Profiles
First-Year Students
Nir Buchler (MA/MPP) was born and raised in Paris, France, and moved to New York at the age of 20 after going to a flight school in the South of France. In New York, Nir went to Baruch College where he was graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BA in Political Science. He also interned at the United Nations, worked for 6 months in the New York State Assembly in Albany, NY, and served as the President of Hillel at Baruch. In 2008, Nir journeyed to Israel where he served as an Israel Government Fellow in the Prime Minister's Office, working with the Administration for National Civic Service. Upon returning to the United States, Nir worked with MASA, a joint project of the Jewish Agency and Israel and worked as a research assistant in the Political Science Department at Baruch College. Nir was recently selected as a Wexner Graduate Fellow, a FEREP scholarship recipient, and as a UJC Lowenstein Fellow.
Jillian Constantine (MA/MBA) is originally from northern New Jersey and received her Bachelor's degree in Anthropology from the University of Maryland. Upon graduation she has worked for several Jewish non profits in both fundraising and Israel education. Jillian has spent many of her summers working at Camp Young Judaea Sprout Lake and loved teaching kids about Judaism, Israel and social action. She has also traveled in Southeast Asia and volunteered in Israel with Sudanese Refugees. Jillian is very excited to learn about and further explore the Jewish communal role in global social action.
Alexandria Fanjoy (MA/MA) was raised in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She has always had an insatiable interest in Holocaust and Genocide studies, which both initiated and deepened her connection to Judaism. As a convert, her involvements in the Jewish world have been generally later in life, but include staffing March of the Living, working at Camp Ramah in Canada, and being on the executive board of various Holocaust, Genocide and tolerance groups at the university level. Alexandria received her bachelor’s degree from Queen’s University in Canada in History and Jewish Studies, and a post-grad in International Development. She hopes to work as an educator in a Holocaust museum setting.
Vlad Khaykin (MA/MA) and his family, in response to religious persecution in his native Soviet Union in the late 1980s, were granted political asylum in the United States, and settled in California. Since graduating from the University of California Santa Cruz in 2006 with a B.A. in Business Management Economics, Vlad has pursued his interest in the organized Jewish community through significant employment in Jewish agencies. He recently finished working for the Bureau of Jewish Education as their NESS (Nurturing Excellence in Synagogue Schools) Initiative Program Coordinator and spent two years at the Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation in San Francisco as the Office Manager and Outreach and Communications Coordinator. He has also staffed teen trips to Israel. Upon completion of the Hornstein Program, Vlad would like to work in an educational or leadership setting which would enable him to practice tikkun olam and share his love of Judaism and Jewish culture with others, particularly those who, like his family, were denied the opportunity to observe Judaism. Vlad is a recipient of a Brandeis Genesis Institute scholarship for Russian-speaking Jews.
Elinor Klein, (MA/MA) is attending Hornstein part-time. She received her B.A. in English from SUNY Geneseo and has extensive experience in Jewish day schools. She has also been involved in teaching, admissions, resource development, curriculum and counseling. She hopes to further her education in the field of informal Jewish education along with more general topics of Jewish leadership.
Dmitry Levin (MA/MBA) has been working for several years as a Senior Consultant in a major management consulting firm, focusing on increasing the profitability, efficiency, and effectiveness of companies in the financial industry. His appreciation and passion for Judaism began after a Birthright trip to Israel. Currently, Dmitry volunteers with the Jewish Enrichment Center (JEC) as well as the Birthright Israel Foundation and supports many other Jewish causes. At Hornstein, he is looking to complement his business background with his Brandeis education in order to help Jewish organizations to accomplish their goals. Dmitry is a recipient of a Brandeis Genesis Institute scholarship for Russian-speaking Jews.
