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"My son Elliott Katz could not have had a more meaningful three weeks anywhere. The program was just the right balance of classes, volunteer work and socialization. Elliott enjoyed every aspect of the program. He has only the best things to say about all the mentors and staff. What I find most amazing is that the three kids we sent together to the program all went with different interests and passions and all three walked away with a fantastic response. This is the generation that must be reached, for they will soon carry the torch for us. In three short weeks it seems that you more than did your part to instill in these kids a true sense of Jewish community."
- Natalie Brooks
(parent)
Newtown, PA |
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Shmuly Yanklowitz (Director) grew up in Toronto, New Jersey, and Chicago and studied at the University of Texas for an undergraduate degree and Harvard University for his master’s degree in human development and psychology. He is now completing a second masters degree in Jewish philosophy at Yeshiva University and beginning his Doctoral Studies at Columbia University in moral development and developmental psychology. While studying at Yeshivat Hamivtar in Efrat, Israel, he also founded the Jerusalem Leadership Institute, bringing together students and volunteers in Israel for dialogue, service projects, and leadership training. Shmuly has volunteered and taught in many countries including Israel, France, Thailand, El Salvador, Ghana, India, and Ukraine. He is currently a rabbinical school student at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah in New York and is a Wexner Graduate Fellow. In addition to being an avid reader and athlete, Shmuly finds most of his passions in social justice and social action leadership. As a former Summer JAM mentor, Shmuly is very excited about directing Summer JAM 2008.
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Pamela Grutman (Assistant Director) is excited about her third Summer JAM. She is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, where she majored in architecture, held several prominent positions in the Jewish community, and was a religious school teacher. Additionally, she completed the Hewlett Program in Architecture: Community Building, Building Community. Currently, she is pursuing a nonprofit management certificate at Georgetown University. She is an alumna of Panim el Panim and was the 2006-2007 PANIM Dorot Fellow. After PANIM, she hopes to continue combining issues of housing and development with social justice. |
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Getzel Davis (Teacher) grew up in New York City and graduated in May 2007 from Brandies University with a major in near eastern and Judaic studies and minors in religious studies and peace and conflict studies. While at Brandies, he was an intern at the Moishe/Kavod Social Justice House, where he helped to organize the Jewish community on issues surrounding labor justice. Passionate about food justice and global warming, Getzel first woke up to his environmental responsibility while participating in a three-month Jewish organic farming fellowship with Adamah. Since graduating, he has worked for the Teva Learning Center, dedicated to teaching about the connections between Judaism and nature. As a strong believer in the benefits that a spiritual community can have in making activism sustainable, Getzel is very excited for to be staffing Summer JAM this summer. |
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Ari Hart (Teacher) is entering his second year of rabbinic studies at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah. After growing up in Chicago (wind), attending college in Iowa (corn), studying in Israel (Jews) and Sweden (blondes), Ari is currently enjoying learning and living in New York. Among his interests are: Torah, local politics, talking about life, and all kinds of music. Pursuing justice is a passion of his, and he greatly looks forward to the opportunity of working with a cadre of young Jewish leaders committed to making this world a better place! |
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Tiffany Rothenberg (teacher) grew up in Syracuse, New York and graduated in 2006 from the University at Albany with degrees in Judaic studies and political science. She currently works in healthcare advocacy, policy formation, and implementation for the Healthcare Association of New York State. Throughout her undergraduate education, Tiffany traveled and worked in many countries throughout Central America, Eastern Europe, and sub-Saharan Africa. She is an American Jewish World Service alumna, and was Chair of fundraising, philanthropy, and community service for her Jewish sorority, Alpha Epsilon Phi. Though extremely passionate about health legislation, she is temporarily leaving the advocacy world in the fall to pursue a law degree, to gain greater influence as she tackles the challenges that lie ahead in health infrastructure, both domestically and abroad. |
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David Singer (Teacher) is a rabbinical student at Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles. Originally from San Diego, David studied history at the University of California, Berkeley. While at UC Berkeley, he was president of the Jewish Student Union and Berkeley Hillel. David lives in Brooklyn, where he organizes "Brooklyn Jews," a creative approach to organizing Jewish community in Brooklyn. He loves teaching, and cannot wait to spend this summer in DC! |
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Lani Hart (mentor) grew up in Buffalo Grove, Illinois and graduated in May 2007 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with degrees in Sociology, Jewish Studies, and Hebrew. Lani has participated in a variety of Jewish programs including the Machon Kaplan summer internship at the Religious Action Center in Washington, D.C. and as a counselor for a NFTY in Israel. Lani also spent a semester abroad in Prague, Czech Republic, where she was able to study Jewish history and travel around Central Europe. Lani served as a Service Learning Fellow on her college campus, and is therefore familiar with the many of the learning strategies used on Summer JAM. Lani is the Smith Fellow at PANIM this year, and is very much looking forward to staffing Summer JAM for a second summer. |
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Aileen Heiman (Mentor) grew up in Wilmington, Delaware, and has a degree in psychology from Goucher College. After college she spent a year in the San Francisco Bay Area working in Jewish Family Education and at a craft store. Back East, Aileen was a Jewish programming fellow and houseparent at the American Hebrew Academy in Greensboro, NC, a pluralistic, Jewish boarding school. A die-hard Philadelphia Eagles’ fan, she is happy to be back in the Philadelphia area in her second year at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, working towards a rabbinate in Jewish education. A 2000 alumna of Panim el Panim, Aileen is excited to be staffing JAM and knows it will be a great way to spend the summer before heading off to Israel for a year of study in Jerusalem. |
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Samuel Konig (Mentor) is originally from Denmark. Samuel attended McGill University, Montreal, where he completed his bachelor’s degree in German and Jewish studies. Currently, Samuel is pursuing a master’s degree in European studies at Carleton University in Ottawa, where he is the National Jewish Campus Life advocacy campus specialist for Ottawa Hillel. Samuel has been involved in various student organizations and institutions and is actively involved in facilitating interfaith dialogue and multicultural programs for teenagers, university students and young professionals. Samuel is excited to return to Summer JAM 2008 as a mentor. |
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Gavriella Mintz (Mentor) grew up in Fair Lawn, NJ, and studied at Yeshiva University for an undergraduate degree in Jewish studies, psychology, and philosophy. Currently, she is pursuing a school-clinical psychology doctorate degree at Pace University. After completing her undergraduate degree, she spent time in Israel mentoring at Midreshet Lindenbaum, studying at the Pardes Institute, and volunteering throughout Israel in various capacities engaging terror victims, Darfur refugees, and the Bedouin community. Active in social justice issues, she has devoted much time and energy to Darfur activism. Gavriella has traveled to many countries, volunteering and teaching in Ghana, India, Estonia, Israel, Ukraine, and Belarus. Gavriella is always in the mood for an adventure, especially when it involves the outdoors, and is very excited about Summer JAM 2008. |
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