Staff

**Jocelyn Cohn-** YP Coordinator
Jocelyn is the Yavneh YP Coordinator. She graduated Yeshiva University’s Sy Syms School of Business, majoring in Strategy and Entrepreneurship and minoring in Marketing. She has been very involved with Jewish community building since she was young and cannot wait to continue in this incredible role. She just moved to Washington, D.C. and is very excited to get involved in the community.

**Channah Cohen-** Senior Educator
Channah Cohen is a Senior Educator for Yavneh. Prior to this she worked at the OU's Center for Communal Research as an applied researcher studying systemic issues in contemporary Jewish life, and she served for four years as a Torah Educator at Queens College. Channah has a bachelors in Psychology from Stern College and a masters is Adult Learning & Leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University, and is a certified coach through the School of Positive Transformation. She strives to learn and teach means of spiritual living that are resonant with the human experience, and teaches weekly Torah classes for adults in her hometown of Silver Spring, Maryland, where she lives with her husband and children.

Fellows

Daniel Furchin- Midwood, Brooklyn

Daniel is a recent graduate and works as a cyber security analyst. He is excited to be part of Yavneh YP!

**Seth and Kaley Cohen-** Hyde Park, Chicago
**Seth** was raised in the north suburbs of Chicago and went to public school. He joined the Marine Corps at nineteen years old and served in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina with 2d Tank Battalion. Right before and during his time in the Corps, Seth started to become observant. Right after leaving active duty, Seth enrolled as an undergraduate student at the University of Chicago. Currently, Seth lives in Hyde Park with his wife and is an incoming MBA student at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is an advent follower of politics, loves to watch NCAA wrestling, and enjoys making sushi with his wife.
**Kaley** is from Skokie IL and attended Ida Crown Jewish Academy followed by a year of seminary at Tiferet in Israel, Stern College for Women and NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing. She has lived in Hyde Park with her husband Seth Cohen for 3 years. She works as a nurse at Libenu caring for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Kaley enjoys hanging out with family and friends, longs walks, and riding her peloton.

**Shante Lahijani-** Los Angeles
Shante loves ice Coffee, long walks and music. She also loves a good laugh, and is a people person. Think good, it will be good!

**Scott Sandor-** Washington Heights
Scott is excited to return to his hometown, NYC, as he pursues a Master's in Physician Assistant Studies at Yeshiva University after attending Yeshivat Lev HaTorah and graduating from the University of Maryland. In his free time, Scott loves to play piano, go hiking, and teach Torah. He is excited to harness his diverse skills and passions to make Yavneh YP enriching and fun for his community.

**Aryeh Brusowankin-** Washington Heights
An alumnus of Rutgers University and Yeshivat Orayta, Aryeh currently works in Financial Advising in New York City. When not working, Aryeh can most often be found spending time with friends, watching sports, planning vacations he won't actually go on, and learning. He is excited to work with so many incredible people to build vibrant and thriving communities of young Jewish professionals!

**Nathan Monesa-** Los Angeles
Nathan is a dedicated UCLA graduate and a current Podiatric Medical Student at Western University. Beyond his medical pursuits, he shares his passion as a Hebrew teacher on weekends. With a passion for sports, love of travel, and an interest in research, Nathan embodies a well-rounded approach to both his studies and leisure.

**Nathan Abergel-** Los Angeles
Coming from Paris France, Nathan recently moved to LA and started helping and organizing French Jewish Meetup in order to help the French community that moved to Los Angeles, whether for college or professionally. Nathan works in marketing full time, helping companies who do campaigns with influencers as well as social media management.

**Max Gruber-** Washington Heights
After serving in the IDF as a lone soldier, Max returned to Washington Heights and began his career at Wix.com, where he is currently an Account Manager. In his free time, Max enjoys hosting Shabbas meals, hiking, hanging out with friends, giving Shiurim, and more fun stuff :) Max is also working towards his Yoga teaching certification. Max can't wait to serve Washington Heights as a Yavneh YP fellow for the second year in a row!

**Shoshana Menasheraf-** Los Angeles
As a young professional in the nursing field, Shoshana has a passion to help others while also a love for spending quality time with friends and family. As a Yavneh and End Jew Hatred fellow, she advocates for Jewish life on and off campus and is excited to make a positive difference in the young professional community.