Kara Mintzberg (MA/MBA) was born in Montreal, Quebec, but raised in Vancouver, B.C.. In 2006, Kara graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelors of Arts in Sociology and Psychology. In 2008, she won the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver's prestigious Young Leadership Award for her high level of involvement in B.C.'s Jewish community; she is the youngest winner of this award to date, having dedicated countless hours to the Vancouver Hillel Foundation and various local and national Zionist organizations. Kara is the founder of Vancouver Hillel's Young Jewish Urbanites (HYJU) and HYJU: Professional Division and a strong believer in Herzl's declaration that "If you will it, it is no dream."
Tamar Moskowitz (MA/MBA) was raised in Albany, New York. She has always had a passion for Israeli dance and this was a strong connection for her to the Jewish cultural world. She has enjoyed leading a Jewish Conservative club as an undergraduate student, teaching Israeli dance in the Boston area to teens and adults, working as an office manager in a Newton synagogue, and has attended or staffed manyJewish summer programs. Tamar received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Anthropology at Brandeis University and is interested in working in a synagogue setting.
Svetlana Muterperel (MA/MBA) was closely associated with the development of the Jewish community in Russia since the beginning of her career. She grew up in Moscow, Russia, studied social psychology in the Jewish University and worked in a number of local and foreign foundations tasked with the support of the incipient Jewish life after the collapse of the Soviet Union. One of her interests is promoting philanthropic work among young Jewish adults. By co-founding the E-club and "Art of Giving" projects in Russia, she has begun to learn the intracacies of working with this audience. Svetlana believes that the Hornstein/Heller curriculum is uniquely positioned to help her learn about the Jewish American community and best approaches to encourage community professionals to work with young Jewish adults to motivate them to become future lay-leaders. Svetlana is a recipient of a Brandeis Genesis Institute scholarship for Russian-speaking Jews.
Cailtin Quinn (MA/MA) was raised in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, and is passionate about overnight Jewish camping. Caitlin has gained experience by working as a Program Director for the Vancouver Hillel Foundation at the University of British Columbia and by spending her summers working as a unit head at B'nai B'rith Beber Camp and helping to develop Beber's Teen Leadership Program. Caitlin received her Bachelor's degree in History from the University of Victoria.
Tzvi Moshe Raviv (MA/MBA) is from Ashqelon, Israel, and received a B.S. in Science Education from Haifa University. During his time in Haifa, he was active in Green Course, Israel’s national student environmental organization, and also lobbied for the Israel Defense Forces reserve law. After completing his studies, Tzvi worked as the Israel Fellow for the Hillel Foundation of Orange County, where he was recognized as the “Outstanding Emissary” for his work on behalf of Israel and the Jewish people by the Jewish Agency for Israel. Tzvi is interested in working for public education institutions in Israel.
Katie Schlussel (BA/MA), from Teaneck, NJ, is a student in Hornstein's new BA/MA program. As an undergraduate, Katie was attracted to Brandeis due to its strong academic and communal Jewish opportunities. Katie majored in Health: Science, Society, Policy and minored in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies. She was the President of the Brandeis Orthodox Organization and worked as the development intern at the Brandeis Hillel. This passion and enthusiasm for Judaism led Katie to pursue a career within the Jewish professional world. She has also worked as the institutional advancement intern at JESNA (the Jewish Education Services of North America). Katie is interested in working either for a foundation or in the institutional advancement and management sector of an organization.
Rebecca Shapiro (BA/MA) hails from Stamford, Connecticut. As an undergraduate student at Brandeis, Rebecca is majoring in Psychology and Near Eastern and Judaic Studies. Rebecca came to Hornstein following a moving internship with the Foundation for Jewish Camp, and 11 years at Camp Monroe, a Jewish summer camp located in Monroe, New York. She is excited to combine the various Jewish aspects that have comprised an important part of her life, and give back to the Jewish community.
Jimmy Taber (MA/MBA) was raised in Portland, Oregon. He attended Occidental College in Los Angeles where he earned a B.A. in Critical Theory and Social Justice, an interdisciplinary degree that focused on issues of race, gender, and sexuality. While at Occidental, Jimmy interned and worked for a variety of Jewish organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League, Jewish Coalition for Service, Temple Sinai of Glendale, and the Simon Wiesenthal Center Library and Archive. He recently completed a term as an AmeriCorps Promise Fellow with the KOREH L.A., the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles’ literacy program. Jimmy is interested in working in Jewish social services or for an organization that focuses on issues of social justice.
