Student Profiles

First Years:

Program: Heller/Hornstein
Previous Occupation: Director of IDC Hillel, Herzilya, Israel, US House of Representatives Intern
Volunteer Work: Holocaust Survivors Club, Young Jewish Global Forum, Israel 2020
BA: Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, Israel, Government, Conflict Resolution
Graduate Study: Hebrew University
Fellowships/Scholarships: Safran, Michael & May; Sidney Fleck Memorial Scholarship; Sperry, Mr. Leonard
Hometown: Jerusalem, Israel

Program: Heller/Hornstein
BA: American University, Elementary Education
Previous Occupation: 5^th Grade Teacher
Career Goal: Camp Director
Fellowships/Scholarships: Robert and Elisa Spungen Bildner Fellowship in Jewish Camp Management; Arthur F. Silbert Endowed Fellowship; Anna & Meyer Prentis Endowed Fellowship
Hometown: Newton, PA

Program: NEJS/Hornstein
Previous Occupation: Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix, Shelters for Domestic Violence
BA: Northern Arizona University, Women’s Studies
Volunteer Work: Flagstaff Family Food Center, Project OTZMA
Fellowships/Scholarships: Max and Betty Ratner Scholarship; Goldstein Endowed Scholarship
Hometown: Scottsdale, AZ
Interests/Hobbies: Rock climbing, water sports, sewing, writing

Program: Heller/Hornstein
Previous Occupation: Hillel at University of Illinois, Taglit birthright
BA: University of Western Ontario, Psychology
Volunteer Work: University of Toronto Cognitive Aging Lab, Toronto Mental Health Tune-Up
Fellowships/Scholarships: Eugene Ribakoff Fellowship
Hometown: Toronto, Canada

Program: Heller/Hornstein
Previous Occupation: JCSC Fellowship, Hillel at University of Illinois
Volunteer Work: JUF TOV Literacy Project
BA: University of Illinois Urbana- Champaign, International Studies/Spanish
Fellowships/Scholarships: Davidson, Hermelin, Zlotoff Endowed Fellowship in Jewish Communal Service; Samuel and Florence Melton Endowed Fellowship
Hometown: Buffalo Grove, IL

ADAM KOLETT

Program: Heller/Hornstein
Previous Occupation: Young Judea, Israel
Volunteer Work: Memphis Jewish Student Union
BA: University of Texas, History
Fellowships/Scholarships: Eugene Ribakoff Fellowship, Ezra J. and Rita H. Denerstein Endowed Fellowship
Hometown: Austin, TX
Interests/Hobbies: Outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, camping

ISAAC ROTHBART

Program: Heller/Hornstein
Previous Occupation: JCC on the Palisades
Career Goal: Camp Director
Volunteer Work: Hudson River Sloop Clearwater
BA: New York University, Secondary Education, Social Studies
Fellowships/Scholarships: Edward Fein Hornstein Fellowship
Hometown: New York, NY
Interests/Hobbies: Sailing, canoeing, scuba diving

JOSHUA STERNBURG

Program: Heller/Hornstein
Previous Occupation: Assistant Director, URJ Camp George, Toronto, ON
Career Goal: Camp Director
Volunteer Work: Resource Exchange
BA: The Colorado College, Political Science
Fellowships/Scholarships: Edward Fein Hornstein Fellowship
Hometown: Honesdale, PA

JORDYN ROZENSKY

Program: NEJS/Hornstein
Current Occupation: JCSC Fellow at MIT Hillel
Volunteer Work: Habitat for Humanity
BA: Smith College, English and Religion
Fellowships/Scholarships: Edward Fein Hornstein Fellowship
Hometown: Archer, FL
Interests/Hobbies: Cooking, pottery and violin

SHIRA ZELIGER

Program: NEJS/Hornstein
Previous Occupation: KOACH Programming Intern at York University, Camp Ramah in Canada
Career Goal: Jewish Education
Volunteer Work: Hillel at York University, Kehiliat Or Hadash
BA: York University, Education/Jewish Studies/History
Fellowships/Scholarships: Hirshenhorn Endowed Scholarship; Reisman Endowed Fellowship Fund; Bennett Solomon Endowed Fund in Jewish Education; Robert Russell Memorial Foundation Scholarship
Hometown: Toronto, Canada
Interests/Hobbies: Aerobics, Canadian and Israeli politics, traveling, hiking

Continuing Students:

Program: Heller/Hornstein
Previous Occupation: Regional Director, The Forest Foundation
Research Interest: Management and leadership best practice
Volunteer Work: Super Sunday Chair
BA:  UC Santa Barbara ‘03, Global Studies
Fellowships/Scholarships:  Professional Leaders Project
Hometown:  Oakland, CA
Interests/Hobbies: Snowboarding, camping, traveling
Quote: "Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get. “ Brother Dave Gardner
Hornstein Professional Field Experience: Hebrew Senior Life, Boston

Program: NEJS/Hornstein
Previous Occupation: Jewish education (Genesis at Brandeis, PANIM, Yale Hillel)
Career Goals:  Study of American Jews, focus on relation between political and religious orientations, political debates within Jewish community, and analysis of Jewish community discourse
BA: Wesleyan University '03, Anthropology
Fellowships/Scholarships: Eugene Ribakoff Fellowship, Leo Wasserman Endowed Fellowship
Hometown: Oakhurst, NJ
Interests/Hobbies: Radical Jewish culture, Judaism and social justice, beatboxing
Religious Denomination: Post-Denominational
Hornstein Professional Field Experience: Moishe House Boston: Kavod Jewish Social Justice House, Brookline, MA

