University of Delaware
Camp Young Judaea Sprout Lake
Plainview, NY

Ira Kohler was born and raised in Long Island, and studies at the University of Delaware where he is majoring in Economics and minoring in Education. He studied at the Schechter School of Long Island for 13 years, and in high school, Ira was very involved in his USY chapter at Midway Jewish Center and in the athletics program at his high school. Now, at The University of Delaware, Ira is a member of the club ultimate frisbee team, and he is very involved with Jewish life on campus. He serves as a member of the Chabad Steering Committee, and he recently served as the service coordinator at Hillel, where he helped coordinate all Friday night and Saturday morning services. Ira has also spent 8 summers at Young Judaea, and will be spending his fourth year on staff at Camp Young Judaea Sprout Lake this summer. Ira loves working as a staff member at camp, and he is very excited to share what he learns on The Nachshon Project with his Sprout Lake community. 

Lesley University College of Art & Design
Camp Tawonga
Oakland, CA

Jenna is a Bay Area native from Oakland, California and studies at Lesley University College of Art & Design in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She majors in photography with a minor in expressive arts therapy. Jenna has always found comfort and value in Jewish communities, whether that be at her synagogue or Jewish sleep away camps. While learning at Bet Sefer religious school in the year Kitah Dalet, she reached heights of “shul stardom” as a member of the female trio. For many years, she was a madricha at her temple’s religious school and tutored middle schoolers in preparation for their bar/bat mitzvahs. In her middle school years, Jenna first attended Jewish sleep away camp at Camp Ramah in California and experienced unforgettable summers growing her Jewish self while immersed in nature. Jenna still dedicates her summers to the the unique, passionate, ruach-filled community of Jewish sleep away camps and has served as camp photographer/blogger at Ramah and most recently at Camp Tawonga. While on The Nachshon Project, she hopes to explore and enrich her understanding of the arts as a venue to navigate identities and the role of contemporary Jewish narratives in shaping the Jewish future.

Brown University
Camp Ramah in the Berkshires
New York, NY

Jessica Raviv is a junior at Brown University majoring in Psychology and minoring in Judaic Studies. Born and raised in New York City, she has been involved with many Jewish and pro-Israel communities. As the president of her Friendship Circle she found a love for working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. At Brown, Jessica remains involved with the special needs community through her executive board position for Best Buddies. On campus, Jessica has served on the executive boards for Chabad and Brown Students for Israel (BSI), most recently serving as the president of Chabad. During the 2018-2019 school year she served as a StandWithUs Emerson Fellow for BSI, and participated in Chabad’s Sinai Scholars Program. Outside of her Jewish and pro-Israel leadership positions, Jessica enjoys volunteering at Samaritans of Rhode Island, a crisis hotline. Since she was eight years old, she has spent her summers at Camp Ramah in Nyack and later at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires. Jessica has worked as a counselor at Berkshires for three summers, where she most recently served as a Breira (special needs inclusion program) counselor.

Goucher College
Ramah Day Camp in Nyack
Mount Kisco, NY

Justin Pellis hails from Mount Kisco, NY. A former “USY-er” and graduate of The Leffell School (formerly Schechter Westchester), Justin studies Jazz Piano, Arabic, and Theater at Goucher College. He grew up at the Reconstructionist Bet Am Shalom Synagogue in White Plains and was a camper and counselor at both Camp Havaya (formerly JRF) and Ramah Day Camp In Nyack. Justin is a third-generation international student at Hebrew U. In 2016, Justin did a gap year at Mechinat Nachshon in Kibbutz Shoval, an immersive pre-IDF gap year program. On campus, Justin plays in the jazz ensemble, acts in musicals and the improv troupe, and leads Shabbat services at Hillel. Justin is also a madrich for B’nai Mitzvah Students at Beth Am Baltimore. Outside of school, Justin acts and composes for community theater, including Theater For The New City and Jewel’s Earthbound Angels. Justin is thankful for the Jewish community that raised him and wants to use his skills to inspire another generation of artistic Jewish thinkers.

