Largo, FL
American University
URJ Camp Coleman

Aaron Torop grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida, and currently attends American University in Washington DC, pursuing a double major in Jewish Studies and Political Science. Aaron is a member of the School of Public Affairs Leadership Program and served as a First-Year teaching assistant. He spent the summer of 2016 in Melbourne, Australia, as an AJC Goldman Fellow at the Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council. This past year, he interned at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism and led AU Hillel's weekly text study group. He has attended URJ Camp Coleman since he was 5 years old, serving for two summers as a camp counselor with 10-12 year olds. He is inspired by the deep, intrinsic connection of Judaism with social justice, and interested in motivating Jewish communities to get involved in justice work. He hopes to become a rabbi and work in the Reform movement on issues of social justice.

Skokie, IL
University of Illinois
Camp Young Judaea, Midwest

Coming from Skokie, IL, Adina Lipschultz is pursuing a degree in Communications at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, with a minor in Art and Design. At school Adina is on the executive board of her sorority, and she writes for the Odyssey and HerCampus Illinois, two online publications. She is also the photographer for HerCampus. This past summer Adina was a Merkezet/Unit Head at Camp Young Judaea Midwest for 5th and 6th graders. Adina loves the fact that Judaism is so unique to each person and how there is so much to learn from other Jews. She loves that questioning is encouraged in order to inspire growth. Adina is exploring her own place within the Jewish professional world, possibly with children and youth groups. She hopes to integrate meditation into her work.

Merion Station, PA
Columbia University & JTS
Camp Moshava Indian Orchard

Albert Kohn, from suburban Philadelphia, is doing a dual degree at Columbia and JTS where he is majoring in Religion with a minor in Medieval Jewish studies. At school he is on the board of Chabad and active in Hillel as well, where he organizes a weekly learning program. Albert volunteers for the Peer Listening Hotline and “Peace by Peace,” a volunteer group that teaches conflict resolution in Harlem elementary schools. Albert spent a gap year at Yeshivat Orayta in Jerusalem. He has been a counselor at Camp Moshava Indian Orchard for the past two summers, where he also attended as a camper for six summers. He is considering a career in Jewish Education, and hopes to get a PhD as well.

Los Angeles, CA
University of Michigan
Camp Ramah California

Anina Dassa is a Junior at the university of Michigan pursuing a BFA in both the School of Art and Design, and the School of Music, Theater, and Dance with a minor in Judaic studies. She is currently focusing on how to weave creativity and art into Judaism. She has worked at  Camp Ramah in California for four years and she was part of designing and executing the first Edah for 11th graders. At the University of Michigan, Anina is part of a Jewish a cappella group, she is involved in many Hillel programs, and she teaches 7th grade Jewish History at a local conservative Religious School. Anina is a big believer that there are many ways to learn and understand and that tapping into a creative lens is very beneficial to Jewish learning. She hopes to continue developing the connection between creativity and Judaism and ultimately teach and inspire our Jewish future.

Saint Louis Park, MN
Tufts University
Camp Ramah Wisconsin

Ari Weinstein was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he attended the Minneapolis Jewish Day School and St. Louis Park Senior High. Ari grew up going to Camp Ramah in Wisconsin, and was involved in USY during high school.  He now attends Tufts University, where he studies history and sociology. Outside of classes at Tufts, Ari spends his time teaching health classes in Boston-area public schools with the organization Peer Health Exchange, in addition to working at the campus Hillel and dancing with a competitive dance team. For two summers, Ari worked as a staff member at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin, and spent summer 2016 working at a resource center for migrant workers and asylum seekers in Tel Aviv. Judaism is important to him because it provides frameworks for kindness and thoughtfulness in everyday actions, and he is excited to go on Nachshon and think about ways that he can embed Judaism and Jewish values into a future career.

Highland Park, NJ
Hunter College
Camp Young Judaea Sprout Lake

Originally from Highland Park, NJ, Ariel is pursuing a political science major and a certificate in educational policy at CUNY Hunter College. She spent 8 of her childhood summers at Young Judaea camps and is thrilled to return as a unit head for her fifth summer working at Camp Young Judaea Sprout Lake. She is the treasurer and co-founder of the pluralist Zionist club at Hunter College called Visions for Israel in an Evolving World (VIEW) and a Student Ambassador. Growing up in public schools and Jewish camps has given her a keen sense of the importance of both institutions. Ariel is passionate about Judaism, gender equality, coexistence, education, and art and is excited to explore some intersection between these as her possible future. 

Wynnewood, PA
Northwestern University
Camp Ramah in the Poconos

Ariel grew up in suburban Philadelphia, where he attended the Perlman Jewish day School and Lower Merion High School.  He was active in high school in the Lower Merion Players, participating in Theatre, Chorus and Orchestra.  He also served as Religion/Education VP of USY.  At Northwestern University, he studies Vocal Performance and Choral Music Education.  He directed the Renaissance Group on campus, and is active at Hillel.  

Clearwater, FL
University of South Florida
URJ Camp Coleman

Ashley Englander is from Clearwater, Florida. She attends the University of South Florida in Tampa, where she is majoring in Religious Studies. Ashley loves her campus Hillel, where she is a “regular.” She is also active in the Emerging Leaders Institute and Chabad. Ashley is a Sunday school teacher at her temple for 3rd and 4th graders. This past summer she was a counselor at Camp Coleman for Bonim (3rd and 4th grade). Ashley believes that Judaism provides a reason for everything that occurs in her life, and she often turns to the Torah and her Jewish mentors for guidance through life’s challenges. Judaism also provides her with a community of people with a shared heritage who she can call family. Ashley hopes to attend Rabbinical school and be ordained as a Rabbi so that she has the opportunity to influence other minds positively, just like her Rabbis did for her.

Monroeville, PA
Muhlenberg College
URJ Camp Harlam

Aviva is from a suburb of Pittsburgh, PA. She is a Jewish Studies major in the Elementary Education Certification Program at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA. On campus, students often see Aviva walking backwards as a Campus Tour Guide or volunteering with children as a brother of Alpha Phi Omega. Aviva just completed her two-semester term as Secretary on the Muhlenberg College Hillel Executive Board, and she also has served on the Education Society Board for four semester-long terms as Treasurer and then Vice President. Aviva spent this past summer at URJ Camp Harlam as one of the Junior Camp Assistant Unit Heads. She is inspired by the way Jewish communities around the world can come together for one weekend or one summer and step out of their comfort zones to become a part of something greater. Aviva aspires to work with children in informal Jewish settings, specifically camps, with a Masters in Non Profit Management.

New York City, NY
Columbia University & JTS
Camp Lavi

Chantal Rubin is originally from New York City. She grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and went to Ramaz until her family moved to Toronto in 9th grade where she went to high school. Chantal is completing two Bachelor’s degrees, one at the Jewish Theological Seminary where she is studying Ethics, and one at Columbia University, where she is studying Urban Studies with a focus in Political Science. She is the Director of Recruitment at TAMID of Columbia, a nonprofit organization that develops the professional business skills of students through hands-on interaction with the Israeli economy. She is also on the board of the Columbia Real Estate Society. What inspires Chantal about Judaism is that it is never ending, and there is always more to strive for, whether it be practical goals or values that drive a certain tone to her life.