**David Cutler-** Upper West Side
David is an enthusiastic community builder on the Upper West Side, driven by his passion to unite diverse Jewish individuals through engaging events. He's excited to curate a wide range of activities that foster connections and create memorable experiences for everyone in the neighborhood. Through his dedicated efforts, David aspires to weave a tapestry of unity, fun, and shared moments, making the Upper West Side an even more vibrant and tightly-knit Jewish community.

**Aaron Gold-** Chicago
Aaron went to Yeshiva University for undergrad and studied math and economics, he is currently working for a global marketing company as a Senior analyst. In his free time he loves playing piano, traveling, and going to Jewish events. He’s hosted a number of YJP events in the Chicago Jewish community in the past and looking forward to continue hosting with the support of Yavneh!

**Naomy Bernheim-** Los Angeles
Naomy is a friendly and kind endeavoring student at Marsha Fuerst School of Nursing in Los Angeles. She loves to spend time with family and friends. She hopes to build and create connections with Jewish people and strengthen her community along with her fellows. She enjoys writing poetry, being outdoors, learn from and helping others. Naomy is enthusiastic about being an Yavneh YP fellow!

**Liorit Kohanbash**- Los Angeles
Liorit is currently pursuing her law degree with a plan to work in the corporate legal sector. Alongside her studies and work commitments, she also volunteers at different organizations. During her free time, Liorit enjoys playing on different sports teams and spending time with friends.

**Goldie Silber-** Silver Spring, MD
Goldie is excited to join the Yavneh YP fellowship this year! Originally from Monsey, NY, she currently lives in Silver Spring, MD with her husband and 1 year old daughter. She works at a tech company as a software engineer. In her free time, Goldie enjoys traveling, planning events, and playing games!

**Parham Javaherizadeh**- Los Angeles
Since Parham’s college days back in 2008, he has immersed himself in the vibrant Jewish community of Los Angeles, dedicating his time and energy to the planning and execution of numerous events and programs. Over the years, he has fostered a deep connection to his roots and a profound commitment to enriching the lives of his community members. From his initial involvement in college organizations to ongoing role in spearheading engaging activities, Parham consistently sought to create meaningful experiences that celebrate our heritage, foster unity, and promote personal growth within our diverse and dynamic community.

Sarah Lipoff- Lenox Hill, NYC

Meet Sarah Lipoff, the creative force behind the excitement at your Jewish events in NYC's Lenox Hill! With a knack for blending tradition with a fresh twist, Sarah is your go-to. Whether you're attending or hosting, get ready for an exceptional experience curated by her!

Ben Hariri- Los Angeles

Ben is a 3rd year Law Student at Southwestern Law School. He is a Peer Mentor at Southwestern, the co-President of the Jewish Growth Society and Vice President at the Jewish Law Student Association. He is also a board member of the Eretz Cultural center YAD Youth Board and organizes Jewish law student events in Los Angeles.

**Kian Maghzar-** Los Angeles
Kian is a graduate of Jewish High School in Los Angeles and is excited to continue his process of fostering Jewish studies after college. He enjoys playing basketball, board games and spending time with his friends.

**Ben Baruch**- Washington, D.C.
Ben Baruch is a journalist starting his career with NBC News Washington after an awesome four years of being a part of the Jewish community at the University of Maryland. Ben's goal is to become a TV news producer covering topics from politics to foreign affairs. He is also the co-author of the book "Out of the Box," which explores unique ideas on the weekly parsha with inspiration from Rav Yair HaLevi Eisenstock.

Sivan Import- Washington Heights

Sivan Import is a graduate student The Katz School of Science and Health for her masters in speech and language pathology. She is currently living in Washington Heights and stays involved in her community. Sivan is excited to be a Yavneh YP fellow this year and bring people together.

**Shaina Kashanirokh-** Los Angeles
Shaina Kashanirokh is a Physician Assistant who enjoys creating events that bring people together to celebrate life and express thanks to Hashem. She anticipates building the Yavneh Young Professional community in the Valley of Los Angeles.

**Ben Shiff-** Los Angeles
Ben Shiff is originally from New York, and moved to Los Angeles to pursue his dreams of working in Hollywood. He currently works at Disney Animation, and is passionate about Jewish community-building in his spare time. His goal is to produce Jewish content full-time (and hopefully make it funny).