Kelly Ward (MA/MA) graduated from the George Washington University with a B.A. in International Affairs and a minor in Judaic Studies. She spent six months as a Ginsburg Scholar at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Be’er-Sheva, Israel, focusing on Israeli domestic and international politics, terrorism and guerilla warfare. While in Be’er-Sheva, Kelly taught English at a Bedouin grammar school in the Negev. Kelly returned to Israel to explore her interests in Biblical archaeology and ancient Israel, taking part in the excavations at Tel Megiddo, the site of Biblical Armageddon. As a Hornstein student, Kelly hopes to combine her interests in Jewish identity and the laws of kashrut with her passions for cooking and the local and organic food movements. She also has a deep and abiding love for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, and can often be found following them up and down the Eastern Seaboard.
Continuing Students
Ellen Benz (MA/MA) grew up in Worcester, MA. After attending Wellesley College and spending time in Israel and Europe, she returned to Worcester where she lives with her husband and two children, ages 5 and 8. Prior to attending Hornstein as a part time student, Ellen worked in the financial industry as a Relationship Manager. She also focused on the Jewish community in Worcester, teaching Hebrew school at Congregation Beth Israel, volunteering for the Jewish Federation of Central Massachusetts, and then chairing the Development Committee at a Jewish day school in Worcester, where she gained experience in fundraising and an insight into the world of Jewish education. Ellen is attending Hornstein part time and hopes to focus on Jewish education and Israel advocacy in her studies. Ellen is also currently teaching American Jewish History to 4-5th graders at the Beth Israel Hebrew School.
Phillip Brodsky (MA/MBA) is pursuing a double master's in Business Administration and Jewish Professional Leadership. He was awarded a full academic scholarship from the Professional Leaders Project as an Academic Fellow. Prior to graduate school, Phillip spent three years as the Director of Jewish Programming for Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity. In that role, Phillip connected thousands of college students to their Jewish identities through philanthropy, community service, Israel engagement and Jewish enrichment programming. His work won several awards, including most recently the 2008 AIPAC Campus Ally of the Year. At Hornstein, Phillip is focusing on working with the young professionals segment of the Jewish community. Phillip is the current Graduate Intern for Darim Online, where he is learning about different ways to use social media and new technologies to advance the Jewish education and synagogue field. Phillip grew up in Charlotte, N.C., and graduated in 2005 from the University of North Carolina with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communication.
Mimi Garcia (MA/MPP) hails from Austin, TX, where she worked as an organizer with the Texas State Employees Union. She graduated from Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX with a BA in Sociology and Feminist Studies. She will be working with the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston this fall as part of her field placement. Mimi plans to return to Texas after completing her master’s degrees to give back to her Jewish community there.
Noam Gilboord (MA/MA) is focusing on the blossoming field of Jewish Museums. Raised in Toronto, Canada, Noam led various local Jewish student cultural, religious, and political organizations. After graduating with a bachelor's degree in 20th Century History and Prehistoric Archaeology, Noam helped establish the Sigmund Samuel Canadiana Gallery at the Royal Ontario Museum. He then digitized the Cecil Roth collection of Jewish artifacts for the Beth Tzedec Museum in Toronto. At the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, Noam prepared images of prehistoric artifacts for publication and public research. Noam has also worked with the Dead Sea Scrolls as an intern with the National Treasures Department of the Israel Antiquities Authority. Most recently, he has been at the Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust in New York City, where he assisted in the organization of teacher-training conferences. He is interested in using his skills to bring the broad spectrum of Jewish history and tradition to the public. Noam enjoys travel, archaeology, playing his guitar, and listening to Led Zeppelin.