JASON HARRIS

Program: NEJS/Hornstein
Previous Occupation: Senior Legislative Aide, Congressman Alcee L. Hastings
BA: University of California, Davis '02, International Relations
Fellowships/Scholarships: Eugene Ribakoff Fellowship
Other Academic/Professional Interests: Politics, history
Hometown: Mill Valley, CA
Interests/Hobbies: Photography, writing, movies, guitar, travel
Quote: “A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on.”  John F. Kennedy
Religious Denomination: Jewish!
Hornstein Professional Field Experience: Jewish Community Relations Council of San Francisco, CA

ADAM KANCHER

Program: Heller/Hornstein
Previous Occupation: JCC New Orleans
Career Goals: Executive director of a major Jewish non-profit
Volunteer Work: Otzma
BA: University of Wisconsin ‘04, Child Development
Fellowships/Scholarships: Professional Leaders Project Academic Fellowship, Melvin S. and Ryna G. Cohen Endowed Fellowship
Hometown:  New Orleans, LA
Interests/Hobbies:  Sports, cooking, New Orleans music
Hornstein Professional Field Experience: Jewish Community Centers of Greater Boston, MA

Program: Heller/Hornstein
Previous Occupation: Consultant, Intercultural Resource Corporation; higher education policy analyst
Postgraduate Degrees: Masters in Sociology '05, Wits Postgraduate Merit Award (2001-2003). BA Honours in Sociology '01
BA: University of the Witwatersrand/Universidad de Buenos Aires '00, Sociology and Philosophy
Fellowships/Scholarships: Melvin S. and Ryna G. Cohen Endowed Fellowship, Morris and Rose D. Greenwald Endowed Fellowship, William and Ruth Margolis Endowed Fellowship
Research Interests: International development, organizational change, organizational culture and leadership
Other Academic/Professional Interests: International and comparative higher education, internationalization, diaspora studies, demography, policy issues
Hometown: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Interests/Hobbies: Travel extensively, interact with a variety of cultures, read, watch independent cinema, play and watch sports, listen to music, meet with friends
Quote:  “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” Sherlock Holmes
Hornstein Professional Field Experience: Combined Jewish Philanthropies, Boston, MA

KATIE LIGHT

Program: NEJS/Hornstein
Previous Occupation: Jewish Community Relations Council, Hartford, CT
Career Goals: Sociologist
BA: Trinity College, Hartford, CT, '03, Sociology
Fellowships/Scholarships: Wexner Graduate Fellow (class XIX, Jewish Studies), Edward Fein Hornstein Fellowship, Samuel and Frances Hirshenhorn Endowed Scholarship, Mandell L. Berman Steinhardt Social Research Institute Fellowship
Hometown: Irvine, CA
Interests/Hobbies: Paper-cutting, quilting, reading Harry Potter books
Hornstein Professional Field Experience: Researcher: Comparative Study of Drisha School & Choveve Torah Rabbinical School

Program: NEJS/Hornstein
Previous Occupation: Student. Currently research assistant, Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies
Career Goals: Researcher/Professor in American Jewish Studies
BA: California State University, San Bernardino '05, History
Fellowships/Scholarships: Fein-Pinanski-Shain Fellowship; Mandell L. Berman Steinhardt Social Research Institute Fellowship; Bernard Reisman Fellowship; Davidson, Hermelin, Zlotoff Endowed Fellowship in Jewish Communal Service
Other Academic/Professional Interests: Jewish American literature. Used to work for JBooks.com, an online Jewish literature community
Hometown: Riverside, CA
Interests/Hobbies: Literature, hiking/camping, flying
Hornstein Professional Field Experience: Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies, Brandeis University - Co-Principal Investigator of the Berkshire Jewish Community

ILANA STREIT

Program: Heller/Hornstein
Previous Occupation: Jewish education
Career Goals: Possible projects, such as founding an American kibbutz, starting a Jewish AmeriCorps-type program, using methodologies from hevruta study and midrash in various Jewish and non-Jewish institutions
Volunteer Work: National Havurah Committee, Jews in the Woods
BA: Brown University '00, Public Policy and American Institutions
Fellowships/Scholarships: Ezra J. and Rita H. Denerstein Endowed Fellowship, Samuel and Florence Melton Endowed Fellowship, Edward Fein Hornstein Fellowship
Hometown: Montclair, NJ, and later Philadelphia, PA
Interests/Hobbies: Dance, permaculture, compassionate communication, cooperative living, Semitic languages, the interplay between technology and community
Quote: "Never place a period where God has placed a comma."   Gracie Allen
Hornstein Professional Field Experience: Jewish Family & Children's Service, Waltham, MA

Program: Heller/Hornstein
Previous Occupation: Regional Director, The Curriculum Initiative
Volunteer Work: Clark University Admissions, Mystic River Jewish Communities Project
BA: Clark University ‘02, Sociology
Fellowships/Scholarships: Melvin S. and Ryna G. Cohen Endowed Fellowship, William and Ruth Margolis Endowed Fellowship
Other Academic/Professional Interests: Oral histories
Hometown: Lincoln, MA
Interests/Hobbies: Discovering new music, films, and books
Quote:  “We don't see things the way they are, we see things the way we are.” Talmud
Hornstein Professional Field Experience: Mystic River Jewish Community's Project, JCAM, Newton, MA