I was a member of the East Brunswick chapter of the Hagalil Region. I started off in Kadima before joining USY. In my chapter, I was freshman representative, then Membership Programming VP, before ultimately becoming President for two years. I also spent two years as a member of the Membership Programming Regional General Board for Hagalil. I participated in USY on Wheels in 2013 and USY Eastern Europe Israel Pilgrimage in 2014. I also led Chaverim, a 4th and 5th grade precursor to Kadima for three years.

 

Since USY, I have become a CPA and work as a Financial Analyst at a startup in New York. I also just finished my debut memoir, From Generation to Generation: A Memoir of Food, Family, and Identity in the Aftermath of the Shoah. The book shares my grandfather’s story of surviving the Holocaust, the lesson’s he’s taught me, and how being the grandchild of a survivor has influenced my relationship with Judaism.

 

USY was such an important part of my life when I was in middle school and high school. It allowed me to be in a place with other Jewish kids. Not only did USY deepen my understanding of Judaism and connection to Israel, but I made strong friendships that still hold strong today. USY taught me leadership and how Judaism could be connected in my life outside of prayer as well.