Jared Goldlust (MA/MBA) is originally from Toronto, Canada. With a specialization in Jewish camp management, Jared is the second recipient of the Robert and Elisa Spungen Bildner Fellowship, awarded by the Foundation for Jewish Camp. Jared has tremendous experience in the camping world, including working as the Assistant Director at Camp Kadimah (Halifax, N.S.) and as an executive intern at Camp Young Judaea Texas this past summer. Jared comes from an entrepreneurial background, founding Goldsky Sports Inc., a recreation provider in Nova Scotia while he was an undergraduate student at Dalhousie University studying Recreation Management. After completion of the Hornstein program, Jared hopes to use his training and experience to become the director of a summer camp.
Malka Jampol (MA/MPP) is interested in religion, race, and philanthropy. Originally a Boston native, she received her B.A. in Political Science from Johns Hopkins University. She lived in Baltimore for two years following graduation. During this time, she worked at the Annie E. Casey Foundation on housing and race equity issues, volunteered on a city council campaign, and was the community affairs manager at a substance abuse treatment center in the inner city. Since entering Hornstein, Malka has gained experience in Jewish foundations and family philanthropy through her fieldwork at the Jewish Funders Network. In her spare time, Malka enjoys exploring Boston and running on the bike path near her house.
Jessica Levine (MA/MBA), originally from Coral Springs, Florida, came to Brandeis to combine her business experience with her enthusiasm for Judaism. She has a BS in advertising from Boston University and worked as a copywriter and editing assistant. Since entering Hornstein, Jessica has gained experience in data analysis at Jewish Family & Children's Service and in institutional advancement/development at the Foundation for Jewish Camp. She has also worked at Camp Ramah in New England as an assistant head of an age group. In her spare time, Jessica enjoys running marathons and has raised over $11,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Nina Robinson (MA/MBA) is originally from Louisville, KY, and graduated from Middlebury College in 2005 with a BA in Religion. Before Hornstein, Nina worked as a Research Analyst at the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University and as Northeast Regional Director for the University Student Division of the World Zionist Organization. While in Hornstein, Nina continues to gain the business skills and knowledge of the Jewish community that will enable her to lead an effective and innovative communal organization. This year Nina is completing an internship in the development department of Hebrew SeniorLife. Outside of Hornstein, she has been actively involved in the leadership of Moishe/Kavod House Boston, a young adult organization focused on building Jewish community and connecting members to social justice opportunities.
Shirah Rosin (MA/MPP), originally from Silver Spring, MD, is a graduate of the University of Maryland with a BA in History and Political Science. Passionate about education, and cultivating leadership, Shirah has worked in building community for young adults and teens at Hillel at the University of Washington; the Crossroads Center for At-Risk Teens in Jerusalem and the Nesiya Institute. Additionally, she gained administrative and operational management experience working with the National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality. Since arriving at Brandeis, Shirah has participated in philanthropic initiatives that determined the distribution of $50,000 to grant applicants; co-chaired the Milender Seminar in Jewish Leadership, and engaged in field research in Las Mesas, El Salvador with the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies. When not researching or writing, Shirah enjoys traveling, Scrabble, and a good local micro-brew.
Jordyn Rozensky (MA/MPP) received her BA in English Literature and Religion & Biblical Literature from Smith College, and spent two years planning events and working with unaffiliated students as a JCSC Fellow at MIT Hillel before arriving at Brandeis. Passionate about environmental issues and policy, Jordyn’s field placement was as a research intern for the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies in Israel. She continues to work remotely with Arava EC&T, the consulting branch of the Institute, while finishing her degree at Brandeis. Jordyn’s career aspirations are to parlay her love and appreciation for the environment and Judaism into something greater for the Jewish community.
Hannah White (MA/MBA), although not technically a Canadian citizen (she originally hails from Providence, RI), reserves the right to a half vote in Canadian versus US debates, having spent four years in Montreal as a student at McGill University. Hannah has also lived in Texas, where she worked as a JCSC Fellow for Houston Hillel. Her fieldwork will be at Mayyim Hayyim, where she hopes to learn the ins and outs of development. Hannah loves to sing, and is proud to be a member of the HRNS HEROES, a student running group. She will make her half-marathon debut on Labor Day.