**Joshua Brunnlehrman-** Upper West Side
Joshua Brunnlehrman is a recent graduate from the Joint Program between the Jewish Theological Seminary and Columbia University, and is looking forward to continue living in NYC. His passions include reading, exploring the city and spending time with friends.

**Sigal Import**- Washington Heights
Sigal Import, a recent graduate of Stern College, will be attending the Katz Graduate program of science and health. She just got back from the SIJ at Harova program and is very excited to be a part of the Yavneh family this year in Washington Heights.

**Eliot Kohanim-** Los Angeles
Eliot was born and raised in Los Angeles. After finishing nursing school at Johns Hopkins, he moved back to LA, where he works as a Post Anesthesia Care Nurse. He's passionate about nature and spends his weekends hiking, going to the beach, or trying out new recipes in the kitchen

**Pinchas Teitz-** Upper West Side,
Pinchas is a member of the Jewish Center's Young Leadership community on the Upper West Side, and has served as a gabbai of the Young Leadership Minyan for the past two years. He is the co-founder and former CTO of Grouport, a startup platform for online group therapy. Pinchas studied Computer Science and Math at NYU, where he also served as the gabbai of the Orthodox minyan in addition to organizing and facilitating numerous Torah learning initiatives.

**Miriam Levi**- Washington, D.C.
A DC professional who loves to fuse art, cooking, baking, and Torah into one to inspire others.

**Shabbos Kestenbaum**- Cambridge, MA
Shabbos Kestenbaum is a Master's student at Harvard University from Riverdale, NY. After studying at Aish HaTorah in Jerusaelm for two years, Shabbos began teaching at SAR Academy and later worked as a City Director for NCSY. Shabbos is passionate about spiritual activism and founded the Young Jews for Justice, organzing Jewish solidarity missions with Uyghur activists, victims of clergy abuse, and Holocaust Survivors. Shabbos has spent the last few months immersed in Ukrainian refugee relief work centered in Krakow.

**Rachel Rafael**- Los Angeles
Rachel Rafael is part of the IT/OPs team at the Aleph Institute and is passionate about no one being alone during difficult times. An alumna of UCLA, Rachel enjoys research and numbers, especially when it involves connecting to and helping others. Rachel currently lives in Los Angeles and enjoys reading, nature, and connection.

**Efraim Schacter**- Overland Park, KS
Efraim is a Young Professional Food Scientist by trade and singer, P’til Tekhelet distributor, woodworker, potter, and leather worker by hobby. He is passionate about bringing Jews together to bond over traditional songs, traditional food, and Torah!

**Shoshana Berger-** Washington Heights
Shoshana Berger is a graduate of Stern College for Women where she majored in Childhood Education. She teaches at Manhattan Day School and is attending Hunter School of Education for a Master's in Special Education - Learning Disabilities. She is a former Yavneh Fellow, creator and editor-in-chief of Yedid Nefesh (Powered by Yavneh), and is super excited to continue learning from and working with Yavneh!

Chana Silver- Washington Heights

Chana Silver hails from Elizabeth, New Jersey, and recently joined the Washington Heights community. She received her BA in psychology from Lander College for Women (LCW) and is pursuing her PsyD at Kean University. She is so excited to be a part of Yavneh YP and looks forward to sharing Shabbos meals and engaging programs with new people!

**Noah Fine**- Washington, D.C.
Noah is in his first year in the Washington, D.C. Jewish community, and recently graduated from the University of Maryland. He works as an Associate AI Engineer with the MITRE Corporation, and in his free time enjoys reading, learning, video games, and acts of shtick. Noah served on the national board of Yavneh on Campus while in college, and is excited to continue his involvement with Yavneh YP!

Cayla Muschel- Washington Heights

Cayla is a recent graduate of Stern College and is completing an internship in Brain Sciences at Bar Ilan University. In her free time, Cayla can be found making oddly specific playlists, reading in coffee shops, learning Torah, and standing in rainstorms. She is incredibly excited to meet and bond with everyone in the Washington Heights community!

**Abby Blumofe**- Chicago
Abby is from Los Angeles and is excited to pursue a Master's in Physician Assistant Studies at Touro University. She loves spending her free time with friends, being outdoors, and cooking. Her goal is to build the young modern orthodox community of Chicago. Abby is enthusiastic about being an Yavneh YP fellow!

