

Shabbat of a Lifetime

Michelle and Natanel Cohen have been Jewish educators for nearly ten years. After completing his...   See full bio

Nirit Tayas Zamir

Tel Aviv Mazeh 9

Parents Buy Together

Nirit, a mother of two, lives in Tel Aviv and is a developer and project manager. ...   See full bio

Olga Dukor

Kaet Moscow

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Olga Elshanskaya

Yazamim Jerusalem Foundation

Open Day Project

Olga Elshanskaya was born and raised in Russia, where she successfully completed a BA in...   See full bio

Olga Lovinskaya

Kaet Moscow

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Omri Rozenberg

Tel Aviv Mazeh 9

Books to Go

Omri is 32 years old and from Tel Aviv. He has a law degree from Hebrew University of Jerusalem and...   See full bio

Or Alterman Barnea

Tel Aviv Mazeh 9

Mamazone

Or has worked in communications for 15 years. She started her career as a TV researcher, then...   See full bio

Ori Akrish

Cleveland

Shabatana

Ori Akrish holds a Master's degree (M. Ed.) in Organizational Leadership from Cleveland State,...   See full bio

Pazit Levitan

WCJCC

Pazit Levitan is a New York-based media producer, mother and educator, dedicated to identity-based...   See full bio

Rebecca Aminoff

Threshold

Kol Hadassa

Rebecca is a young mother of four children, an olah chadasha, an MA graduate, an educator and a...   See full bio

Rebecca Meiser

Cleveland

Kindness Counts

Rebecca Meiser is the engagement manager for Hillel at Kent State and an award-winning freelance...   See full bio

Renana Leviani

Tel Aviv Mazeh 9

The Doctoral Students Organization

Renana Leviani is a PhD student in the Department of General Philosophy and is the recipient of a...   See full bio

Ricki Meyer

Washington DC ConnectGens

Packages for Lone Soldiers

Ricki is a 23-year-old Boston native and works at the U.S. Department of Education. She...   See full bio

Robin Sheldon

NYC

BITUI Jewish Art Lab

Robin is an artist and problem-solver, challenging herself with difficult materials to bring out a...   See full bio

Rori Picker Neiss

NYC

Muslim-Jewish Art Fellowship

Rori Picker Neiss is a student at Yeshivat Maharat, a pioneering institution training Orthodox...   See full bio

Rosalie Boxt

Washington DC ConnectGens

Kesher Shir

Cantor Rosalie Boxt serves Temple Emanuel in Kensington, Maryland, a Reform congregation outside...   See full bio

Scott Frankel

JCC PresenTense Chicago

FromtheDiaspora.com

My name is Scott Frankel, and I’m a Jewish explorer, thinker, and storyteller. I believe that...   See full bio

Scott Swichar

Tribe12 Philadelphia

Jewish Mentorship Network

Over the past ten years, I have served the community through several professional leadership roles...   See full bio

Sergey Novikov

Kaet Moscow

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Shira Kaiserman

WCJCC

Shira Kaiserman is from New York City, but originally from Philadelphia, PA. She has been involved...   See full bio

Shiri Shkedi-Rafid

Yazamim Jerusalem Foundation

The Jerusalem Center for Genetics and Society

Shiri was born and raised in Jerusalem. She has always been interested in the human body, which...   See full bio

Shlomi Amsalem

WCJCC

Shlomi, a Jerusalemite, is 44 years old, married and has three children. Shlomi is an independent...   See full bio

Shlomit Magen

WCJCC

Shlomit Magen comes from the Gilo neighborhood in Jerusalem. A mother to Shira and Roni, Shlomit...   See full bio

Shmulik Twig

Yazamim Jerusalem Foundation

Urban Farming Jerusalem

Shmulik Twig has a BFA from the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design and experience working as a...   See full bio

Simone Jowell

Cleveland

Photo Documentary of Cleveland's Elderly

Simone is a photographer based out of Cleveland, Ohio. Her interest lies in documenting human...   See full bio

Smadar Horowitz

Yazamim Jerusalem Foundation

The Jerusalem Center for Genetics and Society

Smadar was born and raised in Haifa. In her youth, she was active in the Bnei Akiva youth movement...   See full bio

Solomon Siegel

NYC

Binyan

Solomon has grown up in a variety of Jewish communities as the son of a Cantor. This experience has...   See full bio

Stacy Miller

Washington DC ConnectGens

NOVA Tribe Series

A DC-metro native, Stacy Miller has had a life-long passion for helping the community and event...   See full bio

Stephanie Singer

Tribe12 Philadelphia

The Bubbi Project

According to strength finders, my top 5 themes are relator, strategic, adaptability, includer and...   See full bio

Talisa Pace

Tribe12 Philadelphia

Vantage Points

Having been homeless in 3 cities for 2 years in her early 20's, Talisa Pace decided that one...   See full bio

Tamar Brody

WCJCC

Tamar Brody, Jerusalem, Israel, is mother of Ariel, 7 years old and Tomer, 5 years old. She is a...   See full bio

Tamar Field-Gersh

Threshold

Tiyul B'Aretz

Tamar has spent most of her professional career working in the field of Jewish and environmental...   See full bio

Tanya Lvova

WCJCC

Tanya Lvova, is the Deputy Director of Jewish Welfare and Community Centre "Eva", St....   See full bio

Uri Bar-On

Tel Aviv Mazeh 9

Kan Cinema

Uri is a director and screenwriter from Tel Aviv. He has a BA in business and a master's degree...   See full bio

Uri Schneider

Threshold

Uri Schneider is an educator and speech-language pathologist.  He is driven to enable every...   See full bio

Wayne Greenberg

WCJCC

Wayne Greenberg, a lifelong New Yorker, resides in Staten Island with his wife, Cathy and his three...   See full bio

Yaacob Ibrahim

Yazamim Jerusalem Foundation

Slametkom

Yaacob, born and raised in Abu Ghosh, earned a BA in communications and journalism, as well as an...   See full bio

Yaakov Lehman

Threshold

Cruisin with DAJUS

Born in 1985 and raised in Arizona, Yaakov earned a B.A. in Global Studies from the University of...   See full bio

Yael Buechler

NYC

Midrash Manicures

Rabbi Yael Buechler is the founder and CEO of Midrash Manicures, which features weekly manicures...   See full bio

Yael Mendelson

NYC

HeartWork

Yael Mendelson is a Jewish educator at SAR Academy, where she works as a Beit Midrash fellow and...   See full bio

Yevgeny Kerbel

Kaet Moscow

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Yevgenya Mazurova

Kaet Moscow

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Yohanan Kosenko

Kaet Moscow

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Zachary Wenner

Washington DC ConnectGens

Neta Map

Zachary Wenner is an analyst at a Washington-DC based commercial real estate firm. He attended...   See full bio
 
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