Loyola University Chicago
Ortonville, MI

Katherine is a third year honors student studying at Loyola University Chicago. She is majoring in Advocacy and Social Change with a minor in Political Science. At Loyola, she has been involved with Hillel since the beginning of her academic career and is currently Vice President of Hillel at Loyola. In 2019, Katherine spent a summer interning at Jewish Family Service in Metro Detroit, connecting her passion for Judaism and social advocacy. She credits her involvement with Metro Chicago Hillel and the wonderful staff with her path to The Nachshon Project. Katherine hopes to have a career working in the Jewish nonprofit world. 

Indiana University
Habonim Dror Camp Galil
Milwaukee, WI

Leora is a Junior at Indiana University and is majoring in Psychology and Jewish Studies. She grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she attended the Milwaukee Jewish Day School. Growing up, Leora was very involved in her Jewish community through internships and volunteer work at Milwaukee Jewish Free Loan Association, the Jewish Community Center, and Jewish Family services. She also has been a part of Habonim Dror, attending Camp Galil in Pennsylvania. Leora is excited to have the opportunity to explore her Jewish Identity by being part of The Nachshon Project and hopes to find a way to combine her two passions of Psychology and Jewish Studies in a future career.

Binghamton University
Perlman Camp
Hewlett, NY

Maya Tipiere is a junior at Binghamton University where she studies Human Development. Before attending Binghamton, Maya was a student at Tulane where she served as the president of her Dorm building. She transferred to Binghamton during sophomore year. Maya grew up in the Five Towns on Long Island in New York attending Congregation Sons of Israel and both attending and assisting in teaching at their hebrew school. She has spent 11 summers at Perlman Camp, where she has now worked as a Head Counselor for two summers. Maya attended G.W. Hewlett High School and was the president of her local youth group chapter.

Indiana University
URJ Camp Harlam
West Windsor, NJ

Michael Mitgang is a junior at Indiana University where he majors in Jewish Studies and in the Liberal Arts and Management Program. Originally from West Windsor, NJ, Michael grew up at Congregation Beth Chaim in Princeton Junction, NJ. He found his passion for Judaism during his summers at URJ Camp Harlam. Michael's love for leading was developed during his time in NFTY. Michael was an active participant in NFTY-PAR, which led him to becoming a leader within his Hillel community at IU. Michael recently served as the President of the Jewish Studies Student Association at school. In the future, Michael hopes to become a Rabbi and help inspire the next generation of Jewish leaders.

Yeshiva University
Camp Stone
Teaneck, NJ

Michal Mizrahi was born and raised in Teaneck, NJ and is now a junior at Yeshiva University  studying Chemistry and Judaic studies. She attended jewish day schools growing up - RYNJ for elementary school and Ma'ayanot Yeshiva High School For Girls. Before college, She took a gap year in Israel at Midreshest Lindenbaum to focus on her Judaic Studies. Michal volunteers with surrounding underprivileged New York City communities as part of the START science club at Yeshiva University where every Friday she teaches the students a science lesson in a fun interactive way. She attended Camp Shoshanim since the second year of its opening, and then went on to work at Moshava Ba'ir and Camp Stone for two summers. Michal was also the Youth director in her synagogue for three years and worked for Bnei Akiva of North America as a Madricha, running youth groups shabbat afternoons in her community.

University of Maryland
Camp Ramah in California
Los Angeles, CA

Michelle is originally from Los Angeles, California and is majoring in Psychology at the University of Maryland. She grew up attending Jewish day school as well as Camp Ramah in California where she was a camper for six summers and served as a counselor for four summers. On campus she is a member of the Alpha Epsilon Phi Sorority, a research assistant in a child development lab, and an active member in her Hillel community. In the future, Michelle hopes to pursue a career that combines her passion for people and Judaism.