Photos and Quotes about a Genesis experience.
Community Educators
Conversations on the lawn. Expeditions. Meals. Shabbat afternoon. Evenings in the dorm lounge. Celebrating Shabbat.
These are just a few of the places and times that you will encounter the Community Educators. Comprised of graduate students and professionals with a love for and expertise in experiential Jewish education, the community education team guides and inspires participants in the challenging work of understanding and creating diverseJewish community. In addition, Community Educators facilitate programs that encourage participants to reflect upon their own emerging identities.
Community Educators receive specialized training in working with teens, teamwork, pluralism, and community-building. They will inspire you to find your voice, take on leadership roles, and contribute to a vibrant community.
Meet the 2013 Community Educators
David Bogomolny - Lead CE
David Bogomolny is returning for his second summer as a CE. David was born in Jerusalem to parents who had made Aliyah from the USSR in the 70's; and was raised speaking Russian at home, despite growing up in America. Since 2009 he has been living in Jerusalem, while studying and working at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, striving to personalize his Jewish heritage in an informed and meaningful way. He is also a trained 'Ayeka' facilitator, has taught Jewish prayer at Tichon Ramah Yerushalayim, and has worked for the past three years at an educational JAFI summer camp on the outskirts of Saint Petersburg, Russia with his wife Margo. Beyond the realm of Jewish education, David completed his undergraduate work in Biomedical Engineering at CWRU, and received his Master's degree in Public Policy from Rutgers University before working for several years as a contractor at the U.S. Department of Energy.
Eli Cohn
Originally from Minneapolis, Eli Cohn grew up attending a variety of Jewish summer camps and youth groups. He studied philosophy at Lewis and Clark College, where he helped found the Greater Portland Hillel and served as its first president. After school he spent a year living and volunteering in Israel on the program OTZMA. For the past two years Eli has worked as the Coordinator for Israel Engagement at Brandeis Hillel. In the fall he will be enrolling as a graduate student at Brandeis where he will be studying Jewish leadership and Near Eastern and Judaic Studies. Eli loves reading, traveling, art, and sweaters.
Jessica Goldberg
Jessica Goldberg is returning for her second year at Genesis and her first year as a Community Educator; she was a member of the intern team in the summer of 2012. Jessica recently graduated from Brandeis University with a B.A. in Psychology and Religious Studies and a minor in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, and she plans to begin rabbinical school at Hebrew College in Massachusetts in the fall of 2014 after spending a year outside of the classroom and the Beit Midrash. During her undergraduate career, Jess served as the Student President of Hillel at Brandeis and is now in her third year as a member of the Hillel at Brandeis Board of Directors. Jess spends most of her free time writing divrei Torah for fun, engaging friends in interfaith dialogue, talking about Harry Potter, playing with cute animals, watching The West Wing, and hunting ghosts. As an intern in 2012, Jess led the Learning Squad, a weekly pluralistic learning program at BIMA and Genesis which also returns for its second summer this year.
Kelly Kossar
Kelly Kossar is finishing up her fourth year working at the American Hebrew Academy in Greensboro, NC as a House Parent, Teacher and Administrator. Kelly has worked in various Reform and pluralistic settings, including five summers on staff at the URJ Kutz Camp, Hillel at Binghamton University Executive Board and the Brandeis Collegiate Institute. She graduated from Binghamton University in 2009 with a BA in Judaic Studies and was part of the first HUC-JIR cohort to receive a Certificate in Jewish Education Specializing in Adolescents & Emerging Adults in 2012. She is looking forward to continuing her education at the end of the summer when she moves to NYC to pursue a Master’s Degree in Jewish Education from JTS. Kelly has recently discovered her love of guitar and enjoys song leading every chance she can get!
Ilana Sidorsky
Originally from New Jersey, Ilana Sidorsky is pursuing a Masters in Jewish Experiential Education from the Davidson School of Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary. As part of her graduate work, she recently returned from a semester in Jerusalem concentrating in Israel Education. As an undergraduate at Brandeis University, Ilana studied Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and Sociology and combined her love for learning and travel while studying abroad in Prague, Czech Republic. For many summers, Ilana enjoyed working as a counselor and unit head at Ramah Day Camp in Nyack. Ilana loves Zumba, road trips, and making her friends laugh. She is very excited to return to Brandeis for her first Genesis summer!