**Shayna Herszage-Feldan**- Washington Heights
Shayna Herszage-Feldan is originally from Columbus, Ohio, and graduated from Yeshiva University in 2021. She is currently a graduate student at Queens College pursuing a Master's degree in Behavioral Neuroscience. In her spare time, she loves organizing events, exploring the city, writing, and theatre.

**Justin Lurie**- Boca Raton, FL
Justin Lurie was born and raised in Boca Raton, FL. He attended the University of Central Florida where he was heavily involved in the Jewish life on campus. Justin is a die hard sports fan and currently works in Athlete Relations.

**Boaz Edinger-**Silver Spring, MD
Hailing from Baltimore, MD, Boaz Edinger has always been involved in community projects throughout the community and my shul. Coming to Silver Spring in 2020 for school, he has spent the last 3 years organizing meals and small events for his friends. He is looking forward to increasing his opportunities to help people meet and create fun on events in his neighborhood.

Shalhevet Cahana- Washington Heights

Shalhevet Cahana teaches Talmud and Halacha at Manhattan Day School. Shalhevet was recently certified to be a Kallah teacher through the Eden Center; she enjoys teaching individuals and couples about Mikvah and Taharat HaMishpacha. Shalhevet previously studied in Maimonides School, Migdal Oz, Stern College for Women and their advanced Gemara program called the Graduate Program for Advanced Talmudic Studies (GPATS). She lives with her husband Dvir Cahana in. Washington Heights.

**Shoshana Benjamin**- Seattle, WA
Shoshana Benjamin is a PhD student in Social Welfare at the University of Washington. A recent transplant from NYC, she is excited to build community in Seattle.

**Shawn Patrovi**- Los Angeles
Shawn is a prospective medical student in his gap year before medical school. He loves being involved in his community as much as I can.

**Josef Gad**- Miami
Josef is originally born in New York and has lived in Mexico, Miami, Hong Kong, and Israel. He attended Yeshiva University and then transferred to Baruch College with a focus on digital marketing. He feels truly blessed to meet Jews from around the world and am excited to connect young professionals in my community!

**Sarah Marizan**- Silver Spring, MD
Sarah is a Visual Information Specialist working for the House of Representatives. Born and raised in Baltimore, Sarah has a bachelor's in fine arts from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. When not baking, you can find Sarah traveling the world photographing nature's beauty.

**Danielle Rosenthal**- Olney, MD
Danielle grew up in Olney and attended high school at Yeshiva of Greater Washing in Silver Spring. She is a recent graduate of George Mason University Law School, and in a legal fellow with the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office.

**Adira and Izy Muller**- St. Louis, MO
**Adira** grew up in Stamford, Connecticut, and then spent a year in seminary at Midreshet TVA. She is currently a senior at WashU pursuing a degree in Organizational and Strategic Management. In her free time, she runs a program in a local prison, teaching inmates life skills, and Ioves planning and running kiddushes, tisches, and learning opportunities in the Jewish community.
Throughout college, **Izy** was very involved in the leadership of the Jewish community on campus and with Yavneh nationally. He currently works as a Behavioral Health Technician at Greenbrook TMS, where he administers electromagnetic stimulation to patients with severe cases of depression. Outside of his work, he gives a weekly shiur in Hilchot Shabbos at the Washu Hillel and is pursuing smicha through the Israeli Rabbinate.

**David and Adina Lewis**- Hyde Park, Chicago
**David** grew up in New Jersey, and recently graduated UChicago majoring in Economics and Psychology. Despite graduating last year, he still resides in the Hyde Park community with his wife Adina where you could find him reading, cooking, or playing sports.
**Adina** was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. She is beginning her third year at the University of Chicago, where she is studying psychology. She and her husband David love the Hyde Park community and are so excited for this year.

**Elie and Arielle Codron**- Murray Hill, NYC
Arielle and Elie recently got married and currently live in Murray Hill. Both of them love hosting and share their love for Judaism with others. As both are from Europe they hope to offer more opportunities in New York City for Young Jewish Professionals from outside of the U.S.

**Rebecca Farkas**- Upper East Side
Rebecca Farkas is a digital marketing professional who is passionate about crafting top-notch online experiences. Specializing in Email Marketing, SEO, and Analytics she artfully navigates the digital landscape to create meaningful connections and engagement. As an energetic, free-spirited person, Rebecca is excited to contribute to building the Yavneh Community.

