Camp Ramah in the Poconos
Rutgers University
Cherry Hill, NJ

Mikayla Davis is from Cherry Hill, New Jersey. She attends Rutgers University and is majoring in Public Health. Mikayla is involved with Omega Phi Alpha, a National Service Sorority. There she served on the service and recruitment committees. In addition, Mikayla is a school ambassador. Mikayla enjoyed learning more about her Judaism through the Maimonides Fellowship at Rutgers, in addition to attending Shabbat dinners sponsored by Hillel and Chabad. Mikayla has been attending Camp Ramah in the Poconos for the past eleven summers and this summer will be her fifth summer on staff. Mikayla attended a Jewish day school from K- 8th grade and throughout high school she was a Hebrew School aid.

URJ OSRUI
The University of Texas at Austin
Chicago, IL

Mitch is from the North Shore suburbs of Chicago, IL. In high school, Mitch served as the President of North Shore Congregation Israel’s Teen Youth Group, in addition to serving two other years on the board. In College, Mitch started his own production company, Big Dipper Films, to pursue his passions for storytelling and film production. Projects he has worked on thus far include short films, commercials and promotional videos for various summer camps. On campus, Mitch is involved with various organizations including DKA, a film society where he served as the treasurer, and Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity where he served as brotherhood chair. Mitch has been going back to summer camp at URJ OSRUI for 8 years and is excited to continue his film work there.

Camp Ramah in California
Emory University
Denver, Colorado

Molly Auerbach is a junior at Emory University majoring in Mathematics and minoring in Hebrew. She is from Denver, Colorado where she attended Denver Jewish Day School and was President of her Student Council. Molly comes from a big family; she has four siblings who are all married and 13 nieces and nephews. On campus, Molly has served a position on Hillel Executive Board each year, most recently serving as the Vice President. Molly is also a tour guide on campus, which she absolutely loves! Since she was eight years old, she spent her summers at Camp Ramah in California. She was a counselor there for four summers, where she most recently served as one of the Head Counselors for the oldest age group, and is planning on going back this upcoming summer. In her professional future, Molly hopes to either go into Education or Social Work, hopefully in the Jewish world.

Brandeis University
Marshfield, WI

Originally from Central Wisconsin, Nicole now studies at Brandeis University, majoring in Near Eastern & Judaic Studies and Creative Writing, and minoring in History. Nicole is an editor for the campus literary magazine Laurel Moon and a contributor for the satire magazine Gravity. She is also a coordinator for the volunteer group Hunger and Homelessness which allows her to interact with and raise supplies for people experiencing homelessness and/or food insecurity. She served as a T'filah coordinator for the Reform Judaism community for a year and a half. Nicole loves many things about Judaism, from the liturgy to the culinary traditions, but what inspires her the most is the community of Jews throughout the world. As a Jewish person, she feels connected to something ancient and profound. Judaism gives her the ability to see life through a lens of sanctity which has been invaluable in every facet of her life.

Camp Ramah in the Berkshires
Princeton University
New York, NY

Paul Horvath is from New York City and currently studying Politics and Computer Science at Princeton University. On campus Paul has worked as the Communications Chair on the Board of Koach (the Conservative Minyan), as well as the Vice President of Challah for Hunger. Outside of Hillel, Paul also served as the President of College Council, as a Peer Academic Advisor, and a McGraw Tutor. Paul is a lifelong ramahnik and spent five summers as a camper at Ramah Nyack, seven summers as a camper at Ramah Berkshires, three more as a counselor at Ramah Berkshires, and is thrilled to return as a rosh edah next summer.

Moshava Ennismore
Queens College
Skokie, IL

Growing up in Skokie, Illinois, Penina Lis attended various Jewish institutions that helped to shape her Jewish Identity. She attended 10 years of elementary school at a centrist orthodox day school and then four years of modern orthodox high school. She loved being a madricha for Bnei Akiva, both during the year in the chicagoland area and in sleepaway camp at Moshava Ennismore in Canada. Living in the old city, she spent her gap year at a midrasha continuing her Jewish learning. After her gap year, Penina attended Macaulay Honors College at Queens College where she is majoring in Psychology and Counseling.

Moshava I.O.
Yeshiva University
Silver Spring, MD

Reena Wasserstein grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland and is now a junior at Yeshiva University studying political science. She attended Berman Hebrew Academy, a jewish day school from kindergarten until 12th grade. Before college, Reena took a gap year to study judaic subjects at the Stella K. Abraham Beit Midrash for Women Migdal Oz.  At college, Reena started the mock trial club, participated in Yeshiva University National Model UN and is a student ambassador. Reena volunteers with the surrounding New York city community through the Yeshiva University Literacy Club, where she worked in a public school in Washington Heights, and the Pajama Program. She attended Moshava Indian Orchard as a camper for seven years and then returned as staff for three summers. Reena also worked for Bnei Akiva North America as a bogeret, and for Bnei Akiva of New York as Merakezet Shvatim, where she ran Shabbatonim and reunions for campers in New York.

Camp Ramah in Wisconsin
University of Minnesota
Golden Valley, MN

Shayan Gilbert Burke is a junior at the University of Minnesota majoring in Management Information Systems with minors in Political Science and Arabic. He is from Golden Valley, Minnesota, where he was very active in his synagogue as a Bar Mitzvah tutor for six years, as well as an advocate for children with special needs. He’s also an entrepreneur, starting a security and chaperoning business focused on serving the local Jewish community at Bar/Bat Mitzvah parties and other community simchas. After spending seven summers as a camper at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin, he returned as a counselor for two summers working with teens on the autism spectrum. On campus, Shay is very involved with Chabad, Hillel, Gophers for Israel, and a variety of political groups on campus. In his professional future, Shay hopes to find the intersection combining his passions of business, technology, Israel advocacy, and love of Judaism.

Camp Ramah in California
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Studio City, CA

Talia lives in Los Angeles, and studies Human Development and Family Studies, and is on a pre-med track at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. In her free time, she works at Hillel, attends weekly Chabad dinners, does research on campus, is in a sorority where she has worked with new members for the past two years, and has been very involved with Humorology, a philanthropy on her campus. In the past Talia has worked at a Hebrew School, and as a volunteer at a pre-school. Her favorite place in the world, is Camp Ramah in California, where she has attended camp for the past 11 summers. Talia also grew up going to a Jewish day school, and learning about Israel through her Israeli family’s eyes.

Indiana University
Henderson, NV

Tamar Tecktiel is a junior at Indiana University majoring in Jewish Studies with a minors in Elementary Education and Hebrew. She is from Henderson, Nevada right outside of Las Vegas where she attended The Adelson Educational Campus and was a member of United Synagogue Youth’s Far West Region. On campus, Tamar served as the President of her sorority Sigma Delta Tau.