Brandeis University
Camp Ramah Darom
Atlanta, GA

Aaron is a junior at Brandeis University, majoring in Education Studies and minoring in Psychology, Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, and Economics. Aaron is on the student board for Brandeis Hillel as Education Coordinator. He is the outgoing Co-President of Shira Chadasha at Brandeis, a Hillel member-group and partnership minyan. Aaron is a volunteer at Jewish Family & Children's Services' memory café, a warm and welcoming space for individuals with dementia. He is a research assistant on the Jewish Day Schools History Project for the Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education. This past summer, Aaron was a Goldman Fellow at the American Jewish Committee (AJC). Aaron is very passionate about Jewish pluralism and bringing together students of various Jewish backgrounds and affiliations through engaging educational opportunities.

Binghamton University
Brookline, MA

Abby is an honors student at Binghamton University studying Neuroscience and Economics. Raised in a baal teshuva family, she has been actively exploring her Jewish identity from a young age. Resonating most with the Torah Umadda philosophy, she switched to the Modern - Orthodox Maimonides School -- after years of public school -- before spending a year in Israel at Machon Ma’ayan Seminary. Over the years she has been involved with Cteen, NCSY, Russian-Jewish Community Foundation, JLIC, ChabadonCampus, and more. At Binghamton, she makes sure to give back to the robust Jewish community, to make time for Jewish learning, and to contribute her energy and effort to making the university environment a better place through her leadership positions in student government, honors program, and other student organizations. More than anything she loves connecting with new people. Not growing up as part of any one [Jewish] community, however, she understands how alienating it can be to feel like an outsider. With the help of the Nachshon Project, and by integrating her education in behavioral science, she seeks to become a Jewish leader that is committed to promoting inclusivity and growth. 

Columbia University & JTS
Camp Ramah in Wisconsin
Deerfield, IL

Alan is a junior in the Joint Program between Columbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary, majoring in History and Talmud & Rabbinics. This year, he serves on the Hillel International Student Cabinet, working to strengthen the Hillel movement internationally and on college campuses. He is the Politics Editor for The Current, a student journal at Columbia, a member of the Judaism & Education Fellowship at Columbia/Barnard Hillel, and on the Columbia Tae Kwon Do team. Previously, he served two years on student council. During the summer, Alan calls Camp Ramah in Wisconsin home, where he helps lead the shira (songleading) program. One day, Alan hopes to attend rabbinical school.

Brandeis University
Camp Ramah Nyack
Bath, ME

Arielle is a Junior at Brandeis University, studying Biology and Anthropology. She grew up in Bath, ME, going to public school as one of about five Jewish students in her school. She went to Camp Ramah Palmer in the summers and explaining holidays/customs to non-Jewish friends was a proud part of her identity growing up. Arielle went on the Kivunim Gap Year program studying Jewish history around the world. Now at Brandeis, Arielle is in the coed Jewish Acappella group (Manginah: A melody in Hebrew) and loves to sing and dance in her free time. Arielle is also an RA on campus, and is the president of the aviation club, working towards earning her privates pilots license in the next few years (Only as an amateur pilot, and not professionally). Arielle has volunteered for JNF in Israel for two winter breaks in a row, has gone to Midreshet Rachel V’Chaya, volunteered with Sar-El (IDF volunteering), and has worked at Camp Ramah in Nyack for four summers. Arielle is very excited to participate in the Nachshon Project this year and learn with passionate peers about Jewish leadership and education, and apply those skills for the future!

Yeshiva University
Moshava Wild Rose
Chicago, IL

Avi Braun was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He is currently a junior at Yeshiva University majoring in Accounting, where he is also on the baseball team. After high

school, Avi spent a gap year in Israel studying at Yeshivat Reishit. He attended Camp Moshava Wild Rose as a camper and then worked there as a regular counselor as well as a counselor for high school programming. Avi looks forward to exploring Jewish communal careers on The Nachshon Project.

