Avraham is a Yavneh YP fellow for Washington Heights, New York. He is currently a Program Director for Yachad New Jersey, and loves meeting new people, writing, and making music. He looks forward to working in the Heights and building up community and connection.

After graduating from Stern College for Women, Rachel moved to the Upper West Side, where she completed her second degree at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing. She loves spending time with friends and family, traveling, reading thrillers, exploring new learning and volunteering opportunities in the city, and walking all over Manhattan. Rachel is passionate about hosting Chesed events that make it easy and enjoyable for others to get involved. She’s excited to connect with new people at her upcoming Chesed events and contribute as a YP Fellow this year!

A dedicated Ann Arborite since toddlerhood, Sarah studied social work and music (with minors in sociology and Jewish studies) at Eastern Michigan University and now works to provide support and resources to caregivers of aging adults. In her free time, Sarah loves reading, writing, making music, and listening to podcast shiurim. She’s excited to be returning for her second year with Yavneh YP, and looks forward to creating opportunities for Jewish young adults to connect!

Benedicte loves taking time out of the every day to foster moments of connection, especially over food.

Binyamin spent two years in Israel at Yeshiva Ohr Yerushalayim before then graduating from Touro College in New York. He works as a family and event photographer while also teaching at a local high school. With a strong passion for fitness and the outdoors, Binyamin enjoys helping others discover and embrace these interests as well. He looks forward to working alongside his wife to make a meaningful impact in the local community of young professionals in Brooklyn.

David is excited to return for his 3rd year as a Yavneh YP fellow and can't wait to host fun and meaningful events on the Upper East Side!

Melissa currently hails from Atlanta, GA! She loves to travel, try new recipes and play with her cat Reggie. She is super excited to be a Yavneh fellow AGAIN this year and host some great events to connect with all the YPs of Atlanta.

Elie lives in Murray Hill with his wife Arielle. 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.

Rivky is a clinical psychology graduate student in her last year of schooling. She is currently working with veterans in the East Orange VA. She is passionate about community building, facilitating connections, and being outdoors.

Joshua Koegel is a second-year student at Harvard Law School with a background in chemistry, economics, and Jewish campus leadership. He previously taught high school and now helps lead the Harvard Law and Entrepreneurship Project. Passionate about halacha, community-building, and negotiation, he’s excited to connect with fellow young professionals through Yavneh.

Zoe Shinefield is a PhD student at the University of Maryland. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors, reading, and building community.

Shayna Herszage is thrilled to be joining Yavneh for a fourth year! In her spare time, she loves writing, hiking, and theatre.She a graduate student in school psychology at Temple University, and she lives with her husband, Daniel, in Bala Cynwyd.

Efraim has been passionate about Jewish community leadership since his highschool days leading a chapter of Yachad and Bnei Akiva and NCSY advisor days in College. Efraim was the Social Programming Chair at the Cornell Center for Jewish Living. He loves to brainstorm creative event ideas and make them come to life!

Daniel Furchin is a cybersecurity engineer dedicated to safeguarding digital systems. He enjoys new experiences both above and below the water, balancing professional focus with an active lifestyle. In the year ahead, he looks forward to continued growth in his career and personal pursuits.

When she isn't taking advantage of remote work to visit friends in other places, Rachey brings young professionals in Baltimore together to build up the sense of community. Beyond leading a customer success team in retail pricing, she enjoys exploring new perspectives, assembling furniture, attempting to learn Spanish, and dabbling in various arts & crafts. Her experiences living in NY 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.

Eric Abraham is a young professional living in the Upper West Side. He has a professional background in Kiruv and Technology. Alongside this he has a personal background in socializing, strategy games, and creative outlets.

Chaya Dachoh is a registered nurse currently living in Miami Beach. She is an energetic, kind, adventurous person who loves meeting with new people and connecting! Good vibes this way!

Rena Blatt is a returning Yavneh Fellow. She is a social worker living in Kew Gardens Hills and she loves helping build the community.

Jake is currently in his second year at Palmer College of Chiropractic. He is an avid New York sports fan and loves travelling, writing, and spending time in friends. He is also a MHWOW fellow and involved in his local Jewish Federation.

Keren is an active member of the DC Jewish young professional community who loves bringing people together. Originally from Columbia, MD, she’s passionate about MBTI, Taylor Swift, and personal growth. When she’s not working, you can find her crocheting, reading, or enjoying a good matcha with friends.

After 2 successful years of running Yavneh YP events in South Florida, Justin Lurie has decided to take his talents to the Upper West Side. He is best known for his iconic “Pickle Making” event, that sparked a trend amongst Yavneh YPs along the East Coast. Justin can’t wait to hit the ground running in his new community!

Sarah Marizan is a Visual Information Specialist for the U.S. House of Representatives, with a background in visual arts. Originally from Baltimore, she now calls Silver Spring home. Her passion for nature and photography drives her to explore the world, capturing its beauty through her lens. She also loves connecting with people and building a sense of community wherever she goes. When not working, you will find her traveling, seeking new adventures.

Bracha is a curious and passionate community member who loves nothing more than being exposed to different types of people, ideas, and lifestyles. She believes in creating communities of empowered participants who show up in their authentic selves. When Bracha is not involved in communal affairs, she can be found teaching, practicing yoga, or spending time in nature.

Yaffa is a graduate of Penn State and lives in Lakeview, Chicago. She works as a Grants Associate at Hillel International. When she's not planning creative Jewish events, you can usually find her cooking, exploring a new local coffee shop, or biking on the Lakefront Trail.

Argentina-born adventurer fueled by travel, F1, and mountain trails. Loves empanadas, asado, and making memories with his wife and friends.

Shayna lives in Chicago, in an area called Lakeview and loves to walk around the city and discover new things each day. She graduated from the University of Michigan with majors in Psychology and Drama and a minor in History. She currently works as first grade assistant teacher at a Jewish day school. She is very excited to be a Yavneh fellow and continue building Jewish community!

Nava Yastrab is currently in Graduate School pursuing a degree in Social Work. Nava is passionate about community and hopes to bring people together through fun events for people who care about Judaism and are interested in meeting others. In her free time, Nava likes to crochet, hike, read, learn and spend time with her niece and nephew.

Yonason Cohen grew up in Far Rockaway, NY, and spent four and a half years studying in yeshivas in Israel. Now based in the Five Towns, he works in recruitment for a homecare company and is passionate about hiking, surfing, and building meaningful connections.

Leah is a Brooklyn native and a graduate of Brooklyn College who now works as a Human Resources Associate at a social services agency. During college, Leah was deeply involved in the Jewish community and looks forward to continuing that engagement in her post-grad life. In her free time, she enjoys curating niche music playlists, picking up new hobbies to add to her ever-growing list, and showing no mercy in a game of Catan.

From Gainesville to Be’er Sheva to Hollywood, Florida, Andrea Murciano is a science teacher with a passion for creativity and helping others grow. Her favorite holiday is Shabbat because it brings people together through conversation, connection, and community. Andrea joined Yavneh to build meaningful connections and grow both personally and spiritually within a vibrant Jewish community.