**Jonathan Rubin**- Boca Raton, FL
Jonathan Rubin is a graduate of IDC Herzliya and Columbia University. Rubin was born and raised in the South Florida community. Rubin is involved with various community projects and runs a local business.

Monica Sass- Seattle WA

Monica Sass recently earned her law degree and master's in social work at NYU, and is excited that Seattle, like her beloved East Village, is home to a warm, vibrant, and quirky Jewish community. She is always on the prowl for the best nondairy ice cream, and is passionate about Cleveland's growing kosher food scene and often-struggling sports teams.

**Maya Greenbaum**- Cambridge, MA
Maya is originally from Teaneck, NJ and is currently a second year Doctor of Physical Therapy student at Boston University and living in Cambridge, MA. She did her undergrad at University of Maryland where she was active on the board of the Orthodox Jewish community (Kedma) and with Yavneh on Campus. Maya loves Israel, learning Torah, and spending time with friends and is excited to be involved with programming in Cambridge!

**Benjamin and Eliana Nechmad**- Upper West Side
**Ben** is an urban planner who lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with his wife Eliana. You can often find him in Central Park admiring the various types of trees, plants and architectural styles that can be found in and around the park. He has a passion for community development and has been involved in Jewish community building since his college years at Rutgers.
**Eliana** is a proud member of the UWS Jewish community. She is dedicated to her job as a Speech-Language Pathologist at a public middle school in Washington Heights. Along with her husband, Ben, she is excited for a great year with Yavneh YP!

**Sam Bernstein**- Upper West Side
Sammy grew up in Woodmere NY and is currently residing in the west side. He is super exciting to add some fun and holy experiences to the community this year.

**Aliza Weiss**- Washington, D.C.
Aliza Weiss is currently living in Washington D.C. working for the GPO as a Human Resource Specialist as part of their Pathways program. Aliza recently graduated from Yeshiva University, majoring in Political Science. After contributing greatly to the Stern community, Aliza is excited to plan and run events for the DC community in her new home.

**Naomi Grant**- Washington, D.C.
Naomi has lived in DC since 2019, when she graduated from the University of Maryland, just like everyone else in the community. She is a master's student in international relations at Johns Hopkins University (SAIS). Her favorite things are dogs, outdoorsy things, organizing things, foreign languages and hanging out at the park on Shabbat afternoons with other Shomer Shabbat young professionals.

**David Nisanoff**- Washington Heights
David Nissanoff. is originally from Los Angeles and currently lives in Washington Heights . He is psyched to be apart of Yavneh YP because he is passionate about community building and looks forward to creating awesome events. He recently graduated from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of law. On his free time he enjoys skiing, wakeboarding and scuba diving.

**Taliah Soleymani-**Washington, D.C.
Taliah is a recent Stern graduate who is now working at the NIH. Still new to DC, she is always down for an adventure!

Rachey Rosenfeld- Baltimore, MD

After spending a year at Michlalah in Jerusalem, she lived in 3 various boroughs of NYC while studying economics at Yeshiva University and the CUNY Graduate Center. She currently works in retail pricing analytics at NielsenIQ. In her free time she enjoys exploring new perspectives, assembling furniture, attempting to learn Spanish, and dabbling in various arts & crafts. Her experiences living in and visiting different communities has developed her belief that we can often learn a lot from each other, and she's doing what she can to bring what she's learned back to her hometown.

**Chavi Seidenfeld**- Upper West Side
Chavi received her degrees from Queens College and LIM College. She currently works as Sales Executive for a home textiles company in NYC. When not working, Chavi enjoys spending time with friends, walking and going to classes at the gym. She is excited to work with all her fellow fellows to create events that bring Jewish young professionals closer together to help build a close knit community everyone feels comfortable in!

Sammy Hamermesh- Denver, CO

Sammy is an Aerospace Engineer based in Denver Colorado. Originally from Philadelphia, he moved to Colorado after graduating from Johns Hopkins University. For the past three years, Sammy has been an active member in the Denver Jewish Community and is an active participant in several of the shuls in the community. Sammy is also a resident of The Den Denver, which is a house in Denver that puts on regular programming for Jewish Young Professionals.

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