Yeshiva University
Camp Stone
White Plains, NY

Ayelet grew up in White Plains, New York. She is a junior at Yeshiva University, majoring in History and minoring in American Studies. Growing up Ayelet was heavily involved with her synagogue, the Hebrew Institute of White Plains, attending services and serving as a youth leader every Shabbat. After graduating high school, she took a gap year studying at Midreshet Harova, a seminary in the old city of Jerusalem. Ayelet spent each summer at Camp Stone since the age of 11, first as a camper, then as sports staff and then as a counselor. Starting in high school, she would spend one month at Camp Stone and the other working at Yachad summer programs, which supports people with special needs. Ayelet hopes to explore and learn more about her Jewish identity and identities of others through the Nachshon Project and be able to share that with her Jewish community. 

University of Georgia
CYJ Texas
Dallas, TX

Barak Levy was born and raised in Dallas Texas. Currently he is a student at the University of Georgia where he majors in Psychology and minors in Business and Film Studies. On campus Barak is a part of the Jewish Life Committee for his Universities Hillel and is a member of the University of Georgia Spikeball team. Growing up going to Camp Young Judaea each summer was always the highlight of Barak’s year. In high school he discovered that he enjoyed being a counselor even more than being a camper and since then it has become his goal to work at Jewish summer camps after college. This summer Barak plans to be a counselor once again at Camp Young Judaea Texas and is excited to reunite with his campers after not being able to have camp last summer. Barak is excited to not only learn and grow from being a part of the Nachshon project but also to take what he learns to his camp and University communities.

Tulane University
URJ Camp Newman
Los Gatos, Ca

Brooke is from Los Gatos, California. She attends Tulane University where she is double majoring in Political Economy and Communication, as well as minoring in Management. At Tulane, she is involved in the University Student Government’s Sustainability Committee, her sorority’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and works as a Desk Services Coordinator in one of the residence halls. Brooke also has taught 7th grade at Temple Sinai New Orleans. Brooke has been working at URJ Camp Newman for the past 3 years, most recently as a CIT Advisor, and has been attending camp as a camper since 2010. This summer she is looking forward to stepping into a new role as Staff Liaison & Program Coordinator. She attributes much of her Jewish identity formation to her time spent at Newman. Brooke is motivated by the sense of community and source of empowerment that Judaism provides for so many young people within the Reform Movement and beyond, and hopes to combine these aspects more in her future career path.  

Tulane University
Camp Ramah Darom
Charlotte, NC

Carly Lerner is from Charlotte, North Carolina. She grew up attending Charlotte Jewish Day School and Temple Israel, and later attended Charlotte Country Day School, a private secular K-12. Carly currently attends Tulane University where she is double majoring in Sociology and Jewish Studies with a minor in Political Science. Aside from her academics, Carly is involved in Hillel and Chabad on campus and is a member of Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority along with Best Buddies and Tulane United for Autism. Carly has spent the last 14 summers at Camp Ramah Darom where she was a camper for 9 summers, attended Ramah Israel Seminar, and has worked as a staff member for the past 4 summers. Carly looks forward to attending Darom this summer as a Rosh Eidah. Carly's passion for leadership in a Jewish setting has led her to take part in the Nachshon Project. In the future, Carly is considering several career paths including special education, social work, and Jewish non-profit work.

University of Kansas
URJ OSRUI
Vernon Hills, IL

Danielle is from Vernon Hills, Illinois, and is a junior at the University of Kansas where she is majoring in American Studies with minors in Education and Jewish Studies. On-campus Danielle is an active member of KU Hillel and serves as the campus liaison to AIPAC. In addition to her participation in Jewish life on campus, Danielle is involved with Student Government, Omega Phi Alpha (national service sorority), and works as a peer mentor for first-year students. Danielle spends her summers at URJ OSRUI where she was a camper and staff member. This summer Danielle is excited to return to camp as the S'ganit (assistant unit head) for the youngest campers. In the future, Danielle hopes to use her passion for Judaism, inclusion, and teaching in a career in Jewish education.